The guide conducted us through large woods on heights and in depths, among fragrant herbs and blossoming trees growing wild, till some time after sunset, when we stopped for the night at a poor village called _Harakat_; we were all tired, but especially the two women of a Christian party going to Jerusalem, who had attached themselves to us all the day for the benefit of our protection. The ground on which the tent was set up was wet, as there had been some rain at the place that day, and springs of water were running to waste near us; the village people served as guards around us, on being fed at our expense; the pilgrims spread their beds in one direction outside the tent, and the kawwases in the opposite. By the light of a brilliant morning we marched forwards to _'Arabeh_, which was being besieged by the Turkish government, in force of infantry, cavalry, and artillery. VIII. BELAD BESHARAH. This is the mountainous district lying east and south of Tyre, probably the "Galilee of the Gentiles;" bounded on the north by the river _Kasimiyeh_, the ancient Leontes; on the west by the plain of Tyre; on the east by the plain of Hhooleh and of the Upper Jordan; on the south by hills around Safed: the district is very little known to Europeans, and was much less so in 1848. In that year I entered it from the North, after traversing the Sidon country, crossing the pleasant river with its rose-coloured border of oleander and wild holly-oak at a ford wider than the average breadth of the Jordan. There we found abundance of noble trees, and some cottages near them, the vines belonging to which climbed up those trees to a surprising height; and the thickness of the vines exceeded any that I had any where or at any time seen. In front was the village of _Boorj_, and we mounted into a high table-land commanding prospects of indescribable grandeur, which comprised parts of both Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon, the extreme heights of Sannin and Hermon being visible at once. The day was one of hot shirocco, and there were fires of lime-kilns visible in several directions, this season (late in autumn) being that appropriated to such employment, after all the harvests are gathered in. There were innumerable villages appearing in every direction. We passed _Abasiyeh_ on our right; _Dar Meemas_ and _Izereiriyeh_ distant on the left; _Tura_ on the right; _Dar Kanoon_ we almost entered; _Bidias_ near us on the left; _Dair Thecla_ on our right; _Bursheen_ on the right; _Durtghayer_ on the left; _Arzoon_ further on the left; then we rested under some olive trees, with _Dar esh Shems_ on the right; _Mezra'a_ on the left; _Dar Zibneh_ with a castle on our right. In the distance appeared the mighty old castle of _Shukeef_ (_Belfort_ of the Crusaders) upon an eminence, with Jebel esh Shaikh, or Hermon, rising majestically behind it.