NAZARETH. 
33 i 
with a square marble slab, over which is erected a canopy. 
There is a well of fine water underneath, from which we 
drank. While we were looking on, several priests entered 
with lighted wax candles, and went through various cere¬ 
monies ; kneeling and kissing repeatedly the marble slab. A 
poor old woman, covered with rags, forced herself in through 
the crowd, and fell groaning upon the floor, kissing the cold 
stones and the robes of the priests with frantic eagerness. She 
seemed to be under the influence of religious excitement, and 
would probably have left us in that belief had she not, when 
we turned to depart, bounced up with activity, and headed us 
off before we reached the door, begging vociferously for alms. 
The change in the expression of her countenance was quite 
miraculous. She was no longer the groaning devotee; it was 
plain enough to see that there was method in her madness. 
We gave her a few piasters, and also a trifle to the worthy 
priest, who was equally assiduous in his attentions. Both of 
them wished us a happy journey, and we wished them a con¬ 
tinuance of their profits. 
We stopped at the house up in Nazareth built by the Latin 
monks for the accommodation of pilgrims; a very clean and 
convenient stone building, with rooms that seemed grand, 
after the wretched places we had slept in since leaving Da¬ 
mascus. It was a long time before the keys came, but they 
came at last, very much to our satisfaction. It was too late 
to see any thing that evening; so promising ourselves a 
pleasant trip to Mount Tabor next morning, we turned in 
after dinner, and slept soundly through the night. 
The monks of the Latin convent treated us very kindly. 
We were visited by several of them, and found them friendly 
and obliging. Of course we paid well for every thing we 
had; but we got the value, besides pleasant smiles and kind 
words. 
In the traveler’s register we saw the names of several ac¬ 
quaintances, among others that of our excellent Minister to 
Constantinople, Mr. Marsh, and his family, and some tourists 
from Kentucky. Mr. Marsh was taken ill here a few months 
before on his return from Egypt. He bears testimony to the 
