56 BASHAN. 



tlie village. We halted on a rocky projecting brow, and 

 then waited to lunch, and see what would happen next. 

 "While Tucker demolished the sardines, Williams, who 

 even in ordinary life was a martial personage, and Elias, 

 who was anxious to acquire the reputation of a fire-eater, 

 exchanged the shot in their guns for bullets, with a mili- 

 tary air which must have struck terror into the heart of 

 the boldest Bedouin. No opportunity, however, occurred 

 for the display of valour, and we had to content ourselves 

 with the amusement of watching the shepherds driving in 

 their flocks hurriedly from the plain, and the villagers 

 issuino- forth in twos and threes — some mounted, some on 

 foot— in quest of the marauders. Of course nothing was 

 seen of them, and we continued our march in peace. 



The track to Mismiyeh, which is well within the borders 

 of the Lejah, leads over very rugged ground. Our horses 

 scrambled over great solidified waves of the lava-flood, 

 divided by little grass-grown hollows, in one of which Elias 

 surprised and slew a partridge. We determined to pitch 

 our tents just outside the Roman temple, which is the 

 most striking ruin of Mismiyeh. There was not sufficient 

 depth of soil to drive in the pegs, but we tied the ro]3es to 

 big stones, which answered all the purpose. Our ride 

 had not been long, and we had plenty of daylight left to 

 explore the place. The little temple was the most perfect 

 we had yet seen ; part of the portico was destroyed, and 

 the central dome had fallen in, otherwise it was in good 

 preservation. On either side of the doorway were niches 

 for statues, under which were carved the words ' Pax ' and 

 ' Eisis ' {sic). The building was square externally, but a sort 

 of chancel was formed in the interior by shutting off a 

 small vestry for the priests, and a staircase which leads 

 on to the roof. The dome was supported on four columns, 

 which are all standing, and the walls were decorated with 



