object in the landscape. As we approached the place, twilight set in, and soon rendered every thing indistinct. Shortly afterwards we anchored about a mile from the little town of Caipha; and next morning landed, by permission of the officer of health, to enjoy a walk on shore.

Caipha is a walled town, situated upon the water's edge on the north-western shore of Mount Carmel. Next to the sea are some high square towers, built by the Crusaders, but of the interior of the place I cannot speak, as we were not permitted to enter within the gates. A British consular agent resides here, and he, as well as several of the Frank merchants, accompanied us in our walk. The population of the place is said to be 3000, and the town itself has, in a commercial point of view, greatly improved of late years. It has at present a pretty tolerable market, and its exports of grain and cotton are very considerable. The increase of its trade has, I think, arisen from its vicinity to Acre, which, from being so deeply engaged in the wars and military affairs of the country, lost much of its commerce, and by that means Caipha became, as it were, a granary to the army eneamped before it; and the advantages which it then acquired it still continues to possess. To the south of the town is an extensive plain, highly cultivated and well wooded. On its margin, and close by the sea side, are some very remarkable remains, which have not, as far as I am aware, been either investi

gated or described by any recent traveller. Immediately beside these are also the ruins of an ancient Cyclopean wall, partly standing in the sea, the stones of which are of an almost incredible size. I know of no scriptural city that existed in this locality. May it not have been a temple of Baal, the deity that was anciently worshipped in this part of the country?

The convent that crowns the outer part of Mount Carmel* forms a pleasing a pleasing object in the scenery here presented to the view; and when we consider that, in all probability, on this spot was gained that wonderful triumph which the prophet Elijah, by the power of God, achieved over the priests of Baal and their idolatry, it adds considerably to the interest of the scene. The proximity of the spot to the sea at once answers the objections of the sceptic as to where the water was procured in that season of drought to pour on the sacrifice and in the trench.

The mountain itself is bare, and nearly destitute of vegetation. On the sloping ground that ascends from the town towards the east, are numerous sepulchres carved out of the solid rock, of the very simplest form, consisting merely of a square domed-roof chamber, having an arched door, which occupies one of the sides, with ledges or troughs for the bodies on each of the three remaining ones. They appeared to be the most recently

Hence the term Carmelite.

† 1 Kings, xviii.

constructed of any of the tombs of this description that I have seen, and were tenanted with numbers of poor people, who, for lack of better, made them their dwellings. These Troglodytes seemed to partake of the air of their habitations, and were a miserable, filthy, and degraded-looking race. In the vicinity of this place are some very splendid carob, or locust trees (ceratonia siliqua). I saw the husks or legumes of these trees, scattered on the ground about the tombs, where some cattle had been eating them; and they at once recalled to my mind the parable of the prodigal son, who "would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat."* The expressed juice, and also the pulp of the fruit, is much used in the east. A long sandy beach stretches away from the town, in a curved direction to the north. On this a very heavy surf breaks, rolling in great quantities of shells, and numerous marine animals. The river Kishon, which is here fordable, empties itself into the sea at this place; but it is so shallow at its mouth that it was with

* Luke, xv. 16.

As this tree is sometimes called the locust tree, and St. John's bread, some persons have supposed that from it the food of the Baptist was obtained. Now, in opposition to this opinion, I can only state that locusts fried in honey is a favourite dish with the Arabs about the Jordan.

I picked up some good specimens of the murex trunculus, or dye shell, which seem to be common here. It is remarkable that one of the old names of Caipha is Porphureon, which Pococke says it received on account of the fish being found upon the coast which furnishes the Tyrian dye.

considerable difficulty we forced our boat over the bar. Before reaching the sea, the stream winds through a swampy, and, in some places, a sandy valley; and on either side its banks are fringed with underwood that in some places, almost meet in the centre of the stream. The day after our arrival we set out upon a shooting party to the valley of the Kishon, accompanied by two of the Italian residents at Caipha. The plain, which is covered with rank sedge, and low underwood, interspersed with deep and natural drains, and studded with hillocks, has very much the appearance of some of the moors in our own country. The game was very abundant; quails were in great numbers; and we also got some red-legged partridges. Here, for the first time, I saw that beautiful bird the Francolin.* On returning to the mouth of the Kishon, where the boat awaited us, we passed the black tentst of some Bedawees, in the midst of the sand-hills that surround the coast toward Acre. The females of the tribe were churning goats' milk in a very primitive

* Francolinus Vulgarus.—This beautiful bird is about the size of a grouse, which it resembles very much in shape. The cock bird shot here was 14 inches long; bill black; upper part of head grey, lower part of head and back of neck black; a white oval spot over each ear; a brownish red collar round the neck; crop jet black, spotted with white; wings black, quill feathers, the colour of a wood-cock's ; under wings and insertion of tail, small alternate bars of black and white; thighs, bands of brown and red; legs red, like partridges; very good eating, something like grouse.

† Black, like the tents of Kedar.-Song of Solomon. i. 5.

manner, by shaking it or swinging it in a goat's skin slung between two upright posts.

We weighed anchor that evening, passed the handsome and picturesque castle Pellegrino, and shortly after the ruins of Cesarea. Of these enough still remain to tell us of its former magnificence. Some tall pillars and a handsome tower are situated at the water's edge; the latter rearing its weatherbeaten face in defiance of the storms of nineteen centuries, and the angry waves that foam against its base. The crimson light of a stormy sunset was reflected from its walls, and gave it a bold and most imposing appearance; but the sea dashed with such fury against the rocks as to prevent our landing; so we continued on to Jaffa, where we arrived during the night.