' VIVE LA MER MORTE ! ' ] 1 



promised us letters to the commanders of tlie garrisons 

 at Es-Salt and Bozrali. 



We now definitely concluded our arrangements, and 

 secured the escort of Khasim, who was to bring with him 

 a second soldier : these two formed our guard to Es-Salt, 

 where the officer in command would, we were told, give us 

 further protection, if necessary. 



For the last day or two of our stay at Jerusalem, we 

 were the objects of much misplaced pity and well-meant 

 advice. Certain undeniable facts were thrust down 

 our throats at every public meal. We were reminded 

 that Lieutenant Warren was at that moment paying the 

 Adwan for permission to travel on the east side of the 

 Jordan, we were treated to all the details of the bargain 

 then being made, at the rival hotel, between Goblan, the 

 young Sheikh of the Adwans, and two American gentle- 

 men, who were anxious to visit Jerash, and all the 

 threats which the former had uttered, on being told that 

 some Englishmen meant to pass through his territory 

 without paying blackmail, were repeated for our benefit. 



Despite all this, we managed to keep up our spirits, and 

 even to find a companion who was ready to share our 

 luck, in Mr. Cross, an old Oxford acquaintance, who made 

 a most welcome addition to our party. On Thursday, 

 March 12th, we defiled, an imposing train, through the 

 narrow streets of Jerusalem — Cross, Williams, and the 

 dragoman armed with double-barrelled guns. Tucker and I 

 with revolvers, and the two Turkish irregulars bristling 

 with a whole armoury of guns, swords, and pistols. We 

 rode over to Bethlehem, to my mind one of the most 

 satisfactory of the ' holy places ' of Palestine, despite the 

 crowds of pert children, who, fearless of another Herod, 

 demand ' backsheesh ' with Egyptian pertinacity. As we 

 rode on over the bare hills to the Convent of Marsaba, the 



