uire if I would have a few servants as a guard, as it must be
rather a dreary thing to pass a night quite alone in that solitary
tower. I was much flattered by Mr. Bartlett's politeness to a total
stranger, but, summoning all my courage, replied that I was not in
the least afraid. Thereupon they all took their leave; I heard the
door creak, the bolt was drawn, and the ladder removed, and I was
left to my meditations for the night.

After a good night's rest, I rose with the sun, and had been waiting
some time before my warder appeared with the coffee for my
breakfast. He afterwards accompanied me to the convent gate, where
my companions greeted me with high praises; some of them even
confessed that they would not like to pass a solitary night as I had
done.

CHAPTER IX.

Ride through the wilderness to the Dead Sea--The Dead Sea--The river
Jordan--Horde of Bedouins--Arab horses--The Sultan's well--Bivouac
in the open air--Return to Jerusalem--Bethany--Departure from
Jerusalem--Jacob's grave--Nablus or Sichem--Sebasta--Costume of
Samaritan women--Plain of Esdralon--Sagun.

June 8th.

At five o'clock in the morning we departed, and bent our course
towards the Dead Sea. After a ride of two hours we could see it,
apparently at such a short distance, that we thought half an hour at
the most would bring us there. But the road wound betwixt the
mountains, sometimes ascending, sometimes descending, so that it
took us another two hours to reach the shore of the lake. All
around us was sand. The rocks seem pulverised; we ride through a
labyrinth of monotonous sand-heaps and sand-hills, behind which the
robber-tribes of Arabs and Bedouins frequently lurk, making this
part of the journey exceedingly unsafe.

Before we reach the shore, we ride across a plain consisting, like
the rest, of deep sand, so that the horses sink to the fetlocks at
every step. On the whole of our way we had not met with a single
human being, with the exception of the horde of Bedouins whom we had
found encamped in the river-bed: this was a fortunate circumstance
for us, for the people whom the traveller meets during these
journeys are generally unable to resist the temptation of seizing
upon his goods, so that broken bones are frequently the result of
such meetings.

[Illustration 4. The Dead Sea. ill4.jpg]

The day was very hot (33 degrees Reaum). We encamped in the hot
sand on the shore, under the shelter of our parasols, an