The Colonel soon joined them, and then proceeded to view the inscriptions, of which however he could only make out that the figure was dedicated to the Emperor Antonius. I myself had visited this spot ten years previously, and made a rough sketch of the tablet and figure at the time. The "Nahr-el Kelb" is known to the student of ancient history by the name of Lycus, the "river of the wolf or dog," whose bark could be heard as far as Cyprus. It is of great interest to the archæologist. The view of the river when coming from Beyrout is very beautiful. A bridge of three arches is built across it, and there are three high and imposing rocks in the immediate vicinity; to the left of the bridge several waterfalls are visible between the foliage of the trees, and the scenery is altogether very grand. After crossing at the ford called Nahr Antelias, the traveller comes to Ras Nahr-el-Kelb; here the guides generally direct the attention of the traveller to the top of the promontory, where they allege a colossal figure of a dog used in former ages to stand on a kind of pedestal hewn out of the rock. During a tempest the figure was hurled into the sea, and a piece of rock is shown under the water, bearing a resemblance to a dog, and which, they say, is part of the very figure once standing on the top of the rock.
Sir Moses enjoyed the little excursion, and returned to Beyrout in good spirits.
August 16th.—After entrusting Signor Finzi with his offering for the poor at Haifa and Acre, and forwarding £537 to Jerusalem on behalf of the Hebrew community of Warsaw, Sir Moses bade farewell to his friends and left for Alexandria, Malta, and Marseilles, where they kept quarantine. Sir Moses was suffering from indisposition, caused by the great heat of the weather, and was made very uncomfortable by hearing that every one who could was preparing to leave Marseilles on account of the cholera, which was raging fearfully in the town. His anxiety was relieved by Clot Bey, first physician to Mohammad Ali Pasha, who assured Sir Moses that he was quite free from fever, and would soon be better. Clot Bey was most kind, coming to see Sir Moses as often as possible until his recovery, and when they left the Lazaretto, he presented Lady Montefiore with some Egyptian antiquities, with which she was greatly pleased. Clot Bey promised to pay them a visit in Ramsgate, where the Egyptian souvenir he gave to Lady Moses is still preserved in her cabinet at the Judith College, among other antique treasures. During the short stay of Sir Moses at Marseilles he made it a point of visiting the gasworks of the company of which he was a director, and so acquainting himself fully with the working of the establishment. At the hour for divine service he went to the house of prayer to return thanks to God for his safe return from the East; and last, though not least, he felt it his duty to pay a visit to an old invalid aunt, Miss Lydia Montefiore, whom he did not know, and who did not remember him. Although very aged and in bad health, she was in good spirits. She chatted with Sir Moses for a long time, and showed him a portrait of his grandmother, Esther Hannah Montefiore, taken when she was a young woman. Miss Montefiore assured Sir Moses that she had always endeavoured to follow the example of her parents, and would live and die a Jewess. She sent her blessing and good wishes to Lady Montefiore, who sent her a handsome souvenir in return.
The travellers soon left Marseilles, and arrived in Paris on the 11th September. Sir Moses called on the Ambassador, Lord Normanby, on the President of the Consistoire, the Chief Rabbi, the different members of the Rothschild family, and some of his own near relatives who happened to be in Paris. They all took a great interest in the exertions of Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore for the benefit of their co-religionists, and Sir Moses was glad of an opportunity to tell them of the result, and to enlist their sympathy still more for the good cause.
After a short stay in Paris, they continued their journey to England, and soon arrived in Folkestone, where they found Mrs Gawler, who had come to meet her husband. Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore here bade adieu to the Colonel and Mrs Gawler, as they were anxious to go to Ramsgate as quickly as possible. Immediately after their arrival there they attended divine service in their own Synagogue, to thank God for their safe return home.
CHAPTER III.
1849-1852.
PREPARATIONS FOR THE GREAT EXHIBITION—FRESH MEASURES AGAINST THE RUSSIAN JEWS—COMPLAINTS FROM ROME— NEWS FROM DAMASCUS—BARON LIONEL DE ROTHSCHILD TAKES THE OATH ON THE OLD TESTAMENT—SIR MOSES INTERVIEWS LOUIS NAPOLEON AT THE ELYSEE—THE EXHIBITION.
FROM the 16th of September to the 16th of October Sir Moses spent his time partly in Ramsgate and partly in London, pursuing his usual occupations. He continued to attend the meetings of various financial companies and associations of communal and educational interest. He also devoted much time to political matters, expressing his opinions lucidly to his friends, although to strangers he would usually protest that he was no politician. As a rule he would either read or have read to him most of the political leaders in the daily papers. At this period he received a copy of the pamphlet written by his nephew, Mr Arthur Cohen, Q.C., and entitled "A few Arguments in favour of the Jews Bill." Sir Moses spoke very highly of the ability displayed by Mr Cohen in this pamphlet, as well as in a letter he had received from him at the same time on the subject of religion.