THEIR leader being informed that we had brought our wine with us, defired our fervants to give him fome. He was fatisfied with a few drops of it; but ordered more to be poured out for one of his friends, who could not boast the temperance of his leader, fwallowing it down with fuch greedinefs, that he foon appeared rather dead than living, and thus became a fpectacle that raised both the mirth and indignation of the Sheik and other Arabians, who have a great averfion to wine. However, by the help of citrons and coffee, he was in fome measure brought to himself. In the mean time we were very defirous of leaving this place, and therefore requefted the Sheik of Tiberias to accompany us; but all our intreaties would have had little effect, had they not been enforced with the present of a pair of pistols, which procured his confent. And indeed his defire of obtaining fomething for himself, had induced him to tell us, that the Arabians laid in wait to pillage us. So that now, to our mutual fatisfaction, we departed from Tirias to pursue our journey to Bethfaida, Saphet, &c.

CHA P. III.

fourney from Tiberias to Bethfaida, and Saphet with an account of the latter, and prefent ftate of the Jews who refide there; Jacob's fepulchre, &c.

A

N hour before break of day, we fet out from Tiberias, accompanied by the Sheik, and eleven of his fervants, having the lake of Tiberias on our right, and the Arabian camp on our left. At fun rifing we found ourselves near a large refervoir of water, fupplied by feveral small ftreams running down the mountains; and here our Sheik and his retinue performed their devotions. In the mean time we had the pleasure of obferving a large ftone, about two or

three

three fteps in the lake, where for fome time a nation of pifmires had taken up their refidence, fetching all their provifions from the continent, to which they have no other paffage than by fwimming. The country people have a tradition that a peafant in the neighbourhood, pitying the fatigue of these induftrious animals, laid a lath from the fhore to the ftone, in order to render their paffage the more eafy; onwhich he was immediately deprived of his fight; and the lath afterwards taken away by fome invisible hand.

NoT far from this place is a tree, for which the Turks have a great veneration; and we faw feveral handkerchiefs, and other pieces of linen hanging on its branches; but could receive no fatisfaction with regard to thefe votive pieces, as we suspected them to be.

We next came into a large plain, bordering on the lake, and watered by feveral rivulets; and decorated with that fpecies of trees we had before seen in the plains of Jericho, producing Zaccheus's fruit, as it is here called. This fruit is very finall, but not eatable till almost dry. The plain was fown with rice; but we perceived the Arabians had already paid it a vifit, though great part of the corn was not yet ripe. Here are alfo plenty of fnipes, which delight in watery places, and are preferable to a partridge.

ABOUT three hour's journey from Tiberias, we faw in this plain, the ruins of a city, which-feems to have been very large. The country people call it Mifdel and pretented to be the ancient Capernaum; but this muft certainly be a mistake, as that place lay on the other fide of the fea of Tiberias; it is therefore much more probable that it was Bethfaida. We alfo faw several villages on the declivity of the mountains. A generous mind cannot, without regret, behold fo beautiful a plain lie defert; but who will labour when deprived of the pleasing hope of Enjoyment? the inhabitants here are under perpetual apprehenfions from the Arabians. Hence it is that the mountains are in

general better cultivated than the plains, where the Arabians generally pitch their tents, and where they have a great advantage over the peasants when they come to action, being very dextrous with their lances on horseback; but among the mountains their dexterity and horfemanship would prove but of little advantage.

IN profecuting our journey, we paffed by other heaps of ruins, and at the end of the lake of Tiberias, came to the remains of a town; poffibly the ancient Bethzan or Scitopolis, where we faw an aqueduct extended acrofs the Jordan, and ferved alfo for a bridge. And here it may not be improper to take notice of an error in fome maps, in placing here a river, which rifes from the lake of Tiberias, and discharges itself into the Mediterranean. Whereas this is abfolutely impoffible, by reafon of the intervening mountains and high lands.

Ar fome distance farther we saw a large fquare edifice, fituated alfo at the end of this lake, and called, from its founder, Chan el Moinie. Soon after our paffing by this ruined ftructure, the Sheik and his retinue took their leave, wifhing us, with all the marks of fincere friendship, a fafe return to our own country. We then afcended a lofty mountain, by means of a very troublesome road, and in less than an hour came to a large structure, of remarkable strength and folidity. It is called the Chan of Cuperli, from its being built, together with feveral other ftructures of the fame kind in Turkey, by a Grand Vizir of that name. This Chan is an exellent baiting place both for man and beast. You enter through a large gate, into a fpacious area, round which are arched piazzas ferving for ftables, and over them apartments, with terraffes; and near it a mofque with a mineret, and a large ciftern generally full of rain water, but at the time we vifited the Chan, it was dry. On the left fide of this Chan is alfo a fmall mofque, and a pit covered with a cupola

pola. The Turks will have this to be the pit, into which Jofeph was thrown before his brethren fold him to the Ishmaelites: but it is at present no more than fix spans in depth. Befides the fcripture reprefents the pit into which Jofeph was caft, was dry; · whereas this contained very clear and good water.

THE Chan has, on the outfide, the appearance of a castle, and we thought ourselves happy in being in a ftructure fo capable of defence; for while we were there, we imagined a troop of Arabians on horfeback were making directly to us; but on a nearer view we found that what had raised fuch alarms among us was only two Arabians on horseback with their wives, children, and fervants on affes, They were at firft as little inclined to come near us, because of our fire arms; but one of our attendants having fworn that we were friends, they at laft came up; it being a facred cuftom among the Arabians, that after fuch an oath neither party has any thing to fear. But thefe Arabians were

no great objects of curiofity.

HAVING refted a while here, we again purfued our journey along a very rugged and difficult afcent which brought us to a camp of Arabians, fubject to the Sheik we had vifited at Tiberias. We counted feventy tents, and were received by them in a very affectionate manner. Indeed they were obliged to behave politely, most of the men being abroad; fo that we saw hardly any thing but women and children. They prefented us with water, fome refreshments, and wifhed us a good journey.

WE continued in the fame tiresome road for fome time longer, but at laft defcended into a valley of olive-trees, and at asmall distance further we saw feveral orchards, fupplied with water from a neighbouring fpring, which was very welcome to our beafts. We next afcended the mountain on which the Town of Saphet is fituated. The country round it is finely improved, the declivity being covered with vines fupported

D 4

supported by low walls. This mountain_commands a most delightful profpect over the adjacent valleys.

We took up our quarters in a large houfe or feraglio built on pillars, for the entertainment of travellers of any figure, and whither we were immediately conducted by the Sheik, to whom we had a letter of recommendation; but we discovered in this ftructure nothing more than bare walls. We next paid a vifit to a Jew, for whom we had alfo letters. He refided with feveral other jewish families in one houfe, which was all the manfion of the great Rabbi, diftinguished by the name of Chakam; but a very furly and unfociable mortal; whereas the lay Jew was remarkably civil, offering us his house and every thing in it. Bụt we only defired him to procure us fome red wine made here by the Jews, and alfo fome brandy.

The Jews here, with whom we had feveral Converfations, told us, that this is the town, called in Joshua, Orinah, and in another place, Saphet, in the tribe of Benjamin. But with regard to the ancient Bethulia, mentioned in the book of Judith, and generally thought to be the fame with Saphet, they knew nothing of it, adding, that Bethulia was a new name, and not to be found in their book of Judith. also told us, that they only confidered that book as a piece of history, and not as any part of the facred

canon.

They

The town of Saphet is of great antiquity, and was formerly the capital of Galilee. It stands on the fummit of one of the higheft mountains in thofe parts. But fo little regard has been paid either to its rank or antiquity, that at prefent it is no more than a village in the midst of a heap of ruins; and were it not for the paffionate defire of the Jews for ending their days here, it would long fince have been utterly forfaken. For it has been fo often taken and retaken by Chriftians and Mahometans, that it now appears only as one confufed heap, having nothing venerable