without even receiving a
feed during the day's journey. The Arabian horse is the only one
capable of enduring so much hardship. In the evening these poor
creatures are relieved of their burdens, but very seldom of the
saddle; for the Arabs assert that it is less dangerous for the horse
to bear the saddle day and night, than that it should be exposed
when heated by the day's toil to the cold night-air. Bridles,
saddles, and stirrups were all in such bad condition that we were in
continual danger of falling to the ground, saddle and all. In fact,
this misfortune happened to many of our party, but luckily it was
never attended with serious results.

June 12th.

The night was very chilly; although we slept in a tent, our thick
cloaks scarcely sufficed to shield us from the night-air. In the
morning the fog was so dense that we could not see thirty paces
before us. Towards eight o'clock it rolled away, and a few hours
later the heat of the sun began to distress us greatly. It is
scarcely possible to guard too carefully against the effects of the
heat; the head should in particular be kept always covered, as
carelessness in this respect may bring on coup de soleil. I always
wore two pocket handkerchiefs round my head, under my straw hat, and
continually used a parasol.

From Bir to Jabrud, where we rested for a few hours, we travelled
for six hours through a monotonous and sterile country. We had
still a good four hours' ride before us to Nablus, our resting-place
for the night.

The roads here are bad beyond conception, so that at first the
stranger despairs of passing them either on foot or on horseback.
Frequently the way leads up hill and down dale, over great masses of
rock; and I was truly surprised at the strength and agility of our
poor horses, which displayed extraordinary sagacity in picking out
the little ledges on which they could place their feet safely in
climbing from rock to rock. Sometimes we crossed smooth slabs of
stone, where the horses were in imminent danger of slipping; at
others, the road led us past frightful chasms, the sight of which
was sufficient to make me dizzy. I had read many accounts of these
roads, and was prepared to find them bad enough; but my expectations
were far surpassed by the reality. All that the traveller can do is
to trust in Providence, and abandon himself to fate and to the
sagacity of his horse.

An hour and a half before we reached the goal of this day's