though they could relish such royal prey, are seen prowling about
the streets. Not only in Constantinople, but in every city of Syria
we found these wild dogs; they were, however, nowhere so numerous as
in the imperial city.

We halted for an hour or two outside the town, beside a coffee-
house, and threw ourselves on the ground beneath the open sky. A
kind of hearth made of masonry, on which hot water was continually
in readiness, stood close by, and near it some mounds of earth had
been thrown up to serve as divans. A ragged boy was busy pounding
coffee, while his father, the proprietor of the concern, concocted
the cheering beverage, and handed it round to the guests. Straw-
mats were spread for our accommodation on the earthen divans, and
without being questioned we were immediately served with coffee and
argile. In the background stood a large and lofty stable of
brickwork, which might have belonged to a great European inn.

After recruiting ourselves here a little, we once more set forth to
finish our day's journey. Immediately after leaving the town, a
remarkably fine view opens before us over the great elevated plain
Esdralon, to the magnificent range of mountains enclosing this
immense plateau. In the far distance they shewed us Mount Carmel,
and, somewhat nearer, Mount Tabor. Here, too, the mountains are
mostly barren, without, however, being entirely composed of naked
masses of rock. Mount Tabor, standing entirely alone and richly
clothed with vegetation, has a very fine appearance.

For nearly two hours we rode across the plain of Esdralon, and had
thus ample leisure to meditate upon the great events that have
occurred here. It is difficult to imagine a grander battlefield,
and we can readily believe that in such a plain whole nations may
have struggled for victory. From the time of Nabucodonosor to the
period of the Crusades, and from the days of the Crusades to those
of Napoleon, armies of men from all nations have assembled here to
fight for their real or imaginary rights, or for the glory of
conquest.

The great and continuous heat had cracked and burst the ground on
this plain to such a degree, that we were in continual apprehension
lest our horses should catch their feet in one or other of the
fissures, and strain or even break them. The soil of the plain
seems very good, and is free from stones; it appears, however,
generally to lie fallow, being thickly covered with weeds and wild