CAMP OF THE BEXI-IIASSAX. -23 



WiUiams's carved pipe and Cross's kid gloves. Never 

 before had tlie Beni-Hassan seen a man Tvitli such a 

 peculiar skin, or one so readily put on and oflF. The 

 revolvers, which appeared to go off for ever, came in for 

 theii* due share of admiration and awe. We had some 

 difficulty in keeping the tents clear, but it was necessary 

 to draw a line somewhere, and we sternly refused admission 

 to any but the two chiefs. The sheep was cooked entire, 

 and our muleteers, with a select circle of Beni-Hassan, 

 kept up the feast round the camp-fire till a late hour. 



March 17th. — The night passed peaceably. At break- 

 fast a stork was brought in which Williams had wounded 

 by a long shot the night before. The poor bird's wing 

 was broken, and he hopped about, pursued by the Arab 

 urchins, in a way that was both ludicrous and painful. 

 Elias had been sharply reprimanded for his wanderings 

 on the previous day, and warned that this kind of thing 

 must not be repeated ; he now came with pride to tell 

 us that he had arranged with one of the Beni-Hassan to 

 conduct us to Jerash. He took great credit for his choice, 

 having, as he said, secured the greatest robber in the 

 tribe. There was wisdom in this odd recommendation, 

 as the man who had stolen most sheep was, by implica- 

 tion, he who best knew the roads and bye-paths to the 

 neighbouring villages. 



Our guide led us up a dell separated by an intervening 

 ridge from the stream which entered the Jabbok close to 

 our encampment. The country was green and well- 

 wooded, and the soil was free from the detestable crop 

 of stones which Palestine everywhere produces. As we 

 climbed out of the deep valley, the ridges of Jebel Ajlun 

 appeared behind the round top of a lower hill, Neby Hut, 

 crowned by the white tomb of some Moslem saint. An- 

 other deep and rugged hollow, the edge of which we 



