sts across the sand,
we again passed through meadows, and then reached the dry sandy bed of
a brook called Wadi Selga, bordered on the left by earth banks and on
the right by meadows. After heavy rainfalls the stream of this brook
extends from the mountains to the sea.

On the left hand, about half-an-hour's ride from the main road, is the
village of Der el Belah (enclosure of date-trees), the only one we met
with before reaching Gaza. It lies in a valley, on a Melleha, which is
only separated from the sea by a rather low shore, and bounded at the
lower end by sand and clay hills. The village is recognised from a
distance by the numerous slender palm trees, which give it a
particularly charming and picturesque appearance. It contains about 100
inhabitants, and consists of a few ruinous houses, the mud roofs of
which are covered with grass. Between the buildings are cultivated
pieces of ground, fenced with mud walls. Here and there we met with
fragments of ancient pillars. There is also a rudely-built and
dilapidated tower, tapering upward, and provided with loopholes, which
is occasionally occupied by soldiers. To the north of the hamlet there
is another Melleha, enclosed by beautiful groups of palms, and on the
seaside by sandy hills. Not far from this a direct road leads from Der
el Belah to Gaza, but we wished to follow the main road, and
therefore crossed the hills behind Der el Belah, over green meadows,
where we saw plenty of daffodils and squills. From the top of the hills
we had a view of the luxuriant meadows of the valley, where many cows of
the small South Syrian breed were grazing, and in which we observed an
old "Sidr" tree, called El Jemeter, near which there are said to be some
ruins. On the other side we had before us the wide sea, separated from
the meadows by sand-hills only, on which is a group of trees called Em
Maharnes.

[Illustration: NEIGHBOURHOOD OF GAZA.]

Having reached the road, we continued to advance across the plain, where
we met with numerous tents of Tarabin Bedouins and several head of
cattle. We remained but a short time for breakfast on the open meadow
land, being anxious to get to Gaza. Soon after we came to the dry sandy
bed of the Wadi Gaza, and, climbing the low hills lying behind it, we
could see in the distance the minarets and palms of Gaza, the sight of
which cheered the last steps of our journey. The town is situated to the
right, commanded by the Mountar Hill, so called f