re was a travelling durweesh, fantastically dressed, amusing the
peasants by dancing and cracking a long whip; while a lad accompanying
him thumped a large drum,--both the thonged whip and the large drum being
rare objects in that country.

In a quarter of an hour we terminated our short day's journey (about six
hours and a half) in a meadow of long green grass. The site is called
_Beerain_, from the two wells there. Selameh, the brother of the Arab
chief, with several of his people, were awaiting our arrival; and they
were to lead us forward in the morning.

_April_ 2.--My right knee was much swollen from the strain of a sinew,
caused by an unexpected step down a bank taken by my horse when near
_Hhalhhool_, on the road from Jerusalem; consequently, feeling feverish,
and with a headache all night, I was not soothed by the camels groaning,
quarrelling, or champing their food close to my tent.

In the morning we made our bargain with Selameh, for the hire of camels,
the escort, etc. The captain and I, with my attendants, were to ride our
horses in the desert,--taking camels to carry an extra supply of water
for them.

We started, but in a very short time became disgusted at the slow
travelling of our caravan, as we were compelled to moderate the pace of
our riding to suit the leisurely tread of the camels. Selameh bestrode a
very young colt of the K'baishi race; but I rated my pony, of the Jilfi
stock, still higher than his.

The wide expanse before us was sprinkled with wild flowers, including the
yellow furze, (I have beside me, while writing this, a bunch of the same,
of English growth;) and the ret'm, or juniper, seven or eight feet in
height, covered with white blossom, the fragrance of which resembled, or,
if possible, was an improvement upon, the smell of a bean-field in
flower.

Near _Ziph_, the rocks have many ancient wells cut into their solid
substance. About noon we halted at a rough natural cistern, for the
purpose of filling our barrels and kirbehs (goat and camel skins) with
water. This task occupied an hour, during which I contrived to find just
enough shade for my head under a big stone, but took refuge in the
cistern itself while the camels were being reloaded.

Leaving this, we found the waste plains abounding in locusts innumerable,
and not full grown. As a natural consequence, there were storks hovering
about and feasting upon them. On account of the benefit thus conferred
on mankind