370 Letters of an African Traveller, 



tons, Bengs, Mangles, Irby and Legh, and the exemplary 

 companion of the Italian Belzoni. 



Returning to Jerusalem, I was present at the tragic quarrel 

 which occurred between the Greeks and Latins, near the Tomb 

 of Jesus Christ. I wrote to the hero of the pontificate, ex- 

 horting him to interfere, in order that, in future, such scanda- 

 lous occurrences might not happen. 



I then undertook another journey, and the places I saw 

 were the Valley of the Giants, the Lands of Jacob, the Se- 

 pulchre of Rachel, near Ramath, the Cistern of David, Beth- 

 lehem, a smiling town of Judea, the Villa of the closed 

 Garden, the siealed Fountain, and the vessels of Solomon ; 

 the Hills of En-gaddi, Tema, the country of Almos ; and 

 Giloh, country of Ahithophel; the Grottos of Adullam, and 

 the Wood of Ziph, where the successor of Saul, David, often 

 hid himself; the Valley of Mamre, the Field of Damascus; 

 whence re-proceeding, the Vale of Terebinthus, fatal to Goli- 

 ath, and the surrounding places renowned by the nativity and 

 abstinence of the Precursor. I, lastly, saw Bethany. 



Having drawn from the library and the archives of the friars 

 what I thought of service to my purpose, I bid adieu to the 

 Daughter of Sion, and by the Pool of Gibeon, Beth-horon, 

 Succoth, the Valley of Rephaim, Azekah, Emmaus, Anathoth, 

 the country of Jeremiah placed against Modin, the Glory of 

 the Maccabees, and by Aramathia, passing Sharon, I stopped 

 at Joppa, which still boasts of its rocks warm with the tears of 

 Andromeda. Here approached the Tyrian ships, bearing the 

 precious stores and purple which the son of Abibal sent to the 

 sapient king, and here, too, daily approaches the pilgrim led 

 from afar to pay the vow. 



From Joppe I went by the left bank to Ekron, Ashdod, 

 which kept the ark a prisoner, to Ashkelon destroyed,^ and 

 having returned to Joppa, I ascended the inheritance of 

 Ephraim to the Sepulchres of Benjamin and Simeon ; to 

 Sichem, whence we mounted Ebal and Gerizim, to the Well of 

 Jacob, and the sepulchre of Joseph ; and meeting with the 

 Abbe de Mazure, a warm panegyrist of France, and measurer 



