KIJINS OF JERUSALEM. 521 



multitude, at the same time, accompanied us on foot; some of 

 whom, welcoming the procession with compliments and caresses, 

 cried out k Bon' In^ksi! Viva I'lngilterra!" others, cursing and 

 reviling, called us a set of rascally Christian dogs, and filthy inn*. 

 dels. We could never learn wherefore so much curiosity had been 

 excited ; uniess it were, that of late, owing to the turbulent 

 state of public aflairs, the resort of strangers to Jerusalem had 

 become more uncommon ; or that they expected another visit from 

 Sir Sidney Smith, who had marched into Jerusalem with colours 

 flying and drums beating, at the head of a party of English sailors. 

 He protected the Christian guardians of the Holy Sepulchre from 

 the tyranny of their Turkish rulers, by hoisting the British 

 standard upon the walls of their monastery. Novelty, at any 

 period, produces considerable bustle at Jerusalem : the idleness of 

 its inhabitants, and the uniform tenor of their lives, rendered 

 more monotonous by the cessation of pilgrimage, naturally dis- 

 pose them to run after a new sight, or to listen to new intelli- 

 gence. The arrival of a Tartar courier from the vizier's army, 

 or the coming of foreigners to the city, rouses Christians from 

 their prayers, Jews from their traffic, and even Moslems from 

 their tobacco or their opium, in search of something new. 



Thus attended, we reached the gate of Damascus about seven 

 o'clock in the evening. Chateaubriand calls this Bab-el-Hamond, 

 or Bab-el-Cham, the Gate of the Column. " When," says he, 

 u Simon the Cyrenian met Christ, he was coming from the gate of 

 Damascus^" thereby adopting a topography suited to the notions 

 generally entertained of the relative situation of Mount Calvary 

 and the Praetorium, with regard to this gate; Simon being describ- 

 ed as coming out of the country, and therefore, of course, enter- 

 ing by that gate of the city contiguous to the dolorous way. It 

 were, indeed, a rash undertaking to attempt any refutation of 

 opinions so long entertained, concerning what are called the Holy 

 Places of this memorable city. ** Never," says the author now 

 cited, " was subject less known to modern readers, and never 

 was subject more completely exhausted." Men entitled to the 

 highest consideration, under whose authority even reverence is 

 due, have written for its illustration : and some of the ablest 

 modern geographers, quitting more extensive investigations, have 

 applied all their ingenuity, talents, and information, to the topo. 

 graphy of Jerusalem. It would therefore seem like wanton teme- 



