some arbitrary proceedings on the part of the
Greek Bishop of Nazareth, and thus made enemies among the Greeks.
Unhappily, when the travellers appeared this ill-feeling led a posse of
Nazarenes to make an attack on Burton's servants; and Burton and Drake,
who ran half dressed out of their tents to see what was the matter, were
received with a shower of stones, and cries of "Kill them!" Burton stood
perfectly calm, though the stones hit him right and left, and Drake also
displayed cool bravery. Mrs. Burton then hastened up with "two six shot
revolvers," but Burton, having waved her back--snatched a pistol from
the belt of one of his servants and fired it into the air, with the
object of summoning his armed companions, whereupon the Greeks, though
they numbered at least a hundred and fifty, promptly took to their
heels. Out of this occurrence, which Burton would have passed over, his
enemies, as we shall see, subsequently made considerable capital. The
party then proceeded to the Sea of Galilee, whence they galloped across
"their own desert" home. During these travels Burton and Drake made some
valuable discoveries and saw many extraordinary peoples, though none
more extraordinary than the lazy and filthy Troglodytes of the Hauran,
[238] who shared the pre-historic caves with their cows and sheep, and
fed on mallows just as their forefathers are represented as having
done in the vivid thirtieth chapter of Job, [239] and in the pages of
Agatharchides. [240]

62. The Shazlis.

Mrs. Burton now heard news that fired her with joy. A sect of the
Mohammedans called Shazlis used to assemble in the house of one of their
number of Moslem prayer, reading and discussion. One day they became
conscious of a mysterious presence among them. They heard and saw things
incommunicably strange, and a sacred rapture diffused itself among
them. Their religion had long ceased to give them satisfaction, and they
looked anxiously round in search of a better. One night when they were
overcome by sleep there appeared to each a venerable man with a long
white beard, who said sweetly, "Let those who want the truth follow me,"
and forthwith they resolved to search the earth until they found the
original of the vision. But they had not to go far. One of them chancing
to enter a monastery in Damascus noticed a Spanish priest named Fray
Emanuel Forner. Hurrying back to his comrades he cried "I have seen the
oldster of the dreams." On being earne