316 
A CRUSADE IN THE EAST. 
ceived for the trouble. But it was no use to reason with 
them ; they would do it; somehow it afforded them satisfac¬ 
tion. 
Before proceeding on our journey to the Sea of Galilee, 
I must not forget another remarkable feature that usually 
was prominent in our travels. While we are winding our 
way toward Tiberias, with nothing hut hare and desolate 
rocks on both sides, permit me to introduce you to our friend 
and fellow-traveler, Tokina. 
Attached to our party was a small donkey, which often ex¬ 
cited my wonder by his great spirit and powers of endurance. 
Tokina was his name ; and, although it could not he denied 
that he was an ass—a perfect ass, I may say—yet he was a 
most sensible little fellow, and had a soul very much above 
any common ass. He was not much bigger than a Newfound¬ 
land dog, but he had an amount of ambition concealed be¬ 
neath his shaggy little hide that would have done honor to 
any horse in Syria. If his ears were long, so was his head ; 
he carried a good deal in it as well as on it. 
There was not an inch of the way from Beirut to the sum¬ 
mit of Mount Lebanon, and from the summit of Mount Leb¬ 
anon to Damascus, and from Damascus to Jerusalem, that he 
did not bear himself bravely under all circumstances ; never 
once flagging, however great his burden; always trotting 
along briskly, tumbling into rivers and ditches, and climbing 
out again as much alive as ever; carrying immense lazy 
Arabs on his back up hill and down hill, and running away 
now and then, and kicking all the mules within his reach. 
Tokina was not only a remarkable ass, but a transcendentalist. 
There was no telling what he was about half the time, he 
maintained such an aspect of profound wisdom, and used such 
obscare and uncouth language to explain himself. He was 
also something of a politician ; that is to say, he was very 
fond of any body that gave him oats, and always wagged his 
ears and smiled pleasantly when he expected little attentions 
of that kind. When imposed upon by unmerciful riding, he 
would bear it all patiently, never tripping until a good oppor¬ 
tunity occurred of making something by it; and then he 
