CHAPTER II.

A Turkish entertainment-Moslem fanaticism-Dancing Dervishes-Caravans - Turkish coasters-Pilgrims to Mecca - Boshneck, the Arnout · Arab marauders Nabal's retreat-Wilderness of Maon-Adventure in a cavern-Skirmish with Arabs-David's hiding-place.

BEFORE leaving Gaza, I witnessed the celebration of the feast of the "Beiram;" which, owing to the great sufferings the abstemious Turks had been undergoing during their long and tedious fast, which had this time fallen at the very hottest season of the year, was celebrated with more than ordinary festivities. The Nazir of the quarantine entertained us at a banquet he gave to the local authorities. The amusements of the day commenced with wrestling, which was kept up by the

soldiers of the infantry detachment stationed at the Lazaretto. Some of these were the most uncouth looking beings I ever set eyes on, but they were possessed of great muscular strength and surprising agility, so much so that I imagine they might well nigh prove a match for the far-famed "Pilewans," of India. Horse and foot races followed, and then dinner was served on a most gigantic scale-whole sheep stuffed with rice, raisins, almonds, and innumerable spices-ducks stewed with olives, salads dressed with curdled milk, and highly flavoured with garlic; "buckalowa," and other Turkish sweetmeats; and last, though by no means least, a monster pillauff, that made two men stagger under its weight. French wines and liqueurs were freely circulated amongst such of the party, as thought fit to dispense with the injunctions of the Koran on this score. A band of Arab musicians kept up an incessant nasal drone, and executed, amongst other popular airs, a Turkish version, of "Malbrooke," a tune now universally known in the East.

After this fatiguing performance I was rather startled to see three or four ferocious looking Dervishes enter the room, armed with formidable

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looking spikes and swords, their long matted hair streaming down their backs-long grisly beards, and such eyes-eyes that would do credit to the most malignant lunatic. The doctor and myself thought it best to withdraw, as a religious ceremony was now about to be performed, and there was no telling to what extent their zeal and fanaticism might carry them, as they would think the act of impaling a Christian, or playfully thrusting him through with a spear, highly commendable, if not an imperative duty. From the doctor's apartment we could see all that was going on without being inconveniently near. dervish danced with a drawn sword in his hand, while the three others chaunted some unintelligible stuff, to which they kept time by nodding their heads like Chinese Mandarins. As the dirge grew more animated, so did the movements of the dancing dervishes, till the shouting of the vocalists, and the frenzy of these holy fanatics reached such a pitch of excitement, that they at length lost all command over their voices, and took to foaming and spitting at each other like belligerent cats over a fish's head. All sounds now gradually died away, and the whole party were stretched full

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length on the floor in a state of utter exhaustion. Large glasses of rose water were sprinkled over them by the assembled Moslems, and they finally took themselves off, laden with the donations of the pious fanatics who had witnessed their performance.

This entertainment must have cost our host a good round sum, but it is a festival that comes but once a year; and besides his salary, which is a very decent one, the benefits resulting from the monopoly of the duty on salt, exported into Palestine from El Arish and the Egyptian territories, are divided between himself and the doctor, they having purchased the monopoly from the Government. Many thousand camels laden with salt pass annually by Gaza during the summer and autumn months. All caravans, whether consisting of mules, horses or camels, are compelled to perform their quarantine close to the seashore, where they bivouac as best they may, and under the eagle eye of a host of guardians broil out their time on the scorching hot sand, meagrely shaded at intervals of the day by the scanty foliage of a few scattered palm-trees. I believe the holding ground for shipping to be good and

secure, in the roads of Gaza, during July, August and September, but even then they should be prepared to slip at a moment's warning, as this place, like all the ports on the coast of Palestine and Syria, is occasionally subjected to sudden and violent gales of winds in summer, which give but little warning of their proximity, and commit sad havoc amongst the shipping. The reises, or masters, of the small Arab trading vessels and boats on the coast are well acquainted with every varying sign of a change of weather, and hold their anchorage, or launch out into the deep accordingly; but even they are sometimes deceived, as occurred at Jaffa in November, 1850, when a sudden gale of wind wrecked three vessels and every Greek and native craft in the harbour.

The annual pilgrimage of devotees to Mecca are furnished by the villages and towns through which they pass with provisions and fodder for man and beast. This voluntary contribution falls rather heavily upon Gaza, Jerusalem, and Hebron, as, after leaving these towns, the 'hadji,' or pilgrims, do not fall in with any cultivated grounds or inhabited towns or villages for many a day's journey; hence the supply of necessaries is greater than that which is