MY HOME IX PALESTINE. 117 



and finally succeeded in struggling through the first 

 years of their existence, their numbers meanwhile 

 being slowly recruited from Europe and America. 

 They were thus enabled to form three other colonies : 

 one in the immediate vicinity of Jaffa ; another called 

 Sharon, about an hour distant from that town ; and 

 a fourth in the suburbs of Jerusalem, not far from 

 the Jaffa gate. It is here that the founder of the 

 Society, Mr Hoffman, has now taken up his resi- 

 dence. The united population of the four colonies is 

 about 1000 souls : a few families are also settled at 

 Nazareth and Beyrout. The colony at Haifa, num- 

 bering a little over 300, consists mostly of Germans, 

 German- Americans, Bussians, and a few Swiss. These 

 possess 700 acres of land, of which 100 are laid out in 

 vineyards upon the slopes of Mount Carmel. Besides 

 agriculture, the colonists have gone into trade and 

 manufacture. They make excellent olive-oil soap, the 

 export of which to America is yearly increasing : they 

 have a wind grist-mill, a steam-mill is now in pro- 

 cess of erection, and a factory for carving olive-wood. 

 They have opened places of business in Haifa, and 

 deal in merchandise, provisions, and dry goods. They 

 do a good deal of business with Nazareth, now that 

 they have got a road ; and all branches of ordinary 

 handicraft are represented in the colony. They have 

 their own skilled physician, an architect, and engi- 

 neer ; while the British, American, and German vice- 

 consulates are all held by members of the colony. 



