I returned by a road which separates from that of Rumla, a few miles from Jaffa, and passes over the plain farther to the north. It led us past several villages on the plain, among which was Lydd, the ancient Lydda, where Peter healed Eneas. It is a small village, but contains some better buildings than we usually meet with in such small towns. It is surrounded by extensive gardens and orchards of fruit-trees; and on the east side of the village is a good well, much resorted to for water. The plain of Sharon on this road was very fertile, and more of it had been cultivated than is usual. The harvest was going on, and men, women, and children, were out in the fields: some reaping with the common reap-hook--some pulling up the grain with their hands--some binding up the grain in bundles--some carrying it on their shoulders, or on donkeys, or mules, or camels, to the thrashing-floor--and some thrashing out the grain by driving the cattle over it. They use a thrashing instrument not unlike a harrow. In its under side they have pieces of stone or iron fastened which serve as teeth. These instruments are dragged by the oxen over the grain, and thus separate it from the straw. After leaving the plain, our road followed a ridge for a considerable distance; a little west of the highest ground we passed two ruined villages at some distance from each other, that were called Beth-horon. They are, I doubt not, the upper and the nether Beth-horon. This opinion is, I think, confirmed by the account given of the defeat of the kings that were confederated against Gibeon. It is said that Israel "chased them along the way that goeth up to Beth-horon; and it came to pass that as they were in the going down to Beth-horon, that the Lord threw down on them great hailstones from heaven." Josh. x. 11, 12. Beth-horon lies on the west side of the ridge, and Gibeon lies on the east side, and at the distance of several miles from the top. The flight began from Gibeon, and was first up to the top of the ridge on the road towards Beth-horon; and from the top of the ridge it was down to Beth-horon, and on this last part of the way, that the hailstones fell on them. Until I saw the ground, I never understood the "_up_" and "_down_," as used in the record of this flight and pursuit. Near Gibeon I saw some sandstone, singularly mixed up with the limestone. It lay about in large masses, but I saw no continuous rock of it. The ancient Gibeon is now a small-village, inhabited by a few Mohammedan families. It stands on the summit of a round hill, and from the steepness of its sides is capable of being made very strong. There are various old ruins and some arches of great size running into the sides of the hill, forming rooms, in which various labours are now carried on. A little out of town is a spring in a cave, and below it, on the side of the hill, the remains of an old pool, which is probably the one beside which Abner and Joab, with their men, sat down before the