320 GOVERNOR OF DAMASCUS. dan at Jacob's bridge, and encamp there for the night. Soon after our arrival, and while the tents were preparing, we perceived a company of twelve or fourteen horsemen approaching, who, with much display and noise, arising from the clattering of their swords and horse-trappings, appeared to be attending and guarding a person of some dignity. A Mussulman, of middle age and of commanding presence, dismounted, and being informed that he was the Governor of Damascus, we saluted him, a courtesy which he gracefully returned by laying his hand upon his heart. While his servants were pitching his tents not far from ours, one of them spread his segadeh, or prayer-carpet, under a tree, and the functionary, attended by a dervish, immediately occupied himself with his devotions. It is the well-known custom of Mohammedans to pray five times a-day, without the least regard to places or persons. Here we encamped upon the upper Jordan, within sight of Lake Merom, not far from Cesarea Philippi and the foot of Hermon, whence the river takes its rise. To-morrow we should leave the Jordan for ever; and though the stream is here both shallow and very rapid, we prepared ourselves for our evening rest by bathing, for the last time, in its sacred waters. April 22.-Again the shortness of our time, and SHORTENED ROUTE. 321 the necessity for reaching Beyrout upon a certain day, obliged us to omit an excursion which otherwise we should gladly have made, namely, to follow the Jordan up to its sources, passing along the borders of the small lake El Huleh, the Merom, at whose waters Joshua smote Jabin, king of Hazor, and the Canaanites; and thence to the coasts or towns of Cesarea Philippi, which, with the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, form the northern limits of our Lord's journeyings. But of these only a general mention is made in the New Testament, and we cannot, as in Galilee, Samaria, and Judea, revive the memory of his pathways or abiding-places. Unless when he crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, we have no reason to suppose that he ever, and especially here, went beyond the Jordan. Our pilgrimage, therefore, through the land consecrated by his bodily presence, ended last evening as we passed the sacred stream. And this morning, leaving our encampment by break of day, when we reached the summit of the steep and lofty ridge at whose base the river runs, the sun was rising, and we waited for a while to see his beams once more and for the last time lighting up the hills and valleys of the Land of Promise. X 322 CONCLUDING INCIDENTS. JOURNEY FROM THE LAND OF PROMISE TO DAMASCUS, BAALBEC, AND LEBANON. THE narrative of our pilgrimage might here be brought to its termination; but, as it was introduced by a sketch of the journey from Egypt, so may a few pages be devoted, not without interest we would hope, to a brief record of the concluding incidents of our visit to the East. The country was now so rich in pasturage, so well covered with noble trees-not in forests, but scattered, orchard-like—and was refreshed with small brooks and springs at frequent intervals, offering in these particulars such a contrast to large portions of the land we had just left, that frequent exclamations of delight burst from us. The Governor of Damascus, who had encamped near us last evening, soon overtook us, being, with his train, admirably well mounted. He courteously saluted us as he passed; but, in a short time, we came up and found him dismounted; and, kneeling side by side with his dervish and several of his attendants under a wide-spread tree, earnestly engaged in his devotions. How often could it happen with us that a great man would stop his journey for his prayers; or that even those engaged in the ordinary occupations of life would be found in the courts of the house of God, when the daily service invited them to approach his altars! We came once more within sight of the snowy top of Hermon; and soon the whole mountain was distinctly seen from the base to the summit. Here, then, seemed to be a suitable place to worship Him who dwelleth not in temples made with hands:"Præsentiorem et conspicimus Deum Per invias rupes, fera per juga, Clivosque præruptos, sonantes Inter aquas, nemorumque noctem; Quam si repostus sub trabe citrea Fulgeret auro." Or, if a translation of Gray's sublime Ode might be attempted: "Mid pathless rocks, on savage hills, By broken cliffs, where waters roar, We see him and adore; No gorgeous temple homage moves Upon such a spot, and in sight of a hill whose very name of Hermon recalled that beautiful pas sage where the Church prays for "the continual dew" of God's blessing upon her pastors, our tents were pitched, and one of them became our Sunday tabernacle. One of our friends being a clergyman of the Church of England, we now united with him, as he had before done with us, in celebrating the daily service. 324 VOLCANIC REGION. April 23.—If, as some one has poetically said, a long companionship with mountains makes them our friends, we certainly should be dead to such influences had we not begun to form an attachment to Hermon. That mountain's name had been familiar to us from childhood, and had been associated with some of the most beautiful imagery wherewith sacred themes had been invested by the inspired Psalmist. His summit, literally covered with the snows of ages, we had seen often, at a far distance from Gerizim and Tabor, and the region around Galilee, and now we were brought into his very presence. His venerable form stood fully revealed to our reverential sight. Yesterday the mountain seemed to stand in silent majesty, to encourage and deepen our devotions. Through the night we could see his form, with his head amongst the stars, as he appeared to keep watch over our camp; and now, as the sun lighted up his aged face and whitened locks, he almost spoke in cheerful salutation to encourage us on our way. For some time he accompanied us on the left of our march, and we frequently turned to gaze upon him as he gradually withdrew, until at length we were constrained to bid him our last farewell. The route lay over a dreary region, strewn with a dark-coloured volcanic stone. We frequently crossed, and occasionally, for a short distance, travelled upon an ancient road paved with this |