shrubs, weeds, and wild flowers; the water is perfectly clear, and about 6 ft. or 7 ft. deep, with pebbles at the bottom; there are also fish sporting about in them; the spring discharges itself into the lake, subterraneously, through the wall. We swam to the Scorpion rock mentioned by Josephus, but saw no scorpions on it. March 10.-In the forenoon we left Tiberias, and observed, in following the borders of the lake, one of the circular towers, with part of the wall of the ancient town on that side. We left the hot baths about noon. Drawing towards the southern extremity of the lake, we saw, on our right, at the foot of the hills, an extensive aqueduct ; at the entrance are traces of the walls of Tarichea, which appears to have been the ruins of a Roman bath. We found several sick persons at these springs who had come to use the waters. From this point we followed the Yarmack until we came near the place where we had crossed it the preceding evening, and returned by dusk to Tiberias. Mr. Bankes having rejoined us, we employed ourselves from the 6th to the 10th in measuring the circuit of the ancient city, and in making researches in the neighbourhood. Mr. Bankes had discovered a curious ancient fortification, situated to the west of Magdala. On the north side of the entrance of a ravine there is a high perpendicular cliff which, from its projecting situation and steep sides, forms a natural barrier on two sides of a triangle, the other side being defended by a wall of rough masonry, with nu-situated on two eminences, one on the merous projecting turrets. Mr. Bankes made a plan of it; we were two days in taking the measurements. The natives call it Callah-el-Hammam, (Castle of the Pigeons,) but we are not aware that any ancient authors mention it, or give a clue to its origin. It may possibly be the ancient "Jotapata" where Josephus was taken, and which he states to have been demolished by Vespasian. It is certainly of very ancient date-prior, Mr. Bankes thinks, to the time of the Romans. The village of Erbed, in which there are a few Roman ruins, stands in a plain at the foot of the Mount Beatitude, on the opposite side of the ravine. There are some curious old convents in the side of the cliff, on the left in going from the village of Majdil (the ancient Magdala) to the Callah-el-Hammam. a slight eminence on the right of the These convents are very singularly constructed, being excavated several stories high in the perpendicular cliff, with galleries, &c. About two miles south of Majdil are the ruins of six Roman baths; the springs are mineral, but only of a luke-warm temperature. The baths are circular, from 15 ft. to 20 ft. in diameter, inclosed with a wall about 12 ft. high within, and 6 ft. without; at present there is no apparent means of ingress or egress. Their position is very picturesque, being close to the lake, and overgrown with right of our road, and the other bordering on the lower end of the lake, by the Jordan; this latter appears to have been artificially surrounded by water on the other sides. The Jordan winds extremely here, but has little current. The ruins of the Roman bridge which we saw in going to Om Keis, had ten arches: from this point the road continues through rather a naked country, with occasional views of the river. About 3 o'clock we came to a khan near a bridge; and, an hour's ride beyond this, we observed, by the roadside, a Roman mile-stone, but there were only two or three letters distinctly visible on it. Farther on, the pavement of the ancient road is perceivable, and about two miles from Bysan we saw a sarcophagus, on the brow of road; here we crossed a small stream, and ascended to Bysan about dusk. During the latter part of this day's journey we remarked a great number of Arab camps. Bysan is supposed to be the Bethshan of Scripture, afterwards called Scythopolis, the largest city of the Decapolis, and the only one that side of the Jordan. It was to the wall of Bethshan that the body of Saul was fastened after he was slain.* March 11.-This day we employed *1 Sam. xxxi. 10. ourselves in inspecting the ruins. The most interesting is the theatre, the walls of which can be distinctly traced, although every part of it is completely filled with weeds. It measures across the front about 180 ft., and is remarkable as having those oval recesses half way up the theatre, mentioned by Vitruvius as being constructed to contain the brass sounding tubes. We had never seen these in any other ancient theatre, and we were, at the time, quite at a loss to conjecture to what use they were applied. There are seven of these cells, and Vitruvius mentions, that even in his day very few theatres had them. We were very careful to take a correct plan of this theatre, attending to every minute particular. We found twenty-four sculls and numerous bones in one of the most concealed vomitories; in one of the sculls a viper was basking, with his body twisted through the sockets of the eyes, presenting a good subject for a moralist. At this place the tombs lie to the N. E. of the Acropolis, without the walls; the sarcophagi remain in some of them; we here found niches of a triangular shape, for the lamps; some of the doors were still hanging on the ancient hinges of stone, and in remarkable preservation. Two streams run through the ruins of the city, almost insulating the Acropolis; there is a fine Roman bridge over the one to the S. W.; beyond it may be seen the paved way which led to the ancient Ptolemais, now Acre. The plains extend in this direction to the sea-coast, without any intervening mountains. On the other side, a little below where the streams unite, the walls of the town cross the rivulet in a singular manner; a high arch in the centre, with a smaller one on each end, appear to have formed a bridge, and the wall of the city was continued along its edge. It would seem as if there had been a grating across the centre arch; the outer part of the two smaller arches was walled up. On the hill near this bridge the ruins of one of the gates of the city are very distinguishable, and amongst the remains are prostrate columns of Corinthian architecture. The Acropolis is a high circular hill, on the top of which are the traces of the walls which encompassed it. The people are a fanatical set. March 12.-At eight o'clock in the morning we left Bysan. Near the town are the ruins of many subterranean granaries. Taking guides from an Arab camp to show us the proper place for fording the Jordan, we reached its banks in one hour and twenty minutes. They are very prettily wooded, although the more distant parts of the plains are quite destitute of trees. Near the ford, about half a mile to the south, is a tomb called "Sheikh Daoud," standing on a round hill resembling a barrow. The stream of the Jordan is here much swifter than in the part near the lake of Tiberias. The water at the ford reached above the bellies of the horses. The breadth of the river we found to be 140 feet. We bathed here. From the Jordan we turned to the right of the path to see Tabathat Fahkil, which we reached in about half an hour. Here the ruins of a modern village stand on a hill, bearing E.S.E. from the Acropolis of Bysan; and in a plain to the west of it are the ruins of a square building, with a semicir cular end, which appears to have been surrounded by columns. On the east and south sides of the hill are considerable ruins of some ancient city which must have been of great extent. The situation is beautiful, being on the side of a ravine, with a picturesque stream running at the bottom. As this place appears to be as ancient as Scythopolis, and full two-thirds of its size, it seems unaccountable that history should not mention a town so near "the principal city of the Decapolis" as this is. We searched for inscriptions, but in vain. The ruins of a fine temple are situated near the water-side, and amongst the columns are found the three orders of architecture, Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. The river passing to the south falls into the Jordan. Crossing the rivulet, and following a path to the southward, we entered a small plain very thickly : covered with herbage, particularly the situation, a most extensive view of the mustard plant, which reached as high plain of the Jordan, the lakes Asphaltes as our horses' heads. To the east- and Tiberias, and a vast tract of ward we observed several excavations country in every direction. Indeed, in the side of the hills. These are for several days we had this castle probably the Necropolis, for there are constantly in view from every quarter. several tombs in this direction, resem- Unfortunately, the weather was too bling those at Bysan and Om Keis. hazy to admit of our profiting much Finding no path, we re-crossed the by our lofty situation. We fully rivulet, and proceeding to the north examined every part of the castle; it rejoined the track from the Jordan, is entirely of Turkish architecture, which we had originally quitted to visit and has an Arabic inscription in one Tabathat Fahkil; from this point we of the centre stones. The building is began to ascend, passing occasionally constructed out of the rock, which has over hill and vale, well wooded, the been excavated to form the moat country gradually increasing in beauty. round it: there are some tanks near On our left we saw the spot where the castle. Elijah was fed by the ravens.* There are many villages in this direction. We On descending to the village of Adjeloun, we found, in the court of an March 13.-We slept at Hallawye. old mosque, a Roman mile-stone, and in In the morning we continued our the building itself, several fragments of route, and passed through some most Roman sculpture. The next day, half an beautiful woodland scenery, with the hour after quitting Adjeloun, we passed gall oak, wild olive, arbutus, &c. &c., through the village of Eugen; here in great luxuriance, and a variety of are some Roman tombs, and two sarwild flowers, such as the cyclamen, cophagi cut in the rock. From Eugen crimson anemone, &c., on a rich soil. the road led through a narrow and We arrived, in three hours, at a village picturesque valley with a fine view of called Cafringee, situated at the south- the Callah-el-Rubbat behind us. This ern extremity of the valley of Ad- vale opened into a plain, whence the jeloun. There are sufficient frag-road passes through a woody, uneven ments amongst the rubbish and build- country, extremely beautiful. ings of Cafringee to show that there here observed several arbutus of great was once a Roman town or some large beauty and unusual dimensions; the edifice on the spot. We remained trunk of one was about 6 ft. in cirhere about an hour, and then sending cumference. In some instances the our baggage forward to the village of Valonia oak and arbutus andrachne Adjeloun, proceeded, in company with were growing grafted together, prothe principal sheikh of the neighbour-bably from the acorn or berry of the hood, to the Callah-el-Rubbat, which one having dropped into some crack, is situated, to the N.N.W., on an emi- in the stem of the other, and there nence, at an hour's distance. About taken root. The Roman road is dishalf way up the hill we were shown a cernible as you advance into a plain great cave, the most extensive one we near Souf. We saw, likewise, three had seen in Syria; this is, probably, Roman mile-stones near to each other. the "cave of Makkedah," in which Souf is a small village, situated on the the five kings were discovered, and side of a hill, about two hours and a afterwards buried.+ The Callah-el- half from Adjeloun; in the vale below Rubbat commands, by its elevated it is the source of a stream which runs through the valley. At the fountain is an imperfect Greek inscription, and in the ruins of a church in the village are a mile-stone, and an altar having a Greek inscription. At 3 P.M. we went with three armed natives of Souf to Djerash. We took the shortest * "And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook." 1 Kings, xvii. 6. Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou moon in the valley of Ajalon." Joshua, x. 12. Joshua, x. 17-27. road over the hills; and after taking a general view of the ruins, returned to Souf by a valley lying to the N.E. This latter road is very beautifully wooded, and runs by the side of a picturesque stream, the banks of which are covered with the oleander. We found the natives of Souf a rude set, constantly annoying us with stories about dytchmaan, or enemies, alluding to the Salhaan Arabs, who are encamped near Djerash; this was evidently done with a view to induce us to have a strong escort every time we went to Djerash; for which service they asked two piastres per man each trip. In consequence of all this, when we went again, on the 15th, to Djerash, we took with us the sheikh and ten of his people. We took measures of one of the temples; our escort annoying us all the time with absurd remarks on the importance of their protecting us against the Arabs. During the day two of these said Arabs arrived on horseback, armed with pikes; but they were very quiet. We returned to Souf rather early in the afternoon. March 16.-It rained hard, and the natives of Souf refused to attend us any more to Djerash, going over again the old story of their terror of the dytchmaan. In the afternoon Mr. Bankes' interpreter, and the soldier who at tended him as a guard, arrived with a young prince of the Benesuckher Arabs, named Ebyn Fayes, and ten of his tribe. The prince was attended by his mace-bearer; the mace was of iron, hollow, and about two feet long. All the party were well mounted and armed, and as they galloped down the hill, firing their pistols and manœuvring with their spears, they formed a curious and interesting sight. Mr. Bankes had dispatched the interpreter and soldier from Adjeloun to the Benesuckher camp, to obtain a guard to conduct us to the several places which we wished to visit, lying east of the Jordan and Dead Sea; he had a list of the places which Burckhardt had visited, and a note of his route by Kerek and Wady Mousa, and intended to pass from the latter to the south end of the Dead Sea, and by Hebron to Jerusalem. The interpreter, however, could only make a bargain with these people to escort us as far as Kerek, as they said they were at war with the tribes beyond that place, and could go no further. As the places beyond Kerek were the most beset with difficulties, there seemed to be little hope of performing the whole of the journey under their protection; we, however, kept them for the present, hoping if we reached Kerek with them, to pursue our journey by other means; especially as the natives of Kerek are mostly Christians, and are in the habit of making their pilgrimage to Jerusalem by the route we were anxious to take. Volney was told by the Arabs, "that there are to the S. E. of the lake Asphaltes, within three days' journey, upwards of 300 ruined towns absolutely deserted; several having large edifices with columns." This was the country of the Nabatheans, the most potent, says Josephus, of the Arabs and of the Idumæans, who, at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem, were almost as numerous as the Jews. Our lamented friend, Sheikh Ibrahim, states in his notes, that three days south from Kerek, in the Wady Mousa, are the ruins of Petra, the capital of the ancient Arabia Petræa. Here, to use his own expression, are wonderfully fine temples cut out of the rock, and more than 200 sepulchres. Since the death of poor Burckhardt, no European has seen this place, or indeed the others to the S. E. of the Dead Sea. Hebron is the ancient Kiriath Arba, and is said to be of higher antiquity than Memphis; to see the site of such a place, excites no ordinary degree of interest. Abraun or Hebron, is the place where Abraham died. The terms agreed on with the Arabs were,that they should conduct us safe to Kerek for 1000 piastres; most unfortunately, Mr. Bankes paid the whole of the money beforehand, and to this ill-advised step we owe all the tricks they afterwards played us. March 17.-We quitted Souf with our Arab guard, and passed the day in taking further measurements at Djerash. It was here that the Arabs went induced Mr. Bankes to pay all the ing that they would give up one of money in advance, and immediately their own horses, and even commenced a regular train of impo- through the ceremony of parading sitions and falsehoods, which in the their present before the tent we were end compelled us to leave them and to in. We never ascertained the fact, abandon the journey. In dealings with but fully believe that it was a mere atthese people not a single para should tempt to rob us of one of our horses. ever be paid them in advance; it should be stipulated that they are to receive nothing till they have completed their contract. They are a cunning set, and behave well when they are kept in check in this manner; but if paid anything before hand, they continually teaze you for more, and when once they have received the whole of the money they consider that you are completely in their power, and that they may do as they like with you; since Lady Hester Stanhope spoiled the market, by overpaying them when she went to Palmyra, few people, going to that place, have succeeded so well with them as we did; and this was certainly owing to our persisting in not paying a single para till their part of the agreement was fulfilled. In the evening we reached Katty, a village lying in a beautiful situation, to the W. N. W. of Djerash, at about an hour's distance. The Arabs here demanded money to buy provisions for themselves; we were obliged to give them 30 piastres a day. March 18.-This morning we again went to Djerash, and measured the walls of the town, and the principal temple. Some of the Salhaan Arabs appearing in the distance, our Benesuckher friends galloped off to parley with them, and, as usual, we were again teazed about the dytchmaan. We went this night, by the desire of our conductors, to a small camp of the Salhaans, although they had been continually calling them their enemies; it lay one hour and a half to the S. E. of Djerash. On the way they tried to persuade Mr. Bankes to give a horse to the Sallaans; this request was made in a valley about half an hour distant from the camp, and was propounded in a very mysterious manner; on his refusing they at first stopped, and said they would not go on, but finally conducted us to the camp, say March 19.-We went in the morning to examine a place called Reashy, but found nothing there of interest. The Benesuckher Arabs refused to go to Djerash, excusing themselves by saying they feared the Salhaans; we were very anxious to finish the plan of Djerash, nothing having ever been published regarding these antiquities; indeed, they were unknown to Europeans until Mr. Seetzen discovered them in 1806. I believe Mr. Bankes, Sir W. Chatterton, Mr. Leslie, Sheikh Ibrahim, and Mr. Buckingham, are the only Europeans who have seen them. The Arabs were now told that Mr. Bankes would give up the researches he had intended to make on the banks of the Zerka, and go to Djerash instead. We accordingly set out in that direction with three of the Arabs, the remainder proceeding with our baggage from the Salhaan camp to Katty. In our way we ascended to Nebi Hood, a village situated on the summit of a hill, S. S. E. of Djerash; the village is at present deserted; we found a Greek inscription on an altar in the court-yard of one of the houses. We were about to proceed to Djerash, when one of our three Arabs who had advanced a little in front, returned to inform us that six Salhaans were waiting near Djerash to intercept us. We accordingly returned to join some more of the Benesuckher party, after having first reconnoitred for ourselves. We soon met the remainder of our escort on their way to Katty, and therefore proceeded with them all, and had a parley with the six Salhaans, who, after some conversation, in which they said that "they wanted heads, not money," told the Benesuckhers that we had their permission to remain at Djerash till the afternoon of this day. Their being able to bring only six armed men to intercept us, was no great proof of their force; and our Benesuckher friends |