s, through a rocky
defile of ten minutes, when we fell in with a better road which, they
said, came also from 'Arabeh, and on towards a fine village named
_Yaabad_ in a lovely plain richly cultivated; there were after the
earlier crops young plantations of cotton rising, the fields cleared of
stones and fenced in by the most regular and orderly of stone dykes.

Before reaching _Yaabad_, we turned due west, our guides alone being able
to judge which of the many footpaths could be the right one.

Reached the poor village _Zebdeh_, then over a green hill with a prospect
of the sea. Caesarea visible at a distance, and in the middle distance
_Jit_ and _Zeita_. Near us were ruins of a strong place called _Burtaa_,
said to have a supply of delicious water. Our journey was all over short
evergreens rising from stony ground. So lonely--none in sight but
ourselves for hours after hours. "Green is the portion of Paradise"
exclaimed our people.

At _Cuf'r Kara_, a clean mud village in the fragments of columns lying
about, we rested beneath some huge fig-trees while the luggage, guarded
by some of the escort, jogged forwards; for muleteers never like resting
their animals, or at least do not like unpacking them before the end of
the day's march; the trouble is too great in reloading them. The riding
horses were tied up under the trees, and we got some melons and eggs from
the village.

After an hour we remounted and went on steadily north-west. Soon reached
_Kaneer_, where was a cistern with wide circular opening of large
masonry, bespeaking high antiquity.

Then to _Subariyeh_ on a small rise from a hollow with one palm-tree.
The well was at a distance from the village, and the women washing there.
One man asked one of them to move away while he filled our matara
(leathern bottle.) She said she would not even for Ibrahim Pasha,
whereupon he roared out, "One sees that the world is changed, for if you
had spoken in that manner to one of Ibrahim's meanest of grooms, he would
have burned down your town for you." The matara was then filled.

In another quarter of an hour we were pacing through a wide Riding (as we
use the term in the old English Forests for a broad avenue between
woods.) This opened into a plain of rich park scenery, with timbered low
hills all about, only of course no grass: in the centre of this stands
_Zumareen_, perched on a bold piece of rock. Many of the trees were
entirely unknown to us Southerne