That night we
slept at the Armenian convent at Ramlath, or Ramath. This place is
supposed to stand on the site of Arimathea, and is marked as such in
many of the maps. The monks at this time of the year are very busy,
as the pilgrims all stay here for one night on their routes
backwards and forwards, and the place on such occasions is terribly
crowded. On the night of our visit it was nearly empty, as a
caravan had left it that morning; and thus we were indulged with
separate cells, a point on which my companion seemed to lay
considerable stress.
On the following day, at about noon, we entered Jaffa, and put up at
an inn there which is kept by a Pole. The boat from Beyrout, which
touches at Jaffa on its way to Alexandria, was not yet in, nor even
sighted; we were therefore amply in time. "Shall we sail to-night?"
I asked of the agent. "Yes, in all probability," he replied. "If
the signal be seen before three we shall do so. If not, then not;"
and so I returned to the hotel.
Smith had involuntarily shown signs of fatigue during the journey,
but yet he had borne up well against it. I had never felt called on
to grant any extra indulgence as to time because the work was too
much for him.
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