ly extending to
the end of the Dead Sea in one direction, to the Lake of Tiberias in
another; to the Mediterranean in the west, and in the east to the wilds
unknown beyond the road of the Hhaj pilgrimage. "From the other end of
the world," quoth he, the companion of a shepherd boy with his flute, at
a mountain spring, pitching pebbles at the sheep of his flock to keep
them from wandering away over their extent of "the world."

As we proceeded, there were several other streams issuing from the hills,
some of them falling in pretty cascades into thickets of oleander below.
All these meeting together, formed a line of river flowing between grassy
banks--near which we saw considerable remains of water-mills, not of
great antiquity.

Next we reached two small forts: the one upon our side the stream they
called _Shuneh_, (the usual name used for that kind of building;) the
other was across the water, and they called it _Shefa 'Amer_. I should
wonder if our guides knew the existence of the town called _Shefa 'Amer_,
near Caiffa. They told us that both these forts had been erected by
Deab's grandfather, but this is incredible.

Near the Shuneh I observed a very large sarcophagus, cut in the solid
rock, but not so far finished as to allow of its being removed. In the
court-yard there was nothing remarkable. There were, however, some
ancient rabbeted stones lying near. Here I may remark, with respect to
the sarcophagus, that such things are rare on the east of the Jordan, or
anywhere else so far to the south. There are two lids of such lying on
the plain of Sharon, alongside the Jaffa road from Jerusalem; and the
next southernmost one that I know of (excepting those at Jerusalem) is an
ornamented lid, near Sebustieh, the ancient Samaria; but they abound in
Phoenicia.

Forward again we went, higher and higher, with wild flowers in profusion,
and birds carolling all around. Then literally climbing up a mountain
side, we came to a cleft in a precipice, which they called _El Buaib_,
(the little gate,) with unmistakable marks of ancient cuttings about
there. Traversing a fine plain of wheat, we at length reached the
ancient city of Heshbon, with its acropolis of temple and castle.

That plain would be fine exercise-ground for the cavalry of Sihon, king
of the Amorites. Fresh, and almost chilly, was the mountain air; but the
sky rather cloudy.

How magnificent was the prospect over to Canaan! We were all persuaded
tha