row valley at a quick pace, that they might reach as soon as possible a place called Mosdelila: where, according to their preposterous ritual, the night-prayer must be said not later than an hour and a half after sun-set. On the next day followed a ceremony too childish to notice, were it not characteristic of the superstition of so many millions; we mean the practice of taking up seven small stones to be thrown at a house situated in a narrow spot adjoining to rocks, and supposed to be built by the devil. To complete the absurdity of this custom, the inconvenience of the access subjects the pilgrim very frequently to bruises, or other injuries, when the crowd is great; and Ali Bey, though aided by his people, did not escape unhurt. On reading an account of such miserable ceremonies, it becomes almost matter of regret that the Wehabees, who had put a stop to several of them, should have been, since Ali Bey's visit, driven from Mecca, and the pilgrimage restored to its old career of folly.

Medina. The traveller's curiosity was strongly excited in regard to this, the second holy city of the Mohammedans; and he determined to attempt a visit to it, notwithstanding the declared prohibition of the Wehabees. Proceeding inland from a town on the coast, against the intreaty of his friends und attendants, he actually pressed forwards till within a small distance of the city; when he was unfortunately stopped by a party of the religionists just mentioned, who deprived him of his baggage, and obliged him to return to the

coast.

On the journey back to Suez, a singular scene took place among the Arab carriers in Ali Bey's suite, which we give to our readers in his own words, as a striking specimen of the manners of that people.

• The Arab camel-drivers were about to dispute concerning the dividing of the burdens of the camels, because it is generally agreed upon between them, that at the moment of disembarkation, each loads his camel with what he can lay his hand on; so long they keep silence; but being arrived at this spot, they are at liberty to' dispute until they come to a group of palm-trees, which is well known, and there the dispute must cease. Every thing is then settled, and each must content himself with that which chance or the result of the altercation has assigned to him.

I had remarked from the beginning of the journey, that some of the camel-drivers murmured among themselves, and had asked the cause of it. I was told in answer that they were to finish the dispute in the town of Tor.

On arriving at this place they make every one alight, and commence the most bitter dispute among themselves. I wished to tranquillize them, and to appease the quarrel. I got for answer that

such

such was their constitution. I let them therefore continue their discussion. They huddled themselves together in a circle úpon the ground, then rose in dispute, and seated themselves again in the same position, until at length they called in an old man to settle their dispute. The old man arrived, and decided; some were content with his decision, but others called in another old man, and the same scene recommenced. They unloaded some camels to load others, and the dispute continued in the same manner, and with the same cries as before. At length we all remounted and set out, but the dispute still continued: some of the drivers held the camels, and prevented them from proceeding, whilst others ran on to arrive at the place where the contest was to cease. Sometimes they stopt the whole caravan by stooping down together in a circle in the middle of the path, where they re-commenced the discussion, got angry with each other, some insisting and others refusing to exchange burdens, and seizing each other by the collar, and coming almost to blows. At length, on arriving at the group of palm-trees, they exclaimed with one accord, Hhalas, Hhalas, It is enough, it is enough." They then remained motionless as stocks, after which they continued their route very quietly. I could hardly forbear to laugh at seeing this grotesque mode of discussion; but they constantly answered me that it was the constitution. I applauded the simplicity of these people, who in reality have not the haughty demeanour of the Arabs of Hedjaz.'

Palestine. Nothing can afford, even in the present day, a more agreeable change than the fertile vallies of Palestine, on quitting the parched sands of Arabia. The impression made on Ali Bey seems exactly the same as that which was experienced by the progenitors of the Jews, and in our own day by a very different description of combatants; we mean the French soldiers who marched in 1799 from Egypt under Bonaparte. To all these the land of Canaan appeared still to be "the land flowing with milk and honey."

'All the country of Palestine or the Promised Land which I saw from Khanyounes to Jaffa is beautiful. It is composed of round undulated hills of a rich soil, similar to the slime of the Nile, and is covered with the richest and finest vegetation, but there is not a single river in all the district, there is not even a spring; all the torrents I crossed were dry, and the inhabitants have no other water to drink than that which they collect in the rainy season, nor any other means of irrigation than rain water, and that of the wells, which indeed is very good. Such was the cause of the frequent famines which are recorded in history to have happened in this country. A territory in which there is no spring and no river to bring to it the waters of other countries, and whose subsistence depends absolutely upon the local rains, is necessarily exposed to a scarcity, when this blessing from heaven fails, or is insufficient."

It is worthy of remark that all the inhabited places which I have seen in Arabia are situated in valleys or hollows; and on the contrary, all the towns and villages in Palestine are built upon hills or heights. This difference may be attributed to the scarcity of the rains in Arabia, and their abundance in Palestine.—

Game abounds in Palestine; partridges are found in large coveys so fat and heavy, that no other weapon than a stick is requisite to take them. But at the same time we meet with a frightful number of lizards, different kinds of serpents, vipers, scorpions, and other venomous insects. One of my servants was bitten in the finger, but as he could not tell me by what reptile, I could not consequently apply the proper remedy. Seeing however that the case was urgent, and that the inflammation of the hand increased rapidly, I had recourse to the general remedy, and applied fire to the wounded part.

The multitude of flies of every species in this country is such that the camels, mules, and horses, become almost mad, and roll themselves upon the ground, and among the bushes to get rid of them.

• But what shall I say of the ants? Let the reader imagine an immense ant-hill extending over the earth for three days' journey, and he will have an idea of what I have absolutely seen. The road is a continued ant-hill, entirely covered with the eggs and remains of these little animals, upon which are seen myriads of ants running in all directions, to complete their daily labours.'

We have already had occasion to see that the assumed character of Ali Bey obliges him to allude with gravity to the absurd traditions of the Mohammedans; and it is in the same capacity that he chuses to speak, in a style somewhat discordant with our belief, of the sacred places in the vicinity of Jerusalem. When in the neighbourhood of Bethlehem, he observed a meteor of singular appearance, and he has no scruple in insinuating that the miracle of the light which shone around the shepherds may be explained by the supposition of a similar phænomenon. He seems throughout his book to have had in view the critics of the Salons de Paris; among whom, whatever faith they may profess, it has long been unfashionable to give belief to any religion whatever; so that the only object, whether a man writes history with Salaberry or narrates travels with Ali Bey, is to assume the character and creed most likely to give interest to the drama. On arriving in Jerusalem, Ali Bey was again admitted to an important privilege in virtue of his being a good Mussulman; we mean, into the interior of the Temple, to which no Christian is permitted to approach; and he has given a long and minute description of this celebrated building, accompanied by elevations and sections of its principal parts. Our readers will recollect that Dr. Clarke, while he lamented the impos

5*

sibility

sibility of treading this forbidden ground, expatiated on the uncommon beauty of its exterior appearance, and pronounced it (see M. R. Vol. Ixix. p. 126.) to be "a phoenix risen from the ashes of its parent." To comprehend fully the description of Ali Bey, it would be necessary to have recourse to his engravings; and we must therefore confine ourselves to his account of the two principal parts of this remarkable pile of building.

El Haram, the present Temple of Jerusalem, is an union of several buildings erected at different periods of Islamism, which bear upon them demonstrative proofs of the prevailing taste of the various ages when they were severally constructed. They form however a very harmonious whole.

It is not precisely one mosque, but a group of mosques; its name in Arabic (El Haram) strictly signifies a temple or place consecrated by the peculiar presence of the Divinity; the profane and the infidels are forbidden to enter it. The Mussulman religion acknowledges but two temples, that of Mecca, and that of Jerusalem; both are named El Haràm; both are equally prohibited by the law to Christians, Jews, and every other person who is not a Mussulman.-No Mussulman governor dare permit an infidel to pass into the territory of Mecca, or into the Temple of Jerusalem. A permission of this kind would be looked upon as a horrid sacrilege; it would not be respected by the people, and the infidel would become the victim of his imprudent boldness.

This edifice forms the south-east corner of the city of Jerusalem, and occupies the scite on which formerly stood the Temple of Solomon.'

The principal part of the temple is composed of two piles of magnificent buildings, which may be regarded as two distinct temples by their respective situation; but they form together one symmetrical and consistent whole. The one is called El Aksa, and the other El Sahhara.

El Aksa is composed of seven naves, supported by pillars and columns at the head of the centre nave is a fine cupola. Two other naves branch off right and left, at right angles with the principal body of the edifice.

The great central nave of the Aksa is about 162 feet long, and 32 feet wide. It is supported on each side by seven arches lightly pointed, resting upon cylindrical pillars, in the form of columns, but without any architectural proportion.'

· El Sàhhara is a temple which by its harmony with El Aksa may be considered as making a part of the same whole; it takes its name from a rock that stands in the centre of the edifice, and is much revered.

It is an octagonal temple, of which the exterior sides are each 61 feet in length.'

The diameter of the cupola is nearly 47 feet, and its height 93: The total diameter of the edifice is about 159 feet. D 3

• The

The plane of the central circle is raised three feet above the plane of the surrounding naves, and is inclosed by a high and magnificent railing of iron gilt. This central circle incloses the sacred rock called El Sahhara-Allah; it is the principal object of this superb edifice, and generally speaking, of the haram or Temple of Jerusalem.

El Hadjera el Sahhara, or The Rock of Sahhara, rises from the earth upon a mean diameter of 33 feet, in form resembling the segment of a sphere.—

The Mussulman believes that the Sahhara Allah is the place of all others, except El Kaaba or the House of God at Mecca, where the prayers of men are most most agreeable to the divinity. It is on this account that all the prophets since the creation of the world to the time of the prophet Mouhhammed, have come hither 4 to pray.

On the night when the prophet Mouhhammed was carried away from Mecca by the angel Gabriel, and transported in a moment through the air to Jerusalem, upon the mare called El Borak, which has the head and neck of a fine woman; as also a crown and wings; the prophet, after leaving El Borak at the gate of the Temple, came to offer up his prayer upon El Sahhara.

At the moment when the prophet stood upon El Sahhara, the rock, sensible of the happiness of bearing the holy burden, depressed itself, and, becoming like soft wax, received the print of his sacred foot upon the upper part towards the south-west border. This print is now covered with a large sort of cage of gilt metal wire, worked in such a manner that the print cannot be seen on account of the darkness within, but it may be touched with the hand, through a hole made on purpose. The believers, after having touched the print, proceed to sanctify themselves by passing the hand over the face and beard.'

The town of Jerusalem is at present only two miles and a half in circumference, and, if we exclude the citadel, occupies nearly the form of a square. It is built on the southern side of the upper plane of a mountain, and is surrounded by precipices bounded by walls to the E. and W., with only two level spaces for egress, one towards the S. and the other to the N. across the summit of the mountain. The houses are formed of free stone, and have sometimes small gardens belonging to them; though in general very little vacant space is left in this city, which contains, within a circumscribed circuit, nearly $30,000 persons.

The streets of Jerusalem are tolerably regular, straight, and well paved, several having footpaths, but they are narrow, dull, and almost all are more or less on the descent; the houses are generally two or three stories high, with few windows, and extremely small doors. The fronts are quite plain, simply constructed of stone, without the least ornament; so that in walking the streets, one might fancy one's self in the galleries or corridors

of