h little flutes,
and guiding the sheep by throwing stones at them, the herds here are
driven by mounted horsemen with long poles. The flatness of the country
and the frequency of oxen will serve to illustrate the exactness of Bible
narratives, particularly in the matter of the wheeled carriage and the
kine used for conveying the ark of God from this place, Ekron, to
Bethshemesh (I Sam. vi.)

Forward we went to _Yabneh_, (Jabneel of Josh. xv. II, and Jabneh of 2
Chron. xxvi. 6,) where it is mentioned in connexion with Gath and
Ashkelon. It was a border city of Judah, where the _Wadi Surar_, (called
here the river _Rubin_,) forms the boundary between Judah and Dan. I
think we may identify it as the "Me-Jarkon and the border that is over
against Japho," of Josh. xix. 46. It is the Jamnia, where, for a long
time after the Roman overthrow of Jerusalem, was a celebrated college of
the Talmudists, before, however, the traditions and speculations of the
rabbis were collected into volumes of Mishna and Gemara. It is believed
that the truly great and venerable Gamaliel is buried here.

[Picture: Ancient church, now mosque, Yabneh]

Yabneh stands on a rising ground, and although a village of sun-baked
bricks, it has remains of a Christian church, now used as a mosque, with
a tower of stone.

While resting under a tree, awaiting the coming up of our baggage,
'Abd'errahhman Bek el 'Asali, a companion of ours from Jerusalem, threw a
stone at a young filly and cursed her, because the colours of her legs
were of unlucky omen. On such matters the native Moslems entertain
strong prejudices, which are based upon precise and well-known rules.

On the arrival of our mules, we pitched the tents upon a pretty green
common with a row of trees; the verdure consisted of wild clover, and
leaves remaining of wild flowers--chiefly of the wild pink. It is an
Arab proverb that "Green is a portion of paradise."

The villages in sight were _Besheet_ to the S.E., and _El Kubeibeh_ to
the N.E. Our day's journey from Bait Nateef had been one of only seven
hours, viz., from 8 A.M. to 3 P.M.

The population seemed very industrious: they have cheerful _bayarahs_, or
enclosed orchards, and the open fields were exceedingly well cultivated.
The evening scene was most pleasing, comprising the return of flocks and
herds from pasture, and the barley-harvest coming home upon asses and
camels with bells on their necks--all enlivened by t