d the scene most
peaceful at the foot of Hermon.

On nearing Banias we were met by the son of the shaikh of the village,
sent out to invite us. It was harvest time of the Simsim, (Sesame,) and
the produce was very abundant; sheaves of it were piled up into large
stacks, and the length of the plant in stalk exceeded all I had ever seen
before,--a natural effect of growing on these well-watered plains.

There were also my old friends the myrtles scattered about among the
other trees.

At Banias our attendants had pitched the tents, to our disgust, near the
village, and with the stench of carrion not far off; much better places
might have been taken, but this was selected probably in consequence of
the invitation from the shaikh. Our short remainder of twilight was
employed in viewing the inscriptions and the grotto of Pan.

Next morning I was making fresh transcriptions of the Greek votive
dedications before the sun was up, so as to get them as accurately as
possible without sunshine and shadows. Then the same once more after
breakfast, with the sun full upon them. These, together with the copies
taken in 1849 by afternoon sunlight, and consequently the shadows thrown
in the reverse direction, ought to ensure for me a correct delineation,
saving and except those letters that are defaced by the action of weather
during fifteen centuries, or across which small cracks have been made by
the same cause.

The shaikh came to transact some business of consequence to him. Before
noon we resumed our journey; going due west through the Sesame harvest
and the myrtle trees to Tell el Kadi; straight across the plain through
marshes, frequent small streams, and large fields of rice, which they
said would be fit for reaping in twenty days more, that is, by the end of
October.

Crossed the Ghujar bridge, but did not as before turn off to Safed; our
object now was to reach Tibneen in the Belad Besharah, and therefore we
kept on due west, ascending up to the great crusading castle and the
village of _Huneen_, from which the look back upon Jebel esh Shaikh
(Hermon) was indescribably grand.

A little farther on, a glimpse was caught of the Mediterranean Sea! the
mountain breeze most delightful. Rested by the roadside for luncheon;
came to the village of _Hhooleh_, thence into lower valleys of green
woods, often with scarce room to pass ourselves, our horses, and the
luggage between branches of trees for some successive hours. T