May 18th.—Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore left Jaffa. The Governor of the town passed half an hour with them before they set off, and wished to ride out of the city with them, but it being Rámádan, Sir Moses prevailed on him to desist from his intentions, as he was fasting. Ahmed Agha, with many of his horsemen, as well as the British Consul of Jerusalem and the Vice-Consul of Jaffa, were with them. Ahmed Agha and the Consul of Ramlah, with an officer from Jaffa, rode with them all the way to Jerusalem.
On the road they had some Turkish music, and as they passed the several villages they were met by the Governors and their officers. After a pleasant ride of four hours they arrived at Lydda, and encamped there, in a beautiful vineyard a short distance from the town. They had two sheep cooked for Ahmed Agha's men, who, after sunset, made a great feast, and were very merry. For Sir Moses Lydda was a place of special interest, on account of its having been famous during the second century for its Colleges and Synagogues. Mr Galloway, the other gentleman who was with Sir Moses, only came to Lydda to ascertain what facilities the place offered for the projected railroad to Jerusalem. It will perhaps be remembered that, at one of the meetings held in London in connection with this project, one of the gentlemen present proposed having a railway from Jaffa to Lydda, and from there a macadamised road over the hills to Jerusalem.
On May the 19th they started for Geeb. Sir Moses remarks that the road was exceedingly bad, through dry beds of former torrents, over desperately stony hills. They rode for an hour and a half in darkness, and, Sir Moses confesses, in great terror. He could not see his horse's head, but they followed Ahmed Agha as well as they could. Lady Montefiore was greatly alarmed, more so, Sir Moses says, than she had been in all her life; but after retiring to rest she soon recovered her courage.
May 20th.—They arrived at Jerusalem, and were most cordially received by all the inhabitants, who appreciated the object for which they came. After having attended several meetings of the representatives of the Holy City to hear the reports they had to give them of their communal affairs, they visited the dispensary under the direction of Dr Fränkel, the weaving establishment, and the girls' school.
Eight persons belonging to the weaving establishment stated that they were able to get a living. One said he could now keep his wife and family; another observed, "The bread gained by the labour of the hands was most sweet;" a third said that "formerly when he rose in the morning he knew not where to get a morsel of bread, now he enjoyed his regular meals, and blessed the name of God"; and a fourth remarked that "formerly he carried stones in some gentleman's garden for a scanty pittance, now he earned, comparatively speaking, sufficient to live comfortably." All agreed that the weaving master was a good man, and they preferred the present house in which the work is done to the old one which they used to occupy.
Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore describe their visit to the girls' school in terms conveying to the reader the idea of their satisfaction.
"We were delighted with it," they say. "There are three class-rooms. No. 1 has eight forms, with forty-five pupils, belonging to the Portuguese community, with four teachers. No. 2 has seven forms, with forty pupils, with two teachers; and No. 3 has also seven forms, and forty pupils, with only one teacher, but an excellent instructor."
"Nos. 2 and 3," they continue, "were German children, and very clever indeed. The schools and scholars will bear comparison with any in England."
On their return home from the day's excursions, they invited the ladies' committee of needle-women to attend a meeting which had been convened there, and Sir Moses then entrusted them with the entire management of the Society. The ladies all expressed themselves as greatly pleased with the charge, and promised to attend the school, and themselves give out the needlework to all the pupils.
With regard to those whom the Committee had enabled to engage in agriculture in Safed and the Bokea, Sir Moses was told that eight had the misfortune to lose their cattle by death or by theft, and only one succeeded in making a profit. At Tiberias the work of agriculture had met with even less success. The prevalence of drought caused the death of the cattle, and the ravages of cholera prevented the men from attempting to ameliorate their condition.