presses. There is also a large tannery for leather, just by the eastern entrance to the court before the Church of the Sepulchre. All these establisments are private property, not controlled by the government; and are in the hands of the Muslims.

The chief articles manufactured by the Christians, both here and at Bethlehem, are rosaries, crucifixes, models of the Holy Sepulchre, and the like, carved in olive-wood, the fruit of the Dôm-palm said to be brought from Mecca, mother of pearl, or sometimes in the species of black shining stone found near the Dead Sea. Some of these are neatly executed. The concourse of pilgrims at Easter converts the city into a sort of toy-shop or fair; and immense quantities of these tokens are carried away, after having been duly consecrated by the priests. Merchants also resort hither at that season from Damascus and other places, bringing their wares of various kinds; so that the whole city then wears an air of bustle and business, strikingly in contrast with its stillness and listlessness during the remainder of the year. The wares find a ready sale among the pilgrims; and the annual Easter fair of Jerusalem is relatively not much less important, than those of Leipzig and Frankfort.

IV. CLIMATE.

The climate of the mountainous tract on which Jerusalem is situated, differs from that of the temperate parts of Europe and America, more in the alternations of wet and dry seasons, than in the degrees of temperature. The variations of rain and sunshine, which in the West exist throughout the whole year, are in Palestine confined chiefly to the latter part of autumn and the winter; while the remaining months enjoy almost uninterruptedly a cloudless sky.

The autumnal rains, the early rains of Scripture, usually commence in the latter half of October or beginning of November; not suddenly, but by degrees; which gives opportunity for the husbandman to sow his fields of wheat and barley. The rains come mostly from the West or S. W.1 continuing for two or three days at a time, and falling especially during the nights. Then the wind chops round to the North or East, and several days of fine weather succeed. During the months of November and December the rains continue to fall heavily; afterwards they return only at longer intervals and are less heavy; but at no period during the winter do they entirely cease to occur. Snow often falls in Jerusalem in January and February to the depth of a foot or more; but does not usually lie long. The ground never freezes; but Mr. Whiting had seen the pool back of his house (Hezekiah's) covered with thin ice for one or two days.

Rain continues to fall more or less through the month of March, but is rare after that period. During the present season, there had been little or none in March, and indeed the whole quantity of rain had been less than usual. Nor is there at the present day any particular periods of rain, or succession of showers, which might be regarded as distinct rainy seasons. The whole period from October to March now constitutes only one continued season of rain, without any regularly intervening term of prolonged fair weather. Unless therefore there has been some change in the climate since the times of the New Testament, the early and the latter rains, for which the husbandman waited with

1) Luke xii. 54, "When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is." These words were spoken by our Lord at Jerusalem.

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2) So Shaw in 1722. Brown near the close of the century found here very deep snow for several days. Comp. Scholz, p. 138. The information in the text is derived from our resident friends.

longing, seem rather to have implied the first showers of autumn, which revived the parched and thirsty earth and prepared it for the seed; and the later showers of spring, which continued to refresh and forward both the ripening crops and the vernal products of the fields.1

During the whole winter the roads, or rather tracks, in Palestine, are muddy, deep and slippery; so that the traveller at this season is subjected to the utmost discomfort and inconvenience. When the rains cease, the mud soon disappears, and the roads become hard, though never smooth. Whoever therefore wishes to profit most by a journey in Palestine, will take care not to arrive at Jerusalem earlier than the latter part of March. During the months of April and May, the sky is usually serene, the air mild and balmy, and the face of nature, after seasons of ordinary rain, still green and pleasant to the eye. Showers occur occasionally; but they are mild and refreshing. On the 1st of May we experienced showers in the city; and at evening there was thunder and lightning, (which are frequent in winter,) with pleasant and reviving rain. The 6th of May was also remarkable for thunder and for several showers, some of which were quite heavy. The rains of both these days extended far to the North; and overtook our missionary friends who were returning from Jerusalem to Beirût. But the occurrence of rain so late in the season, was regarded as a very unusual circumstance. Morning mists however are occasionally seen at a still later period.

In ordinary seasons, from the cessation of the showers in spring until their commencement in October or November, rain never falls, and the sky is usually serene. If during the winter there has been a suf

1) James v. 7. Prov. xvi. 15.

ficiency of rain, the husbandman is certain of his crop; and is also perfectly sure of fine weather for the ingathering of the harvest.' The high elevation of Jerusalem secures it the privilege of a pure atmosphere; nor does the heat of summer ever become oppressive, except during the occasional prevalence of the South wind, or Sirocco. During our sojourn from April 14th to May 6th, the thermometer ranged at sunrise from 44° to 64° F., and at 2 P. M. from 60° to 79° F. This last degree of heat was felt during a Sirocco, April 30th. From the 10th to the 13th of June at Jerusalem, we had at sunrise a range from 56° to 74°; and at 2 P. M. once 86°, with a strong N. W. wind. Yet the air was fine, and the heat not burdensome. The nights are uniformly cool, often with a heavy dew; and our friends had never had occasion to dispense with a coverlet upon their beds during summer. Yet the total absence of rain soon destroys the verdure of the fields; and gives to the whole landscape the aspect of drought and barrenness. The only green thing which remains is the foliage of the scattered fruit-trees, and occasional vineyards and fields of millet. The deep green of the broad fig-leaves and of the millet, is delightful to the eye in the midst of the general aridness; while the foliage of the olive, with its dull grayish hue, scarcely deserves the name of verdure.

The harvest upon the mountains ripens of course later than in the plains of the Jordan and the seacoast. The barley-harvest precedes the wheat-harvest by a week or fortnight. On the 4th and 5th of June the people of Hebron were just beginning to

1)" Snow in summer and rain in harvest" were things incomprehensible to a Hebrew; Prov. xxvi. 1. Rain in wheat-harvest occurred only by a miracle; 1 Sam. xii. 17. Compare Amos iv. 7, and Je

rome's Commentary upon the passage.

2) Luke xii. 55. "And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass.”

gather their wheat; on the 11th and 12th the threshing-floors on the Mount of Olives were in full operation. We had already seen the harvest in the same stage of progress on the plains of Gaza on the 19th of May; while at Jericho, on the 12th of May, the threshing-floors had nearly completed their work. The first grapes ripen in July; and from that time until November, Jerusalem is abundantly supplied with this delicious fruit. The general vintage takes place in September. We found ripe apricots at Gaza in May; and they are probably brought to Jerusalem, though I do not recollect to have seen any there. The fine oranges of Yâfa were found in abundance both at Jerusalem and Hebron.

In autumn the whole land has become dry and parched; the cisterns are nearly empty; the few streams and fountains fail; and all nature, physical and animal, looks forward with longing to the return of the rainy season. Mists and clouds begin to make their appearance, and showers occasionally to fall; the husbandman sows his seed; and the thirsty earth is soon drenched with an abundance of rain.

V. BETHANY.

It was on one of the last days of our stay at Jerusalem, (June 11th,) that mounting the spirited mules we had engaged for our journey northwards, and accompanied by our friend Mr. Lanneau, we rode out to Bethany. Passing along the wall from the Damascus Gate to that of St. Stephen's, we then descended and crossed the bridge in the valley, and followed the camel road which ascends obliquely the side of the Mount of Olives back of the village of Siloam, and crosses the ridge at a lower spot some distance South of the summit. It then winds N. around the head of