CAPTURE OF A STAXDARD-BEAEER. 13 



party wlio "were encamped near us on their way back to 

 Jerusalem. In justice to the Turkish authorities, I must 

 narrate the result of our letters. So effectual a pressure 

 was put on the Sheikh, that he was compelled to disgorge 

 his prey, and on our arrival (five weeks later) at Beyrout, 

 we found the watch awaiting us. 



Our ride on Saturday led us off the beaten track of 

 eastern travel. We passed the mounds supposed to mark 

 the site of Herodian .Tericho, which a body of Lieutenant 

 Warren's workpeople were emplo3"ed in excavating. Their 

 labour, as we heard afterwards, was attended with but 

 trifling results. 



Our track skirted the face of the hills on the west side cf 

 the Jordan valley — now crossing low spurs, now passing 

 through flowery dells. After traversing a wide plain we 

 approached the base of a bold hill, which in form reminded 

 me of Snowdon ; its sides were clothed in verdure of the 

 most vivid green. By the roadside were seated a group of 

 twenty Bedouins armed only with clubs. To our intense 

 surprise, Khasim dashed in amongst them, and pounced 

 on one ragged old fellow. The man selected endeavoured, 

 in vain, to kiss his captor's hand and soften his heart ; in a 

 minute his 'kefiyeh ' was plucked off his head, and his hands 

 were tied with it behind his back. Khasim then galloped 

 off in pursuit of the rest of the party, who had scattered in 

 all directions ; he soon returned with a second prisoner, 

 and we rode on, driving the two men before us. 



We were naturally anxious for an explanation of the 

 scene, but it was some time before we could come to a 

 clear understanding of the facts of the case. We gathered 

 at last the following particulars. In the war last year the 

 Turks took away their arms from some of the Adwau, and 

 strictly forbad them to appear on the west bank of the 

 Jordan. The i^arty we had come upon were thus on for- 



