honour. In this particular, we at least had no occasion for complaint.

Our Sheikh was in every respect something more than a common Arab. In stature he was more than six feet high, well built and finely proportioned; and there was in his movements a native dignity and nobleness, which we did not find in other Bedawîn. His countenance was intelligent, and had a mild and pensive cast; indeed there was a seriousness and earnestness about him, which could not but give him influence in any situation. He was also more than an ordinary Sheikh; he could read and write; and was likewise the Khatîb or orator and Imâm of his tribe. In this capacity he was very regular in the performance of the Muslim devotions, and often chanted long prayers aloud. This seemed indeed to be his chief character, and he was addressed only as 'Khatîb;' so that we hardly heard him called by his real name, Muhammed. There was said to be one or more other Sheikhs of the tribe; though we saw no one but him. The learning of the tribe is confined to the Khatîb, no other individual being able to read or write; but as even this is an exception to Bedawy custom, the Ta'âmirah stand degraded by it in the eyes of their brethren.

As the Khatîb was unwell, we saw no more of him that night. When we sent forward our servants, we had given them a hint to evade (if possible) the sheep, which the Sheikh had proposed to kill in our honour; for which we were told in Jerusalem, a present of not less than two dollars to the Sheikh's wife would be a necessary acknowledgment. This they had been able to do without difficulty. The Sheikh had indeed brought to the tent, not the proffered sheep, but a kid, to be killed as a present; and our servants had told him rather unceremoniously, that we did not eat goat's flesh, and counselled him to take it away again; which he did.

It was now late; and in the bright light of the moon, the scene was highly romantic. We were here on the lofty hill-side, looking out upon the dark mass of the Frank Mountain and the sacred region of Bethlehem; while around us were the black tents, the horses picketed, and the numerous flocks of sheep and goats, all still like the silence of the desert.

We had noticed on our arrival a fine mare with many trappings picketed near the tents; and were told the animal belonged to a Sheikh of the Jehâlîn, who was here on a visit. He came to our tent during the evening, and proved to be Defa' Allah, the chief Sheikh of that tribe. He was gaily dressed, and wore red boots, which he kicked off with some difficulty on entering our tent. As we were expecting to visit Wady Musa with an escort from his tribe, we were glad to meet him here and obtain the necessary preliminary information. He had lately been there himself; having accompanied Lord Prudhoe thither directly across the desert from Suez. He said they were accustomed to take travellers from Hebron either on horses or dromedaries; but the latter were preferable, because in case of necessity they were fleeter, and could hold out longer. He was quite talkative, and seemed good-natured and spirited; but as I could not follow his talk, and was exceedingly weary, I could not resist falling into a deep sleep as I leaned on my couch; however little honour this might reflect upon my courtesy. He however did not take it ill; and after some weeks we met again as old acquaintances at Hebron.

The object of Defa' Allah's visit here we did not learn at the time; but it afterwards turned out, that he belonged to the warlike party we had met in Bethlehem, and had come hither to induce the Ta'âmirah to join in the expedition. But they had already suf

fered enough from war, and were too wary to make any movement which might draw upon them the notice of the Egyptian government; so that the Sheikh of the Jehâlîn did not effect his purpose, and left the encampment during the night to overtake his party. But the Khatîb was still too much of a diplomatist not to keep all this for the present to himself; and it was only after our return to Jerusalem, that he gave us this information.

Wednesday, May 9th. We rose soon after 4 o'clock, and looked about upon the encampment. All was already in motion at this early hour. There were about six hundred sheep and goats, the latter being the most numerous; and the process of milking was now going on. They have few cows. The six tents were arranged in a sort of square; they were made of black hair-cloth, not large; and were mostly open at one end and on the sides, the latter being turned up. The tents formed the common rendezvous of men, women, children, calves, lambs, and kids. The women were without veils, and seemed to make nothing of our presence. Here we had an opportunity of seeing various processes in the housekeeping of nomadic life. The women in some of the tents were kneading bread, and baking it in thin cakes in the embers or on iron plates over the fire. Another female was churning the milk in a very primitive way, which we often saw afterwards in different parts of the country. The churn consists of a common water-skin, i. e. the tanned skin of a goat stripped off whole and the extremities sewed up. This is partly filled with the milk; and being then suspended in a slight frame, or between two sticks leaning against the tent or house, it is regularly moved to and fro with a jerk until the process is completed.

In another tent a woman was kneeling and grinding at the hand-mill. These mills are doubtless those

of scriptural times; and are similar to the Scottish quern. They consist of two stones about eighteen inches or two feet in diameter, lying one upon the other, with a slight convexity between them and a hole through the upper to receive the grain. The lower stone is fixed, sometimes in a sort of cement, which rises around it like a bowl and receives the meal as

it falls from the stones. The upper stone is turned upon the lower, by means of an upright stick fixed in it as a handle. We afterwards saw many of these mills; and saw only women grinding, sometimes one alone and sometimes two together. The female kneels or sits at her task, and turns the mill with both hands, feeding it occasionally with one. The labour is evidently hard; and the grating sound of the mill is heard at a distance, indicating (like our coffee-mills) the presence of a family and of household life. We heard no song as an accompaniment to the work.'

As we were looking round upon this scene of busy life, the sun rose gloriously over the wide prospect, and shed his golden light upon a landscape, not rich indeed in appearance, for all is rocky and sterile to the view; yet fertile in pasturage, as was testified by the multitude of flocks. The curling smoke ascending from various Arab encampments in the distance, added to the picturesque effect of the landscape.

We left the encampment at 6h 10' for Tekû'a, keeping along the eastern brow of the high ground. The Khatib had shaken off his illness during the night; and now marched as our leader with vigour and spirit. As his tribe had been disarmed, our guides could law

1) "Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken and the other left;" Matt. xxiv. 41. Luke xvii. 35. Comp. Ex. xi. 5.-"Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth and the

voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the mill-stones and the light of the candle;" Jer. xxv. 10. Compare Rev. xviii. 22, 23.

fully carry no better weapons than short clubs and staves; but they prided themselves on bearing our muskets and pistols; and took with them also a gun of their own, which was clandestinely kept among them.

We reached Tekû'a at 6h 35'. It lies on an elevated hill, not steep, but broad on the top, and covered with ruins to the extent of four or five acres. These consist chiefly in the foundations of houses built of squared stones, some of which are bevelled. At the N. E. part are the remains of a large square tower or castle, still the highest point of all. Near the middle of the site are the ruins of a Greek church; among which are several fragments of columns, and a baptismal font of rose-coloured limestone verging into marble. The font is octagonal, five feet in diameter on the outside, four feet on the inside, and three feet nine inches deep. There are many cisterns excavated in the rocks; and not far off is a living spring, from which our Arabs brought us fine water. The ruins of a church lying a mile further South, as mentioned by Pococke, we did not see.'

The high position of Tekû'a gives it a wide prospect. Toward the N. E. the land slopes down towards Wâdy Khŭreitûn; on the other sides the hill is surrounded by a belt of level table-land; beyond which are vallies and then other higher hills. This belt is tilled to a considerable extent, and there were now several fields of grain upon it. On the South at some distance, another deep valley runs off S. E. towards the Dead Sea. The view in this direction is bounded only by the level mountains of Moab, with frequent bursts of the Dead Sea, seen through

1) Probably the fountain is that mentioned by Pococke, as being in

a grotto towards the N. W. Vol. II. p. 41. fol.