o lies that desert tract in which the Rafah pillars stand,
indicating the supposed boundary between the two countries. The Bedouin,
however, wanders at will over the waste land, caring little whether he
happens to be in Egypt or Syria.

As in El Harish, the Kala constitutes the castle of the place, and is at
the same time the nucleus around which the other buildings have
gradually clustered.

Khanyunis is now a pleasant village, but does not at present contain
more than 1000 inhabitants. Formerly the population was larger, having
reached 1800, but it has decreased owing to the frequent inroads of the
Tarabin Bedouins, who only three years ago set fire to the crops of the
poor villagers. All the Bedouins who haunt the neighbourhood are
Tarabins. They are generally well provided with horses and asses, some
of the former being fine animals, of great powers of endurance. Since
Khanyunis has been supplied with a stronger garrison, they are kept in
check, and the state of affairs is consequently much improved. There are
now fifty foot and fifty horse soldiers, almost exclusively sons of the
desert, who look quite picturesque with their Koufi as head-dress, and
Arabian costume. They are fine muscular fellows, and extremely courteous
in manner. The villagers wear the usual South Syrian costume, and are of
fairly strong build. Some of the boys have two ringlets hanging at the
sides of their heads,--a fashion not uncommon among the Bedouins. There
are two schools for the instruction of youth, and, judging from the fact
that nearly every one can read, they must be well attended.

[Illustration: KALA OF KHANYUNIS.]

The interior of the village presents but a poor appearance, the streets
being dirty and disfigured by numerous trenches for carrying off the
rain. The houses, between which lofty palms raise their towering heads,
are built of mud and stone. The inferior quality of stone consists of
shell detritus and shale conglomerate from the neighbouring
sea-shore, and the better material is brought from different ruins,
sometimes from a distance of ten to twelve hours' journey. The roofs of
the houses are flat, and over many of the entrances, which have wooden
lintels, a piece of bone is fixed as a protection against the influence
of the Evil eye. For the better defence of the inhabitants against the
incursions of the Bedouins, the houses have loopholes; ventilation is
provided for by a number of round holes arranged either in ro