but now deserted; and on the brow of the eastern hill is a small village, called Gherbet-Hamoul,

We alighted here, to take a pipe and a cup of coffee on the clean straw-matted benches within; and after many complimentary salutations from the old master of the shed, we quitted it to pursue our way.

During the next hour we ascended the steep and rugged promontory which forms the cape of Nakhora, on the summit of which we observed a small square building used as a resting-place, and a coffee-house, like the one we had visited below. Upon the rocky brow of this lofty hill, we observed some Syrian shepherds feeding their flocks, and were struck with the extreme darkness of their complexions, which was even of a deeper shade than that of the Arabs of Aden and Macullah, on the southernmost coasts of Yemen. We learnt that these were Bedouins from the eastern deserts, who, when the severity of the winter deprives their flocks of pasture there, approach the frontiers of the cultivated land, and advance even to the sea-coast, in small parties, to let their goats browse on the wild heath and bushes of the uncultivated hills. The dresses of these men were similar to those worn by the Bedouins of Suez; and each of their flocks was attended by large shaggy dogs, who, though they gave the alarm at our approach, were silenced at the first call of their keepers.

The ascent of the road, winding over the rugged front of this promontory, reminded me very forcibly of similar scenes in Spanish mountains, as well as on the western shores of Portugal; and here and there were striking resemblances to the rocky and sea-beaten coasts of Cornwall and Devonshire.

On attaining the summit of the hill, an extensive and beautiful landscape opened on us across the whole of the plain of Acre, from the eminence on which we stood, to Mount Carmel, on which Elias sacrificed, and where stands the monastery giving name to an order of friars. This plain, from the boundaries thus given, is about fifteen miles in length from north to south, and

about five in general breadth from the sea-shore to the hills which border it on the east. We saw it now under every disadvantage of the season; but when clothed with the verdure of spring it must present an interesting picture, bordered as it is by the sea on one side, with the towns of Zib and Acre in sight near the shore, and on the other with a range of hills inland, on the western brow of which are also seen towns and villages, and ruined vestiges of former splendour, marking the sites of places consecrated by their celebrity or their high antiquity.

We alighted to descend from the mountain by a steep and rugged road, and remounted, to enter on the plain, about three o'clock. We passed several springs and brooks, with a ruined fountain, in the way, all yielding an abundance of excellent water. The soil, which resembled the dark loam of Egypt, was now chiefly covered with thistles of a larger kind and in greater abundance than I had ever before seen. We met here a company of Tatars, wearing their peculiar dresses, and high black caps with yellow crowns. They were well mounted, and each carried behind his saddle a small black leather portmanteau, fastened with straps and buckles exactly in the English style. They were the handsomest men we had yet seen in Syria, and, being perhaps now on duty, passed us hastily, returning our salute, but asking no questions.

In about an hour after entering on the plain, we passed by the town of Zib, leaving it on the right at the distance of about half a mile. It is small, and situated on a hill near the sea, having a few palm-trees rearing themselves above its dwellings.

It is

* This mountain of Nakhora is undoubtedly the Scala Tyriárum, or ladder of the Tyrians, mentioned by Josephus as being the northern mountain-boundary of Ptolemais or Acre, and distant from it a hundred furlongs, to which this nearly corresponds. See Josephus's Jewish War, b. ii. c. 10. s. 2. This range was erroneously taken, by the early writers, for the mountain of Saron, and as falsely, by Pococke, for the beginning of Lebanon or Anti-Lebanon. See Pococke, vol. ii. part 1. c. 20. p. 79. The ladder of the Tyrians is mentioned also in 1 Macc. c. xi. v. 59.

conjectured, with great probability, to have been the Achzib of the Scriptures, mentioned in the book of Joshua, where the borders of the inheritance of the tribe of Asher are described as reaching from Helkath to Mount Carmel westward, and commencing at the great Zidon on the north. "And then the coast turneth to Ramah, and to the strong city Tyre; and the coast turneth to Hosah; and the outgoings thereof are at the sea from the coast to Achzib."* It is afterwards again mentioned in the Book of Judges, as one of the places from which the invading Jews could not expel the original possessors. "Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho, nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob." +

Nearly opposite to the town we crossed the bed of a torrent now dry; and on the hills to the eastward of us, distant three or four miles, we saw an isolated column of considerable grandeur, still erect. A castle, said to be of great antiquity, was also pointed out to the south-east, upon the brow of the bordering hills, but both of these were too far from the road to be visited. In the plain, we saw scattered clusters of green trees, and the olive was every where visible. These, with some other local features, gave the whole a general resemblance to the plains of Sedikieuy, crossed on going to that village from Smyrna.

After having passed over a small eminence covered with rocks and briars, we came at length into fields and well-cultivated grounds, with stone causeways thrown over the brooks, good roads, and other symptoms of a greater attention to agricultural improvement than we had witnessed in the neglected waste which we had just quitted. Acre was now full in sight; but as the sun was nearly set, and there was no hope of gaining admittance through the gates after dark, it became necessary to think of some halting-place. We turned off, therefore, to the village of El Mufs

Joshua, chap. xix. v. 29.

+ Judges, chap. i. v. 31.

hoor, near a fine aqueduct on our left, and found a hospitable shelter there, among a peasant's family, with whom we took up our lodging for the night.

The village in which we were received consisted only of a few cottages, but these were in general large and well built of stone. The one beneath the roof of which we had taken shelter was at least forty feet square, and fifteeen feet high. Besides its outer walls, there were two inner divisions of two arches each, uniformly and strongly constructed; and these, with the walls themselves, supported a flat roof of beams and brushwood laid over the whole, its upper part being terraced with lime or mortar. As these arcades went longitudinally through the building, there were formed three separate compartments in it, in the first of which, beginning from the left, where the door was, were stalled four oxen, some sheep, our two mules, and an ass; in the second, clean mats were spread among heaps of raw cotton for us; and into the third, or inner one, where were the hearth and fire, the family themselves retired, for our accommodation.

I had occasion to observe, throughout the whole of our way from Soor thus far, that the history of the struggle between the French and English at Acre was familiar to every one, and that the latter were always spoken of with great respect, even where we passed ourselves as belonging to the other nation. Here, also, when the enquiries of the family were answered, and a short conversation had taken place on our histories, our voyages, &c. the best mattrass and quilted coverlet were produced, with two cushions for my repose; a divan and bed were instantly made, and a supper of rice, eggs, olives, and salad, prepared for us all by the mother, while the children assisted to contribute to our comfort by every possible means.

The old man was nearly seventy years of age, and recapitulated all the circumstances of the siege of Acre with the minuteness of an eye-witness. His wife was about thirty, brown, but handsome, and laden with silver ornaments, particularly armlets, above the

elbow, of a massive size and curious workmanship, and a band or fillet round her head, formed of, perhaps, a hundred large silver coins, overlapping each other like the scales of ancient armour.

After supper, every one was occupied in breaking the shells of the cotton and extracting the wool; while those of our own party, consisting of our muleteer, an Arab soldier whom we overtook on his way to Jaffa, my old Tocat servant, and myself, all joined in the occupation; and while the family thus benefited by our labours, the whole company were amused by some droll tales of the muleteer. We continued thus to enjoy the cheerful happiness of a social and good humoured circle until ten o'clock, when we lay down with mutual blessings to repose.

9th. We were all stirring early, but the cold was so great, the thermometer in the air being at 45°, that we did not move from the hearth where we took our pipes and coffee until sunrise.

If my indignation had been excited at the price demanded for our entertainment at Soor, by men calling themselves respectable merchants, the behaviour of these poor cottagers was such as to draw forth very different feelings. The amount here demanded for all that we had taken from them, including provisions for our animals and four persons, was only three piastres and a half, or little more than half a dollar, nor would they name any compensation for the services they had otherwise rendered us; and when a dollar was presented to them, to include both the charges of our consumption and their own reward, they were evidently as grateful to us as they were happy.

To warm ourselves by exercise, we set out from the village on foot, after halting a moment to observe the works in the neighbourhood. These consisted of a large fountain, which being walled round we could not enter. It is said to be supplied with water from the same springs in the mountains as those which fill the cisterns of Ras-el-Ain. Near it was an extensive and well cultivated garden of Suliman Pasha, the present governor of Acre, in which, among other shrubs, we noticed several clusters of young

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