our departure. The general impression was, that we were going on a perilous expedition. Town Arabs, especially the Christians, are generally rather timid, and being somewhat deliberate in their movements, they were wondering at the rapidity of ours. All articles of value were deposited at the French Consulate, the perishable stores were distributed, and very soon after sunrise we were mounted and ready to start. A guide, fully armed, furnished by our governor, with our kawass, Hadj Dervish, led the way. I followed, with my brother, and the French Consul's Arab secretary, who had begged to join us. Then came the muleteer, with the luggage and canteen, Mohammed, our Egyptian groom, Katrîne, shrouded in a large camel's-hair cloak and mounted on horseback, and the tall African messenger on foot. We had advised him to rest a day or two at Hâifa, but he declared that he was not tired, and he said that riding would be more fatiguing to him than walking, for he was not accustomed to it.
When we had taken leave of our friends at the gate of the town, and had passed the Moslem cemetery, Katrîne had disappeared. On inquiry, I heard that, in spite of her scapulary, her courage had failed her, and she had turned back, saying to the groom, that she thought it would rain, so she would go home again! Our agent, who was riding with us a short distance on our way—receiving final instructions—undertook to protect her during our absence.
The hills around were capped with black clouds, and before we had passed the gardens of Hâifa a heavy shower commenced. We drew our hooded cloaks over our heads, and rode on regardless of it. When we reached the rocky spring of Sa'âdeh, the rain-clouds suddenly traveled away in all directions, leaving a bright bit of deep-blue sky just above us; but on the mountains and over the sea the rain still fell—dark heavy curtains seemed to be hanging from the heavens, and they were torn and swayed by the changeful breezes. The spring among the rocks and reeds had considerably increased in force and extent since I had seen
