mong them, we received kind greetings
everywhere, and every one who was seated rose and remained standing as we
passed. The women are beautiful, with sprightly, intelligent faces, quite
different from the stupid Mahometan females.

The children were charming creatures, and some of the girls of ten or
twelve years were lovely as angels. They came timidly to our tent (which
the men had pitched as before, under two superb trees, beside a fountain),
and offered us roses and branches of fragrant white jasmine. They expected
some return, of course, but did not ask it, and the delicate grace with
which the offering was made was beyond all pay. It was Sunday, and the men
and boys, having nothing better to do, all came to see and talk with us. I
shall not soon forget the circle of gay and laughing villagers, in which
we sat that evening, while the dark purple shadows gradually filled up the
gorges, and broad golden lights poured over the shoulders of the hills.
The men had much sport in inducing the smaller boys to come up and salute
us. There was one whom they called "the Consul," who eluded them for some
time, but was finally caught and placed in the ring before us. "Peace be
with you, O Consul," I said, making him a profound inclination, "may your
days be propitious! may your shadow be increased!" but I then saw, from
the vacant expression on the boy's face, that he was one of those
harmless, witless creatures, whom yet one cannot quite call idiots. "He is
an unfortunate; he knows nothing; he has no protector but God," said the
men, crossing themselves devoutly. The boy took off his cap, crept up and
kissed my hand, as I gave him some money, which he no sooner grasped, than
he sprang up like a startled gazelle, and was out of sight in an instant.

In descending from Eden to the sea-coast, we were obliged to cross the
great gorge of which I spoke. Further down, its sides are less steep, and
clothed even to the very bottom with magnificent orchards of mulberry,
fig, olive, orange, and pomegranate trees. We were three hours in reaching
the opposite side, although the breadth across the top is not more than a
mile. The path was exceedingly perilous; we walked down, leading our
horses, and once were obliged to unload our mules to get them past a tree,
which would have forced them off the brink of a chasm several hundred feet
deep. The view from the bottom was wonderful. We were shut in by steeps of
foliage and blossoms from two to