While Elisama and Helon endeavoured to find themselves a suitable lodging-place for the night, in the marshy land around this city, which borders on the vast sandy desert of Arabia, and Sallu was following them with the slaves, a well-known voice exclaimed, “Welcome Elisama and Helon! Are ye also for Tyre?” It was Myron, the young and handsome Greek from Alexandria, Helon’s early friend, who had introduced him to the knowledge of Platonism, and studied Plato with him in the Museum. Since his return to the law, Helon had purposely avoided him, and would willingly not have encountered him here, just as he was entering on his journey to Jerusalem. Myron was going to Damascus, and meant to accompany the caravan to Tyre; and although they told him that their intention was only to go as far as Gaza, this did not prevent his offering to join company with them to that place; and he made his proposal with so much of Greek urbanity, that they knew not how to refuse. The pleasure of their society, he said, would save him from dying of tedium; which, if he kept company any longer with the Phœnicians, who could talk of nothing but their merchandise, threatened to be more fatal than thirst to him in crossing the desert. “Your oriental gravity,” said he, “will be enlivened by my Grecian levity, and together we shall form the most agreeable party in the whole caravan.” He took the hand of Elisama with a smile, and the bargain was concluded. Long before sunrise on the following morning, the tumult of the caravan began again. Helon’s camel was bound behind the three camels of Elisama: Sallu led them, the slaves urged them on, and the three travellers mounted their horses. The trumpet sounded a second time, as the signal of departure. The camels were arranged four together, and our party endeavoured to place themselves as near as possible to the head of the line of march, to avoid the clouds of sand which were raised in the middle and near the end. Between every fifty parties, came a horse with a guide, and a man bearing a kettle of pitch, raised on a pole, which was to be kindled during the night. The principal guide, who had the superintendence of the whole caravan, rode usually in front, on a horse richly caparisoned, and accompanied by a camel which carried his treasure. He was the absolute master of the whole train; at his nod the blasts of the trumpet were given, and every one set forward or halted. A litter was borne behind him, in which he occasionally reposed.