to attack a hundred well-mounted and well-armed Arabs. He possesses extraordinary address, and is one of the best horsemen that I know. I have ridden out several times with him and a young Pole, a friend of mine, M. Jaba, chancellor to the Russian consulate, when he was pleased to exhibit his skill in the management of the javelin and the lance.

He is severe and cruel: his mere presence strikes terror. The day before yesterday I was taking a ride with him, when, all at once, he perceived a great number of persons who had approached too near to the gardens infected with the plague: he hastily proceeded towards them, and I followed close at his heels. At the sight of him the people fled as a flock of sheep would from a tiger. He chased the fugitives, and struck several persons whom he overtook. I would have interceded for one unfortunate creature palpitating under his blows, and his face exhibiting the paleness of approaching death; but I was stopped, and I immediately withdrew, vowing not to ride out any more with his excellency.

The wedding, to which I have already alluded, will take place to-morrow. The bridegroom is French, the bride Italian. They will, nevertheless, wear the Turkish costume the one usually worn by the whole of the consul's family. The bride will have her nails and eyebrows stained, after the fashion of savages—a ridiculous singularity, which the young couple think it right to follow, in order to conform to the customs of the country in which circumstances oblige them to live. In other respects they are persons of piety, and of excellent principles. "I ask of you but one thing," said the bridegroom to

his future partner; "which is, that you respect my father and mother as I respect them myself, and then I will strive to make you, as long as I live, the happiest of women." I myself heard him utter these touching words of filial affection.

The preparations for the wedding are splendid. In Europe, people have no idea of the luxury displayed on such occasions in the East. The nuptial dress of almost all the females is of crimson velvet, embroidered with gold; to this are added a set of diamonds, fine pearls, and the costliest novelties introduced by the caprice of fashion, which, however, it must be confessed, is much less fickle there than in other countries. The men wear turbans and cachemir shawls of great value, tied round the waist.

The family has requested my company at this wedding, which will take place at night. I thought that I could not well accept this invitation. At any rate, I shall witness the ceremony itself from a pew in the church, and I shall participate in it by my prayers and good wishes. The young couple will set out with us, in two or three days, for Nazareth.

LETTER XXXVII.

DEPARTURE FROM JAFFA FOR NAZARETH WITH M. CATAFAGO AND HIS FAMILY SUPPER IN HIS TENT-MYSTERIOUS FRAME-EXCESSIVE HEAT-DUST-LURKING ARABS-FIRE-HILLS OF GALILEE - PLAIN OF ESDRELON, OR VALLEY OF JESRAEL-CARMEL-Tabor-BenOUINS; THEIR HOSPITALITY RECEPTION OF THE NEW-MARRIED COUPLE AT NAZARETH-ENTRY INTO THE TOWN-VISIT TO THE CHURCH.

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We left Jaffa on the 21st.

Nazareth, May 25, 1832. Our caravan consisted of

more than a hundred persons. All the men were armed.

Thirty soldiers escorted us: ten marched with the camels and the mules which carried the baggage.

One thing annoyed me much during the whole journey: the horse I rode was detestable; he lay down at the sight of the least object that displeased him. I had not been able to procure a better. Luckily, when he took a fancy to play this annoying trick, he gave notice by kneeling like a camel, and this allowed me time to leap off, and thereby avoid a dangerous fall.

On arriving in the evening at the place where we were to encamp for the night, our people pitched the tents. According to my custom, I kept apart from the crowd with my baggage. At supper-time, M. Catafago sent me an invitation by his son. I went to his tent, where I found a numerous company. The bride was present, covered with a rose-coloured veil, dotted with silver stars. The supper was laid, as usual, on carpets spread on the ground, and we sat around them, crosslegged, on pillows. The consul had the attention to recollect that I eat no meat. Some of the party ate without fork, as is customary in the East, that is to say, they tore the meat in pieces with their fingers, and took handfuls of pillau (boiled rice), and moulded it into balls. In other respects the family of the consul approached as nearly as possible to the manners of Europe.

The interior of the tent was hung with red silk: every thing there was most sumptuous. The women were separated from the men, and had their faces uncovered; only, when a Turk entered, they hastily veiled themselves.

During the repast, I remarked in the tent a large frame,

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MYSTERIOUS OBJECT.

covered with a white veil, which I at first suspected to be a looking-glass. To satisfy myself, I asked what it was. This question of a curiosity perhaps indiscreet, was answered by some one in a manner almost as dry as short: "That belongs to the bride." Madame Catafago, who was not far from me, had heard my question. "Reverend Father," said she, " that veil covers a thing which my niece has always kept in her own room; a thing which has constituted her happiness from childhood; a thing, in short, the sacrifice of which would be more painful to her than any other." As I saw that the good lady wished to make a mystery of it, I said no more: at any rate, I was convinced that it was not a looking-glass. Nevertheless, contrary to all discretion, after supper, I went up to the mysterious object, I lifted a corner of the veil... I perceived... I will not tell you what... Guess ... and, if you cannot, wait for my next letter. On returning to my baggage, stretched upon the grass, I mused for a long time before I closed my eyes on what I had seen... When I awoke, I mused on it again.

Next day was a most fatiguing one for us. The heat was excessive. Scorched by a burning sun, without water to quench our thirst, both men and beasts were exhausted. Less would have sufficed to give us an idea of the desolation of Judea by the calamity of drought, so energetically described by the prophet Joel: "How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture... for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burnt all the trees of the field. The beasts of the field cry also unto thee; for the rivers of waters are dried up, and

UNPLEASANT JOURNEY.

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the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness." (Joel, i. 18-20.)

Fortunately for us, we had taken the prudent precaution to provide ourselves with a small stock of oranges. Oh! how delicious, how refreshing, is the juice of that fruit in such circumstances! But how ungrateful, how much to be pitied is he, who, before he moistens his parched mouth, does not lift a thankful eye towards

heaven!

We were constantly enveloped in a cloud of dust raised by the feet of more than a hundred horses; it was an annoyance which it was impossible to escape, and which nothing but continual efforts of courage enabled us to endure. My horse was obstinately bent on lying down frequently, and, when he did so, I could not make him rise again without belabouring him with the whip; and this operation, besides the dislike I felt to it, added to my trouble and fatigue.

We were watched from a distance by the Arabs, who appeared and vanished like lightning before our janissaries.

At length, after a journey of ten hours, overcome with fatigue, we were impatient to discover a place where we could pass the night, and, above all, find water, which we were in urgent want of. We were fortunate enough to meet with both the things we needed, amidst a field of wheat that had been recently cut.

I settled myself, as usual, at some distance from the caravan; when an accident, that might have caused a great deal of mischief, suddenly filled us with alarm. We were surrounded by fields, still covered with stand