battle in which Asahel fell. The plague made its appearance in Jerusalem shortly after our arrival. We did not pay much attention to it, excepting that we were more careful in passing about the city not to come in contact with the people. The monks from some of the religious houses left the city, and took refuge in other places. We found the monks at Bethlehem keeping quarantine, and there was plague in some of the convents in the country. A health officer from Jaffa visited the city on the 16th, and declared his intention to shut up the gates and prevent egress or ingress, until the plague abated. He gave us permission to leave, provided we would do it early the next day. Having no wish to be shut up even in Jerusalem, for a month or two, we made all possible haste to get ready to leave town the next morning. We found some difficulty in procuring animals, but at last succeeded, and bidding farewell to all our kind friends, and the missionary brethren resident there, we left the city and bent our course to Rumla. Our animals proved miserable creatures, and one of our muleteers gave us the slip and returned, leaving us to make our journey as best we could. We had been informed at Jerusalem that we would not be permitted to enter Rumla; but supposed that we should arrive in season to consult with the consular agent, and obtain lodging in the old tower, or some place in the vicinity. Our mules were so intolerably bad, however, that it was dark when we approached Rumla. To our frequent inquiries of the muleteer, as to where he was taking us, we received the reply, "to the water," and supposing that we would halt at some watering place near the town, we allowed him to proceed. Finding from the length of the way that we must be taking the road to Jaffa, we insisted on coming to an understanding of the matter. He had no idea of stopping, but intended to land us safe at Jaffa that night; after a great deal of noise on both sides we prevailed on him to halt. He took us under an olive-tree near by, saying, what he supposed was true, that if he took us to the town they would cut his head off. Angelo set off immediately, to see if he could gain admittance within the town. The children, worn out with the fatigue of the journey, had lost all patience, and were crying for their suppers. I seated them on the ground and began to search about in the dark for the remains of our luncheon, which there was much reason to fear the muleteer and his boy had eaten. Presently Mrs. P. began to shake with an ague fit, and called out to me that she should die with the cold if relief was not soon obtained. I had procured some wine at Jerusalem, which I was taking home as a sample of the wines of Palestine; and thinking this was a time, if ever, when its use would be justifiable, I succeeded in disengaging a bottle from our baggage and administered a quantity of it to those "who were ready to perish." Drawing a small carpet