238 THE HOLY LAND. 
CHAP, most direful revenge, not only for the loss of 
V V- ' their property, but also of many of their friendrs 
and relations, who had been captured. The 
mere sight of an escort from their bitter enemy, 
Djezzar Pasha, would have induced them to put 
every one of us to death. We had lost somewhat 
of our strength by deserters from the pilgrims 
of our caravan, who had thought proper to 
remain at Tiberias, intimidated by the state of 
the country. Our number, upon arriving at 
Lubi, amounted only to thirty- three horsemen : 
these, by the advice of the captain of the 
guard, we had dispersed as much as possible 
during the journey ; and taught them to skir • 
mish at a distance from each other, that the 
scouts of the ^rab army, upon the heights, 
might not be able to count our whole force. We 
State of the werc at this time in the midst of a country con- 
Country. 
tinually overrun by rebel tribes. The wretched 
inhabitants of Lubi pretended to be in hourly 
expectation of an assault, from which they said 
nothing but their poverty had hitherto preserved 
them. We could not, however, place any con- 
fidence in these people, and determined to 
make our stay with them as short as possible. 
MouHt Mount Thabor seemed to be distant from this 
place about six miles. Its top was described 
as a plain of great extent, finely cultivated. 
