parture I strolled to look at some short columns of marble
standing on a slight swell of ground; they are now inscribed to the
memory of certain Moslem martyrs in battle of our fourteenth century,
_i.e._, about seven centuries after the Hej'ra. These columns look very
much as if they had been taken from some old Christian church, then each
sawn into halves, and each of the halves partly sliced on one side to
receive the inscription.

After sunset I dined with old Ibrahim Jahhshan, and his numerous
household, (the principal one of the Christian families,) and a troop of
friends. It was not a better entertainment than that of the kaimakam
yesterday; perhaps, it would not be desirable for him to surpass the
constituted authority of the city in such matters.

Among the company was the Nazir el Aukaf, (the superintendent of
mosque-endowment property,) also a Durweesh from Lahore, consequently a
British subject,--he was full of fun, and wanted me to make him a present
of some fulminating balls and crackers; he assured me that in the Hharam
(sanctuary, commonly called the Mosque of Omar,) at Jerusalem, there were
at least thirty such British subjects as himself residing, including his
own brother. A Turkish soldier present drank wine, as soon as the
commissioner for inquiring into the delinquencies of the late governor
had turned his back upon the table.

Before dinner I had accompanied the family to the church, (Greek rite,)
where the priest was waiting to receive me. It was a poverty-stricken
edifice, purposely kept so, in order to obviate the envy and malice of
the Mohammedans; and all the Christians that I saw in Gaza were a
stupid-looking people; they are few in number, and grievously oppressed
by their numerous Moslem fellow-townsmen, being far away from the notice
of consuls. One cannot but regard with compassion a people who have for
ages endured suffering for the name of Christ, while facilities are
offered for acquiring wealth and honour by apostasy. Generation after
generation remains still as firm in their Christian creed as those before
them, and now perhaps more so than ever.

I was surprised to learn that it is only about two generations since the
Samaritans ceased to be a sect in Gaza, with their place of worship--they
are now found nowhere but in Nabloos.

There is a slave-traffic in Gaza; but it only consists in the consignment
of articles already commissioned for in Egypt, on behalf of private
pur