384 EXTRACTS FROM 
peaks and summits; the eastern high, bare and stern, the 
territory belonging to the free and noble Bedouin tribes. In 
the north-east shone the surface of the great Lake of 
Gennesaret, girt by pleasant hills. To the north rose the 
snow-clad heights of Hermon and the Lebanon, and from 
the foot of Tabor stretched the hilly country, intersected with 
valleys and ravines and covered with stones and oak woods, 
which reaches up to the high mountains ; while towards the 
west an undulating ugly region extended to the lofty isolated 
mountain of Djebel-mar-Hlias or Mount Carmel. 
This splendid scene we enjoyed during the evening hours. 
Over the quiet wooded valleys were circling some Imperial 
Eagles and Cinereous Vultures ; while the perfect stillness 
that reigned around was only broken by the clear sounding 
bells of the little convent wafting the Angelus through these 
lonely regions. 
I now felt able to crawl slowly round the top of the moun- 
tain to look at the interesting buildings and ruins. A Greek 
convent stands opposite the Latin one, in the courtyard of 
which our tent had been pitched. In the evening we dined 
in the refectory of the convent, and retired early to rest. 
The Grand Duke was suffering severely from fever and had 
to be well dosed with quinine. 
On the 12th of April we awoke at sunrise, having now 
passed our last night under canvas, and not without regret 
did I bid adieu to my airy dwelling. As riding was hardly 
practicable we walked down the hill from the convent, our 
train with its sick and barely convalescent descending but 
slowly through the oak woods and over the flat rocks and 
loose stones. The air was cool and pleasant, and the moun- 
tains around us were lit up with the most lovely colours by 
the morning sun. After a fatiguing walk we at last reached 
the valley, where we mounted our horses. 
We were able to ride over the next chain of hills with its 
