As their number confers
security in that somewhat insecure country, many travellers from the
west of Europe make arrangements to travel with them. On our way
down we met the last of these caravans for the year, and we were
passing it for more than two hours. On this occasion I rode first,
and Smith was immediately behind me; but of a sudden I observed him
to wheel his horse round, and to clamber downwards among bushes and
stones towards a river that ran below us. "Hallo, Smith," I cried,
"you will destroy your horse, and yourself too." But he would not
answer me, and all I could do was to draw up in the path and wait.
My confusion was made the worse, as at that moment a long string of
pilgrims was passing by. "Good morning, sir," said an old man to me
in good English. I looked up as I answered him, and saw a grey-
haired gentleman, of very solemn and sad aspect. He might be
seventy years of age, and I could see that he was attended by three
or four servants. I shall never forget the severe and sorrowful
expression of his eyes, over which his heavy eyebrows hung low.
"Are there many English in Jerusalem?" he asked.
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