events in these places belonging to sacred history.

The baggage went on; but, as the appointed halting-place was only about
two hours distant, we remained enjoying ourselves as we were during most
of the day.

Among our novel friends is an Arab hero named _Gublan_, as they pronounce
it here, (but it is really the Turkish word _Kaplan_, meaning _Tiger_,)
and his uncle, old 'Abdu'l 'Azeez. About three years before, Gublan had
been attacked by Government soldiers at Jericho. He made a feigned
retreat, and, leading them into the thickets of Neb'k trees, suddenly
wheeled round and killed six of them. The humbled Government force
retired, and the dead were buried, by having a mound of earth piled over
them. Of course, such an incident was never reported to the Sublime
Invincible Porte at Constantinople; but it was a curious coincidence,
that this very morning, amid our circle before the tents, after breakfast
and close to that mound, we had Gublan, 'Abdu'l 'Azeez, and the Turkish
Aga of the present time, all peaceably smoking pipes together in our
company.

Among our gentlemen we had a man of fortune and literary attainments, who
had been in Algiers, and now amused himself with dispensing with servants
or interpreters--speaking some Arabic. He brought but very light
luggage. This he placed upon a donkey, and drove it himself--wearing
Algerine town costume. The Bedaween, however, as I need scarcely say,
did not mistake him for an Oriental.

Moving forward in the afternoon, we were passing over the _Plains of
Moab_, "on this [east] side Jordan by Jericho"--where Balaam, son of
Beor, saw, from the heights above, all Israel encamped, and cried out,
"How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob! and thy tabernacles, O Israel! As
the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the
trees of lign-aloes which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar-trees
beside the waters. . . . Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is
he that curseth thee," (Num. xxii. I, and xxiv. 5, 6, 9.) This territory
is also called the _Land of Moab_, where the second covenant was made
with the people by the ministry of Moses--the one "beside the covenant
which he made with them in Horeb."

Our ride was a gradual ascent; and after some time we were met by young
'Ali, the favourite son of the principal Shaikh Deab, (Wolf,) with a
small but chosen escort, sent on by his father to welcome us. We saw a
good deal of corn land, and peop