to the topography of the Bible, and
belonging to events of such antiquity as the acts of Abraham and Joshua.

In the morning I separated from my friends, who were preceding towards
Damascus, and, accompanied by Suliman and a kawwas, went on my way to
_Remmoon_, (the rock Rimmon.) Started at half-past seven in a thick
shirocco atmosphere, keeping on the northern high road for about a
quarter of an hour in the direction of _Yebrood_, then turned sharply
eastwards over corn-fields, and descended into a deep hot valley. The
flowers of the field were chiefly cistus, red or white, and hollyhocks
four feet high. Then ascended to at least a corresponding height into
terraces of fruit-trees well-cultivated; and still mounting, to a fine
plain of wheat, at the end of which was Remmoon, one hour and a quarter
from Bait-een.

The village is built upon a mass of calcareous rock, commanding
magnificent views towards the south, including the Dead Sea and the line
of the Jordan; higher hills bounded the north, on which was conspicuous
the town of _Tayibeh_, near which is a _weli_ or _mezar_ (pilgrimage
station) named after St George, who is an object of veneration to both
Moslems and Christians. The people of Tayibeh are all or mostly
Christians, and have a church with a resident priest.

We rode up the street of Remmoon, and found the shaikh and principal men
of the town lazily smoking in the shadow of a house.

My object was of course to inquire for a cavern that might be capable of
containing six hundred men during four months. The people all denied the
existence of such a cavern, but after some parley I was conducted to two
separate caverns on the west side of the hill, then to two others on the
eastern side which are larger, and to each of which we had to arrive
through a house built at its opening. They told me of two others upon
the hill, but of much inferior size. Those that I entered were not
remarkable for dimensions above the many that are to be found over the
country. It is probable that the whole of the refugees might sleep in
these several places, if there were no village there at the time, which
seems probable; but it was merely my own preconceived notion that they
all lived in one vast cavern. The text of Judg. xx. 47 does not say so.

The village is in good condition, and the cultivation excellent in every
direction around it. On leaving it for the return to Jerusalem I
proceeded due southwards. In the f