SECTION XII.

FROM HEBRON TO WADY MUSA AND BACK.

ON our departure from Jerusalem, we had left a letter to be forwarded to Elias in Hebron, requesting him to send word to the Sheikh of the Jehâlîn, and have him waiting for us with camels, when we should arrive on the 23d of May. This letter never reached its destination; and we were thus subjected to the disappointment and delay already described. Our first care in Hebron was, to despatch a messenger to the camp of the Jehâlîn beyond Carmel. This service Elias undertook to perform for us; and informed us, that he had sent a man the same evening. As the distance was not more than three or four hours, we thought we might reasonably expect the camels, so as to set off the next afternoon, at the latest. But the morrow (Thursday) came and went, without any tidings either from the Jehâlîn or of the messenger.

The following morning, Friday, as we were sitting after breakfast in our tent, we were somewhat surprised to see the head Sheikh of the Jehâlîn, Defa' Allah, whom we had formerly met at the encampment of the Ta'âmirah, riding up to our tent accompanied by a single man on foot. It turned out, however, that he had come from Dûra, where he had been for several days with the governors of Gaza and Jerusalem. He was merely passing through Hebron on his way home; and seeing our tent, called to pay us a visit. He had

of course seen or heard nothing of our messenger. We now made a bargain with him in the presence of Elias, for five camels to Wady Mûsa and back; to go by way of the south end of the Dead Sea and Wady el-'Arabah, and return by the more direct route over Semû'a. The price of the camels was to be two hundred and forty Piastres, or twelve dollars each. There were to be five men, all armed; one of whom was to be a responsible person, either the head Sheikh himself or one of his brothers; and for these we were to furnish provisions. Had we chosen to go and return by the direct route, the price would have been ten dollars for each camel. It seemed to be a matter of indifference to Defa' Allah, which route we took; there was not the slightest hint of any more danger on the one than on the other; nor indeed was danger to be apprehended on either, except from casual predatory parties, which might be crossing the Ghôr or 'Arabah. We took the fifth camel for the sake of a supply of water in the Ghôr; and therefore concluded to take also our second servant, whom we had intended to leave at Hebron till our return.

The Sheikh now left us, expecting on his way home to meet the camels coming to us. But the day again wore off in expectation and in disappointment. It turned out afterwards, that the messenger said to have been sent by Elias, had never reached the encampment; so that the camels had to be collected from the distant pastures, and all the preparations made, after the return of the Sheikh. This was enough to occupy Arab dilatoriness for the remainder of the day; and consequently, the camels did not set off for Hebron until the next morning.-There was reason to suppose, that no messenger had ever been sent by Elias, notwithstanding his assurances; he had perhaps directed his servant to send a man, and given himself no fur

ther trouble in the matter. This and other instances of shuffling conduct, prevented all confidence in the man; and left only a painful impression, in respect to the sole representative of the Christian name in Hebron. Had he performed what he undertook, we should not have lost a day; or had he frankly said he had not sent or could not send, we should have taken other measures, and have improved our time to visit Beni Na'îm, or Sûsieh, or other places in the vicinity. As it was, two days were comparatively lost to us; and we, during the whole interval, subjected to that 'hope deferred which maketh the heart sick."

Saturday, May 26th. This morning was the coolest we had long felt; the thermometer at sunrise standing at 43° F. The camels arrived at 9 o'clock. But we found they had been hastily collected; were without proper furniture; and were indeed intended only to transport us to the territory of the tribe, where we were to stop over the Christian Sabbath. Defa' Allah also made his appearance, and assured us, that we should afterwards have dromedaries and better camels; indeed some delay was occasioned by purchasing saddles and other furniture in Hebron. We deposited with Elias a portmanteau containing our papers and books, and such articles as we did not need upon the journey; and he afterwards came to bid us adieu. All these particulars, and the loading of the camels, occupied what seemed to our impatience no little time.

At length, at twenty minutes past 11 o'clock, we set off, keeping at first down the valley, which soon bends more to the S. S. W. where we left it, to cross obliquely the eastern hill. Descending afterwards gradually through a rocky tract for nearly half an hour, we passed the great Wady into which that of Hebron enters, and which then bears the name of Wady elVOL. II. 59

Khŭlîl. It is here an open valley among the rocky hills. I had soon found that my camel, which had been assigned to me as having a stuffed saddle, had also a most intolerable gait, the worst indeed I had ever encountered. I immediately exchanged with one of our servants, and thus, after five minutes delay, obtained the easiest camel I had yet mounted.

The way continued over a broken tract, approaching the open plain or basin on the West of Ziph and Carmel. At ten minutes before one we passed a well; and having now come out upon the open country, we reached at 1 o'clock the foot of Tell Zîf, where we had formerly fallen into our present road in travelling from Beni Na'îm. The road and the country from this point to Carmel, have already been described.1

We reached Carmel at 2h 25', in just three hours from Hebron; here we stopped for fifteen minutes to water the camels. Proceeding on our way at 2h 40', we passed on the West of Ma'în, not far from the foot of the hill; and began soon to ascend the mountainridge beyond, along the bed of a small Wady.2 Another road equally direct to ez-Zuweirah goes on the left of Ma'în; we had taken the present one in order to encamp near water. An hour from Carmel brought us to the top of the ridge at 3h 40'; from which looking back, Ma'în bore N. 8° W. and Yŭtta N. 30° W.

We now began to descend by a similar Wady on the other side; and a wide prospect soon opened before us, over the country towards the Dead Sea and on the South. An eminence was pointed out near Zuweirah, bearing S. 20° E. The course and chasm of the Dead Sea were distinctly visible; but not the

1) See above, pp. 191, 193. With camels, our rate of travel by the hour had now of course become again nearest 2 geographical, 2} English, or 2 Roman miles.

2) For Carmel, Maon, and the country around, see above, pp. 193200. The mountain ridge is also mentioned, pp. 189, 194.

water, which lies too low. The extensive tract we now overlooked, had much of the general character of that around Beersheba; with which indeed it is connected, stretching off in that direction around the southwestern termination of the long ridge which we were now crossing. This tract has apparently a lower level than the enclosed plain behind us around Carmel; the descent of the mountain on this side being greater than the ascent from the North. The country in general is not fertile; though it is in some parts used for tillage, and affords tolerable pasturage. The grass, which earlier in the season had been good, was now dried up; and very few shrubs or trees appeared throughout the whole region.

This is the country of the Jehâlîn, who were now gathering in their scanty wheat harvest. The tract belonged anciently to the South of Judah, lying beyond the mountainous district of that tribe, and extending so as to comprise Beersheba and Kadesh.'-The main encampment of the Jehâlîn was at this time high up on the S. E. side of the mountain, on a small shelf or terrace of cultivated land, overlooking the wide plain. It lay at some distance on the right of our road; and we first saw it at 44 o'clock. We passed along on a course about S. S. E. among occasional fields of grain in the shallow Wadys, where the reapers were at work; and encamped at a quarter before 5 o'clock near a small threshing-floor belonging to the Jehâlîn. Not far off was a reservoir of rain-water.

Thus far we had only three men, one of whom was Sheikh Sâlim; but here we were to be fitted out with a new set of camels, with every thing in proper order for the journey. It was not yet so late but that we received many visits; and found that although

1) Josh. xv. 21-32; comp. vs. 48-60.