224 SIR VICTOR BROOKE CHAP. 



embroidery affairs are not nearly as good as at Cairo, 

 and just like them. I will try again, but 'am afraid it is 

 no good. I am very fit, and we have only had one wet 

 day. It is blowing hard to-day." 



FROM HIS JOURNAL. 



Thursday -, 1 1 th. Rested. Breakfasted at eight, and 

 afterwards saw the Greek Church where the source of 

 the spring unquestionably is, and the water is conducted 

 from this to the present town well, and I fancy on to 

 the Latin Church. This latter we visited afterwards. 

 Both claim to show the place where the angel told 

 Mary of her destiny. A very nice young monk who 

 spoke French well, belonging to the Latin Church, 

 showed us Joseph's supposed workshop and the tradi- 

 tional stone where Jesus ate with the disciples after 

 His resurrection. Rode to Tabor, lunched on the side, 

 and Trench and I had a delightful afternoon strolling 

 up to the summit through the ruins of the old Crusade 

 Church on the summit and all about over the hill. The 

 view was bad, as it was dusty from heat ; but we saw 

 the hill of the " Sermon on the Mount " (Horns of 

 Hattin) across the Plain of Ard el Hammer, also the 

 grand Esdraelon plain, with its even fields like a smooth 

 carpet below us ; little Hermon with Nain, and indis- 

 tinctly, away into the Jordan valley towards Succoth, 

 where our Lord was probably baptized by John. 

 Terebinth, mamre oak, lentiscus, storax, cistus, gentians, 

 veronica, red and white heather, wild flax, poppies, 

 hollyhock, with crowds of lovely blue beetles devouring 

 it, were on all sides. Crested larks, goldfinches, a short- 

 tail eagle, kestrels, etc. Returned to Nazareth and 

 rested. 



Friday ', 1 2 th. Left camp at seven. Dreadful heavy 

 dew in the nights at Nazareth ; everything damp in the 



