VI. Produc tions of the Desert. CHAP. attending Arabs, to descend from his horse for the purpose of collecting either the one or the other. All nature seems to droop; almost every animal seeks for shade, which it is extremely difficult to find. But the chamæleon, the lizard, the serpent, and all sorts of beetles, basking, even at noon, upon rocks and in sandy places, exposed to the most scorching rays, seem to rejoice in the greatest heat in which it is possible to exist. This is also the case in Egypt, where no desert is so solitary but reptiles and insects may be observed; proving that the ostrich, and other birds found there, are by no means, as some writers have maintained, at a loss for food. It is more probable that the desert offers to them nourishment they could not easily procure elsewhere. A very interesting volume of natural history might be made, relating only to the inhabitants of the Desert: they are much more numerous than is commonly believed and if to these were added the plants which thrive only in such a situation, with an account of those extraordinary petrifactions found in the African deserts; the various jaspers, and other siliceous concretions abounding in the sandy tract between the Red Sea and the Nile, as well as all over Arabia Petræa and Mauritania; the description would be truly marvellous. The enterprise VI. of another Hasselquist is not required for this CHAP. purpose; because, although much remains to be discovered, naturalists are already possessed of sufficient materials for such an undertaking. After three hours, walking our horses, we arrived at a poor village, called Lûbi1, situate upon the brow of a range of hills, which bound the valley before mentioned, towards the south. During our ride, we had suffered apprehensions from the tribes of Arabs under arms, who were occasionally seen, descending and scouring the opposite hills, as we crossed the valley. We could plainly discern them, by means of our glasses, reconnoitering us from the summits of those hills. They were described at Lûbi as collected in great force upon Mount Thabor; so that our visit to that mountain became impracticable the guard whom Djezzar had sent with us would not venture thither. We were therefore compelled to rest satisfied with the view we had of it from Lúbi. Djezzar's troops had, on the preceding day (Sunday), taken many thousand cattle from the Arabs: therefore, besides their natural predatory disposition, they were at this time actuated by motives of the Lubi. (1) Pronounced Looby. VI. CHAP. most direful revenge, not only for the loss of their property, but also of many of their friends and relations, who had been captured. The mere sight of an escort from their bitter enemy, Djezzar Pasha, would have induced them to put every one of us to death. We had lost somewhat of our strength by deserters from the pilgrims of our caravan, who had thought proper to remain at Tiberias, intimidated by the state the country. Our number, upon arriving at Lûbi, amounted only to thirty-three horsemen ; these, by the advice of the captain of the guard, we had dispersed as much as possible during the journey; and taught them to skirmish at a distance from each other, that the scouts of the Arab army, upon the heights, might not be able to count our whole force. We were at this time in the midst of a country continually overrun by rebel tribes. The wretched inhabitants of Lúbi pretended to be in hourly expectation of an assault, from which they said nothing but their poverty had hitherto preserved them. We could not, however, place any confidence in these people, and determined to make our stay with them as short as possible. Mount Thabór seemed to be distant from this State of the Mount place about six miles. Its top was described as a plain of great extent, finely cultivated, VI. and inhabited by numerous Arab tribes. It CHAP. appears to be of a conical form, entirely detached from any neighbouring mountain, and it stands upon one side of the great plain of Esdraelon. We breakfasted at Lúbi, beneath the shade of some mats covered with weeds, set up against the side of a house; not being perfectly tranquil as to our hosts, who, in a rebel country, evidently brought us food with reluctance, and seemed disposed to quarrel with our guard. Our bread was baked upon heated stones, in holes dug in the ground. The women, who were principally occupied in preparing it, and who occasionally passed us for that purpose, were without veils, and of such unusual beauty, that we saw nothing to compare with them in any other part of the East. Route. Being therefore compelled to alter the plan Change of of our journey, we returned from Lúbi, by the way of Cana, once more to Nazareth; passing through the field of bearded wheat before mentioned, where the Disciples of CHRIST are said to have plucked the ears of corn upon the Sabbath-day. It lies nearly opposite to the village of Turan. We collected specimens of the wheat, in imitation of the other pilgrims of our party, who all seemed eager to bear away CHAP. VI. the produce of the land, as a consecrated relic. It was, in fact, the only wheat now standing, for the harvest of the country was by this time generally collected. The next morning, Tuesday, July the seventh, we were refused camels to carry our luggage, by the people of Nazareth; upon the plea, that the Arabs would attack us, and seize the camels, in return for the cattle which Djezzar had taken from them. Asses were at length allowed, and we began our journey at seven o'clock. Every one of our party was eager to be the first who should get out of Nazareth; for although we had pitched a tent upon the roof of the house where we passed the night, it had been, as usual, a night of penance, rather than of rest: so infested with vermin was every part of the building. The author, accompanied by a servant, set out on foot, leaving the rest of his companions to follow on horseback. Having inquired of an Arab belonging to Djezzar's guard the shortest road into the Plain of Esdraelon, this man, who had lived with Bedouins, and bore all the appearance of belonging to one of their roving tribes, gave false information. In consequence of this, we entered a defile in the mountains, which |