now winnowing the grain, by tossing it up against the wind with a fork. Here we needed no guard around our tent. The owners of the crops came every night and slept upon their threshing-floors to guard them; and this we had found to be universal in all the region of Gaza. We were in the midst of scenes precisely like those of the book of Ruth; where Boaz winnowed barley in his threshing-floor, and laid himself down at night to guard the heap of corn.1

Friday, May 25th. We had this morning some ground for hope, that we might be able to set off in the course of the day. This hope too proved vain; though it encouraged us for the moment.

We went early to call on the chief Rabbi of the Jews. Finding a young Jew before our tent, and inquiring of him the way, he said the Rabbi was his master, and went with us. The Jewish dwellings are in the N. W. part of the main quarter of the town. We were received at the entrance by a Spanish Jew of middle age, with a remarkable bright eye and good countenance; and ushered by him through a long series of passages, into a small but very neat room, with a divân around the walls, and the windows looking out upon the western hills. Every thing here was perfectly clean; the walls and passages whitewashed; and the whole appearance far neater than any thing I had yet seen of eastern life. The old Rabbi soon came in, blind of one eye and having a long white beard. My companion had already seen him here in 1835. He was a subject of Austria, from Venice; and was the same old man, for whom our countryman Mr. Stephens had procured a passport and protection from the Austrian consul at Beirût in 1836. He now seemed sincerely grateful for this favour, and rejoiced to hear once more some tidings of the stranger who had 1) Ruth iii. 2-14.

thus been his benefactor. The manner of the two men was very kind, without being ostentatiously so. Sherbet and coffee were brought; and they pressed us to breakfast, which we declined.

As we sat conversing, we saw the cavalcade of the three governors coming in from Dûra, descending the western hill beyond our tent; in all about twentyfive persons, mounted on beautiful horses, gaily caparisoned. It was said, that they were about to pass on to Carmel; but they stopped for the day in Hebron.

We saw here none of the Jewish women, except in passing the open doors of different rooms where they were sitting; they greeted us kindly. Those whom we had met yesterday at the Haram, and indeed all we had yet seen in Palestine, were habited in white,a long piece of white stuff like a veil or shawl thrown over the head, drawn together under the chin, and hanging down to the feet. Many of the Arab women dress in the same manner when they go out; but they wear a face-veil to conceal their features, which the Jewish females do not. The appearance of the latter was neat and prepossessing. Indeed, so far as concerns their general condition of thrift, cleanliness, and welfare, the Jews of Hebron seem to be far better off, than their brethren in Jerusalem or elsewhere in the Holy Land.

As we were about to take leave, the two Rabbis of their own accord led us into the synagogue, situated under the same roof. It is a poor, but neat room, furnished with benches; in it was now a school of six or eight boys. The manuscripts of the Old Testament are kept in two cupboards or presses on one side. Like all Hebrew manuscripts, they are written upon long rolls of parchment, at each end of which a rod is fastened, so that they may be rolled backwards or forwards as

3) Incidents of Travel in Egypt, etc. II. p. 167, seq.

a person reads; the columns being perpendicular to the length of the roll. In the first cupboard were six or eight manuscripts, enclosed in cases standing upright. The rods are inserted into holes in the top and bottom of the case; and extend up through the top, where they are ornamented with large silver knobs not made fast. The rolls are read as they stand in the cases, without being taken from the cupboard. The manuscript is thus wound off from one rod to the other as the reader advances; the rods being far enough apart to leave a column unrolled between. The other cupboard was also full of rolls; some of them in cases covered over with silver or embroidery. These were said to be presents from wealthy Jews in Europe. We bade adieu to these kind friends with feelings of respect; and were highly gratified by our visit.

We now repaired to the top of the western hill, in the hope of obtaining a view of the country around. In this we were more successful than I had been yesterday upon the eastern ridge; and from the watchtower of a vineyard some distance south of the road to Dhoherîyeh, a prospect opened towards the East and South and West, which was very extensive and satisfactory. Towards the N. and N. E. we could see little or nothing. Before us Beni Na'îm and Yukîn were visible near at hand; while in the distance we could distinguish Kerak very clearly. Further south the atmosphere was hazy; or we might we might perhaps have been able to make out Mount Hor. Carmel and the adjacent region were in full view. We could also mark the course of the great valley, which had formerly been on our right as we approached Beni Na'îm, and into which the valley of Hebron enters. It It passes along S. W. on the North of Yutta and to the left of

1) See above, p. 186.

Dhoherîyeh, towards the region of Beersheba, where it apparently forms one of the main branches of Wady es-Seba'. Behind us, towards the W. and S. W. was a sea of rocky hills; on one of which we could distinguish the village of Dhoherîyeh. We took here several important bearings, which are given in the note below.'

The presence of three such dignitaries as the governors of Gaza, Jerusalem, and Hebron, could not but naturally occasion some stir in such a town; and accordingly their movements and actions were the object of general observation. They too seemed not unwilling to make an impression of their dignity and importance. At the mid-day hour of prayer, we could perceive them from our tent proceeding, not to the Haram, but to an open platform adjacent to the west side of the lower pool, near which they lodged, where they performed their devotions in public, surrounded by a crowd of idlers. Although we were not in general much disposed to seek intercourse with authorities, yet as we were now going into a part of the country where the Egyptian government was less known and less felt, we thought it best to lay before the governor of Hebron our Firmân from the Pasha, and inform him of our purpose, in order that in case of accident he might not throw off the responsibility, by saying we had gone without his knowledge. In the course of the afternoon, we therefore sent our servant with the Firmân to his excellency of Hebron, preparatory to paying our respects to him in person. The servant soon came back, saying that the three governors were still together, but could not read the Firmân; it being in

1) Bearings from the hill west of Hebron: The Haram below us, half a mile distant, N. 67° E. Beni Na'im, estimated distance one hour and a half, N. 82° E. Yŭkîn VOL. II.

57

S. 61° E. Kerak S. 50° E. Peak in the mountains of Moab near Khanzîreh, S. 37° E. Carmel, the tower, S. 8° E. Dhoherîyeh S. 54° W.

Turkish, and they having no Turkish secretary with them. They were however ready to receive us.

We accordingly repaired to the house where they lodged, in the western quarter of the town, near the lower pool; but found them at dinner. We were nevertheless ushered into the apartment where they were eating, after putting off our shoes; and taking our seats at the side of the room, had leisure to observe the scene before us, which was not in the slightest degree interrupted by our entrance. The house was not large. The room was a common one of the country, about twenty feet square; the ceiling rising into one of the usual small domes upon the roof above it. The stone floor was nearly covered with small carpets of various sizes, qualities and colours; while a few cushions were scattered in different parts along the walls.

The governor of Gaza, Sheikh Sa'îd, was the father of Sheikh Mustafa, governor of Jerusalem; while the governor of Hebron, whose name we did not learn, is subordinate to him of Jerusalem. Of course the principal personage was Sheikh Sa'id, a fine jolly elderly Mussulman, with good-natured intelligent features, and an air of decision, not inconsistent with an evident liking for the enjoyment of good cheer. His son, Sheikh Mustafa, was tall and slender, with a very fine and prepossessing countenance; the Franks indeed complained of him as uncourteous, but one would not expect it from his physiognomy. The Sheikh of Hebron had a more vulgar and almost forbidding aspect.

They were dining in the true oriental, and, as it would seem, official style. official style. A very large circular tray of tinned copper, placed upon a coarse wooden stool about a foot high, served as the table. In the centre of this stood a large tray or dish with a mountain of