d the fig-trees.

Beside the fountain called _'Ain Besaba_ was a pottery factory. The
nature of the rocks around was soft sandstone; a gigantic pear-tree stood
conspicuous among the excellent cultivation of the neighbourhood; higher
still, between straight tall pines and wild holly-oaks, our road curved
round and round the hills.

We overtook a company of Christians, the women riding and the men
walking--this circumstance alone would show they were not Mohammedans.
The two parties had to pass each other with much caution, as the path was
narrow and the precipice deep below.

At _'Ain 'Anoob_, where a copious supply of water issues from three
spouts, the fountain has on each side the representation of a chained
lion, sculptured in stone. One's first impression would be that this
were a relic of the Genoese or Venetian crusaders; but these figures,
whatever their meaning or origin, are not infrequent upon fountains about
the Lebanon, even when only rustically daubed in red ochre; and it has
not been often noticed that there are similar lions facing each other,
only without the chains, one on each side of St Stephen's Gate at
Jerusalem. Some of the women at the fountains wore the horns on their
head, the fashion for which is gradually passing away. The terraces on
the hills were in the highest state of cultivation, and gave abundant
promise of fruit for the coming season; the sun was near setting, the
rooks cawing overhead, and we saw two little girls each bring a lamb to
the fountain to drink and then proceed to wash them.

Sidi Ahhmad, a Druse 'Akal, with, of course, a white turban, undertook to
be our guide as far as 'Abeih.

Fresh air to breathe! how different from the oppressive heat of Bayroot!
We all drank of every spring by the way, and by consequence lifted up the
drooping head, (Ps. cx. 7,) thinking each fountain colder than that
before it.

The most rugged portion of the road was between _'Ain 'Anoob_ and
_'Ainab_, and zigzag were the worn tracks of the way. Sometimes a
musical jingle of bells announced the coming of travellers in front, who
were however invisible till they pounced upon us from between two
pinnacles of rocks. On the steepest ascents it was necessary to halt and
await the coming up of our baggage mules.

From mountain heights it is often difficult to distinguish the blue
expanse of the Mediterranean Sea from the similar blue expanse of the
sky, until the actual moment of sunset, whe