268

BARREN COUNTRY.

both on the side of the dam and of the sire, for three direct and successive generations; that she possesses all the qualities of those mares spoken of by the Prophet, when he says: Their bellies shall be treasuries and their backs seats of honour. Supported by the testimony of our predecessors, we attest, &c.

"God is the best of witnesses."

We had not been travelling an hour before we perceived that the Arab, who had charge of the horse laden with the provisions, was robbing us unmercifully: whatever he could lay hands on was transferred to his mouth or his pockets. An Arab delights in thieving. We placed him in the centre, and directed that he should be closely watched for it would be impossible for us to procure victuals and especially bread during our journey.

Ever since our departure from Jerusalem, we had marched continually between sterile, grayish, treeless, shadeless hills; at the foot of some of them we merely remarked here and there a patch covered with poppies and yellowish daisies. I frequently saw our Arabs, as they passed near bushes, pull up some roots and greedily devour them. This wrung my heart; I turned away my face, and thought of those sumptuous banquets which I used to give in other days of painful memorybanquets, the value of which would have been a fortune to so many wretched creatures.

The farther we advanced, the worse the roads became : nothing but stones, deep ditches to cross, parched and dreary mountains, rocks on either hand, frightful abysses, into which one false step of our horses would have

plunged us. The heat was so intense that in an hour's time M. C was struck by a coup de soleil. We moved on in profound silence. Nought was to be heard save the prayers of the sheik, chanting, in a monotonous tone, verses of the Koran. Some very pretty black and white birds flitted before us, and enormous eagles hovered over the hills by which we were environed. At length, after a march of six leagues, we perceived from the top of a mountain the plain of Jericho, where we arrived in another hour. If ever, in my travels, my imagination, picturing to itself the situation or appearance of places, has found its preconceived notions egregiously erroneous, it was at the sight of the present Jericho.

Ancient Jericho, built by the Jebusites, was the first Canaanitish town taken by the Israelites under the conduct of Joshua. The gold, the silver, and the copper were consecrated to the Lord, after which the place was burned. Men and cattle were all put to death: not a ereature was spared, excepting the family of Rahab, in recompence for the reception which she had given to the messengers sent by the Israelites to explore the country. Joshua cursed the town, and pronounced an anathema against any one who should attempt to rebuild its walls. This malediction did not prevent an idolater of Bethel, named Hiel, from rebuilding them, during the reign of Ahab. Hiel was punished for it by the death of all his children.

The last kings of Judah had embellished Jericho. Herod of Ascalon erected a palace, and fixed his residence there. There, too, was a magnificent amphitheatre

which the Romans seized during the reign of Vespasian. Antony had made Cleopatra a present of the domain of Jericho.

This place now consists of a few huts, built of earth or reeds. An enclosure, formed of faggots, of thorns, and thistles, which the jackals scale in the night, is a substitute for walls. Apart stands a square tower, which is falling to ruin; this is the mansion of the governor.

We alighted at this place and entered a court, where we found some Bedouins, their wives, and their children, lying round a reservoir full of brackish water. A little further on were assembled asses, goats, and fowls; among which we remarked with surprise a superb horse, black as jet, with flowing mane and majestic port, the finest animal I ever beheld. He belonged to the governor. Such was the filthy state of the court that we knew not where to set our feet. We, nevertheless, needed some refreshment; for we wished that same day, if possible, to visit the spring whose water Elisha changed from bitter to sweet. At length, on prowling about in the environs, we discovered an old wall still of sufficient height to afford us some shade. At the foot of it ran the water of a little spring, along a wretched turf scorched by the sun; thither we hastened to seat ourselves. The provisions were brought, but, to our great mortification, they were found much less in quantity than we expected. The person who had been especially charged with this business at Jerusalem had not calculated upon thirty travellers; and the knavery of our Arab, by the way, had aggravated the inconvenience. On the other

GENEROSITY OF THE ARABS.

271

hand, in vain we offered to pay a very high price for bread, or at least for flour for making cakes. Meanwhile our Bedouins asked importunately for something to eat. At length we were fortunate enough to procure a very fine sheep. Till it could be cooked, we satisfied our people in the best way we could.

While we were taking our frugal meal, the sheik came and sat down by us. He appeared to be hungry, and accepted, without hesitation, what it was in our power to offer him. At the moment when he was raising what had been given him to his lips, a Bedouin approached. He immediately lowered his hand, and shared his portion with his travelling companion; but no sooner had he made this generous division, than up came another Bedouin, to whom he cheerfully gave half of what he had left. Nothing surpasses the generosity of the Arab on such an occasion: he shares his food with the first comer. The poor wretch who passes before his tent enters without being invited; drinks, eats, and goes away without so much as thanking him, because his heart tells him that he would do the same. "O ye wealthy of Europe," I exclaimed, "ye, who are taught by a religion of truth that the poor are your brethren, that ye ought to be their supporters, their protectors; that the riches which you possess have been given to you not to gratify sensual appetites and vanity, but that you might expend the surplus in good works, and especially in works of charity; ye, who forget on what conditions Heaven has committed to you this sacred deposit, and, squandering it every day, offend God, at the same time that you commit a sort of robbery in regard to the poor;

272

ELISHA'S SPRING.

ye rich without compassion, come and contemplate the Bedouin!"

The moment we had finished our repast, we hastened to take advantage of the remainder of the day for the excursion which we had planned. The aga resolved to accompany us. He mounted the beautiful horse, of which I just now made mention, and during the ride he amused himself with making him cut capers. In an hour we arrived at Elisha's spring.

The water of this spring is beautiful, limpid, excellent. It gushes forth in an inconsiderable stream, but of picturesque appearance. In the time of Elisha, this water was unwholesome and pernicious, not only to man and beast, but also to trees and plants, which perish under its influence. The inhabitants of Jericho, grieved at the continual mischief which it occasioned, had recourse to the prophet; hoping that, by his intercession, God would be pleased to put a stop to it. They went to seek him.

they to him, "the situa

"Behold, I pray thee," said tion of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren. And he said unto them: Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. And he went forth unto the spring, and cast the salt in there and said: Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land. So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha, which he spake." (II Kings, xi. 19, et seq.)

We all drank of this water with extreme pleasure.

We were at the very foot of the mountain in which