We were shown the ruins of what the people call “the Church,” where there are several very large columns of polished granite lying prostrate, but neither there nor elsewhere could any capitals be found belonging to the columns. All over the East such objects are appropriated by townspeople as ornaments inside the houses, especially at the mouths of wells.
The people pointed out to us from a distance the spot where H. E. Zareef Pasha had lately obtained the marble slab of bas-relief, which he sent to the museum at Constantinople.
The walls of ’Ascalân are clearly distinguishable in all their circuit, and have been of great thickness.
The position of this “Bride of Syria,” as the Saracens designated it, is very fine, and the prospect around must have been beautiful; but of
this prize of so many sieges and neighbouring battles, the joy of Richard Cœur de Lion, where he laboured with his own hands in repairing the broken walls, only its name with the scriptural and later romantic history remain to claim our attention, and verify the prediction of the prophet Zephaniah, ii. 4-6.
I found no coins there, and none were brought to me; only some were brought to me in an after-journey at Mejdal; I therefore pass by for this time the classical allusions to the fish goddess, Deceto. A beautiful head of a female statue, but blackened by fire, brought from Ascalon, has since been sold to me, which I delivered to our museum.
We remained there an hour, then rode to Naaleea. The fine plain over which we galloped must have had many an English rider upon it in the Crusading times—many a man who never saw “merrie England” again, even in company with King Richard.
Naaleea, though built of brick, bears an appearance of real cleanliness; the olive plantation from Mejdal reaches thus far.
The barley reaped at Berberah was, I believe, the finest I have ever seen; and there were pretty roads winding among olive groves, orchards well enclosed by prickly-pear hedges, with bee-eaters skimming and twittering before us.
Bait Jirja on the left; then after a good while Bait Hhânoon also on the left.