28_th_. Preparing for descent into the Jordan valley, I engaged, in addition to the usual servants, a horseman of the Bashi Bozuk, recommended by the local governor, Suliman Bek Tokan. It seemed prudent to obtain this man's attendance, as he might be known and recognised by disorderly persons throughout the turbulent and unknown country before me, whatever might be his character for valour or discretion. Two of the native Protestants of Nabloos accompanied me also for about four hours on the way. Passing Joseph's sepulchre and the village of _Asker_, (is not this Sychar? it is near the traditional Jacob's Well,) we went northwards over the plain of _Mukhneh_, equivalent to Makhaneh, "camp," in Hebrew, (the _Moreh_ of Gen. xii. 6, Deut. xi. 30, and Judges vii. 1) having left the eastern valley with _Salem_ (Gen. xxxiii. 18) on our right. To my surprise the plain was soon and abruptly terminated at the foot of a very lofty mountain, and we commenced a descent among chasms of great convulsions of nature, displaying remarkable contortions of geological strata. This brought us into the Wadi _En-Nab_, so called from the growth there of a fruit-tree, (the Jujube,) bearing that name, better in quality than anywhere else in Palestine; and, indeed, the tree is found in but few other places. At the confluence of this valley with the Wadi _Bedan_ there are several fragments of ancient columns remaining, quite four feet in diameter. Hitherto we had met many more peasants travelling with merchandise than I had expected. They were all going in one direction, namely, towards Nabloos, and therefore from Es-Salt in Gilead, beyond Jordan. These, however, ceased after we had crossed the water of Wadi Bedan into the larger _Wadi Fara'ah_,--which is, however, the high-road to Es-Salt. Soon afterwards we observed, by our wayside, a square of solid ancient masonry, three courses high. In England this would be certainly the pedestal of some old demolished market-cross; but it may have been the lower part of some memorial pyramid. In the previous year I had seen just such another at Ziph (Josh. xv. 55,) beyond Hebron. Then we came upon a distinct piece of Roman paved road, which showed that we were upon the high-road between Neapolis and Scythopolis, _alias_ Shechem and Bethshan, _alias_ Nabloos and Beisan.--Crossed a stream richly bordered with rosy-blossomed oleander, and soon turned the head of the water. A demolished castle was on our right, commanding the entrance of Wadi Fara'ah.