en out in Damascus, and the
country, both around that city and Beyrout, had begun to be in a very
disturbed state. Several travellers had been robbed, but the post
still passed. All vessels from Alexandria had to perform quarantine;
most of the villages in Palestine were infected with the plague.

_Monday, June 3rd._--We started at five and halted at 6.40 for the
mules with our luggage. We were not travelling the usual way, as we
wished to avoid the villages as much as possible. We were then near
the highest point of Mount Tabor; we had crossed some of the richest
land imaginable, and seen many fig and almond trees, pomegranates,
prickly pears, &c. We reposed under an almond tree till our luggage
came up. The servants had mistaken the way, and one of the janissaries
was obliged to go in search of them. We set forward again at eight,
and rode till 1.30 P.M. We then rested near a rivulet, in the shade of
a small cavern in the front of the mountain, commanding an extensive
view of the rich plain, nearly the whole of which was in a state of
cultivation. Almost all the crops were cut. On the mountain above us,
Jacob and Laban made their league together, and called it Gal-ed. We
started again at 4 P.M., and rode till seven, when we pitched our
tents in a very pretty orchard of fig-trees and pomegranates, the
latter covered with blossoms.

_Tuesday, June 4th._--After taking a cup of coffee, we set off at five
in the morning from Djouni, riding through a lovely country of
mountains, hills, dales, valleys, and plains, all truly splendid, and
in the highest state of cultivation (wheat, barley, oats, &c.). We
passed many towns and villages, but did not enter them. This part of
the country appeared well populated. The inhabitants were good
farmers, and possessed horses, cows, oxen, sheep, and goats in great
abundance. There were also olive and mulberry trees of very great age,
apparently many centuries old, and there was more skill displayed in
their cutting than we had hitherto noticed in the Holy Land. It was a
complete garden. "I have never seen," Sir Moses observed, "any country
so rich and beautiful. We rested under a grove of fig-trees, in a
garden surrounded by the most magnificent scenery; the spot might well
have been termed, 'a garden of Eden, a very Paradise.'" We amused
ourselves by discussing the writings of Hillel the elder, and reading
extracts from the works of Maimonides.

At two we proceeded on our journey till