consisted of a pillau of greasy rice, with a few pieces of kid or goat, so tough that it was probably the latter, imbedded in the midst of it. This, and two or three pigeons seized and slain after our arrival, constituted our bill of fare. Hungry as we were, we made little hand of it, and but for some of our own good wholesome ship biscuit, with milk and a little wine, we should have been rather poorly off. It was not possible to avoid contrasting our somewhat comfortless position in this little gousty chamber with the good quarters we might have been enjoying in one of the hotels of the neighbouring city; and our somewhat romantic friend, whose glowing representations had brought us here, was plentifully scolded. There was now, however, no help for it, and we grew merry in our strange bivouac, over a state of things which made us greatly resemble a party of gipsies in a barn. After all, it was something to sup and sleep on the Mount of Olives, and something better still to send up, as we did, from this its loftiest summit, our evening song of praise; to read together out of His book solemn words which our Lord had spoken on this very hill; and to call upon His name so near the place from which, having finished His great work on earth, He ascended up to heaven, there to appear in the presence of God for us.

129

mmit-The Wilderness Moab, on the one side; -Moriah-Zion-Akra

t, Hinnom, and Gihon ns connected with that pulchre-Character of former times-Plan of Gethsemane-Pool of ound Zion and Moriah

Olives were by no is familiarly called her disadvantages, g. This excellent e largely promoted ry, generally speakt through. Apart nt life will by-andmself ere long at a s eaten. The posit him napping, and uninitiated to form o sustain from his had found it, upon to be rocked into

irge,"

bidding defiance to

ed when we emerged

NOCTURNAL DISCOMFORTS.

129

CHAPTER IV.

The Mount of Olives-A panoramic view from its summit-The Wilderness of Judah, the Dead Sea, and the Mountains of Moab, on the one side; Jerusalem on the other-The aspect of the city-Moriah-Zion--Akra -Bezetha-The adjacent valleys of Jehoshaphat, Hinnom, and Gihon -Limits of the ancient city-Historical questions connected with that subject-Position of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre-Character of the country around the city-How altered from former times-Plan of proceedings for the day-A visit to Bethany-Gethsemane-Pool of Siloam-Valleys of Hinnom and Gihon-A ride round Zion and Moriah -Enter the city by Stephen's gate.

OUR quarters for the night on the Mount of Olives were by no means of a kind to create any danger of what is familiarly called "sleeping in." Whatever might be their other disadvantages, they were at least favourable to early rising. This excellent habit, indeed, is found by most travellers to be largely promoted by a tour in Syria. The night in that country, generally speaking, is a period not to be enjoyed but to be got through. Apart from other nocturnal discomforts which our tent life will by-andbye explain, the unfortunate sleeper finds himself ere long at a banquet, not where he eats but where he is eaten. The position of Gulliver, when the Lilliputians caught him napping, and stuck him all over with pins, may help the uninitiated to form some idea of the assaults the sleeper has to sustain from his minute but multitudinous tormentors. I had found it, upon our voyage, to be a perfectly possible thing to be rocked into sound and refreshing slumber

"In cradle of the rude imperious surge,"

but none of us had yet acquired the art of bidding defiance to the old Egyptian plague.

The day, in consequence, had scarcely dawned when we emerged