estled the smiling village
of Khan Yunus, a beautiful sight, and one never to be forgotten. Everywhere
was green; fields of young barley rippled in the light breeze, palms and
almond trees nodded to the morning, and between the rows of cactus and
prickly pear ran the slim grey ribbon of the caravan road winding away to
the north.

Peeping out from amongst the trees were the flat-topped roofs of the
village, at the entrance to which in the most commanding position stood the
ruins of an old castle. Only the grey weather-beaten walls remained, but
the odour of antiquity was on the place, for it was built by Saladin,
Prince of Saracen fighters and conqueror of our own Richard the
Lion-hearted. How appropriate and impressive a place for the beginning of
the great Crusade!

Many places of historical and biblical interest did we see in our
wanderings, but I think the memory of our first real glimpse of the Land of
Goshen will ever remain the most vivid. Disillusionment came later, as it
does everywhere in the East, yet on that spring morning Khan Yunus, shining
like an emerald, came as balm to eyes weary with the aching barrenness of
the desert.

The Turks had originally intended to hold the place, probably on account
of its valuable water-supply, but thought better of it and retired to Gaza.
When we rode through the village the engineers were already busy repairing
the walls of the deep well in the market-place, one that had probably done
duty for hundreds of years, to judge from the state of the steps leading up
to it; they were in some places worn almost flat. The water was ice-cold
and wonderfully refreshing after the lukewarm, chlorinated stuff which had
corroded our insides for so long.

It was easy to see that an enemy of unpleasant habits had recently been in
the place. Few inhabitants were abroad, with the exception of the crowd of
dirty, ragged children watching the engineers at their work, but nothing
short of a bomb would upset the average Arab urchin.

It was the custom of the Turks here and elsewhere in Palestine to allow the
unfortunate fellaheen to grow and garner their harvest of barley or millet
without let or hindrance, after which they commandeered the major portion
and gave in payment--a promise! Most of the inhabitants are still waiting
for the redemption of that promise.

When they found that the British were prepared to pay in cash for what they
took, they acted on the sound principle that what is