nature.

The whole vicinity bore traces of the earthquakes that have often
occurred there, especially that of 1837.

After this a glorious prospect burst upon us of Safed, "set upon a hill,"
and the gloomy hill of Jarmuk beside it. Tabor also in view far in
advance, throwing a vast shadow of late afternoon-time over other hills,
and glimpses of the lake Tiberias.

Encamped on our former site among the great old olive-trees north of the
town. Some Jewesses gleaning olives from the ground were frightened
away. Visitors were out at once to welcome us in English, Arabic, and
Judisch, (Jewish-German.) We were surrounded by fair and rosy
complexions of Jews, the effect of the pure bracing air of the mountain.

My sick people took to their beds, and only after a week's care (medical
such as we could get) were able to continue the journey, one remaining
behind to recover strength. The complaint, however, had not been
cholera, it was rather what is denominated "Syrian fever."

IX. UPPER GALILEE.--FOREST SCENERY.

Tibneen has been already mentioned as one of the two capital villages of
the Belad Besharah, and lying S.E. from Tyre. We have now before us the
Galilean country that lies southwards between that place and Nazareth.

_July_ 1853.--After honourable entertainment and refreshing sleep in the
Castle of Tibneen, I awoke early to look out on the dark and broad mass
of Mount Hermon by starlight.

Coffee was served, and I was mounted on my "gallant gray," still by
twilight, parting with some friends who had been rambling with me for
three weeks over Phoenicia and the Lebanon. I set my face in the
direction of Jerusalem.

We were guided by the Shaikh of _Rumaish_, a Christian village that lay
upon the road before us, he being furnished with a written mandate from
Hhamed el Bek, the ruler of Tibneen, to take four men of his place as our
escort through the forest.

In the outskirts of the forest belonging to the castle we found peasants
already proceeding to the threshing-floors; women in lines marching to
the wells with jars cleverly balanced upon their heads; and camels
kneeling on the ground munching their breakfast of cut straw, with most
serious and unchanging expression of countenance, only the large soft
eyes were pleasant to look at.

In half-an-hour we were at _Aita_.

This country is famous for the quality of its tobacco, a plant that is
most esteemed when grown among the ruined parts of vi