POOLS OF SOLOMON.

121

these pools are not situated too low for their stores to reach the city. Why, then, were these costly constructions placed in this situation? I can only answer by stating, that the indications of the valley beneath them confirm me in the general belief that they were made expressly to contain a large supply of water, for the purpose of irrigating the pleasure-gardens of Solomon, which he made in their vicin ity. A short distance below the pools the valley expands, and there are ample room and plenty of good soil for such purposes, notwithstanding some travellers have pronounced it "rocky ground."

There are some interesting ruins in this vicinity, which I regret we were unable to visit, as we were obliged to return to the city the same evening. Near Bethlehem is a small valley, in which tradition says "the shepherds watched their flocks by night," when the angel descended among them to announce the birth of the Saviour.

In order to accomplish all we had to do on this interesting day, we were obliged to ride twenty miles, over a very rough country, and to be several hours on our feet. A lounge upon our comfortable divans, and a speedy applica tion of Monsieur François's restoring art, soon put us in condition to enjoy our usual evening's pastime, reading, writing, and conversation.

I have said nothing to you of the statistics of Jerusalem, as they are of secondary consequence compared with what' one comes here to see. As the Turks never take a census in any of their cities, the present population can only be guessed at, as we say at home. It is supposed to be about twenty thousand.

The streets are narrow, and without any pretensions to regularity; the pavements rough and slippery. The houses have no windows in their lower stories; their roofs are flat, on which the natives frequently sleep in warm weather, and a tent is often erected thereon, in order to shelter the fam VOL. II.-L

ily from the sun, while they are enjoying the cool breezes from the sea.

I have not said anything to you respecting the extent of the ancient city. On the east, west, and south, the valleys were its boundaries. It was on the north that its length was prolonged to a very considerable distance beyond the present wall. Allowing it the greatest extent that historians and antiquaries ascribe to it, it is very difficult to imagine how it contained so vast a population as it is said once to have possessed. It is probable that there once were extensive suburbs beyond the walls in a northerly direction.

All things being ready for our departure, we waited sev eral hours for the guard which the governor was to send. It not being forthcoming before our patience was exhausted, we concluded to go on without it, and take care of ourselves, should we fall" among thieves" on our way to Jericho.

At noon we left our camp-ground under the bastion, and rode across the city by the Via Dolorosa to St. Stephen's Gate, taking a parting look at Calvary and the temple mount. We passed again the Garden of Gethsemane, and lingered a moment on that sacred spot, in order to indulge again the sympathies which are there awakened in the breast of every Christian who extends his wanderings to this far distant and holy land. This, I exclaimed, was the favourite resort of our Saviour, when he sought retirement and repose from the scoffs and buffetings of a wicked and perverse generation. Here he taught his disciples many of the deepest mysteries of the Gospel, and here he thrice prayed in the agony of his spirit, at a moment when his humanity began to shrink from the awful catastrophe which was about to befall him: "Oh, my father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt."

It was on this very spot he was betrayed into the hands of wicked men, and hence led away to be crucified. Yes! he who himself declared that he could call down from Heav

LURKING-PLACE OF ROBBERS.

123

en "more than twelve legions of angels" to guard and protect his life, thus gave to the world one of the most instructive lessons of humility; submitting to be mocked, buffeted, and spit upon, and even shedding his precious blood for the redemption of a guilty world.

We next rode over the Mount of Olives. While we were halting to take a parting look at the Holy City, we discovered an Arab horseman posting after us at the top of his speed. This was the sheik of Jericho, who had engaged to furnish us with an escort, himself to be a portion of it. Fearing that his backshee was in 'danger, he left his companions to scamper after him. By this fellow's delay we had lost half a day, and could not possibly reach Jericho that night. We would gladly have disappointed him by sending him back, had we not supposed that he and his posse would waylay us out of revenge. As it was, we were obliged to encamp for the night by a fountain a few miles beyond BethOur guard here came up with us.

any.

This morning we made a visit to the Dead Sea, and thence came to the place where we are now encamped. Soon after we started this morning, we came to where the country assumes a wild and fearful aspect. It was a complete desert, full of broken hills of volcanic origin, as the calcined appearance of the rocks indicates. At one particular point this path wound among a succession of low erags, from behind which a bandit could take his deadly aim without fear of discovery. Here were the remains of an old fortification, built to guard this dangerous pass, perhaps by the ancient Jews, and kept up by the Romans. It has gone into decay under the Arab rule. We were directed to the graves of several travellers who had here been shot; two of them European gentlemen. This was the place where the "good Samaritan" performed his noble act of humanity towards the wounded Jew, who had here fallen among thieves.

At this point we separated from our caravan.

We sent

it on directly to the place of our present encampment, while we made an excursion to the Dead Sea, under the protection of the sheik.

It was a fatiguing ride down the steep hills to the border of the sea. From a high peak we had a fine view over the greater part of the bitter waters which now cover the anciently fertile plain of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Arrived at its northern coast, we strolled along the strand for some distance towards the south. We saw not a single shell in the whole distance, but picked up a number of pieces of asphaltum, as souvenirs of the place; besides which, we filled a bottle with its waters.

In the taste of the water we could not detect any marine salt; but such were its pungency and extreme bitterness that it almost took the skin from our mouths.

The mountains on each side, as far as I could see, were entirely destitute of vegetation, not even a blade of grass appearing on them. The heat of the sun was so intense, that I was obliged to seek shelter under the shade of a rock, about a mile distant, where I took a comfortable siesta. The gentlemen were not so easily satisfied; but, in their usual way of going to the bottom of all that appears mysterious, they set about diving for the lost cities, or something else; for, after waiting for them at least two hours, I descried them approaching my place of retreat. They related to me their adventures. Being desirous of testing for their own satisfaction the very extraordinary buoyancy the water has always been said to possess, which has been disputed by some, they bathed and swam in it for a length of time, stretching out far from the shore.

They state that where the water was five feet deep, they were so buoyed up that they could only touch the bottom with the points of their toes. Advancing to where the water was six inches deeper, their feet were suddenly taken

BUOYANCY OF THE DEAD SEA.

125

from under them, and they were thrown in a horizontal position upon the surface of the water. They could not maintain a perpendicular position without using some effort. They then swam to where the water was extremely deep, and endeavoured to sink, which they found impossible, even with great effort. They could walk in the water nearly as well as on the land, with their heads entirely above the sur. face. They found that they could sit and converse as easily as on a divan. A strong breeze came up from the south, and with it a heavy swell. They describe the sensation produced by this riding on the sea, without a vessel or plank under them, as very singular. One of them had never before ventured beyond his depth in water; while here, he was enabled, without the least sense of danger, to go to any distance from the land. They became convinced that what has been said respecting the great specific gravity and buoyancy of the water of the Dead Sea is entirely correct. They, however, paid very dear for their bath; for the sea several times broke over their heads, when their eyes were filled with the bitter water, which, they state, produced a violent smarting sensation, as if so much strong acid had been thrown into them. They were obliged to have recourse to our fresh water to take away the intense pain. This last manœuvre cost us all afterward a great inconvenience, and much suffering for a short time. When they came up to me I was almost dying for water, and they, thinking that my leather bottle was full, had been so prodigal of theirs in their ablutions as to consume it all. It was now midday, and the Jordan, we knew, was too far off, and Jericho many miles distant.

Making known our dilemma to the sheik, he told us that there was a spring of pure water towards the north, in the low, sandy plain. We immediately set off at full speed. The path lay over a tract of low, marshy ground, covered with salt, with here and there a pool of salt water. We