NAZARETH. 
333 
of forty piasters, which he had to promise on the prospect of 
obtaining it from the Latin monks, as he had been plundered 
of all his money. On his arrival in Nazareth he was most 
kindly and hospitably received by the monks, who paid for 
his horse, dressed his wounds, fed him, and took good care of 
him for three months, when he was sufficiently recovered to 
proceed on his journey. Our companion, the English Captain, 
was chief officer in the steamer in which he took passage, 
and bore testimony to the truth of the narrative. 
On the day after our arrival in Nazareth the weather was 
so unpromising that we were reluctantly forced to abandon 
our visit to Mount Tabor. It is only a ride of three hours; 
but we thought a rainy day could be better spent on our way 
to Jerusalem, especially as there was every prospect of the 
wet weather setting in for the winter. 
First, however, we went to take a look at the sights. Naz¬ 
areth is one of the worst specimens of a Syrian town ; it 
abounds in abominations of all kinds, and is the abiding- 
place of as dark and villainous a population as we had yet 
seen. The difference was very striking between the inhabit¬ 
ants of this part of the country and those about Tripoli and 
Mount Lebanon. There they seemed pastoral in their habits; 
they were polite and affable, and had a frank and cheerful 
expression that was very pleasing. As we advanced south¬ 
ward from Damascus the people were of a darker complexion, 
and had a scowling and morose cast of countenance. We 
found their religious prejudices stronger as we approached 
Jerusalem, and sometimes had difficulty in obtaining lodg¬ 
ings in the native houses, though the magic effects of back¬ 
shish never failed in the end to open their doors. 
The women of Nazareth, as far as we had any opportunity 
of seeing them, are extremely beautiful. They are carefully 
masked, however, and it is only accidentally that the traveler 
can catch a glimpse of their faces. 
During the forenoon we went to the Latin convent, which 
is reputed by the monks to be built upon the spot where stood 
the house of the Virgin Mary. The chapel has some tolerable 
paintings ; incense is burnt continually on the altar, as in the 
