MARCH WITH THE PILGRIMS. 
219 
with a satisfied air, to summon his flock to their evening orisons 
at the going down of the sun. 
October 5th. — Some time before dawn the active chawosh rose, 
to keep time with the wakeful chanticleer of his prophet; and, 
being the first astir amongst us, he placed himself in the middle 
of the khaun according to usual custom, and, with a loud and 
half chanting voice, called his followers to prepare for departure. 
His address was mingled with prayers, and religious admonitions 
to keep together, and fear nothing, for “ God is great!” This 
sort of clarion roused Christians as well as Moslems, from their 
cells ; and the whole assemblage swarming forth together, our 
nimble conductor saddled his own steed ; then, after taking a 
finishing whiff of the narquilly (kalioun) of my muleteer, and 
exhorting him to see that our party should be expeditious in 
following, he shouldered his bamboo-lance, and seating himself 
on his horse, led boldly from the gate of our menzil. My little 
troop was speedily in the stirrup, and the whole train being in 
readiness within and without the walls, we moved off just as the 
day began to break. 
Our road, at starting from the village of Kesra-Shirene, lay 
close to the side of the river ; but at about a mile’s distance, we 
took a south-western direction through a country very similar to 
that we had travelled yesterday, being a succession of low and ab¬ 
rupt hills, and intersected by intricate ravines, well adapted to the 
sortie we expected from their hidden population. The shadowy 
hour of the morning might be regarded as another advantage in 
their favour ; but its grey, obscuring tints soon fled before the 
bright and piercing beams of the rising sun, which spreading 
to the deepest dells, gave us the blessing of seeing distinctly 
all around us. The chawosh seemed to regard day-light as a 
f f 2 
