hort in stature, and drawing into the vale of
years. We chatted over the fire about the events of the expedition,
while some of the men were kneading and baking fresh bread upon stones
made hot in the fire.

Yet this is a sad aimless life that such people lead--of course our
excursion under their protection was an event to supply matter for many a
conversation afterwards.

As for religion: they seem to have little or no sense of its
responsibility or benefit, or even its formalities. I asked Selameh
about prayers or reading, and all he had to say was that annually in
Ramadan they hire a reader from some mosque of a town to come and read
the Koran to them; but not one, not even Abu Dahook could read for
himself. I never heard these Jehaleen mention either the word _Moslem_
or _Ghiaour_, much less the technical words _Mushrakeen_ or _Seerat el
Mustakeem_. Thermometer at sunset, 79.25 degrees Fahrenheit.

_April_ 11_th_.--Our camels were loaded for the last time, as usual
grunting, groaning, and tossing the head backwards while the burdens were
placed upon them, and, as must be known to all desert travellers, the
smell exhaled from these animals after a long journey is particularly
disagreeable.

We were marching forward at half-past five, and in an hour and a half we
caught a distant view of our old familiar Frank mountain, which was lost
again afterwards. About ten o'clock, we saw in a valley at our left an
encampment of Sair Arabs; and soon afterwards in a valley at our right, a
circle of the Ta'amri tents. In another hour we arrived at a square
enclosure of very large ancient stones, which was denominated _'Arkoob
Sahaba_. The breezes on this high land were most refreshing after our
southern excursion.

Passed _Thekua'_ or Tekua', (Tekoa,) and at some distance forwards, to
the north-east, some ruins called _Abu'n-jaib_, or perhaps Abu N'jaim.

Then we approached the well-remembered fragrance of the wild herbs on the
uncultivated hills about Urtas and Bethlehem, redolent of homeward
associations, and between two and three o'clock were at Jerusalem,
grateful for special and numerous mercies of Divine Providence.

Jewish friends were much interested in my report of Aaron's tomb on Mount
Hor, and regarded it as a great achievement to have visited and returned
from "Joktheel," as they called Petra, in compliance with 2 Kings xiv. 7,
where King Amaziah restored its more ancient name from _Selah_, (see
Joshua x