olives, pomegranates, and what, for want of a
better name, I call "congealed grape-juice,"--all these were placed
before me when in the early evening they aided my guide in serving
supper.

We spent little over four hours in the saddle to-day, so I am not
wearied, and I can give interested attention to the surroundings. And
there is much to interest me here. For, while the name "Coefrinje" is
not mentioned in the Bible, nor is its site definitely identified with
the location of any biblical city, yet there is much of Bible story
centered at points within five miles of this town.

Just across the narrow valley, only a few hundred yards distant, is the
height, Kulat er Rubad. It is crowned with the ruins of an old
castle-fortress called (together with the peak on which it stands) the
"watch-tower of Gilead." The view from the dismantled ramparts is not
excelled in this part of the world. It, indeed, rivals the view from
the celebrated peak south of the Jabbok, Jebel Osha. Dr. Thomson says,
"In reality this prospect includes more points of biblical and
historical interest than any other on the face of the earth." And Dr.
Merrill, after enumerating many of the famous characters of history
that moved under the gaze of this mount of out-look, adds, "The view is
more than a picture. It is a panorama of great variety, beauty, and
significance." To me it is wonderfully impressive.

As the evening wore on I first gave attention to the large olive-press
close to the mission-house. The press was simple in construction,
consisting of a large bowl-shaped rock from the center of whose
depression rose an upright post of wood; to this post was fastened a
long nearly-horizontal beam, not unlike what might be seen in the
old-time cider-mill or cane-mill; slipped onto this beam by means of a
large hole in its center was a large stone shaped like a grind-stone;
this rock, pushed well up to the post, rested in the bowl of the other
rock. When the natives pushed or pulled the beam around in tread-mill
fashion the circular stone turned on the beam, and at the same time
moved round and round in the hollow of the other rock. Thus the olives
placed in the bowl-shaped rock were thoroughly crushed and the oil was
caught in vessels.

Then I watch the shepherds leading their large flocks of sheep and
goats in from the mountain pastures to their folds for the night. All
day these faithful guardians have been with their flocks seeking good
pastur