piece of land here when he returned from Padanaram (Gen. xxxiii. 19).

Our dragoman said he had obtained guards to watch over us during the night, but that if we heard them firing in the night not to be alarmed, it was all humbug, as they might do it to show us how diligently they were guarding us. The night was very windy, and our tents had to be well secured. They called the wind a sirocco or khamsin (Arabic 'fifty'), because it generally blows for fifty days.

The next day being Sunday, we rested at Shechem, and had our morning prayers, and read a chapter of Goulbourn's Personal Religion, in the tent or tabernacle. It was on this journey we felt the comfort of those beautiful prayers of our Church; and although we were far from home, we still seemed to be joining in those same prayers with dear ones at home.

In the afternoon we walked up Mount Gerizim by rather a rough road, but made beautiful by the lovely flowers which grew around. Even to this day the Samaritans camp out near the top of the mount at the Passover time, and keep the Passover more strictly than the Jews. We saw the deep pit where the six They leave them there

lambs are roasted at sunset. for five hours, then take them out and eat them in haste, loins girt, shoes on their feet, and staff in hand. We noticed the hole where the fragments are burned. The top of Mount Gerizim is covered with ruins; doubtless to these ruins our Saviour pointed when

speaking to the woman of Samaria. On descending we saw Mount Ebal on the other side of the valley, but we could not spare the time to identify the places where the blessings and cursings had been proclaimed under Joshua.

The town of Shechem has a population of 8000 men and 10,000 women and children, and is not very pretty, with very narrow streets. We went into the Samaritan synagogue, where we saw, after some difficulty, a very ancient copy of the Samaritan Pentateuch. Some say this is 3000 years old, others only 900 years old.

SAMARIA.

We made an early start for Samaria. Omri bought this mountain from Shemer for two talents of silver, and called the name of the city which he built Shomron, after the name of Shemer the owner; and this name Shomron was corrupted through the

Chaldee Shemrin into the Greek Samaria. Now it is known by the Roman name Sebaste, called so because Herod chose it to adorn with the name and with the temple of Augustus. It is certainly beautifully situated. We rode round the hill to the ruins of the gate of the city, and thought of the lepers coming in and finding food, for the Syrians had fled, being terrified at the noise of chariots (2 Kings vii.). Also Naaman came here to be cured of his leprosy, and

Philip preached the gospel to the people of Samaria, and met Simon the sorcerer (Acts viii.).

We passed by an enclosure of columns, said to be the ruins of a temple; and the site of Herod's ivory, palace was pointed out, being marked by standing columns. We went over the ruins of the Church of St. John, and saw the tomb, said to be of John the Baptist.

We rode on through the Valley of Nablusa, and came by the Valley of Dothan to Dothan. I thought this place of great interest. It brought to my mind that sweet story of Joseph, which I loved to hear when I was a boy. It was to this place that Joseph came in search of his brethren; into a pit close by his brethren cast him. The word Dothain means 'two wells.' Into one of these wells it would seem his brethren cast him. We walked up the hill, and read the passage in Holy Scripture about Elisha being at Dothan, when the Syrian army with its chariots and horses came up, and Elisha comforted his terrified servant by saying, 'Fear not; for they that be with us are more than they that be with them,' and God smote the Syrians with blindness (2 Kings vi.). Passing through the Valley of Jenin, we came in at a gallop to our tents, which were pitched near the village of Jenin, ancient Enjennam (the spring of the garden). This place has a garden-like appearance; a copious stream flows into the village, and in the centre of the village a spring bubbles up.

CHAPTER VII.

THE PLAIN OF ESDRAELON.

O-DAY we passed through the plain of
Esdraelon. The air was most deliciously

cool, which we found an agreeable change

from the warm wind we had had before this. This is certainly a splendid plain, in the shape of an irregular triangle, the base, from Jenin to near Nazareth, being fifteen miles. Mount Gilboa on our right, Little Hermon in front, and Carmel far away towards the sea, seemed to shut in the valley. There were some buildings on Mount Gilboa. It was strange to think of Saul and Jonathan, who were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided. Before we came to a little village, called Jerabel, we were rather taken by surprise in seeing three warlike Bedouins appear suddenly at the top of a slope. They flourished their rather long lances, but that was all; they passed on. Shortly after this we saw a shepherd with a large flock of sheep and goats following him along the side of a hill. The shepherd was playing on a flute. This reminded us again that when 'He

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putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth before them, and the sheep follow Him; for they know His voice' (St. John x.). We soon came to

JEZREEL,

which stands on a hill. Jehu would be easily seen driving from the east, and we could well imagine the whole scene of Joram and Ahaziah going forth to meet him, and to meet their death. It was here that wicked Jezebel was thrown from the window and killed. As we left Jezreel we seemed to see Naboth's vineyard lying at the foot of the little hill.

Shunem was the next point of interest, and we thought of the woman who built a room for Elisha, and of her going to Carmel to tell Elisha that her son was dead.

A little farther on we came to a village called Nain. There still exists a burial-place a little way from the village, and the wonderful miracle of Jesus seemed to be made so real, as he bade the widow not to weep, for He was about to raise her son to life. We rested here some time, and gazed upon Mount Tabor. This strange and beautiful mountain is distinguished alike in form and character from all around it. It has a dome-like shape, and is well wooded. The dragoman pointed out

HULEH,

on the east of Shunem, the site of the battle of Napoleon against the Turks, April 1799. Near this is