74 SOME ACCOUNT OF THE 



was not at first distinguished from it. " Both are of a gorgeous scarlet. 

 The Vitex was one of the very few northern representatives of the 

 tropical Verbenacese. It is a straggling shrub, with dull blue flowers 

 of no beauty, and, like many other Jericho plants, found all round the 

 Mediterranean. 



Young fragments, chiefly of Cruciferae, Leguminoss, and Umbelliferae, 

 were often picked, but for these orders the season was too little 

 advanced. 



Grasses and bulbous plants were also often too young for determination. 



On the way to Marsaba, a rough ride across many deep ravines, an 

 interesting effect of aspect was noticeable. A slight greenish hue showed 

 plainly on the hillsides with a northern aspect, while the others were as 

 yet completely barren. In those places where the heavy dews of night 

 are less rapidly dried up by the noonday sun, vegetation is no doubt 

 always more abundant, the effect of shade also being to assist the early 

 growth. An analogous effect was still more sharply defined in a different 

 way on steep slopes looking southwards. These presented the usual 

 monotonous barren chalky white appearance on riding upwards, where 

 the eye only caught the outstanding bosses and prominences of rock and 

 soil in the wady bed. It was difficult to recall this on looking back from 

 above in a commanding position. The numerous little depressions and 

 shaded hollows, with the first symptoms of incipient vegetation, gave a 

 faint green tint to the whole. The one rested the sight, the other was a 

 painful glare. It was about the difference between tinted and plain glass 

 spectacles. 



At Marsaba there is a date-palm tied up and supported in the court- 

 yard of the -convent, which the monks relate was planted by St, Saba 

 (a.d. 490). Without vouching for the truth of this statement, I was 

 interested to learn that it always bears a stoneless fruit. Of the truth of 

 the latter information I believe there is no doubt. This convent is 

 interesting to ornithologists as the place of the discovery of Tristram's 

 Grakle, whose acquaintance I had first made at Mount Hor. There were 

 several about the convent during our visit. 



On the 1 7th we reached Jerusalem. A week later we left for Beirlat, 

 where our party divided itself. Professor Hull and his son returning 

 homewards. Laurence and I, however, faced the snow and succeeded in 



