1 mi voi take us and our ban he summit of Mount Thaber. mikeyb

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Reni*; and then, having learnt there that three hours and a half would take us and our baggage to the summit of Mount Thabor, unlikely though we thought it, we determined to set forth. The ride was very pretty through the same sort of scenery as that which we had traversed in the morning; but when we had ascended about twothirds of the mountain, it became obvious that the taking up the heavy baggage and tents by that path was out of the question, and the more so that we were particularly anxious, on account of the exceedingly heavy dews, to pitch our tents before sunset, to dry them. We countermanded, therefore, the heavy baggage, and giving orders to pitch at the foot of the mountain, we ourselves went up to the top, and a most laborious ascent it was. The view is enormous in point of extent, embracing the whole plain of Esdraelon, Mount Hermon, and the lake of Tiberias, but I did not think it upon the whole a picturesque one. We did not get down to our encampment till half-past six, pretty considerably tired and exhausted for want of food. At the top of the mountain, Mr. Catafogo, the Austrian Consul, frequently encamps, and there certainly is a delightful place for an

* A question subsequently arose as to whether this place was not the ancient Cana of Galilee. Lord Lindsay, I believe, thinks that they are identical. Our guide Assaad, however, says not, and he is sufficiently acquainted with his native country to induce me to give credit to him rather than to any other person. According to him, Cana is at no great distance from Reni.