An unpleasant accident had nearly happened in our way back. Giorgio, the dragoman, who was but a lad not more than sixteen years old, was amusing himself with a gallop; and the horse, having a great deal of mettle, ran away with him. The saddle was one from Cairo, with stirrups like an iron shovel, sharpened at the ends. The horse, not obeying the rein, went furiously on, and passed Mr. B., who was not aware of his approach, so close, that the stirrup would have cut the calf of his leg in two, had not the cloth brogues performed the use they were, no doubt, in some degree intended for, of turning the edge of the stirrup and deadening the blow. The shock, however, threw Giorgio from his seat to the ground, with no other consequences than a fright and a severe reprimand.
Mr. B. and myself were invited to dinner, on the following day, by the mufti of the place; and at about noon we betook ourselves to his house. The dragoman of the convent accompanied us as interpreter. Omar Effendi received us with civility. Emin Bey was likewise present. The dinner was served, as is the custom of the Mahometans, on a large copper tray tinned over; and we placed ourselves around it on the floor. The dishes were savoury, but what in England would be esteemed very homely. A boiled chicken was taken up by one of the servants, who was waiting, and torn with his hands joint from joint; it was then replaced on the dish; and this was instead of carving. The dinner went off with much merriment, and when we rose from table it was removed a little to one side, and several dervises or beggars (for in dress and in asking alms they are quite the same, glossing over their trade of mendicants with the knowledge of a few scraps of the Coran) took our places; and, between each mouthful, extolled the liberality of Omar Effendi. Indeed the mufti was reputed to be a very benevolent man: he kept open table for rich and poor. We left him, extremely well pleased with his entertainment.
There now remained nothing more to be seen in Jerusalem than those particular spots which had been rendered famous by some miracle, action, or saying, of Jesus Christ, or of his disciples. But disgust succeeds to curiosity, when, instead of being led from place to place with the satisfaction of fancying that, however uncertain traditions may be when handed down through so many generations, there is still nothing impossible in them, we are conducted to view the print of the Virgin Mary’s foot, the impression of Elijah’s body where he slept, and a hundred such sights, which shock common sense and do no service to true religion. But the dragomans and showmen find, no doubt, such tales best suited to the majority of their visitors, or they would not persist in telling them.
I procured at Jerusalem a specimen of the fetid carbonate of lime brought from the Dead Sea. It is remarkable, in its fracture, for a degree of blackness and evenness greater than in most other fetid carbonates.
CHAPTER XI.
Departure from Jerusalem—Arabian characters of horses not to be trusted—Ramlah—Demand of the governor to inspect Lady Hester’s firmâns—Alarm of Selim, the Mameluke—Illness of Mr. Pearce at Jaffa—Janissary dismissed—Departure from Ramlah—Politic conduct of Dragomans—River Awgy—Harým—Inhabitants of Galilee—Scorpions, and other venemous reptiles—Um Khaled—Marble columns—Illness of Yusef the guide—Mountaineers of Gebel Khalýl and Nablûs—Cæsarea—Remains of the ancient city—Obstacles to exploring them—Ma el Zerky—Tontûra—Women carrying water—Beauty of the road—Aatlyt—Mount Carmel—Häifa—Carmelite convent—River Mkutta, the Kishon of Scripture—Arrival at Acre.
On the 30th of May, having hired ten camels to Ramlah at six piasters each, and four horses at eight, we sent off the baggage early in the morning, escorted by one of the Mamelukes and one of the Jaffa janissaries, as guards, and arrived there sufficiently early for the tents to be pitched before sunset. Abu Ghosh renewed all the honours he had shown before, and was as handsomely rewarded for them. The guards were again placed; and, having passed the night very securely, we pursued our journey the following morning, accompanied by Abu Ghosh in person. I was mounted on a hired bay mare, that seemed to have been worked hard, but was nevertheless handsome and light in hand. The conversation ran much upon Arabian horses. Abu Ghosh boasted the blood and powers of his own, a large mare, gray and flea-bitten. On arriving in the plain, the road being extremely favourable for galloping, he was desirous of racing against the mare I rode; and, to his vexation, I beat him considerably. An Arab is perhaps to be believed implicitly on no occasion, but certainly not when speaking of his mare. He then launches out into exaggerated histories of the number of Shaykhs who have bid money for her, and of the prices he has refused; when, perhaps, all her merits lie in her master’s praise, and not in her intrinsic worth, and £15 or £20 would probably be a sufficient price for her. We reached Ramlah at night, took up our abode, as before, at the monastery, and Abu Ghosh made haste back to his four wives.
Lady Hester received next morning a message from the motsellem of Ramlah, saying that his master, Mohammed Aga of Jaffa, had ordered him to transmit her firmâns for his inspection: a duty he had neglected on her landing, having first thought it proper to write to Acre for instructions. It is likely that at first Mohammed Aga had considered her some devout lady who had come to fulfil her vows at Jerusalem: but, having learned afterwards in what a distinguished manner Mohammed Ali Pasha had received her, he probably wished that his own neglect might be attributed to his ignorance of her rank and consequence, to be inferred from his not having seen her firmâns. Much parleying took place between Lady Hester Stanhope and the motsellem of Ramlah on the necessity there was for complying with his master’s orders; and he soon found that he had to deal with a person who was as good a judge of business as himself.
No sooner had the Mameluke Selim, who served in part as dragoman, observed the anxiety of the Ramlah motsellem to inspect the firmâns, than, considering that his own name could not be there, since he came into her service after the firmâns had been sent to Rhodes, and apprehensive that he had been recognized as one of those who were with Buonaparte in Syria, his fears got so far the mastery of him that, at every knock at the door, he thought some one was sent to seize him, and every loitering person round the monastery gates was a spy. He double charged his pistols, and declared his determination to sell his life dearly: whilst his unfounded suspicions, so valiantly acted upon, almost made us believe that there might be some reason for them.
As the repeated messages, that passed and repassed, seemed to have established a sort of acquaintance between the motsellem and Lady Hester, he sent to ask her what the Europeans did to rid their fields of locusts. We may suppose that her ladyship had not studied this subject so profoundly as she had politics; and the advice she gave was not adopted.