chasers in Syria--at least, so the world is given to understand. The
boundary of the two countries is so near that the Arabic dialect spoken
here nearly approaches the Egyptian.

I made some inquiries as to the popular ideas on the achievements of
Samson at Gaza, but only obtained such uncertain and even contradictory
answers, that on this journey it did not seem worth while to take any
great trouble on the subject; but I certainly had not expected to get
better information from either the Mohammedans or from the poor ignorant
Christians there.

The night was most beautiful, with full moonlight streaming, and stars
peering between the swaying fronds of the lofty palm-trees, which grow
more luxuriantly in Gaza then I had seen elsewhere.

The muleteers singing around their watch-fire.

_Monday_, 7_th_.--Tents struck and march commenced at 7 A.M. We returned
through the great avenue by which we had arrived, but soon diverged upon
the road to Hebron.

Alongside of _Bait Hhanoon_ by half-past eight, where there was abundance
of bee-eaters, and these imply fruit-trees. 'Abd'errahhman tried to
shoot some, but failed, having no small shot, but only bullets for his
gun.

At nine we left _Timrah_ a little on our left. The people everywhere
busied in reaping barley--a very lively scene; the reapers, as usual all
over Palestine, wearing large leather aprons exactly like those used by
blacksmiths in England, only unblackened by the forge; the women had face
veils of the Egyptian pattern. Cows, goats, and sheep were feeding at
liberty in the fields upon the new stubble.

In thirty-five minutes more we arrived at _Semsem_, leaving _Bait Nejed_
on the right.

At five minutes past ten we reached _B'rair_, near which we rested for an
hour, the day being very sultry, under an old tamarisk-tree, which on the
plains instead of _Turfa_ is called _Itil_.

An intelligent old man named 'Ali came up to me from the reaping and
conversed much on the sad condition of agricultural affairs, complaining
of the cruel oppression suffered by the peasantry from their petty local
tyrants, and entreated me if I had any means of letting the Sultan of
Constantinople know of it, that I would do so. He particularly described
the exactions they had to endure from Muslehh el 'Az'zi of Bait Jibreen,
and all his family.

Thence passing over an extensive plain, we had in sight for a long time a
distant Dair (so-called convent) and village of _Karat