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it again entered the region of olive-trees and neglected 

 gardens. 



To the south of the ridge on which Bethlehem and Betsahur 

 stand is a deep valley with terraces of olives and vines on both 

 sides; among these are crags and rocks like those of the Karst, 

 which form clefts, hollows, and caves, and being covered 

 with evergreen bushes give a very picturesque appearance 

 to the whole scene. The narrow bed of the valley is filled 

 up with old walls, cisterns, and stones, and a rocky path 

 used by the flocks winds up to the town. Hoyos and I 

 were clambering about looking for some partridges that were 

 calling among the rocks and olive-trees, when the Grand 

 Duke and some of the other gentlemen suddenly appeared on 

 the opposite side near the village, and tried to make us 

 understand by signs that some game was on foot below us. 

 Unluckily the terraced nature of the ground prevented our 

 looking down, so we hurried across to our friends, who told 

 us that a large jackal had passed slowly along the terrace 

 just below us. 



Thereupon we separated and took up different positions to 

 wait for the wild animals as they came out at sunset. My 

 Eastern attendant said .that this was a favourite haunt of the 

 " Wawi," as the Arabs of Palestine call the Jackal, the 

 " Talib " of the Egyptians, and, generally speaking, the 

 Arabic of this country differs from that of Egypt so greatly 

 as to be unintelligible. 



It was a lovely evening. The sun was just setting, the 

 melancholy songs of the picturesque shepherds mingled with 

 the tinkling bells of the flocks that they were leading 

 past, and the chimes of the Angelus were ringing out 

 from Bethlehem. The shadows, too, were deepening, the 

 last rosy flush had left the mountains of the Dead Sea, 

 and the eagles were flying to their roosting-places, as a 

 jackal glided ghost-like down the valley. It was coming 



