the middle of the day we took an hour's nap under the shady trees
beside a gushing stream; then we proceeded to climb the heights. As
we journeyed onwards the trees became fewer and farther between,
until at length no soil was left in which they could grow.

The way was so confined by chasms and abysses on the one side, and
walls of rock on the other, that there was scarcely room for a horse
to pass. Suddenly a loud voice before us cried, "Halt!" Startled
by the sound, we looked up to find that the call came from a
soldier, who was escorting a woman afflicted with the plague from a
village where she had been the first victim of the terrible disease
to another where it was raging fearfully. It was impossible to turn
aside; so the soldier had no resource but to drag the sick person
some paces up the steep rocky wall, and then we had to pass close by
her. The soldier called out to us to cover our mouths and noses.
He himself had anointed the lower part of his face with tar, as a
preventive against contagion.

This was the first plague-stricken person I had seen; and as we were
compelled to pass close by her, I had an opportunity of observing
the unfortunate creature closely. She was bound on an ass, appeared
resigned to her fate, and turned her sunken eyes upon us with an
aspect of indifference. I could see no trace of the terrible
disease, except a yellow appearance of the face. The soldier who
accompanied her seemed as cool and indifferent as though he were
walking beside a person in perfect health.

As the plague prevailed to a considerable extent throughout the
valleys of the Lebanon, we were frequently obliged to go some
distance out of our way to avoid the villages afflicted with the
scourge; we usually encamped for the night in the open fields, far
from any habitation.

On the whole long distance from Balbeck to the cedars of Lebanon we
found not a human habitation, excepting a little shepherd's hut near
the mountains. Not more than a mile and a half from the heights we
came upon small fields of snow. Several of our attendants
dismounted and began a snow-balling match,--a wintry scene which
reminded me of my fatherland. Although we were travelling on snow,
the temperature was so mild that not one of our party put on a
cloak. We could not imagine how it was possible for snow to exist
in such a high temperature. The thermometer stood at 9 degrees
Reaumur.

A fatiguing and dangerous ride of five hou