History affords many examples of fanaticism, but never has there been one more scurrilous and malicious than this. It has been repeated from father to son, and has insensibly become an accepted tradition. Every possible endeavour, Sir Moses thought, should be used to prevent history being tarnished by this new proof of falsehood and defamation.
Great was the anger of the people when they heard of his having been in the church and procured a copy of the epitaph. It was reported that the French authorities intended to celebrate a grand mass in commemoration of the death of Padre Tomaso, which they would attend in uniform and in their official character.
Sir Moses had frequent interviews with the principal Jewish inhabitants, and arranged with them to have some new Jewish girls' schools.
Sunday, July 7th.—They left Damascus and directed their course to Safed, where they arrived on the 15th inst. Here they encamped in tents till the 18th, then proceeded to Tiberias, where they accepted the hospitality of Mr Abulafia. On Friday they set out for Nazareth, remaining there over Sabbath and Sunday. Here a most serious incident happened, for, in the middle of the night of Saturday, they heard a terrible yelling and shouting near their tent; a woman was howling dreadfully at the loss of her child, which she said the Jews had murdered for religious purposes. Fortunately the child was soon found, and the Governor took immediate steps to punish severely the persons who had attempted to bring against Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore an accusation like that brought against the innocent Jews of Damascus. They left Nablous and went to Jerusalem, where they arrived on the 26th, remaining there for a week.
They paid a visit to Hebron for three days, returning again to Jerusalem, and from there directed their course to Jaffa, and embarked on board the Grand Turk for Beyrout, where they arrived on Friday, August 10th, taking apartments at the Hotel de Bellevue, to wait for the arrival of the steamer Le Caire.
During their sojourn in Beyrout, among the numerous visitors who called on them was Colonel Churchill, who was dressed as an Arab chief; he purposed making a tour in the mountains, and then publishing an account of his travels. Mr Moore, the English Consul, paid them long visits, and assured them that the Jews should receive every protection. Sir Moses spoke to him of the dread which the Jews of Tiberias had of increased taxation, and also of the missionaries at Jerusalem.
August 14th.—Signor Finzi, the British Consular Agent at Acre, who had made the journey expressly to see him and Lady Montefiore, paid them a visit. He was a very good and charitable, but not a wealthy man, whom they had seen ten years previously, when they visited the Holy Land the second time. He received no salary from the English Government for the reason, one may suppose, that there are too many in Syria who would be glad to serve in that capacity, even if they had to pay the Government for it, on account of the honour which the office confers upon them. Sir Moses, in appreciation of his services, requested his acceptance of a valuable uniform with gold embroidery and large gold buttons. The reader will perhaps smile at the choice of this present, but those who know the East, and the importance a military dress there imparts to the wearer, will understand the motive Sir Moses had in enabling a good man without means, who was a co-religionist and an English official, to appear on grand occasions as well dressed as other Consuls.
The weather being very hot and oppressive, Sir Moses thought it would strengthen him to take a little trip on the water, and invited Signor Finzi to accompany him in a small boat with four men and Ibrahim the cook, to the mouth of the Nahr-el Kelb, a distance of seven miles by sea, and nine or ten miles by land. Colonel M. Gawler had gone there in the morning to copy the Assyrian inscription.
Though the boat was small and there was a heavy swell, the voyage was pleasant enough until they endeavoured to enter the river, when by some mistake they took the wrong channel, and the boat grounded in the surf, and the waves threatened to overwhelm it. All the men jumped into the water, and two of them seized Sir Moses and carried him on to dry ground. He was greatly alarmed, but with the assistance of Signor Finzi happily escaped with the fright and the wetting.