CHAP. cious tyranny of their Governors. One of them

IV.

6.6.

said, "Beggars in England are happier and better than we poor Arabs." "WHY BETTER?" said one of our party. Happier," replied the Arab who had made the observation, " in a good Government: better, because they will not endure a bad one."

The plants near the town were almost all withered. We found only four of which we were able to select tolerable specimens. These were, the new species of Dianthus mentioned in the account of our journey from Sephoury; the Syrian Pink, or Dianthus Monadelphus'; the Ammi Copticum; and the Anethum graveolens": these we carefully placed in our herbary, as memorials of the interesting spot on which they were collected. We observed the manner of collecting the harvest: it is carried upon the backs of camels: and the corn being afterwards placed in heaps, is trodden out by bullocks walking in a circle; something like the mode of treading corn in the Crimea, where horses are used for this purpose.

The second night after our arrival, as soon as

(1) Ventenat.

(2) Linn.

(3) Linn. et Dill.

IV.

Ordinary

Penance of

Travellers

it grew dark, we all stretched ourselves upon CHAP. the floor of our apartment, not without serious alarm of catching the plague, but tempted by the hope of obtaining a little repose. This we in the Holy had found to be impracticable the night before, Land. in consequence of the vermin. The hope was however vain; not one of our party could close his eyes. Every instant it was necessary to rise, and endeavour to shake off the noxious animals with which our bodies were covered. In addition to this penance, we were serenaded until four o'clock in the morning, the hour we had fixed for our departure, by the constant ringing of a chapel bell, as a charm against the plague; by the barking of dogs; the braying of asses; the howling of jackals; and by the squalling of children.

THE HOLY LAND-NAZARETH TO TIBERIAS.

The Author leaves Nazareth to visit Galilee-Rani-Cana -Chapel of the Village-Relics-Turan-CavernsIntense Heat-Basaltic Phænomena-their Origin explained-Plants-Geological Features of Galilee-View from the Kern-el-Hatti-Libanus-Village of HattiDruses-Antelopes-Sea of Galilee, or Lake Gennesareth - Tiberias -Baths of Emmaus - Capernaum-Soil and Produce-Castle House of Peter-AdrianæumDescription of Tiberias-Antiquities-Minerals of the Lake-Non-descript Shells-River Jordan-Hippos

Dimensions

i

Dimensions of the Sea of Galilee-Singular Fishes-
Antient Naval Engagement-Slaughter of the Jews—
Supposed Miracle caused by the French-Population of
Tiberias.

AFTER a sleepless night, rising more fatigued CHAP.

V.

thor leaves

lilee.

than when we retired to rest, and deeming a toilsome journey preferable to the suffering state we had all endured, we left Nazareth at The Aufive o'clock on Sunday morning, July the sixth. Nazareth, Instead of proceeding to Jerusalem, (our inten- to visit Gation being to complete the tour of Galilee, and to visit the Lake of Gennesareth,) we returned by the way we came, until we had quitted the valley, and ascended the hills to the north of the town. We then descended, in the same northerly direction, or rather north-east, into some fine valleys, more cultivated than any land we had yet seen in this country, surrounded by hills of limestone, destitute of trees. After thus riding for an hour, we passed the village of Rani, leaving it upon our left, and Rani. came in view of the small village of Cana!,

(1) "Kava, Cotne in versione Syriaca." Reland. Palæstina Illustrata. The striking evidence concerning the disputed situation of this place, as it 's contained in the words of the request made by the Ruler of Capernaum to our Saviour, when he besought him to heal his son, only proves how accurately the writings of the Evangelists correspond with the geography

and

CHAP. situate on a gentle eminence, in the midst of

V.

one of these valleys. It is difficult to ascertain
its exact distance from Nazareth'. Our horses
were never out of a foot's pace, and we arrived
there at half past seven.
About a quarter of
a mile before we entered the village, is a
spring of delicious limpid water, close to the
road, whence all the water is taken for the
supply of the village. Pilgrims of course halt
at this spring, as the source of the water
which our SAVIOUR, by his first miracle, con-
verted into wine. At such places it is usual

and present appearance of the country. He supplicates Jesus, who was then at Cana, "that he would come down, and heal his son." (John iv. 47.) "Ut descendat, et veniat Capernaum; unde judicari potest," observes the learned Reland, " Capernaum in inferiori regione sitam fuisse quam Canam. Erat autem Capernaum ad mare." How singularly this is confirmed by the extraordinary features of this part of Syria, will appear in the description given of our journey from Cana towards the Sea of Galilee. In the 51st verse of the same chapter of St. John, it is stated, "As he was now going down, his servants met him." His whole route from Cana, according to the position of the place now so called, was, in fact, a continual descent towards Capernaum.

(1) Cana of Galilee has been confounded with Sepher Cana, or Cana Major, in the territory of the tribe of Asher: hence the discordant accounts given by Adrichomius, Aranda, and others, concerning its distance from NAZARETH. Cana Major is mentioned, as the inheritance of the tribe of Asher, in the 28th verse of the 19th chapter of the book of Joshua, together with Hebron, and Rehob, and Hammon. CANA of Galilee (John ii. 1.) is

often called Cana Minor. St. Jerom describes it as near to NAZARETH: "Haud procul inde (id est à Nazareth) cernetur Cana, in quâ aquæ in vinum versæ sunt.' Hieron. tom. I. epist. 17. ad Marcellam.

(2) John, ch. ii.