To resume—Away early in the morning. Paid the night-guard and sent a present of white loaf bread and some tea to the Bek.
It was promised that we should reach Carmel in nine hours, across an unknown but pretty country in a different direction from Lejjoon and Ta’annuk (Taanach of Judges i. 27,) which I had designed for my route, and towards the sea-coast.
Our guides were gigantic men, beside whom my tall peasant servant Khaleel appeared to disadvantage, and their guns were of a superior description to what one commonly sees in Palestine. The peasantry also were large men with good guns.
First, due west for quarter of an hour towards Kubrus, situated upon a hill, but before reaching it, turned sharply northwards, through a rocky defile of ten minutes, when we fell in with a better road which, they said, came also from ’Arâbeh, and on towards a fine village named Yaabad in a lovely plain richly cultivated; there were after the earlier crops young plantations of cotton rising, the fields cleared of stones and fenced in by the most regular and orderly of stone dykes.
Before reaching Yaabad, we turned due west, our guides alone being able to judge which of the many footpaths could be the right one.
Reached the poor village Zebdeh, then over a green hill with a prospect of the sea. Cæsarea visible at a distance, and in the middle distance Jit and Zeita. Near us were ruins of a strong place called Burtaa, said to have a supply of delicious water. Our journey was all over short evergreens rising from stony ground. So lonely—none in sight but ourselves for hours after hours. “Green is the portion of Paradise” exclaimed our people.
At Cuf’r Kara, a clean mud village in the fragments of columns lying about, we rested beneath some huge fig-trees while the luggage, guarded by some of the escort, jogged forwards; for muleteers never like resting their animals, or at least do not like unpacking them before the end of the day’s march; the trouble is too great in reloading them. The riding horses were tied up under the
trees, and we got some melons and eggs from the village.
After an hour we remounted and went on steadily north-west. Soon reached Kaneer, where was a cistern with wide circular opening of large masonry, bespeaking high antiquity.
Then to Subâriyeh on a small rise from a hollow with one palm-tree. The well was at a distance from the village, and the women washing there. One man asked one of them to move away while he filled our matara (leathern bottle.) She said she would not even for Ibrahim Pasha, whereupon he roared out, “One sees that the world is changed, for if you had spoken in that manner to one of Ibrahim’s meanest of grooms, he would have burned down your town for you.” The matara was then filled.