110 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



beauty of the spot and the comparative civilisation 

 which had been introduced by the German colony, of 

 which more presently, I was glad of the opportunity 

 which presented itself of choosing it as a winter 

 residence. During the interval which had elapsed 

 since my former visit, there are evident signs of a 

 progress rare among Turkish towns. The streets 

 have been paved, the number of substantial white 

 limestone buildings has increased; and in spite of 

 the obstacles thrown in the way by the Government, 

 the statistics since that time have shown a steadily 

 increasing commerce. Indeed, seen from seaward, 

 or from the low grassy promontory of Has el Krum, 

 which forms the south-west point of the shore en- 

 closing the Bay of Acre, the town begins to present 

 quite an imposing appearance. The clean well-built 

 stone houses at intervals line the sandy beach, fringed 

 here and there with trees for a mile, and extend up 

 the lower slopes of Carmel, along the flanks of which 

 mountain vineyards and olive-groves rise in terraces. 

 At the curve of the bay, on the eastern margin of the 

 town, the brook Kishon struggles to debouch into 

 the sea. At most seasons of the year, prevented 

 from doing so by sandbanks, it is forced back, form- 

 ing a small lake, which furnishes a supply of water 

 to the gardens of oranges, figs, and pomegranates 

 which surround it ; while groves of stately date- 

 palms impart a still more oriental character to the 

 scenery. The present town of Haifa is comparatively 



