(new Book) Tues ap 24 1900 Left Jerusalem at 2 afte r a hot morning of packing and rode to Jericho in a dust-storm with Dr R and Nina, arriving at 7. We have Hanna, Musa and Hassan with us, a cook of Dr. R's Costanzi and 5 mules. Met a Mr. Forder at Jericho, a bounder but awfully learned a bout this country. Wed 25. Off at 5, Bridge 6.30, Kabur Nimr 8, leaving the Wady Nimrin at 9, Kasr where the Numur (the ruling family of the 'Adwan) keep their corn, we mounted up the Arahib with glimpses into the Wad y Kefrein till we came out onto a col looking down into the Wady Sir. In the Ghor I eat of the Sidr of Dom fruits, like cherries in size but not in taste, and saw the Sheha plant from which alkali is made. The Belka country is cal led the Shefa. Lunched by the stream at 1 under oleanders, slept and photographed. There is a little village here inhabited by the Abbad. Explored the caves. This is the inscription on one of them The castle must have been splendid. Its situation is most lovely with the deep valley running down into the W. Kefrein in front and the ..... crowned hills behind. Excellent dinner all very happy. Bathed in a horrible place full of oleanders and thorns. Enormous quanti ties of thistles and hollyhocks. Carved lions on the enormous stones of the pan de[?] of the palace. They have an edging with the Jerusalem wall stones. Saw the balustrade stones with holes in them. Thurs 26. Up at 5 and after breakfast ro de down and photographed the lions on the palace-It was quite cold till the sun rose. All off at 6.30 and up the Wady es Sir, extremely lovely with lots of oak (fash) and also balut, corn fields anda fine cave up above with windows. Passe d an encampment of Abbad (Ababid in the plural) and many mills with acqueducts leading to them, some ruined some working. About 8 we reached Es Sir a Circassian village, beautifully clean and tidy, from whence a good road lead over the hill top to the Zeka valley (Jebbeh). We reached Es Sir at 8 and Amman at 10.30 and camped by the stream under the theatre. We promptly lunched, paid a visit to some Circassain ladies, the 2 wives of one man, slept and at 2.3 0, I went off with a friendly dwarf called Eudris to see the lower ruins-a bridge, thermae, upper bridge, and basilica. A small boy had stolen my crop-I found him and boxed his ears. Got my crop back. Near us is the Odeon with som e charming elaborate cornices inside. I came back and had tea and went with the Rs up to the Acropolis passing a lovely bit of a mausoleum and some pillars of a temple. The top crowned with walls and ruins which the Circassians are carrying away piecemeal. A temple with the bases of the columns in situ, many bits, a more modern corner fort on the wall-a lovely 4 domed building beautifully niched and carved inside. Many stories of treasure were told us. Came d own by a nice path along the hillside, visited the other ruins again drank coffee with a man in the street and so home. Cold night. Fri 27 Off at 6.15, the friendly dwarf, Eudris for our guide down the stream and a little way then up the left over the corn covered plateaux belonging to the Beni Hassan and the Adwan. At 8.30 we got to Vajuz in a valley full of terebrinths and here we found a M. Charc ot established by the Ras el Ain where there are many Roman ruins under great terebrinths which have grown in through them and also many tombs of the Nimr Adwani. We stayed an hour, rode on round the cup shaped plain of Beka'a with the wooded hills of Salt behind. We lunched under a Terebrinth on the hill top with the wooded Ajlun hills to the north and hills of Samaria opposite. The friendly dwarf left us at Vajuz and we had a Bedouin, one of the Beni Hassan. We rode then down a long valley till we came to a side valley leading to Ramman and looked down into the Zerka-We got down at 3.30 and pitched our camp by the wate r and oleanders. Very hot. We all bathed. Lots of fireflies at night. Sat 28. Bathed before breakfast and got off at 6.35. Rode upwards through endless cornfields with Circassians cook ing in them and occasionally met their little wooden carts with the solid wooden wheels loading grass. Balut, fash (oak) Za'rur sarris (I don't know what this is, it looked like sloes) growing in the fields. About 8 we came in sight of the great ruins of Jerash and rode through the Triumphal arch at the S end of the town. Came down into the Circassian village on the E. bank and rode through it till we found a charming camping ground at the N. end. Gardens of vegetables vines, mishmush,fuchia[?] boz and joz bordered the stream. Walked out again and photographed all...... town-the ruined town. The great line of the outer wall is clearly traceable on either bank of the stream as high up on one as on the other. At the propyleum of the Temple of the Sun, on the heaps of debris, I noticed some fluted columns. The bridge leading to the Temple is fallen but lower one, one can still walk over in part of the pavement remains. There is a charming little building near the Propylaea with very pretty niches and cornices. The Temple is very fine, but I should think it must have had too many columns round it when they were all standing. On the Triumphal Arch the columns rise out of carved bases that look like capitals-ugly. The best and simplest thing must have been the Southern Temple. The theatres are also fine. At the N. end of the columned street the columns are all Ionic, as are those in the circle-precious bad too. On these there were ....left, possibly for the builders to handle them. Another had its in a niche in the S. Temple. The capitals of the Temple of the Sun were almost too elaborate, the acanthus leaves sticking right out. Birds nested in them. Two great Bade Anstalt .... The east one overgrown with fruit trees. A couple of exquisite little columns near it and a spring. Sarcophagi used all over as water troughs at the springs. Th ey had a wreath carved in the middle and at either end this . At the N end was a small city gate with a mill stream flowing through it and a large square enclosure higher up, strongly walled. I slept after lunch, then we had tea about 4 after which Dr. R and I went a second time all over the ruins. I bathed in a garden near a pergola of vines. The road from Salt to Mezeirib was made for the Emperor. Sun 29. We got off at 6.35 and rode up and down wooded valleys as usual until we came out onto the wide-stretching plains of the Hauran covered with corn. Passed by Na'mireh in which there are ma ny Christians-so To El Husn at 11.30 where we lunched in the house of a Greek priest who with his sister, was most civil, and gave us laban and butter. All the women of the town came in to see us. One pretty woman from Damascus was q uite ** . On again over the corn fields and got to Irbid about 2.30 or 3. Pitched our tents on the hill behind the Seraia, the Cyclopean wall round us and a big pool and wall below. Walked out into the town and saw some Greek and Roman inscriptions, Roman wall and a very miserable looking Sukhur Arabs. Bought Roman glass. Held a reception of all the ladies in the town, they were mostly from Damascus, some were very pretty. Did our final accounts and settl ed up. **the.... & the .... stadterai** Mon 30. Up at 6.30. Hermon shining in all its snow, the Jebel Druze to the East and the Samaria mts to the west. Turned out the ladies who again wanted to visit us and breakfasted in front of Hermon. Said goodbye and parted very sorrowfully at 8.30. Through endless cor nfields to Remtheh, passing Husara on the left. Remthek is on the Haj road and has a mosque. It lies on a tell. All round it they were cutting grass and loading it onto camels. Crossed the Haj road. We now came to a low line of hills on which crowds of camels were grazing. This is the Anazeh country, we have left the Hawarni behind. We got to Deraa at 2 after lunching in the sun on the hills. Hanna very bad with a heavy cold. Lots of camels carrying in t he barley, here ripe. All the buildings of black stone. Lots of Roman stones built into them. We went down to the Ain, waited nearly an hour in the sun and the dust watching the camels and the people. Rode back to look for the mules and found our tents already pitched near the Seraia under a big cemetery in sight of Hermon and the Jebel Druze. Slept and had tea and made a vain attempt to get into the underground town with people who didn't know the way. Went to see a Mazar of Sheikh Wasan and here there were some Ionic columns and inscriptions built into a souk. Then the Kaimakam's secretary came to see me and left me a soldier, Mahmud. Tuesday May 1. The Kaimakam sent me down a soldier as Khayyab. I went with him over the baths, up to the Seraia where I thanked the K.-for nothing! He was in his nightgown. Then came some bargaining for glass which had to be conducted secretly[?], and I was off at 7.30 over the corn covered plain. Passed Umm el Muiyadin on the right and rode through the Taiyibeh where we watered our horses at a big pool. They seem always to keep their water in open birkets here. A fineRoman bridge on the E of the town. Left the mules and turned off to the north to Jizeh where I saw the first real stone house, 4 square with a little cornice running round near the top, a stone door , an arch in the middle of the house, supporting stone rafters. Stone corbels stick out to meet them (these are carved prettily and carved with acanthus leaves at the corners.) No window. Another bigger and more ruined had been turned into a mosque... stone rafters. Lunched here & rode on to Ghusan where I saw a fine stone door leading into a courtyard and some perforated windows built into the walls. From here we follow-ed the R. road, seeing Bosrah in front o f us, black and imposing. The castle andTriumphal Arch stood out finely. Got there at 4. I hurried off to photograph the arch. Walked over the heaps of ruins to the Carrefour where I photographed another arch, then 4 columns and the tem ple. Here the Ma'mur appeared upon the scene and took me to the Mosque of Omar, where we ascended the minaret and looked over all the ruins and the square towers. To the west is a mazar mosque called El Khudr, to the east a big churc h to which we went. The road passes under some arches. We saw the ruined baths in which is the Maamur's house. The ... have risen so much often that they come up to the capitals of the columns, so the arcade outside the Mosque of Omar . Went into many houses and saw columns, capitals, perforated windows built into the walls. To the north of the church is another on the wall, to the south an enormous church with people living all inside it. Near here is anoth er big ruined building with the columns of the doorway standing. We went to the great birket full of water on the SE end of the town and entered a mosque at the E end. It had a ruined fountain near it. Then up to the top of the Kalaa where I was introduced to the Rais el Askari, given coffee and cigarettes on the road, arak and water inside. So home to dinner and bed. A little new moon. Wed 2. Up at 6. The Maamur came at 8 and we went down to the Mudir's where unsatisfactory negotiations about my jou rney began. Rode with the Maamur to el Khurbet, northwards, crossing a very fine Roman bridge and then E to Jemerrin where I saw some beautiful ruined houses. One was 2 stories high, the under room alone roofed, with stones, and with carved corbels and shell shaped ornaments in the corners. Another had an ornament of vines over the lintel and a stable with some 20 stone mangers. So back at 11 and I rushed up to the castle and photographed the theatre insi de it. It is a labyrinth of galleries, stairs and rooms. The Maamur and the Rais their eyes blackened with kohl came to call after lunch and while they were with me, a Druze Sheikh was hanging around,but we couldnt enter into negotiations w ith him. A Bedouin boy also offered his services for further east. After I had written letters I walked out into the town alone and over the roofs to the church at NE corner which is an interesting many roomed place, each sepa rate room having been converted into a mosque, stone windows and doors. From thence to El Khudr which is remarkably complete as to doors and windows and go home to tea. After which I went up to the castle and was taken by the Maamur i nto the Rais's room where I found him being shaved without embarrassment. I sat and drunk coffee, arak and water, while the Maamur was also shaved by an orderly. We then talked out and about the town and visited the Khudr again and went into the Mazar. Home by the outside of the Kalaa where there are some very big stones and parted with many promises for the morrow! The Mudir had not come, I dined early and about 8 heard his voice daying Wain rahat as sit t. I blew out my candle and told Hannah to say I had gone to bed. I heard the conversation ending with the Mudir's saying I was to let him know before I went any where. This made me alter my plans and I decided to go straight to 'A ry ['Areh?] both because my way lay pastJemurrin and because the Mudir might send me to Salkhad. So to bed. But not to sleep much for the mules were seized with panics in the night and my horse also ran off twice with much noise. Thur 3. But I was asleep at 2 when H woke me. It was starry and very cold. By 3 I had breakfasted and the packing began. I feared for the light of the lantern and walked to and fro shivering with cold.By 4 the east had whitened it was very dark and we set off round the Birket. It was an endless way along the E wall and we kept losing it: As we reached the NE church the east turned pink, but we couldn't see Jemurrin because it was straight in the light. We nearly turned off too much to the W twice but at last we saw it. The clouds had turned yellow and as we passed Jemurrin the sun rose. We c rossed the stream by the Roman bridge and so up and up long slopes of corn in full view of Busrah. The first village Deir Zuber turned out to be only a ruin but there was a Druze in the fields who put us into the way. We crossed the top of the slope, and saw Mujaimir ahead. Atthe foot of its slope was a pond[?] with people round it* women all very lovely in their charming clothes. **horse and a beautiful boy, Nasr ed Din came up to me, kissed me on both cheeks and took my hand. All the friendly people stood round looking at me & white turbans appeared on the roofs. I asked Ned Din to show us the way, he refused, but presently came running after me as we chemin.. through the pleasant green country. Fig trees corn and vines and lilies seeding poppies flowering. The muleteers singing. About 8 or so we reached 'Areh. Some people were standing by the road Isaluted them and they asked me to drink coffeeHammad Hamid took me by the little finge rand led me into the nearest house where they placed me on cushions and all sat round on the matted floor while Mahmud Rathwan made coffee.ARABIC Great delight when I told them I was English. HH sat with his hand on my shoulder. I told my tale, HH sat with his hand on my shoulder. I told my tale. HH stopping me to say to the others Listen to what she says-so & so. They asked me about th e war most intelligently and about the Queen and for a verse out of the Bible and then I asked to see the Sheikh. The said he was Yahya Bey the head of all the Druzes. He has been 5 years imprisoned in Damascus and has returned 3 weeks ago. As we went up to his house HH warned me to be polite. We found him eating. He beckoned me in to and I was very glad to eat something. Then we sat on the floor and I told him my adventures, he assuring me there was no ..... here and that I might go where I pleased. He is a grand seigneur. His elder brother Shibly Beg is still in prison. A white bearded man Salim Najib talked of the Burtons and finally suggested I should photograph the Beg. W e went out to look at the new buildings he is making which he showed me with great pride-not bad at all, all stone like the old work with carvings old and new-so up to a lovely verandah where I photographed him. We then parted and I w ent with HH and MR to a water meadow where we found my beasts grazing and so with N ed Din and one Ali to Habran up a pleasant grassy country, corn & ... & gass and balut on the topof the hill. Wearrived at a charming *** at 12.30-Kulei b to the north and Habran standing up to the W. On the way we had met gaily dressed people coming down to congrat- ulate the Beg. Lunched and slept and walked about the ... with N ed Din. Had coffee with the Sheikh, entertained an o ld party in my tent, swam in the pond in the stars and new moonlight and so to bed. There is a ruined temple standing out on the extreme S point, quite ruined, A greek inscription on a long stone broken in two. There are several tolerab ly complete old houses, the Khabrek being the best......... also to the W. A Masar to the SE also very perfect with a stone door. The women carry their water in lovely ja ..... they are all most polite "Yallah?" says N ed Din every tim e I speak to him and a short lovely.[?] * Druze men &/** I dismounted to water my/*** M...by a big pond[?] Fri 4 Up at 6, went up to the Sheikh's house and had a second breakfast of bread sweetened milk and leban. Sent the mules and 'Ali to Kuriyeh while Hannah N ed Din and I rode to Salkhad. At first through little hills and cornfields. Arabs pasturing sheep and camel-some of them belong to the Druzes and the Arabs are just shepherds for the m. Poppies, pheasants' eye daisies ranunculus. Got to El Kaseir, a round castle perched up on a tell, and then on to Ayun across water meadows of lovely grass and the flowering reed. Ayun quite deserted but the houses more than half-s tanding. A lovely stream by it and a square tower in the middle. These houses have curious rows of niches inside. There is a mayar and at [?]lot of women and children from Orman here visiting it-too pretty. I went in to a very well preserved house with stone windows and doors. N ed D said there was a bi'r under the stone * inside it. They had killed a sheep in its honour. So onto Salkhad which we reached at 7.30. The castle is very fine, built in the crater of a v olcano. In the moat is a broken lintel carved with the usual vine pattern pretty bad. Lions on the walls high up. The rock is banked up finely with sloping masonry. Inside it is very ruined. A greatinscription over the door and some broke n capitals inside. Various passages and rooms and 2 birkets. Fine cornices round the top. The Hahweh is an interesting house. It has good windows and a bad vine carving over the door. A hexagonal tower broken at the top and a companile with an Arabic inscription round.** The Rasif running straight to Bosrah and straight SE to the desert. Little volcanic hills then... Rode on at 2 and reached Kureiyeh at 4.30, passingMuneithereh a village without a tower. A house with a fine stone door, solid windows. Great herds of camels white .... An enormous crowd round my tent, 2 little sons of the Sheikh ( *** ) ... be autiful and good mannered who bade me welcome. After tea I came out and found 2 little daughters of the Sheikh very pretty who took me up to their house where I had coffee with a lot of women Lovely straw dishes,but too great a crowd. The little boys kept them off. The Sheikh has 5 children. Walked back past the interesting birdet lined with fine masonry, a raised place with 3 rows of pillars standing on the steps supporting a roof. A ruined church behin d. The old work is extraordinarily solidhere. There came to my tent the schoolmaster, a Beyrouti Christian having a little French. Lots of Christians here and in Salkhad. My drinking water thick..*erection?/**The view into the plain lov ely/***The Bey is his paternal uncle'Am Sat 5. A Christian woman sent me a good dish of bread and cream for breakfast. I was up at 6.Scirroco.Walked about the town.Lots of very solid houses and Greekinscriptions. The Mazar interesting, a c olumned room used as school with a solid stone window. All the children sitting on the floor. The little domed Mazar next to it. Off at 7.30 with Ne d Din and the others going straight to el Kafr, At first over the stony country , ruined .... , to Huzhuz, quite ruined on a tell wild r...flowering* said N ed D Early corn here but lots of locusts. Then to a spring where we watered our horses. A finch before us. On the way we met a Shami going to Suweideh who was very pleasant. On from the spring to Seweh, not mentioned in the map through corn. Here lives N ed D's father Saleh. I eat with them under a mulberrytree. Then walked up and saw the Halweh, a fine house. Near it a lintel with 2 broken he ads and ** . The Sheikh's wife took me into her house, very lovely and clean. I then went to see the Sheikh, N ed Din's uncle. Sat with him a little. Back to N ed D's house where I lunched on poached eggs milk and bread and bought 2 gowns from his cousin's wife. So on at 12.30 up charming country with balut in flower za'rur to El Kafr which I reached at 1.15, H had gone to shop in Suweideh. The young handsome Sheikh's son paid me visit and then I had tea and wrote. Kuleib just to the N of me. I then went up to return the call and after I had sat with them a little, the old Sheikh came in. He had been to see the Bey who asked after me. I then went with his son to see the big Halaseh and so through the town which had many halas[?] and to the[?] big Khalweh and so up to the Husn where there was another Khalweh built on the highest rock with a fine nabi' beneath of excellent water. Habran a mile or so away. After dinner t he young sheikh came to call again and I arranged with him all about my going to the Jamaieh.* by the Arabs **a good pattern round Sun 6. Off at 7.30 leaving the mules and Ali to go straight to Busan. H, N ed D and I rode round the foot of Kuleib through pleasant pastures and then round Tell el Jeineh from which the Turks have made a watercourse to bring the water of the spring to Suweideh. Dull country, very stony, lots of grass, a few Arabs with camels. Got to Salah at 11.30, Wide stately ruins and I think 2 churches. Very solid building. A good spring and some fields with willows in them by which I lunched. Cold and windy. A young handsome Sheikh came to bid me welcome.He went straight from here to Busan.We took a more... road and went to Mushennef crossing the mules on the way. Cold and windy, a dull plateau and when it broke one could not see the desert becau se it was too misty. Mushenef was worth seeing however. The Temple lovely and all the building very massive. A second tomb below the temple tomb. Sheikh Ahmed gave me a meal and showed me an idol! The houses seem all to be built with basements. He said there was a sort of underground town. I also saw a troglodyte cave on the S of the town. Left at 4 and in soon after 5. Cold and tired so I put off sightseeing. Mon 7. Very cold and the hills wrapt in mist. I therefore decided to go straight to Kanawat. Went round the town which is full of fine houses. Staircases, a bath room, a mazar to the Prophet. Left at 8.30, very cold over the hills. Mists. Down a long valley to Kanawat passing Si'a on the left and arrived at 12. Lunched in the Mazar of Job in the big temple and pitched my tent just outside it. Beautiful vine carving on the doorway. Walked all over the town. A very perfect square tower to the S. Lots of .... houses, the best in themiddle of the town which I take to have been the seraia. Paved streets in the Halas ..... Saw the theatre, the thermae, the Kasr and the round tower by it Came back at 3 when it began to rain in heavy showers. Slept and read and wrote. Cold and bored. Tues 8. The day dawned well, but the clouds blew over and I determined not to go to Jeineh. Rode a hireling, with N ed D on his mare up to Si'a - all ruined. A group of temples with a paved court, a ruined arch and a paved street leading down from it. Lots of carved stones, ivy and vine chiefly. Not very good, I thought, shallow carving. Capitals of al l kinds. One stone with a togaed figure on it the face broken away, the carving poor.From thence we rode to Auz,entirely ruined and so over the oak wooded hill from the top of which I saw Suweidah quite close, past Masahib, ruins by grea t cisterns full of water and weed.Passedlots of square towers. So to 'Ateel where there are 2 temples and lunched there with the Sheik After which I paid a visit on his wife and bought a necklace. Then back home about 2.30 and did my pho tographing. The Sheikh Yusef ibn Hassan al Hajir Ibrahim came to see me and I received him in the temple. Then a charming old gentleman 'Ali el Kadi sat with me some time and told me wonderful stories about the desert & quicksands in it. Then returned. Sheikh Yusef with a long explanation of why he hadn't told me about the Jam'ayeh and we exchanged addresses. Paid off N ed Din who did not shine in the transaction. Wed 9. Went to drink a cup of tea with Sheikh 'Ali el Kadi. Found him not ready and examined the Khalweh hard by. Lots of old carving built into it-key pattern with birds heads between-baddish. Also a broken lintel on which an elaborate carving had been which they said a Consul had broken! The tea extended itself into lots of strange foods. Sheikh Ali consulted me as to whether he should boil the water and the milk together and was much surprised that I didn't take sugar. .... with Suleiman, the old man who lived in the temple as to tips. Parted wiuth him and N ed D and rode off with Hanna down the tree clad hill. Hermon too lovely. Passed the ruins of a big monastery on the right. Caught up the mules & Ali. hurried down into the plain to Suleim. Very lovely temple. Bargained for necklaces. The Sheikh's house is interesting, a beautiful carved door in situ, but als o in shadow. Off with Hannah past Markub where there seemed to be lots of old stones. From there turned up to the E between the main hills and a little volcano the name of which is Ghawara, at the foot of it lies Shahba. Beyond are s ome rocky volcanic mounds called Tell el Jamel. Stopped to photograph a Roman gate below which the Druzes entrenched themselves in the battle. It was spotted with bullets. Rode on to a second gate and into the town paved street, very brittle for the animals. Past the bath and to the Carrefour where there were the pediments of pillars and down another paved street which led to the E gate and the birket where we camped. Got in at 11.40 and lunched and slept. Tired and cross. Walked all over the town -temple, theatre, circus, ruins of a mosque but all lived in and disfigured. Bargained for ...., which I got, thanks to Hannah. Nearly closed with the Sheikh for a buckle worth nothing, to Hannah's indignation. Sent 'Ali to Um ez Zeitum to ask the Sheikh Abu Tallal about the jamar'eh. There is one tomorrow and he will pick me up on his w ay. Thurs 10. I got up early to be ready for him, the Sheikh of the town paid me a call and assured me I might go, but by 8 , Abu Tallal had'nt appeared. I decided to set off alone, but there cam a khazyul from Suweidah to say there was nothing today. which I believe was only to prevent my going. I therefore packed and set off to Damascus. When we passed the Ghar arah I met Abu Tullal and sent messages to Yahya Bey, I now saw the Legation before me, but with some regret turned away from it and went straight north, not even going down into Umm ez Zeitun. I paid Ali and sent him off and we followe d along the Luhf whish is lined with villages. .... the corn in the volcanic rock. I could see trees and tiny volcanoes in it. Lunched at El Hadr, under a fig tree, an agreeable gentleman from Damascus entertaining me the while. Easy going. Got into Sawarat el Kebireh at 4.15 barely 7 hours and camped outside the town by the pond. They all came to visit me, the Sheikh's cousin had been our muleteer to Neby Musa. SHeikh Ibrahim was a dear, very tall and beautiful, but with consumption. A one eyed gentleman had been imprisoned 5 years at Ismid. Went to his house - his wife talked a little German. Ruins of a church and lots of Halas, the village in very good repair. Then to the Sheikh' s house - lovely view from his roof. His room very well furnished with lots of carpets. So home and swam in the pond, but I think there were leeches in it. Fri 11. The Sheikh came in the night and left 3 men to guard to my tent. Up at 4 and off at 6 just as the sun had risen (my watch I afterwards found was 3/4 of an hour fast) Soon after an hour's ri de got to Burak and passed between the barracks without remark. A Druze from el Kafr, Hammad, had joined our party. Very long ride across the plains of corn to Biar the first grey and white village. Then an endless way past Deir A li and Medjidiyeh to a Khan where I lunched, it being then 12, in a vineyard under mishmush trees. Slept a little and off at 1. Caught up the mules and rode on to Kesweh we watered at the Nahr el Awaj. I was now on the Haj road. Will ows and poplars. Left my people and rode on over the Jebel el Aswad and at a turn of the road Damascus in its gardens below me. It was 4 before I entered the straggling maidan. Drank lemonade, ate oranges and ices as I wait . Got to my hotel (Victoria) at 5 and went straight to the German Consulate to get my box[?] and letters. Luttiche away, saw his secretary M. Asfar. Washed, dined and went off to see the Richards driving through the wonderful D amascus streets at night was too delightful. He was ill in bed. I saw her (whom I don't like) and two nice woment staying with her. She gave me papers and telegrams. Suffering from sandfly bites! Sat 12. Went to the German Consulate and consulted about my journey. Shopped and lunched at the English COnsulate. Came home to talk over my journey with a German kavass and then paid a call on Mme Luttiche. Their house is most lovely. Home to tea and to do my accounts with m y servants and early to bed. Rather a nice Greek woman to whom I talked. Very hot. Sun 13. Drove round the walls, not parti cularly interesting. Saw a lovely house, Dar es Shammiyeh in the Xian quarter and talked to its proprietor. Also a Jew house, Dar es Shammar, not so good. Went into the Senanich[?] mosque.It has a lovely blue and green minaret a nd some goodish tiles inside. Saw the Khan Assad Pasha in the Derb el Mustahim[?]. Very lovely - black and white striped - 6 domes and 3 slanting roofs and a big fountain in the middle. Lunched with M. Asfar the Luttiches were there and the 2 daughters of the Director of the Ottoman Bank. Came home and slept. Had tea with Mrs. Richards in here garden and drove up to Salahiyeh from whence I had a lovely view of the town. A nice German, cosmopolitan at din ner. At 9 drove to Mrs. Asfar's house, found all the Luttiches including him, the bank Directors there and went to a Greek church wedding. Luttiche is a most delightful person. Mon 14. Went early to the German Consulate and got money. Talked to Luttiche and looked at maps. Shopped and back to lunch on my way met an English kavass with a note from Mrs. R. saying I could not have zaptiehs for tomorrow. At lunch was a very interesting young Metawih, Hussein el Haidar was I think his name, from Baalbek and a German, Burghardt, much travelled. Druze talk. H el H was the most Druze person I have yet met . it seems they have refused all Turkish offers unless Shibly and the others are released and are returning into the Lejah[?]. L. says there will be war in the autumn. He told me the tale of Shibly's imprisonment and of Yayha's, who was simply serving as a Turkish officer in Damascus, was seized and imprisoned for life, penal servitude. Rushed off to the E. Consulate to see Mrs. R. before she went out and so home to letter writing. The Luttiches came to pay me a farewell visit and while they were there my chief zaptieh 'Ali Shawwish arrived. Wrote letters, packed and tried a horse. Tues 15. Off at 9 after many struggles. 3 soldiers, Ali, Muhammad and Musa. We rode out of the Bab Tuma and through all the gardens, stopping at 10.30 to drink coffee and at 12 at the Khan Kusei r to lunch. From here we got onto the great plains with the Saffa before us and Dhumayr on the end of the Jebel Kos. Corn and desert but mostly desert. Stopped to water at the Kubbet el Asafir and then up over the hills. There was a well of .... water on top of the pass. At 4.30 saw Kuteifeh in the gardens below us. The road to Aleppo runs up ...... to the north past a Khan. Got down at 5 and camped near the beautiful spring by some vineyards. A hedge of flowering pom egranates behind me. there is a fine old khan here, half ruined and occupied by soldiers. Ali has been 4 times to Mecca. Muhammad is also a Hadji. Wed 16. Off at 5 with Ali to see about camels and rode through trees and water and corn to Jerud where we went to the house of Sheikh Ahmed. Got there about 7.30 waited till 9.30 for the mules who went by a different road. Sh. Ah. gave us mulberry[?] and coffee and then an excellent meal. Rode on to 'Atney the country getting barer, but one or two li ttle oases houses with trees and so to Nasariyeh.A... .... Kanat runs all the way. There are 2 Kanayits with water in them and maiden hair growing by its edge.A great stretch of salt under the hillsto the right. Nasariyeh is a new village belonging to the Sultan. There are no trees.Got there at 11.30 and lunched. Found the mules. The sun baking. Waited for the camels and to our horror found there was no corn to be got in Nasariyeh,Hannah, Yacoub rode back to 'Atneh an ho ur away. The camels came up and the process of loading the water skins on them began during the course of which I was called in to mend one.NB fill your skins before you.. them - ours all leakeda little - and see that the men fill the m and tie them up. This we did. H and Y returned and we were all off at 2.30. A large caravan of camels and merchants from Baghdad visiting here. They had been 2 months on the road. We marched across the wide desert plain between low hills for 2 1/2 hours then we pitched our camp it didn't much matter where. Muhammad Haji tells me that 8 days east of Salkhad are 2 places where the Druzes go to get salt, one of them is called Kaf and the other Etre[ARABIC]. A lovely night. Thurs 17. Up at 1.30 and off at 3.45. Beautiful dawn. The desert all full of white light till the sun rose. Passed a heap of ruins .... in 1 1/2 hours and a Khan in an hour more. Saw the position of houses over the hills to the N and a Jerboa and little else. The valley widened out, we crossed a low bit of rising ground and saw Karyatein before us 2 hou rs away. Lunched at 10 and off at 10.45. Got in at 1. Very cold in the morning and very hot after the sun rose. White flowered harmian, good for the eyes said 'Ali and Shunnan from which they make kallu, a kind of soap ARABIC. Slept for 2 hours and then went to see Fayah Agha[ARABIC]to whom L. had given me a letter. His house is full of inscriptions Palmyrene and stele from Palmyra, some very good. one supposed to be Zenobia. One I should think Xian, St. John the Ba ptist or the youn Christ carrying a lamb. The Agha friendly. familiar. 2 Americans returned from Palmyra, having given up a journey to Baghdad with a German because he would not march more than 3 hours a day! I should think for o ther reasons. They seemed ill fitted for travel. Went into the hareem and home to dinner. The Agha has 12 children, handsome lot. One son is studying in C'ple. Cloudy. hot. Fri 18. Breakfasted at 8. Met the Agha out walking. He took me to a garden of his where we sat under the trees. Talked politics. Then he took me to the house of his sister Umm es Suleim, she had jus t arrived from Jerud. Cloudy and warm but a cool air. I went back to lunch with the women at 11 and left at 12. The Agha did not lunch with us but his son Ahmed did. Handsome women. U es S returned with her narghileh directly she had finished. Slept and had tea. Our Ahmed came to guide us riding a dromedary, he was clothed in white. Off at 5.30 cloudy and heavy in the west and a few drops of rain. Rode through the gardens past a spring and empty cornfields, then out into the dark desert, Jebel el Batideh in front of us. Ain el Wu'ul was 7 hours from it. Very dark. We soon left all vestige of a path and went up and down over shallow Wadis and much stone. Ali Shawwish was taken very sick but we rode on. The moon rose at 10 and we could see our way in spite of cloud. Talked to Muhammad the soldier who is very intelligent and to M the Muleteer who had given his donkey to Hannah for a bit and mounted H's horse. He had been t o Palmyra this year with the .... who had travelled out to Smyrna with me.A little before midnight we passed the JebelB. The hills fell behind it, to the left always the gray and white desert with great pits of white earth here and there. Sat 19. At 3 the light began to come. Go t off and walked for an hour, Ahmed walking too. He gave me a round biscuit and as I had had nothing but a bit of chocolate and an orange I accepted it gratefully.At 5 the sun rose behind cloudsand showed us the line of pointed hills. At 5 Ahmed announced that he wasn't certain of the position of Ain el Wu'ul and left me with the camel and Muhammad the soldier while he ran off to the hills to look for it. The others came up, I eat a piece of bread - drank a cup of mi lk which had turned into butter and whey, slept. Hannah went off after Ahmed. At 6 we followed them and we had come a good bit too far. It was 7.15 before we had climbed up the rocky valley and reached the little pool of clear but wee d covered water. Lots of beasts in it. The mules had an awful business getting up the hill and arrived fearfully thirsty. I eat a little and went up to a little cave where I slept from 8 to 1 nearly. Came down and lunched and we wer e off at 3. The pastures & flowers must be lovely here at their moment[?] & the Arabs come in crowds. We rode along the hills till 7 and soon after sunset dropped down in the desert and dined and slept. Very cold wind. Sun 20. Woke at midnight, the moon had risen. I woke my people and we were off at 1. We soon struck away from the hills and got into a plain almost devoid of vegetation, only Hasman and a very littl e withered grass. At sunrise saw Kala'a of Palmyra far away. My horse and I very tired. Walked from 5.30 to 6.30. Our road lay between 2 low ranges of hills like an avenue running up to Palmyra. We got to the bottom of the sloping bank of * about 8 and soon found ourselvesamong the Tower Tombs. I have slept and dreamt I was asking one in a white robe where Solomon imprisoned the Jinn[?]. He said "In eternity of time and eternity of space." Then he brought me 2 little g lass bottles and said "One of these contains E of Time, the other E of space." My horse stopped and woke me. About 9 we got to the end of the col and looked over the Mother of Columns. We went down to the sulphur spring and watered o ur beasts then rode on to a little temple on the other side of the ruins where I determined to camp. Got there at 10 I eat some bread and dibis[?]and drank some milk. A very high wind scatteringthe sand over all I eat and drink. The S heilh Muhammad el Abdullah is away and I gave my letter to his brother Saleh el Abdullah who had come to see me. At 11.30 my tent was ready, at 12 I went to bed and slept till 2. Then got up and had some tea. The Mudir a Turk speaking very little Arabic, the head of the soldiers Rashid Beg, the Kady and Sheikh Salih came to call. About 5 I walked down into the town, or rather into the Temple of the Sun and strolled about, the little boys crowding round and comin g and asking for Bakhshish. The great columns peering out of the mud houses. The big west door and wall is new made almost entirely of bits of column. The triumphal arch at the end of the St of Columns is very elaborately carved. The side doors are double, the second lot twisting aside to the direction of the temple. The street also bends at the ... point. The stone has weathered to a lovely yellow which in sunset turns red almost. The desert lies beyond . *the cross range Mon 21. Very good night and breakfasted at 8. Set off with 'Ali, Ahmed a soldier the Mudir had sent me and explor ed all the town, photographed. The cella of the temple is almost perfect, a mosque in part of it. In the gardens palms, pomegranates flowering and all so rts of fruit trees but the wind mostly blows the fruit off before it ripens. The old parts of the outer wall have a considerable slope inwards. I then went down to the single monumental column. Afterwards by myself all over the ruins photographing. In at 12 to lunch. Not really hot and a cool wind. Read and wrote. off with Ahmed towards 8 to the top of the castle. On the way we examined a Tower tomb with a carved slab on it. the usual heads and ** at the top with shallow wavy bands and wreaths on it. Good climb up the rock and very fine view across the desert from the top. At 5.30 went and bathed in the Sulphur Spring, most delicious. ** this like[SKETCH] ornaments Tues 22. Up at 6 and before 8 off with Ahmed the soldier and Musa to visit tower tombs. Went into the Kasr el Arus on the Sultany. Basement with tombs, then a very splendid chamber 20 ft high or more with pilasters separating the shelves of loculi and carvings much defaced the head and bust of the tomb owners on big slabs. The ceiling carved and painted. 4 heads at each end and all over the rest painted and carved dia monds, Tudor sort of work. The middle had fallen in. Went up into the first story but could get no higher. A cornice round the top outside. Near it the Kasr Ukkt el 'Arus much more roughly built. Nothing but plain chambers up and windin g stair inside. The best and finest built of the tombs have completely fallen...... to Kasr el Ghoul also with a fine carved chamber and a roof covered with birds, dancing cupids, heads. The blue had held and a sort of pale flesh c olour. Near this is a fine tomb of squared stones quite fallen. Lots of carving on them. Then to the Zeimeh where we went into a cave underground. One part of it all frescoes, 2 full length figures of women carrying a child and th e rest heads of men, women, Byzantine, with a winged figure resting on a globe and supporting the dish in which the head was painted. The women wore a flat sort of Tarbush and a veil over it. Another division of the cave contained g reat carved tombs, all the heads broken off. So home soon after 11. Very hot. Out again at 4 and into the town. Then rode down to the Hammam and bathed. Delicious evening. Wed 23. Off at 5. Windy and very cold till 9. Stormy sunrise. At the Ain Abu Fouaris, met the merchant Muhammad of the 'Agail [ARABIC] and his people with camels which they were taking to Damascu s. Also some Baghdadis with them Drank coffee and camel's milk and eat dates and all off together. 5 camel riders and my soldiers and their soldiers and I. So I met Miss Blount and Miss driving to Palmyra with their dragoman on the box[? ] and stopped to talk to them. Got to 'Ain el Baida at 11.30, very hot. Had my tents put up lunched and slept. Watched the 'Agail drawing water for their camels. Thurs 24. Off at 5.30, mules not ready. The 'Agail were off at 5, Sh Muhammad carrying two waterskins for me. About 9 caught them up making coffee and baking bread. They eat awfully little. Got to K asr el Khair at 12 and then found that Muhammad's skins were empty and Jacoub had refused to carry his 2 so we hadn't enough water to stop in the desert. On to Wady el Kebir (1-2.24) and decided to ride straight in to Karyatein leaving th e 'Agail, Muhammad, Ahmed and I got in at 6 and established ourselves in the garden of Abdullah el Houry. Hannah and Musa arrived at 6 and the mules came in at 9.30. Tired, not very fit. Fri 25. Woke at 8, headachy and tired. After breakfast the Agha paid me a long visit and then I sent for Sheikh Muhamma d and had a talk with him. Slept after lunch. Photographed the Baidar, called on the Mu'allim, Suleiman Jabur, and on the Agha who showed me a whole heap of stele from Palmyra. Sat 26. Off at 5 or soon after with Musa and Ali and Ahmed and rode 3 1/2 hours to the Hammam where the hotair comes out of the ground. Near it is another hole called Abu Rubbah. An hour brought us to Rundus where we lunched. 2 1/2 hours to Hawary and 1/2 an hour more to Mahin where I found my tents and 20 or 30 tents of the Hasineh [ARABIC] with their Sheikh Muhammad. I dined with them. Rubaba, square hole for fire, coffee roa sting spoon, white coffee. Sheikh's tentdivided into 2 by a partition for the Hareem. Sun 27. Off at 6.15. Hasineh camels cove ring the plain on their way to Homs. Got to Deir Atiyeh at 12, lunched. On at 1. Nebk at 2.45, Yabrud at 4.15. Great black clouds over the mountains and we had some rain. Mon 28. Off at 6 and rode to Ma'alulu 10. Stayed till 1. Lovely village under the cliffs. 2 narrow ... leading up to the Catholic monastery. Stayed an hour or more in the Deir er Rum, char ming people. The old mazar in a cave, with a marble floor. An old chapel in the other ...... The people here and in Bukha'a and in Jubb 'Adin speak the old Syrian of Christ's time, but do not read or write it. Reached Akanbir about 5 and found my tents there. Nasty little place. Tues 29. Off at 5.30 and reached Saidnay a in 2 hours and over an awful bare country. Went all over the monastery which is very fine. Hannah, Ali with me. Off about 9 and got to Menin at 10, very lovely place at the head of an exquisite valley. A great stream springi ng out of a rock. Women spinning under the trees. The valley full of trees and corns and vines, pomegranates all out. Stopped at 11 to lunch. Off again at 12. Got into Damascus soon after 2. Lovely ride through the oasis under trees. Dama scus full of apricots, plums and mulberries. Found Charlotte at the hotel, washed, had tea and strolled out. Called on the Richards, found him well. The Mackinnons also there. As we went home, met Luttiche who had been to see me. Miss Grieve and Miss Blount appeared at dinner. Wed 30. Up pretty early, went to the Con sulate to get money. had a long talk with Luttiche. Did my accounts. Great sport with the soldiers as usual. The Richards came to call after lunch. Then Charlotte and I shopped with a commis of Asfar's and we called on Mme. Asfar. Dined with the Richards. Very pleasant. Thurs 31. Breakfasted with Luttiche in the Janeinet ad Duftadat. Lots of people, amongst them Burghardt and the a rchitect who has charge of the restoration of the Mosque. He took us all over after, a pitiful sight. We also went to see a very beautiful library with good mosaic. Muhammad the 'Agail came to see me at 12 and I sent him to Luttic he & Mackinnon. Charlotte and I drove to the Jisr el Ghaida to the east, very lovely. Called on the Richards on the way back. Luttiche came to see me just before dinner and stayed a long time telling fascinating stories. Parted with much regret. Burghardt dined. Fri June 1. Off at 7 leaving the mules t o follow . We have added a sufragi to our party, Georgi. Rode up the Barada valley, extraordinarily lovely. After an hour or so left the Beyrout road and turned up over the bare hills and so back into the Barada valley at Jedeideh. Very lovely ride up the valley which got narrower and deeper, to Suk Wady Barada which we reached at 11 and lunched. Muhammad appeared from his village and at 1 Yacoub and Georgi. On over a picturesque bridge, a Roman road cut thr ough the rock above us and an acqueduct and tombs. Got out into the plain at 2 the river flowing through a green world in the middle and the bare hills on either side, lovely colours and cloud shadows. Hermon behind us. In front up o n the hill, Bludan, and below it in a great grove of mulberries, poplars, apple, vines etc. Zebedani. A lovely village buried in Green and inhabited by very beautiful people. We pitched our tents some 20 minutes away under a big r ock by a spring on grass. Cold. We have to have a guard to night because of theiving Metawileh. Such a comfort to have no soldiers. Sat 2. Off at 6 with Hannah and up through the lovely groves of mulberries, apples, vines, etc. The hedges full of honey suckle. The pink wild rose. Rode along a lovely valley under the hills, p ast Ain Hawar and through Surghaya. Crossed the Jisr el Rumani where we left the railway and turned up into the hills to Ma'arabun - a lovely spring flowing out of the rock here. Then over a col and up an endless valley, over anoth er col and into the Wady Sibat (12) where we lunched by the sail. Up the hill and on top saw all the line of Lebanon and the plain at our feet. At 3 reached Ras el 'Ain a delicious place with clearest water, willows and an old mosque. Left Hannah and walked down into the town where we had tea on the balcony facing the wonderful temple. To us Mrs Warren, my friend of the ship, to announce news of Pretoria. 3 horrid missionaries in the hotel. Walked all ro und the temple and so home. At Ras el Ain saw Mr. Heathcote and one Codrington with him, told him about my luggage. Sun 3. Spent the morning in the Temple w ith Mr. Alouf as a most competent guide. It is very florid, but wonderfully fine. Lunched at the hotel and had tea with Mrs. Warren, British Syrian mission. I then went again into the temple and photographed. There had been a thund erstorm on the Lebonan and white clouds were lying along its top. The yellow evening light a vision of beauty. Dined at the hotel. Home in the moonlight. Mon 4. Left our camp soon after 7 and sent it straight on to 'Ain Anata. I photographed in the Temple. Soon after 9 we started off with Yusef and rode to the Quarries and to the Kubbet Duris, so to the great single column and into the hills. No water on this side. A mirage at the S end of the valley. Got to Bleddar at 1.15 and lunched there in a Maronite monastery, of very old origin, Crusader[?] they said. Up an interminabl e valley full of ballat, za'rur, saris, farhi[?] and terebrinth and out onto a plateau from whence we looked down on the blue lake of Yamonneh. A great spring Ain el Arba'in flows into it but it and the lakes dry up in summer. Under the sp ring is a little promontory with some willows on it and ruins - said Yusef a burj of Constantine the Greek. White water weed and camels. So up this long valley parallel to the ridge and at 6 reached Ain Ata. Very tired and seedy. C oldish. Tues 5. Still feeling wrong. Off at 7.15 with Yusef and Georgi. Two men working in fields here had been to America. They are a handsome and stalwart race. The Metawilehs seems to be a great deal feared. Rode up onto the ridge from which we saw the Cedars and Tripoli on the sea . On to Jebel Makmel - sea and desert, Mt. Hermon and Yamonneh. Got there at 11 and stayed till 11.30 down a rough road to the cedars where we arrived at 1.20 and found our camp under the trees. Most heavenly. Birds and trees and pale brown hills touched with snow. Wed 6. Most peaceful morning under the Cedars, Lunched at 12 off at one, Daphne,periwinkle, yellow broom. Rode down a ve ry steep valley to Bserreh a lovely place on the edge of the ..... The road to ... and Tripoli turns off a little before it. Stone houses roofed with red slates. Crossed the valley under a Catholic monastery and rode down the o ther side to Hasrun, even more lovely, picked up on cliffs, Delicious camping ground with a rocky gorge between us and the town. Thurs 7. Off at 6.30 with Martin for guide. Followed down the Kadisha for a bit then up and over a col. Fine view of Tripoli. Lots of cedars and the hills to the W. shocking road all up and down, pa st Tanurin. Violets and white Dasphne. Got to Akura at 1, nasty place. Awfully hot under its great cliffs. Lunched and slept under some mulberries while Hannah tried in vain to buy meat. Off at 3 and along under the cliff, over a natura l bridge and along a hillside clothed with a lovely cypress. View of the sea as usual down the valley. Suddenly came in sight of the splendid source of the Nahr Ibrahim coming out of a cave high up in the rock. This is the Adonis and n ear by are the ruins of the Temple of Venus. Photographed ten & a bathe in the ice cold water. The village is a mile or more away and inhabited by Metawileh so we have a Natur[?]. Hot night. Fri 8. Ch. and I and Hannah set off about 7 leaving the mules. We had great difficulties as to a guide but finally got an amiable Xian who was pasturing his flocks on the hillside and looking after Metawileh shepherds. He took us along a road leading past Ain el Hadid a beautiful spring of water, then over a very bad bit and out into the great amphitheatre in the fond[?] of which we saw the Ain el Asal,the Ain el Leban. Here he left us and we got to theNatural Bridge at 12.Very hot day. Off again at 1 and rode over incredible roads past a little place where there was a temple of Venus perched between the oldestlimestone rocks. Every now and then ther e was a burst of limstone in which the rhodedendron was flowering. Yellow broom in hedges. My horse lost a shoe and we stopped at to have him shod. This was about 3. We then rode down into the deep valley , up again. A lovely f lowering white thing like a ..... ... ....but more like campanula. We got out onto the top, saw Samaria again. He had been before us nearly all day till we were right under him, & on village Reifun. Got there about 5. Limestone roc ks, stone pines[?] broom - & our tents. Pretty tired. The Maronites far fropm friendly. Such a view of Beyrout and the sea. Dined by moonlight. Sat 9. Down the most appalling road for 3 hours, walking most of the time. Blazing hot. Followed the carriage road to Nahr el Kelb which we reached about 12, I feeling very ill. Hot 2 hours ride into town. Called at the Consulate and found our luggage had not turned up. Hotel Allemand Bleich, most comfortable. A bath and tea and then out shopping. Sun 10. Did accounts. Called on the Luttiches after lunch and found the girl just going to bathe so I bathed with her . Then on the German Consul and then 'Ali and Muhammad on the Ras Beyrout where we were received with open arms. Ali has the most lovely view from his house, across 2 ..... Drove round by the pines and so home. Mon 11. Got money and settle up with my men. SHopped. Bathed and met the Luttiches. Called on Mrs. wife of t he Eng doctor who knew Mr. Chirol. Then drove all along the edge of the sea where the great rocks are. M. Khoury, a Russian dragomen has appeared on the scene. He was with the 2 Russians who proceeded me in Palmyra. Tues 12. Left by the Newhaven at 1. On board was Dr. Cropper, Mr. Eddy, Professor Curtis, and Dr. Jely with all of whom we soon made acquaintance. Horrid little rolling boat. We were established on the bridge. Got to Sidon at about 4, and went ashore. Charming little town with the great castle sticking out to sea on its bridge. Mr. Eddy left us here, but sent me down some Druze books. Tyre about 8, walked about in the moonlight. Awfully impressive with great columns lying about on ..... Went to the English missionaries Miss Walker and Miss who gave us a very good meal. Back to our boat about 10. I had Dr. Cropper's cabin on the bridge - was most comfy. Wed 13. Got to Akka at 5 and went ashore with Dr. C. The English hospital is on the opposite side of the Persian garden. Had some tea, ran through the streets back. Haifa about 8 and went ashore with Khoury. Tea in a Persian cafe. They told us there that Abbas Effendi was in Haifa. We went off to see his house and I paid him a visit. He was most kind and gracious. We talked of Mr. Brown. Miss Keatley and her friend came on board here. We passed Athlit near enough to photograph it. Jaffa at 4. Mr. Hall and a kavass met us and took us up to the comfy Hotel du Parc where we found the S chmidts and the post lunch. Thurs 14. Left Jerusalem by the 1 o'clock train, all the party, arrived at 5 or 6. Dr. R., Oscar to meet us. George was ill. Charlotte and I both at Kaminitz's for good. FRI 15 DATE BUT NO ENTRY. DI ARY RECOMMENCES SEVERAL MONTHS LATER Aug 1 1900 Wed. I arrived at Geneva in the morning, luggageless, waited till 6.45 when I took the train to Le Fayet which I reached at 9.30, then by diligence to Chamonix where I did not arrive till 2.20 owing to having to change carriages and transport the luggage over a broken bridge. Hotel Couttet - I knocked up the porter and got gladly to bed. Aug 2 Thurs. Interviewed Joseph Fournier and decided to go up to Montenvers. He got me a porter. Demarguilles by name. Nice Englishwoman to whom I talked at lunch. Off at 4.10 and got to Montenvers at 6. Very hot at first, cloudy. The clouds all over the hills behind and cold at the hotel. Very few people. Talked to a chatty Englishman at dinner. Arranged plans with Fournier and so to bed. Aug 3 Fri. Off at 5 French time. The Dru the Grepon and the Geant all clear. Very exciting walking up the Mer de Glace, seeing all the famous things, Requin, Verte, Jardin, Glacier Talefor a nd so on. Up the glacier, then a long broken serac on the top of which we put on the rope. A snowy good glacier, then a long parte de neige, from which the Ai guille du Geant showed finely, then the Col at 12.15 and down to the Refugio Torina. A nice Frenchman and a girl, I think Italian, who I passed on the road are sleeping here also. Italian side very steep and fine. Mont Blanc standing up to the right and Courmayeur below. Lunched, slept on the rocks, mended my shirt and looked at the Dauphine peaks with the others' guide Demarguille's uncle - Alphonse is all the name I know. Cold wind but very fine. Sat 4. Up at 4 and off at 5 for the Aiguille de Geant, Strong cold wind and flying cloud which formed in the S side of the Aiguille and boiled upwards. The wind was from the N. Long snow slope s till 6.10 which warmed me somewhat. Up broken rocks to the foot of a pyramid from whence I took a fine view of Mt. Blanc. rising above the cloud. Up again broken rocks without a rope till we came to a small slope of snow where we r oped. A difficult couloir where you had to go a cheval on a pointed slab of granite - the whole rock is very good and can be trusted everywhere. Demarguille and I left our axes here. Then over a ridge of snow and stopped a little below the foot of the Aiguille in a sheltered place where I had some chocolate and water 7.50 - 8.50. Demarguille was frozen. I gave him my big woollen gloves. My hands were warmed by the rock work, but I continued to shiver, thought not unpleasantly, almost until we returned to the foot of the Aiguille. We crossed a bit of snow and turned to the left under the Aiguille where we found a hanging rope - it was just about here that a guide was killed a fortnight ago by lightening after having accomplished the ascent by a new road up the N face said to be easier than the old. The first hour or so was quite easy. Straight up long slabs of rock with a fixed rope to hold by. Then a flank mars h which was rather difficult.The rocks from here to the top of the NE summit are extremely steep. At one point my hands and arms were tired that I lost all grip in them. A steep bit down, a pointed breche and a very steep up rock leads to the highest summit where there is a cairn. 11.15 - 11.30. The clouds had left the Aiguille and we had a fine view of Mt. Blanc, Aiguilles rising through cloud, but the Chermoz Aiguilles were hidden. The Verte and Dru very clea r. Coming down was a good bit easier and less tiring than going up. We got to the foot of the Aiguille at 12.45. Stayed till 1.30 in warm sun and mist which rolled up gradually, we eat, I bread and butter and chocolate and came down onto the clouded glacier from whence we reached the hut over the easy slopes at 3.10. No one here. Had some tea and slept for an hour. Dined on soup and chicken at 5. Read Whymper's book Cold and mist all round. Decide on an ea sy day tomorrow as I feel the effects of the first day's gymnastics. Most succesful and pleasant day. The only drawback being the extreme cold of the ascent. SOME DAYS' GAP HERE Aug 19 1901 Monday Left home at 12.14 leaving Caroline and Aunt Bessie there. Reached London at 6.45. Left my luggage at Charing Cross and went straight to Queen Anne's Mansions where Domnul gave me an excelle nt dinner and saw me off at 9. Tues 20. Comfortable journey to myself till Bale, missed my connection at Lucerne and had to wait 2 hours. Walked about and had some tea, very hot. Went on by a Bummel Zug at 5.30, all third cl ass and reached Meiringen at 9.30 where Heinrich Fuhrer met me. (NB register luggage only to Bale and reregister on to Meiringen so as to catch the train at Lucerne.) Slept at the Ours. Wed 21. Ulrich and Heinrich Fuhrer arriv ed at 9 - great joy - we went to the rope railway to the Reichenbach Falls and walked on to Rosenlaui. Met Lily Grant Duff who is staying here. Lunched at the hotel, charming place. Opposite me a Mrs. Freeman whose husband is apparently a great authority. Left at 2 and walked up to the Dossen Lutte up very steep woods and a moraine, a neve and somerocks. I was pretty well done when we g ot up about 5.30. Beautiful view, a cloud sea in the valleys, the great rock of Engelhorn opposite, the line of snows of the Wetterhorn, Mettelhorn and Rosenhorn-far away Pilatus and the Jura touched by the sunlight. Most comfortab le hut. Phantom armies of light mists walking over the floor of cloud. Red sunset. [NEXT DAY called Tuesday] u Left the hut at 2.15, perfectly clear and starry with some foolish lightning away in the east. Walked up an arete to the Dossen Sattel 3.15. down a couloir cutting some steps and across the head of the Rosenlaui glacier. The east was white at 4.30 we reached the Wetterkessel at the foot of the ascent and put out our l anterns. Up snow not steep, to the Wellhornsattel 5.20 where we rested 15 minutes and eat. Up snow again and reached the Wetterhornsattel at 6.20, the sun came red on the Wetterhorn and rushed down the slopes about half an hou r before we got there. Magnificent view of the Schreckhorn, the Moneh the Eiger and the Jungfrau. 6.25 up the last snow aretes, very steep, and got to the top at 7 -7.20 it consists of a snow cornice. Down on the saddle at 7.4 5 and breakfasted. Saw the mists lift from Grindelwald and a pair of mountain crows much disturbed by us. Down a long couloir to the Blechstein Hut 10.15-10.45 and so down flowing slopes, across the Upper Grindelwald Glacier and down t he Milchbach to Grindelwald which we reached at 1. Lunched by some nice Belgians, had a bath and went to sleep. At dinner a talkative Englishwoman was on my other side. Eiger Hotel. u[GB-Wed] Left at 10 and walked up to the Baregg whichwe reached at 11.20. Lunched and sat about talking, to the people till near 2, then up by a most lovely path leading past an Alp full of Monks' hood and over rocks above the Eisneer of the Lower Gri ndelwald Glacier to the Schwartzegg hut, 4.45. Lots of flowers on the last slopes, arnica, the wine red gentian, fluffy things, and by the hut the small blue gentian and forget me nots. When I had tea there arrived Gerard and Eric Collier who introduced themselves to me and we spent a merry evening. Their guides were Brawaud and Heimann. This is a specimen of Eric C.'s German "Wo sind mein Stiefun!" He was the scholar of the party! I saw a marmot. [GB calls next day Thursday] u Off at 12.30 after a hearty breakfast. Brauwaud called out "Schreckhorn!" and we walked out into the starry night. Walked up a long snow couloir, over an arete (Fruhst uck Platz 2.30), across the head of the Schreckhorn Firm, over the Schrund and up to the big Arete where we breakfasted. 4-4.20. Put out our lanterns and went up the rotten aretes, me leading. One or two good bits near the top. Got to the saddle at 6 and had a fine view over the snow cornice down onto the snows we had seen from the Wetterhorn. Up the snow for a bit-this is the place Mr Elliot fell over, running down he jumped over the edge and was not roped-and then onto a very fine pretty solid rock arete which got us to the top at 7. The Colliers arrived 15 minutes after. Eat and photographed-off at 7.45. We speedily went ahead, but I stopped to take some climbi ng pictures. It took us near an hour to get to the saddle, then we hurried on and were 15 minutes from the Schrund when the stones began to hop round us. So we took cover behind the corner of an arete and waited for the others 50 mi nutes. I went fast asleep. After this we parted, they going towards Grimsell to the Dolfuss hut-I back to the Schwartzegg. We jumped the Schrund cros sed the Firn and the arete and glissaded down the couloir which was rather a dangerous proceeding, but fortunately no stones fell on us. It was very hot and there were lots of tiny crevasses which impeded us but we got to the hut at 12. Then we found three Frenchmen who were cooking MY tea with MY wood! I said very politely that I hoped they would let us have some of it, they neither thanked me nor apologized and I found afterwards this notice in th e book: "Nous sommes montes au refuge sans guides. Vue splendide, mais quelle faim! Heureusement nous avons trouves du the!" I added "NB It was my tea!" They disappeared while I was making a hasty toilette and when I came back I fo und Count O'Gorman, Dr Lunn and his two charming boys and a nice English curate. Ulrich had given them some tea and they stayed and talked to me while I lunched. It was a long hot walk to Grindelwald-we beguiled the way with bil berries. Got in at 4 and was put into a delightful little Chalet called the Chalet Bernet. Had a bath and went to sleep till dinner. After dinner I slept for 13 hours! u Very hot. I hung about and talked a little to O'Gorman and the curate and various people. About 4 thunderstorm and heavy rain. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SICILY u Father and I went to Leeds at 3.58 arriving at 7. slept at the Queen's Hotel, where Hugo joined us in the night having been to a ball at the Lowthers with Winnie Charles worth. We dined with the Marshalls and were much saddened at not having him with us. We talked much of the Syracusan war and of Father's memorandum on finance which he has sent to Mr Strong. u Left Leed s at 8 and reached Liverpool at 11. Went straight to the docks and established ourselves on the Menes (Moss Line, 3500 tons) H and I both have cabin companions. Then we went by the overhead railway and shopped-had to hurry home fe aring to miss the boat which was by way of sailing at 12. But we were in plenty of time. Uncle Harry came to see us off and Mr Moss was waiting to greet Father. He introduced to us his nephew, a young Moss who is going out to Alexandri a. Quite calm but rather thick and very cold. We sat next the Captain at lunch, Mr Moss next Hugo and a Mr and Mrs Waugh and their daughter and two Brays (Father and daughter) opposite. Mrs Waugh turns out to be a daughter of Hodg son! but apparently they bear no malice. Mr W. has a Lancashire accent you could eat with a knife, is a vulgar beast, but interesting and not unpleasant. Mr B is sanctimonious and I like him not. Miss W Hugo pronounces a t.... ............, she's a vulgar lively little thing, Miss B rather sweet looking, but common. Mr W and Mr B are going through Farhoda to Uganda big game shooting. My cabin companion is Miss Maconachie, pleasant and inoffensive. S he is going to Cyprus to join her brother who is a judge there. Went out a little but it was very cold. Captain Thomas is quite agreeable and we have pleasant meals. After dinner we played Bridge with Mr Moss who had not I should say played before. u Lovely fine day-sat out wrapped up and read Freeman and did Italian with Hugo till he felt uncomfy and went down. Father busy writing his article on Trade Unions which he reads us from time to time. It is excellent. He and I had a long walk in the evening and talked of Maurice. The Waugh's joined our Bridge. u Bay of Biscay, choppy and very wet on deck with spray. I sat on deck a little and then retired and was sick. I appeared for all meals but was mostly sick after and slept most of the time. Hugo did not appear at all. u Perfectly fine and calm again. Father read us the finished article to our great admira tion. Then we did Italian. I read Sicilian history and a little Arabic. We saw a little land in the morning-it was the Portuguese coast just south of Finisterre. Mr Waugh brought me a note for 100 piastres issued by Gordon in Kha rtoum in April 1884 which I interpreted. I caught a stuffy cold in the morning sitting out in the wind. u Made the Berlingas in the morning and St Vincent at 3. Not sunny but pleasant ex cept for my cold. A good deal of wind in the evening. Made friends with Mrs and Miss Callaghan who are going to join their husband and father in Malta where he commands the Caesar. He was in command of the Tientsin expedition last year in the relief of the Legations they know Bill Goodenough well. There is a nice old Colonel Forster with his nephew a Mr Riddell. There was Sahara dust on the ship today-carried by a south wind-red mud it was. u Most lovely warm day but unfortunately rather misty so that we could not see Gibraltar. We saw dimly some of the lovely African coast. Lots of porpoises lying o n the surface of the water, lazily turning up a fin. Hugo and I sat all morning in the sun reading. The temperature was 70 in our sheltered corner. My cold is rather a nuisance. We saw the Illustrious this morning, sister ship to the Caesar. Finished Freeman and began Grote. Rather a long boring afternoon. Bridge after dinner and gladly to bed. u Mist gone, a lovely sunny day. We ran down the African coast, a charming line of broken hill with an occasional little town. We passed Cape Tonez about 12-a fine upstanding cliff with a Square Tower on its rocky tip. Did a little Italian, wr ote letters and read a very little. Talked to the doctor boy-Evans. After dinner we came up and watched the entrance to Algiers which we reached about 10 and got letters-I a long one from P.L., insincere and affected. Algiers a row of lights along the quay and a mist of white houses above. Bright moon. u Breakfasted at 7 and went on shore. Much entertained at talking Arabic-I found th e better classes quite easy to understand. We went into a mosque and to the post office and so forth. Even here there is enough of the East to give one the feel of it. I find it catching at my heart again as nothing el se can, or ever will I believe, thing or person. We drove up to Mustapha-and got to the Villa du Rocher at 9 where we found Clara quite ready to see us. Walked about in her lovely garden where I picked flowers-tea roses in hedges, pa per white narcissus, white and blue irises, violets, oranges in fruit and flower, arbutalon and many flowering shrubs. Went down to Mustapha Rais which we found much neglected and so home, a rush at the end for our boat though we had to wait from 10.30 till 12 before we finally got off. Heavenly day; as we left Algiers the sun came out through the mists and the white town gleamed under it. There is a nice Miss Robinson on board, half sister of General Hunter. She is going out to join another Hunter brother in Egypt. Delicious afternoon sitting out in the sun and reading Grote which is the best of good reading. Bridge after dinner with Mrs Waugh. u Very hot morning. The sun was so scorching that I went and read inside. After lunc h did some Italian with Hugo. We ran down the coast, low sandy hills a good deal covered with scrub of sorts, most uninviting. We passed Cap Blanc at 5 and saw the great iron bridge across the harbour of Biserta in the dark. After d inner we were passing across the Bay of Tunis-a lovely night with the moon near full. I sat on deck and talked to the Captain and came up again after Bridge and sat till 10.30 watching the red lights on Zambrou throbbing like a heart . The sea was peopled with shadowy Carthagenian ships loaded with fighting men and with elephants, and with the luckless triremes and pentekraters of Agathocles of which only the pious were to see the Sicilian shores again and the n as Carthagenian booty. u Cloudy but very pleasant. Sighted Gozzo about 10. Read Thucydides and packed. Very amusing watching Gozo with its high perched little towns and terraced fields running down to the sea. Got into Malta harbour about 2.30-looking most delicious in a bright sun. Lots of men of war lying down the harbour, first of all the Caesar with Captain Callaghan waving to his family. He presently came on board and we made his acquaintance. Jabona, son of the Formidable's ...boat man, met us and took our luggage through the custom house. We drove up the steep streets and presently met Margaret and with her went up to Morrell 's hotel where we had tea. Then we walked up to the Barracca and looked out over the harbour. Near the top of the hill stands the Auberge de Castelli, a fine rococco house. All the streets are built in a delightful style of their own , stone with overhanging balconies, glazed in and supported on elaborate brackets carved with fruit and cherubs. Florid coats of arms much used in decoration. The roofs are flat and many have gardens on them-you see the green c reepers hanging over the tops of the walls. The town is laid out perfectly straight and even and the long streets run up and down hill and end with a vista of sea. They are mostly very narrow. We played Bridge after dinner on the ro of. Lovely moon. u Very late for breakfast. Photographed Margaret, then we went out, strolled up to the Barracca and down to the harbour coming up by the steep gully leading to the statio n. The women wear a black skirt and an odd headdress like an apron with the gathers lying on one shoulder and the other side made with whalebone or cardboard into a kind of hood. Probably Oriental but tradition says that Napoleo n when he was here ordered them to wear it for 100 years as a punishment for their insufficient morals-which 100 years are up next year! Saw the metal hook through which the middies[?] have to pass. After lunch took train and went t o Museo, the last station on the line. Walked up to ........... barracks from whence we had a lovely view of Citta Vecchia. Walked back to C.V. and through Rabato and trained home. The country all laid out in terraced fields and all green and yellow with flowering oxalis. Almond trees. Passed Sant Antonio where the governor has a nice garden full of cypresses and the Stricklands a fine palazzo with a walled garden. To tea with Mrs Evan Thomas and her sister Mrs Curry-nice women. Margaret is to have their flat next year. M. dined with the Admiral, Sir John Fisher. We read and wrote and she came in soon after 11. Such a moon on the roof! the bear stands up on end like a pale note of interrogat ion. u Drove off at 11.30 to Crendi. It is a great festa today-the Conversion of St. Paul. Reached Crendi in about an hour, got out and walked to Hagiar Kim where we lunched. We are on the other side of the island just above the sea, with the island of Filfila opposite. Most extraordinary place. Lunched in a shady corner for there was a good deal of wind. The ruins are something of this ground plan. O is a bactylic stone, there is another fallen. The niches are roofed in with great monoliths split in the centre supported by rough piles of stone to prevent their falling. A A are windows in upright slabs SKETCH OF GROUND like this[SKETCH] B is composed of PLAN OF RUINS upright slabs with layers of big stones set lengthways on top-this stones overlap towards the inside, narrowing the opening to the sky. The shape of the bactylia stone is this a big mushroom square topped. C is a niche outside evidently for a sacred stone. D and E are great upstanding monoliths with curious cups in them. We went on to Mnidra nearer the sea. It is much more perfect the ground plan being SKETCH in the niches A the bactylic stone was s tanding supporting its great unbroken monolith. the stones at B were covered with tiny caps. The enclosure C very perfect at D a little hole in the wall, upright slabs with lengthways stones on them. At E a curious recess with an inner upright at one side a slab all very finely finished stone work. B is the picture in the Hellenic Journal. I have made the large enclosures too oval. They are much rounder and the chapels of A are too big. The tiny green arum w as growing all over, narcissus, the asphodel just coming into flower. Got back about 5 visiting on our way the curious cup of Tal Machibba which looks like a quarry but is I believe natural. After tea Hugo and I went for a brisk w alk about the town and so in to write letters. We had a dinner party-the Callaghans(Caesar), Captain Leveson (Canopus Commander) Captain Farquhar (Diana) Mrs Evans Thomas (he is Captain of the Pioneer and came in later to fetch h er) I sat between Captains L and F and was much amused. The evening went very well. Talked to Captain Callaghan afterwards who told me Hong Kong gossip. u Lovely day early. Went out about 12 to photograph on the Barracca. We lunched with the Admiral, Sir John Fisher, his flagship is the Renown who is rather an outsider but an amusing person. His mother was a Cingalese and he and hi s daughters have a most distinct touch of the Oriental. Lady Fisher seemed a nice woman. He is an enthusiast about Nelson. He took us down to his room and showed us his maps and his pet triangulation of the Mediterranean into 2 triangles Malta, Gibraltar, Toulon and Malta, Alexandria, Salonika-Malta being in the very middle. It was raining as we came away and a gale had blown up- coldish too. Went down to the Caesar where we had tea with the Callaghans and saw all over the ship-even the submerged flat. Most interesting and they are dear people. Met Captain Farquhar on our way home. Dinner and Br idge. u In the morning we went to see the Monderaggio which is a network of tiny streets and very tall houses down by Sliema harbour. Father gave the children sweets and we w ere a great success. As we stood on the top of a roof looking down on it all the children caught sight of us and clapped us. There were wonderfully quick at taking the joke. There was a nice fountain in one of the narrow streets. The quarter was built by the Knights for their poor people. After lunch we went by train to Birchicara and called on Margaret Pollen who is Captain la Primandie's niece and is keeping house for him. A charming old house (Casa Leonie) full of lovely things and a most lovely orange garden-court after court walled with fine old walls pierced by carved gateways-it was made by the Grand Master Vilhena. It was a horrible day-the Grigate blowing, cold and disgus ting. Captain la P. came in to tea, a charming person who talked about the Maltese and said they were the easiest people in the world to govern-you just need to understand how to let them alone. They have no method and hate it- why insist on it when they are perfectly law abiding? "They pull down the old bastions and put up a lamppost with Keep to the Left on and then they say isn't it a great improvement? I say No, not al all! I don't care about keepi ng to the Left." He thinks if they had let the language question alone, it would have come right of itself in a very few years. Drove home from Hamran and in the evening went to the opera, Cavalleria, of which we could only endur e half. Captain la P. is Superintendant of Police. u Breakfasted at 8.30 and hurried off with Taboua and the luggage to catch our boat, the E nna, Florio Rubattino. It however did not start till 12, so we burst in on Margaret again and went off to see the Governor's Palace. Nice galleries with armour-the real armoury was being repaired. Throne room with the King's t hrone and the sword laid across it ready. Went into the Council Chamber which is hung with Gobelins given by Louis XIV to the Grand Master Perillos. There are 11 elected and 9 appointed deputies and the governor has 2 votes. The elected deputies now make a point of talking Italian! Saw La Vallette's armour. Walked onto the Barracca and wrote our names on the Fishers. The goats are brought into the town every evening and the goat herds cry Halib! an d bring the goats up to your doorstep if you want any and milk them there. Col. Forster and his nephew Mr Riddell are on our boat. An old Austrian indroduced me to the Italian consul from Tripoli who turned out to be Scaniglia, much entertained to meet him again. He introduced us to the Duca Carafa d'Andrea of Naples a pleasant little man who had been shooting in Tripoli and knows Abyssinia or rather Eretrea. We got in about 9 and Scaniglia was most useful an d got in through the custom house without any examination. Hotel des Etrangers, Casa Politi. Chocolate and biscuits and so to bed. Wonderful moon rise over the Great Harbour onto which my room looks. u Such a morning with the sun shining across the Great Harbour. We walked out all round Ortygia by the edge of the bluest sea, first down the Great Harbour, past Arethusa, close to the sea (it is salt since the earthquake) with papyrus growing in it, then up the Little Harbour and back to the Hotel. Then we went to see the D uomo which is a temple built up, and the remains of the Temple of Diana, and the Museum where there are interesting pots and most lovely coins. and so home to lunch. Afterwards we drove out to the mainland, past the Agora with its si mple column to the Latomia dei Capucini-that tragic place which is now a fruit garden full of oranges, lemons, flowering almonds, pomegranates, olives with a real garden of roses and lavender on its edges. Here the Athenia ns sighed their lives away out of sight and earshot of the blue waters they had ruled and lost. so on to San Giovanni where we saw boring catacombs and the place where St Paul is supposed to have preached. And then to the Latomia del P aradiso where we explored the Ear of Dionysius and saw great caves with columns and stalactites of limestone-but the greater part of the columns and arches of rock, here and at the Capucini were tumbled down by an earthquake in the 17t h cent. and lie in ruins on the floor. And then to the exquisite Greek Theatre bathed in sun; from the curving seats you look out all over the Great Harbour and away to the Island crowned with houses and churches. Above the theatre is a Nymphaeum and above that rock roads cut into the rock and honey combed with tombs and niches for tablets-this was the great Street of Tombs which runs all through the necropolis of Neapolis. We went down and past the gre at Ara, the altar of Hiero II, to the Amphitheatre, Roman but very charming. On the other side of the road is an old columned cistern made in the Street of Tombs. We then drove over to Scala Greca where we had a very lovely view ac ross the bay towards Megara, but Etna was almost hidden in light cloud. So back to the Greek Theatre to see the sunset and home. In the evening after dinner, Frau Politi, a nice old German, comes in and tunes Chopin and Schubert o n the piano. u Lovely sunrise, but clouds blowing up slowly. We started at 10.30 and drove round the plateau of Epipolae past the Theatre and the (foundations of the) temple of D emeter to Euryalus, following, I take it, just about the line Demosthenes took in his night attack. The country lovely, full of oranges, olives, and almonds in full flower and the fields full of blue anemones, yellow daisies, a fine green spurge and some blue scabious. The fort is part of Dionysius's building, a most wonderful place about BC 402. Looking towards the hills, Hyblae and another upstanding limestone plateau due north, are 2 (formerly 3 but one is fill ed up) great trenches cut in the solid rock. From the inner one open on the north side stone houses, on the S a network of galleries and passages running through the solid rock under the fort itself. Sort of handles in the rock for fastening up horses. Of the building enough is left to show the general form-4 towers standing on the highes part, a long four walled oblong court to the E of them and beyond an irregular fort covering the top of the ridge. Lunched and photographed, but it was cloudy and light bad. Etna lovely. Walked down by the wall of Dionysius all along the NE side of Epipolae-very charming, blue anemones in all the fields, and the purple many petalled one and the steep cliffs o f Epipolae overgrown with olives. At one place a rock hewn stair leads up from the road below high up onto the plateau. Descended to the road and mounted up to Scala Greca where we met our carriage. Showers of rain and a storm b lowing up as we came home. The old buffer with 2 old sisters in this hotel (nice old things) is Blackwood, the senior member of the publishing firm. H ad tea after changing our wet things, read and wrote letters. The contrast between the marsh, green with corn and full of flowering fruit trees and the stony limestone plateau on which the old town stood, is very marked. On the plateau the rock comes up to the surfacepractically. There can be very little detritus and one wonders to see a great town with many temples and big buildings swept off the face of the earth and leaving no trace. u Very stormy night. I woke to the tune of wind and rain battering against my windows and the wine dark sea was rushing in in white lines of foam all down the coast. But after breakfast it cleared. We walked up to the Greek theatre, wandered about and traced the inscriptions, Basileas Philistidas amongst them, and went above to look for traces of the Temple of Apollo-but there were none. s o we walked home. It was very warm and delicious, but windy. The Blackwoods left after lunch-we engaged in conversation with a husband and wife hailing from Buenos Ayres. After lunch we drove out to the Anapous and the Olympei on. As we reached the 2 columns the horrible sun went in. Lovely view of the Great Harbor and Syracuse. The Marsh is so low that I think the inner side of the road must be below sea level-a dreary place, full of standing water. Th e temple stands up on a limestone plateau-I expect the Athenian camp must have lain just below it-it would be dry in summer. We walked over the plateau next and down to Cyane running in a low valley where some fever stricken people were working in most flourishing fields. The stream is set thick with papyrus. The storm came up on us and lightning began so we turned back. Past a grove of lemons and through a farm yard where a woman showed us her miserab le baby eaten up with Malaria. As we passed the temple drenching rain and hail fell and we got in very wet. Packed, read Father's article and Middlemarch. The houses have ........ balconies with carved brackets and ......nice ones in t he Via Diana-2 especially, one with a griffon over the door and one with 4 brackets, 2 open mouthed lions and 2 closed mouthed with a very funny discontented expression. u Lovely d ay. Got up early and washed my hair. Left at 10.25 and went all round the lovely coast to Catania. Etna floating, a white ghost above the clouds. Exquisite view from the little crest of Santa Panagia. Passed Megara, the country her e a forest of orange lemon and olive trees. Augusta a most delicious place on a spit of land something like Syracuse. Then over the hill and into the Lentini plain, very marshy but fertile. Lunched at Catania and drove a bout the town-rather horrid. Lava everywhere in .......... up streams in the streets. All round Fred II's castle, a nice square fort with round corner towers. Went to the duomo which is practically modern-it was all destroy ed 1693. Some good tombs and an altar to Santa Agata. Went up to the theatre, much built over and choked with lava, but a few of the seats remain. Here it was that Alcibiades persuaded the Catonians to throw in their lot with Ath ens. Climbed to the top of San Nicolo tower and had a fine view of the bay and the slopes of Etna. Drove past Santa C..... where there is a fine Saracenic Norman door. Our train left about 4 for Taormina-entrancing journey between Etna and the sea. A mist of almond flowers and groves of lemons and oranges. Exquisite light as we drove up to Taormina from Giardini. Isola Bella quite divine in the dark. Got rooms in the Metropole with balconies overlooking the bay and full of the sound of the sea. Such stars! u Hugo and I got up at 6 and went to the theatre to see the sun rise. Unfortunately it was scirocco and a very stormy sun rise with Etna mostly hidden. But for all that it was a revelation of beauty. The blue sea under the clouds, running up to Messina and the Calabrian coast, the wonderful Bay of Naxos with its line of surf, the grey green hills with a mist of almond flowers hanging on them, high perched Mola and the Castello, and then the theatre, the perfect theatre, framin g sea and town and mountains through its broken arches and itself the most exquisite warm colours of brick and stone. We met the sub Custode who warned us of terrible dangers if the Chief Custode knew he had let us in, but a cou ple of lire allayed his fears and made him our friend for life. I subsequently made the acquaintance of the Chief Custodi and earned his esteem by buying his pamphlet and listening to his stories of Lord Dufferin. The pamphlet begins: This theatre was constructed by the Ancient. Back to a leisurely dressing and breakfast. Then we went out into the town-an entrancing medieval place quite unspoilt. Late Saracenic Gothic with double ogives over the windo ws, bad construction but entrancing workmanship and the slenderest columns in the world between the pairs of windows; over the doors there is mostly a broad lintel between the door posts and the arch-fantastic but pretty. Exqu isite use of the black lava on the yellow stone-narrow black mouldings round the pointed arches like delicate eye brows. A ruined Badia the best example both of the eyebrows and of the decorative course of black, either in he avy bands or in lovely dainty patterns. Also the almond boughs lifte a white mist against its walls. a charming castle built over a Roman bath near the walls. Another exquisite house is the Palazzo Corvaio in the main street, with an exquisite flamboyant sort of door and a bit of carving over the stair inside. Hugo went to church and Father and I to the theatre where we met Col. Forster and Mr Riddell. After lunch I went photographing-the sun having appeared fa intly and then to the theatre where I attempted to write letters-in vain, for I could do nothing but look and look at the clouds shifing across Etna. Father and I called on the Blackwoods at the Castello a Mare; home to tea after which Hugo and I ran up to the Castello and watched the wonderful opalescence of sunset over all the waters and the hills. We were quite alone for the Castello was closed and we had to scale the walls. Ran down in the dusk through cloudy almo nd flowers and discussed the doctrine of the Trinity! Wrote letters after dinner. u Scirocco still bother it! A little rain after breakfast, after which it cleared and be came quite fine though Etna remained covered. Walked about saw the Teatrino Romano-Father and I looking for the Naumachia went in, to the inn of that name and stood on the balcony over its beautiful lemon garden. That and the al mond flowers, the theatre and the sea made a view from paradise. Then up to the theatre where I spent the rest of the morning. One's eyes, one's whole mind are brimmed full of beauty in that place-the eternal Greek beauty set in an Italian landscape: I think one can go no further. After lunch we walked up to Mola and went onto its ruined Saracen fort, but unfortunately the Scirocco mists blew round us and the view was soon spoiled. The village is remarkably dirt y and full of black pigs-which are almost indistinguishable from the inhabitants. On the way down gathered a bunch of the many petalled purple anemone. Mr Blackwood came to tea. Went afterwards to the theatre and saw the su nset-mostly mists, but enough of pink to give wonderful shell like colours to the sea-and the low mists hanging over it towards Messina cast shadows o f the deepest fullest blue. It is equally lovely in every light, but the divinest view of all is Etna through the broken arch. u Still gre y, indeed after a glimmer of sun it became grayer than we have had it yet. Spent most of the morning reading the Italianische Reise in the theatre and playing with a charming little girl there, Cicely Gordon by name. After lun ch walked with Hugo nearly to Isola Bella and home by almond groves in ...... of exquisite flower. Walked down to the station and left about 5.30 for Messina where we arrived at 6.30. Gerald and Cis met us and came with us to our h otel, the Tri..... a horrid place. We dined in a very hot room after which Father and I walked out and happened upon the Duomo in the dark. u Out ear ly, grey but the sun came out for a little later. Walked up to the Duomo, beautiful facade in stripes of inlay and carving on white marble. Fine inside with a great row of classical columns. saw the mosaic altar-rather fine of its sort but an ugly sort-and a beautiful 13th cent fort. Then to San Niccolo, a mass of hideous and most elaborate mosaic with a picture of the saint by Antonello, hung too high and too much darkened by age to see. Then to San Gre gorio where in the museum is a lovely Antonello, much ruined, an altar piece with the Virgin and child in the middle, the child holding an apple in one hand and playing with some cherries with the other, very lovely. 2 saints on either side (the panel has been cut into 3 parts) and above an Annunciation, both the angel and the Virgin very lovely. The church is a bewildering mass of hideous mosaic. Tried in vain to get into the Chiesa della Pace where there is ano ther Antonello, Gerald fetched us at 12 and we went to lunch with him, a bright and cheerful apartment in the quay into which they have just got. One of Cis's brothers a Raffo boy staying with them. Very pleasant lunch, after which we all went to see the Cathedral treasure. Interesting-a mass of burocco silver, some very fine vestments and a Byzantine madonna (Della Lettere, the patron Madonna of Messina) covered with votive jewels. Some of the stones remar kably fine, an emerald and a ruby in particular, some interesting old necklaces and pendants of rough pearls and gold work. A diamond spray given by the Regina Margherita. The original picture is above the altar, the gold rou nd this one is 16th century. We saw also a fine collection of relics, mostly Messinian martyrs and hair of the Virgin's "era bionda" said Cis and looked at it with rapt interest. Tradition says that the Virgin sent a letter to th e Messinians written in her own hand in Hebrew in answer to a devout enquiry of the early Christian church then as to whether she was alive. The original has unfortunately disappeared, but they have the translation into Latin. We the n all went up to a high placed[?] castlefrom whence we ought to have had a fine view of Messina and the hills behind but it was a nasty grey day. We saw however, the side of Z..... well. Back to tea with the Geralds after which to rest at our hotel. Dined with the Geralds who gave us a very good dinner-a most pleasant evening. u Off at 10. Gerald came to fetch us at the hotel and Cis and her brother to see us off at the sation bringing me a large bunch of violets. Most comfortable journey, lunching on the train. Bright sun, the coast and the Liparis and the hills all exquisite. Lots of high perched villages with forts. A deliciou s little town on the jutting out peninsula of Mylae, Milazzo is its name. The out jutting Tyndaris also very fine. Lauriers[?] roses and grow ing in the fiumare. Reached Cefalu (Cephaloedium) at 2 and had till 5.30 there. Very fine Norman cathedral, arched porch flanked by two great towers and above the porch a row of intertwined arches and a row of pointed arcading above a window. Inside like a great basilica with magnificent classical columns. In the apse a very fine mosaic, 1249, a great Christ most impressive-splendid with the head very finely modelled with just that touch of the Byz antine severity which is necessary to all beautiful mosaics. Odd that the drawing of the mosaic of that time should be so far above Cimabue or Margaritone. In the ceiling above 4 cherubim in compartments, the evangelists (symbolica l) and something like ...... or cloud[?] Below and at either side saints standing in rows. A lovely cloister much ruined. Then up to the acropolis where we saw the famous Sikel polygonal work with a fine door, the door posts wi th a slight moulding at the top like an incipient capital supporting a lintel also moulded. The rest is Saracen, magnificently situated. Walked down to the port where there is a bit of old wall. Very picturesque sea front and th e big single masted fishing boats beached on the sand. The rest of the journey was in the dark. Reached Palermo about 7-Hotel de France. The Forsters are here too. u A most bea utiful day. We went up by train to Monreale. As we rose the Conca d'Oro with its lovely backing of hills slipped into full beauty below us, a garden of lemons, golden fruit from the boughs and golden oxalis beneath in the grass. A t hin veil of blue mist hung over Palermo, the first reaches of sea. The Cathedral is a revelation of beauty. It is all covered with exquisite decoration, mosaics above and a high dado of marble panels set in thin lines of mosai c, gold and red and blue. In the choir a lavish decoration of marble, green and dark red ...... and stars set in the thin band of mosaic. The thrones near the altar perfect. Above these marbles stretches a pale gold on which is pictur ed all the Old and all the New Testament. The figures are quite formal and Byzantine, the groups evidently a sort of atelier treatment of the scenes-they are almost the same in the Cappella Palatina-but the general effect is superb. Above the apse is a half length of Christ blessing with 2 raised fingers, not quite so good as that at Cefalu I thought, but still very impressive. The pictures of the Ark afforded me exquisite pleasure, especially one of Noah helping the lion out onto Ararat. The Ark looked very crowded! We went up onto the roof from whence we had a wonderful view over the Conca d'Oro, then down to the cloisters, as wonderful in their way as the church, the capitals all different and of most lovely designs, the columns of an endless variety of patterns. At the corners are groups of 4 columns-they look at first as if they were of Renaissance arabesques, but when you look closely yo u see they are all grotesque, but of thefine very low ......... which distinguishes this Saracen Norman. After lunch I went out shopping, into the Duomo. Lovely south door-Saracen they say. Anyhow it's most extraordinary to see how they used and altered Gothic, not entirely understanding its meaning. The capitals of the infinitely slender shafts are not really capitals at all, but most elaborate fine cut acanthus leaves laid along the top of the columns. The same leaves are laid above the capitals ........ the first spring of the arch. On the whole the detail is apt to be better than the proportion of the whole structure. The great battlemented length of the Duomo with its rather insu fficient airy towers and massive inchoate blocks of building about the transept is not very good as a whole. The west front, too, quite wonderful as workmanship, presents rather a confused appearance-the parts don't seem to work into a whole nor to be members of a general big design. Inside it's all 18th cent. twaddle, except the 4 great sarcophaguses which are most splendid, R oger with his kneeling Saracens and exquisite canopy and Fred II with his great porphyry simplicity, very fine. After tea Hugo and I drove round the base of the Pellegrino and saw a beautiful view from the legeia. u There was a violent storm in the night, but it cleared by breakfast though there was still a wind. We went to the Capella Palatina and saw first the palace with a most lovely room of Roger II covered with mosaic-birds and animals on a gold ground. The chapel is past all words. Every inch of it is covered with a jewel work of marbles and mosaics so that the eyes almost wearies following the en dless variety of patterns and rest again with the soft golden glow of the whole. The pulpit, the throne at the w. end and the chancel screen and altars are incredibly beautiful. There is also a Byzantine marble candelabrum standing 10 ft high at least, one exquisite column of birds animals and foliage. Then to the Museum which contains besides some interesting Saracen Norman work, metopes from Solinus which are most curious. They belong to the 600s and th e 500s BC and what is particularly striking is how much less good the Doric work is than the Ionic. some were of the time of the Aegina pediments-but the divine breath that animates the Aegina figures and reminds one of all that was to spring from the Ionic hand and brain was absent here. So that of the tiny Greek world only one tiny part knew how to light the torch of beauty that has shown clearer than all other lights through all the ages. There are also 2 heads of bishops and a saint on a gold ground ascribed to Antonello and a most lovely Dutch picture-I can't think who by but it is of a much brighter colouring than Van Eyck. A gloom was cast on us by the stealing of Father's pocket book with 30 0 lire intil't After lunch we went by train to Santa Flavia and walked up the headland to the ruins of ancient Soluntuna, a place like a miniature Pompeii, with a great paved road winding up to it and a little columned gymnasium-an d a view away and awy to where Cefalu sticks out on its sister headland. On the hill was growing a sort of dwarf palm a cactus and olive trees and a few almonds just coming into flower. Walked down to Bagheria where Hugo and I went up through the squalid village, awfully dirty with open drains running down the streets, to the villa Valguarnera, half ruined and grass grown (the principe comes only twice a year) when from a lovely lonely terrace with s tatues and sweet flowering jessamine we looked out onto the sea and the olive grove plain to the mountains. Mr Churchill came after dinner. As we sat on the point of Soluntun we could see all down the coast the headlands on whic h stood former towns; Hymera (Termini) in the middle of the bay and Cephaloedium at the extreme east; but Soluntum stood higher than all. The sea was quite calm-blue but the fingers of a stormy land wind brushed over it, tiny white bo ats like swans floated on it and on the horizon were the peaks of some of the Lipari islands. At night I was wakened by a man singing in the narrow street below. A guitar throbbed like a little heart through his song and his voice fil led the street. The songs he sang were quite oriental and quite Oriental the long notes at the end of the phrase falling and falling down the street till he and his Arab music passed away into silence. u Mr Churchill appeared at 9.30 and took us sightseeing. We went first to San Domin ico where there is a fine barocco chapel and some lovely bits of 16th cent. relief in white marble, holy water basins and a Madonna. Then to the Oratorio del Rosario which is covered with putti by Serpotta but still better was a nother Oratorio also by him, excellently good of its kind, the putti and saints all deliciously graceful, with a Dresden china charm which was indeed quite out of place. We went into the Church of la Zita where there is a v ery good barocco chapel. Then to the Martorana with a lovely tower and the ruins of a mosque. The church has been very much pulled about but there remain some admirable mosaics and marble inlay. One of the mosaics represents Ro ger standing and being crowned by Christ as at Monreale, another the founder of the church grovelling before the Virgin. On some of the pillars are Cufic inscriptions: There is no God but God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. T hen to San Giovanni degli Eremite where there was also a mosque. Here too as at the Martorana are the bubble like domes. There is here an exquisite cloister and a very amusing Custode who related the history of it all with force [?] illustrations. From the tower the bells for the Sicilian Vespers rang out. He presented me with a branch of accacia from a tree grown from the cutting taken from one planted by il mio Garibaldi. At 2.30 we drove to the Flor a and walked in the gardens. Then to Mr Churchill, leaving a card on the Johnstones by the way. He took us to the house of one Ciccio, a priest of the Chapel Royal where we saw a lovely collection of Greek coins. These Sicili an coins are too exquisite-the Arethusa head with the quadriga on the reverse is Greece in miniature. Hieron, Hieronimus and Philestis all exquisite. The lion of Lerantini, the crab of Agrigentum, the temple leaf of Selinus a re all armes parlantes. Hymera has a minotaur, Messina, I think, a cock. There is a most lovely coin of a man riding on a dolphin (Messina?)-I forget what town it belongs to-and another with a drunken Silenus and Bacchus Naxos on the other side. A small gold coin of Syracuse has an exquisite head of Zeus. Also Agathocles a lovely head of Persephone and a full face of a woman-Catania. Back to Mr Churchill's to tea. His house is full of lovely things. He has some wonderful Sicilian silver, in particular and a cachet for holy oil of the 14th cent. And an ivory Christ on an enamel cross which he says is unique. We walked along the Via Liberta under a wonderful sunset sky and saw the great world driving and walking and so home. u H and I went out after breakfast and bought photographs. Miss Johnstone came to call on us. At 11 we went out for our expedition to Monte Pellegrino. To Feld e by train from thence we walked (1 hour) up to the Chapel. Rather delicious walking up the paved road through a wilderness of stones. In one place a little corn was grown. Asphodel everywhere. Saw Etna far away among clo uds. Lunched on our own eggs biscuits and chocolate and bread cheese and wine which we bought. Then to the grotto; rather disfigured by water pipes-Santa Rosalia must have died of rheumatism. There is a wax bust in a hole in the roc k overhead where the saint is supposed to have appeared to the .......... and told them where her bones were. The marble figure of the saint in a gold robe so much admired by the ingenuous Goethe is a mawkish production. Before the grotto is a portal of inlaid marble, not bad of its kind. Awfully funny ex voto pictures. Then up to the Telegraph., 20 min. Unfortunately it was scirocco-grey so the view was not looking very pretty. We came down by th e Valle dei Porci, though the custodi of the grotto lifted his hands at the idea. Roughish going but very delightful. Full of goats and big yello w marigolds. It brought us down into the grounds of the Favorita from whence we made our way through olive gardens and fields of catus and to the high road near San Lorenzo and home by train. Got in at 4. After which I drove out to the Cuba, so spelt but pronounced with the proper Arabic pronunciation Cubba; a curious Arabic castle with a bit of pendentive work inside and shopped on the way home and met Father and Mr Churchill. After dinner we went to see the Johnstones. The Saracen castle building is all of the same style, very severe, the only breaks in the walls being tall shallow window mouldings with only a very little window in them. The two[?] ........ carts are a great fe ature of the town. They are painted yellow and pictured all over with historic scenes-Roger and the Saracens playing a large role. I saw in a shop a black scarf fastened across the open shutters with per mio Padre on it. u Went out to see the Zisa which is the most typically Arab thing in the town. A square building of the usual character and in the porch a beautiful bit of mosaic, arches, pairs of birds drinking, over a fountain which flowed away down some steps and through the court. A fine Arabic inscription on the entablature. It stands in a shrine with a garden behind and a big stone ...... This and the washing hung out to dry made a most typical picture. We left at 12 for Carini which we reached at 1. Walked up to the town which stands perched on the edge of the hill, and lunched at a ristorante. We excited much curiosity. The castle belongs to the Principe Guarini-his arms with a stork on them are everywhere. He never comes and lives in France and it is all falling into decay. You look out from its balconies over the lemon growing plain, a small co nca d'oro with steep hills on all sides. This place was Hyccara and from here came Lais, but I fear she was the last of her kind in beauty. We walked back to the station through the lemon gardens; it was grey and rained a little , but very soft and warm. The lemons smelt delicious. Got to train at 4.30 and reached Castellamare at near 6-dark and grey. We are in the funniest little inn with tiled floors. They gave us an excellent dinner after which we met s ome people dressed up like Saracens going out to dance in the town, for this is Shrove Tuesday-they wished us buon divertimento and we shook hands warmly and wished them the same. I had to send a telegram to Trapani-it was quite a fun ction! I was first formally introduced to the telegraph clerk an elderly lady, and then we composed the telegram en famille with free exchange of compliments. At Carini I saw in the houses little girls dancing to tambourines. He dges of red and pink geraniums along the line. I saw Goethe's house at Palermo, near the Porta Felice. Very sandy coast near Castellamare with the vines growing in the sandy ground nearly to the sea. u Lovely day, the best we have had in Sicily. Off about 8.30, the street full of goats and people. Drove to Segesta which we reached at 10.30 to see the temple from quite far away and the theatre from still further. The country is a swelling mass of hills and valleys in great open curves and all green but mostly treeless. Nothing but a few fruit trees and olives, carubba and almonds. We dro ve along the valley of the Scamander-so named I suppose because of the fanciful relation of Segesta to Troy-and passed some very hot sulphur springs. It takes a good half an hour to walk up from the road to the temple. The situation b eyond all praise-a backing of steep rocky hill, asphodel overgrown, and a foreground of hill and valley away and away to the sea. It was not finished; t here is no trace of a cella, the columns are not fluted and the stones of the stylobate have the carrying knobs on them. It is sexastyle peripteral, 30 columns in all, the spaces between the columns being 13 to 5. It is very large and massive, and very severe, no carving in pediments or metopes, but it struck me as being remarkably well proportioned-thoroughly satisfying to the eye from every side. To stand inside it on the lovely carpet of grass with th e uninterrupted lines of columns all round was a most impressive and lovely thing. One sees the sea through the columns. I photographed a shepherd with fur cloathed legs-he looked like Pan. Then up to the theatre, passing the necr opolis and through the walls. It stands on the very top of the hill facing the sea, the wide bay with cliffs, the water was so still and blue that the high ground was reflected in it. It is wonderfully perfect. So back to the car riage at 12.15, lunching on our way. I walked up a long hill and talked to the Vetturino. He told me how bitter poor everyone was-una propria miseria in Castellamara in spite of the aria finissima. 2 years ago the philoxera ca me and killed nearly all the vines-the dead stumps are still in the cornfields. Lots of the contadini emigrate to America. Fine view of Calatafimi, Alcamo from the theatre hill of Eryx.Caught atrain at 2.40 from Castellamare and reac hed Castelvetrano at 4.30 (Hotel Bixio) passing through a curious rolling country covered with corn. Walked about the town in which there are many fine houses and churches of the 18th cent. Talked at dinner to a nice German. u Father called me at 6 and we breakfasted at 7 and drove off to Selinus, Selinunte they call it. Grey day. Our road lay through the plain covered with olive, al mond, corn, flax and vine-or former vineyards for I believe the philoxera has destroyed a good deal of the vine here. Hedges of albe, horrid things! We approached the coast and saw the great heaps of ruins with a few halfstan ding columns sticking up against the sea. We drove through the first lot of gigantic heaps of stones, got out and walked through cornfields down to the ancient port, now silted up with sand and overgrown with weeds. On the raised gro und opposite is an enormous wall backing up the hill side. Skirting this (it is in foundation the wall of the ancient acropolis, restored as are all the other walls by Hermocrates after the great destruction by Agathocles)we enter ed the acropolis and saw the ruins of 4 temples. Of A little remains; B was quite small, elaborately painted. You can make out its shape and cella; C is an enormous pile with great fluted columns fallen in a line outwards on the N side as if ready for being set up, drums, capitals and entablature all in order, on the S side they have fallen inwards and crushed the cella. There are bits of triglyph about. It was in this temple that the oldest of the Palermo me topes were discovered. Another big temple to the N of it, B, is fallen in the same way. Some of the columns are monoliths. Both C and D have very long narrow cellas. We saw an ancient well with a terracotta lining. Then along th e old road which has been unburied, to the fortifications, restored by Hermocrates and built up of many remnants of earlier buildings, capitals and triglyphs. We then recrossed the sandy dip and returned to the E side where there are 3 temples. E is a great pile of ruin, it was from here that the fine metopes at Palermo came; of F little remains, but the columns are mostly standing, at least half of them. F is huge, they say bigger than any other Greek temple e xcept that of Jupiter at Girgenti and of Diana at Ephesus. It now became very grey and as we drove home we had a flood of rain, after which it cleared an d became a peerless afternoon. Got back to the hotel at 12.30 and lunched. Off at 1.30 and drove to the quarries at Campobello-most curious, just begun, half finished and quite finished column boles standing out of the solid rock. T hey cut a circular space about a yard wide all round them. Many drums scattered about on the road to Selinus. On to the station where we waited 2 and a half hours for the train! We got to Trapani an hour late at 7.30 and drove u p to the Grand Hotel where we had very nice rooms in the top of the house looking over the sea. Dined and so to bed. u Father rather ill with rheumatism. He had a very bad night. After consultation H and I decid ed to sett out for Eryx. Took the trainat 9.20 as far as the SS Annunziata at the foot of the hill, an old church secularized with a fine W door. When we set out Eryx was covered with cloud, but it retired before us and the mountai n became quite clear. We took 1 hour 10 min from the train to the village, San Giuliamo, a lovely walk with exquisite views, but extremely windy. San Giuliano is enchanting, a many towered little hill town. All the people were wrapped up in big coats and hoods and mufflers, indeed the streets were still wet with mist. We entered by a gate in the fortifications; to the left a lovely tower and a church with a fine porch. Here we were caught by one who led us up to the Castello. The women are dark and very handsome, they also go wrapped in a long black silk veil. The castello is now a prison. Its foundations are those of that ancient shrine before history, at which the Elymians wo rshipped and which became under the hands of different conquerors the Shrine of Astarte, Aphrodite and Venus. The Virgin is now the patron of the village-the Eternal Feminine! The only very old vestiges are a well and an ancient p assage onto which we gazed down, called the Porte del Diavolo. It opens onto the precipice. The view was perfectly wonderful, sea on 3 sides and the hills in which Segesta lies to the E, but it was a little cloudy to the S and could n ot see Pantelleria or Cape Bon. We ran down to the train in 40 min. caught a train after waiting just time to eat 2 oranges and came back to the hotel in time to pack, eat a very hasty lunch and catch the 1.38 with Father. The clouds closed in behind us; as we left Trapani, Eryx had again put on its cap of mist. Got to Marsala at 2.30, passing along the coast and seeing the low island which was Motya. Marsala was Lilybaeum and is an uninteresting place. Hotel Central and very bad. We all walked about a little then Father went in and H and I went to see the Stabilmento di Vioro of Woodhouse, the oldest here and drank Marsala of the year 1815. We came back to the most dis gusting tea, it tasted of straw and varnish, butter uneatable. Fortunately we had brought some biscuits and some rather stickjaw peach jam. u Father very bad. We left Marsala without regret at 10 by the Florio boat Imera and breakfasted on board soon after leaving. At Mazzara came on Mr and Mrs Round, he a pleasant scholarly person and she a nice woman with a sweet expres sion. Spent the day reading to Father and talking to them. At 4 we passed Sciacca a most charming high built town. We dined at 5.30 and reached Porto Empedoche at 7.15. But what with disembarking, buying medicaments at the chemist's (the whole town assisting and one, a doctor giving good advice-the original prescription was the steward's!) and an interminable drive, we did not reach the Hotel des Temples till 10. Most comfortable. We found a large post . Furious storm in the night. u Father better, storm still raging but fine. Colder. Wrote letters and went out soon after 11 to the Acropolis from whence I had a very splendid view over broken bare country, very southern. Here I borrowed 50 c. from a neighbouring German having forgotten my purse and went on down the hill to the T of Ceres and Pros erpine, a cella with antae on the E turned by the Normans into a church. After lunch H and I sallied out and went to the T of Juno losing our road and being obliged to scale up to it. I saw starch hyacinths, a scarlet vetch and a charming red clover. This T stands most magnificent. It is hexastyle peripteral with antae at both ends; the E and S lines of columns much broken. It looks out over the plain and a great stretch of sea, grey and yellow and blue with storm. It stands on the edge of the cliff with a flight of steps leading up to the E end. On the N side the ground drops quickly and the stylobate is very high in consequence. The whole effect is to give the temple great heigh t-most splendid it is. On to Concordia following the line of the wall. It is almost perfect and gives that suggestion of boxiness which I always feel in a perfect temple. Still it is extremely fine. The cella as perfect as at Palmyr a. We took a merry custode whose one word of English was y-e-e-s and went (by all that was wonderful!) to see some catacombs. They came in very handy for we sheltered ourselves there from a shower of rain. Then on to the T of Her cules, almost entirely fallen-very old with bulging and tapering columns and very wide capitals. Then to the Great T of Zeus which is a complete ruin. It was of colossal size and the columns were engaged in the walls, the entablature be ing too massive for them. The flutes in the columns are big enough for a man to stand in. I saw a colossal triglyph. Lots of stones with an odd horseshoe in them. In the middle was lying a gigantic Telamones, one of the g iants that supported the roof. He is so worn with exposure and weather that he looks ..... some monstrous and obscene image. Then to the exquisite fragment of Castor and Pollux, the most ........ of all. Lovely in detail with a bit of curved cornice over the tryglyph. Below, between us and the town, we saw a deep dip, an old stone quarry, with a wonderful mass of orange trees loaded with fruit.We dropped down into in by a breakneck path and were rec eived by the owner of that Hesperides and his charming family who sold us the golden apples, blood red inside, from from the boughs. Then we made our way up to the high perched town by an old peasant road cut in some places through the solid rock and deep into it. It took us however a good three quarters of an hour to get up. On the top we met Mr Round, just outside the town and walked home with him. We had a delightful sitting room from whence we can see the T of Concordia. u Cold day with occasional storms but very bright between. Father much better. After breakfast H and I walked up to the town which was quite full of men in cloaks ha nging about. We think Empedocles fell to his lowest in the Salone Empedocle! Very steep streets, sometimes staircases, led us up to the Duomo which was Norman but is entirely restored. Only one column of the nave and a fine b it of tower remains of the old work. There is in the sacristy a very fine sarcophagus, Roman says the guide book, but extremely good-high relief, the subject Phaedra and Hyppolytus. I photographed two sides; especially fine the end representing Phaedra being consoled by her ........ We went onto the roof conducted by a fat and cheerful sacristan. The distant hills were covered with snow which fell last night. Below us were sulphur mines. The sacris tan gave us a respectable boy as guide-thereby defeating the hopes of the ragamuffins who had followed us-and we went to San Giorgio of which only a fine Norman door remains, much defaced however--this soft stone which works so easily does not retain a clear edge-then to Santa Maria dei Greci where under the church you can see the stylobate and 6 fluted columns, a foot o r two in the height of them, belonging to the oldest temple of Agrigentum-or rather of Akragus. Then to the Museum where there is a good archaic Apollo found near the T of Ceres, some 4 ft high and a delightful old Direttore who showe d us round and explained things in most fluent Italian. So home to lunch and were caught in a little shower after we got in it rained hard and hailed. Directly after lunch drove with Father to the temples-he went home and Hugo and I on to the tomb of Theron through the Porta Aurea. It's not much of a place. Then up to the old Monastery of San Niccolo which has a lovely garden full of stone pines and orange trees. There is a wall with a fine and elaborate marb le cornice-Greek-circular. Inside we saw a square chamber with a carved cornice-occupied it was by rabbits and peacocks!and then the church which was a temple and retains a bold stone cornice, moulded, above which springs th e stone barrel roof which is Norman and very splendid. The holy water basin is supported by a great marble hand which the woman said was also Greek, the basin having been used for offerings. Near by is a casa Greca-the foundations of ro oms and of a columned court and mosaic floors. So in at 4 to tea. u We left at 8-it was a gray day rainy early but the sun came at midday. We went right a cross the island to Taormina. We took our lunch with us and eat it in the train which was very full of people going to Siracuse. We left without knowing for sure that we could get in at Taormina. We passed mostly through roll ing uplands, at first rather bare and full of sulphur mines, then covered with flowering almond. The nicest part was as we ran between Castrogiovanni and Calascibetta, both standing up on the tops of the hills. It was a little early in the year for flowers and I fear the country does not flourish as it did when at Henna the hounds could not follow the game for the scent of flowers; but the narcissus and the blue anemone were out covering the fields. Etna was hidde n from a little above the snow line upwards. We had tea at Catania and a delicious journey along the blue sea by Aci Reale and Aci Castello. Arriving at Taormina was like coming home and fortunately we found we had got rooms at the San Domenico a delightful hotel with wide passages and cells and a charming garden full of flowers. H and I rushed up the hill from the station and then to the theatre, but it was shut. Lovely moon. The Geralds and Ruffs arri ved at 7. Dinner and talk a walk in the garden and bed. Taormina divine under the moon. u Woke at 6 and saw a red sunrise out of my window. I woke Hugo and we went to the theatre where we saw a very beautiful sunrise, lots of colour but not clear. The light on the lower slopes of Etna exquisite. The day turned out lovely and about lunch time Etna sailed out. I took the Geralds and Ruffs and went out shopping and photographing. After lunch we wandered up behind the town that I might get the towers and found ourselves in the territory of Mr Bertie Stopford who was himself busy replanting an almond tree. He was most gracious, invited us to walk down his terraces and gave us violets amidst streams of conversation. He says he lives in the Heart of Taormina which is indeed true and that everything has gone up since the Hills paid a ruinous price - f or Taormina! - for their house and land. Chickens went up 50% in a day he said. Father brought in the Blackwoods and Mrs Farquhar to tea-I had seen Capta in Farquhar in the town and he bowed to me and I could not remember who he was. We had a very merry tea and so ran down to the train, leaving Taormina with a terrible tearing of heart strings. It looked exquisite in the clear sun. W e all travelled together till Messina when the Gerald party left us and we went on to Messina porto and took the boat across-I left my purse in the train! The crossing takes 40 min. It was very pleasant a clear night with a moon after rain. We got to our Hotel in Reggio at 8, dined and went to bed. u Up at 4 and left at 5.15 taking a slow train and journeying up the coast all day. It was very pleasant and did not seem long. The first part most lovely-Scilla and all the coast exquisite. Then a long series of bays and rather bare mountains with perched up towns and castles and snow on the top. T... the sea sand and marsh. Then we got into the regular exquisite coast line of S Italy, oranges, olives, corn fields, ....... hills and Villages bowered in fruit and flower. We eat when we could; it wasn't very good, but it kept the wolf f rom the door. At we managed to get some soup and cold meat. We passed Paestum in the dusk and just saw the temples. From Salerno the journey was lovely and we had a bright moon. The arrival at Cara a vision[?]-lovely hills with white villages on them and stone pines in rows under the moon. We got there about 9. Most excellent Hotel-de Londres with obliging people to bed and slept like a top. Cold. u Called at 6.30 and woke Hugo and we went out into the town. Lovely clear day but cold at first. There was a white frost on the fields. The town has arched galleries like Bologna. Home to breakfast at 8 and so off to Paestum. Most perfect d ay with a bright sun. I got into the train with 3 pleasant English women and photographed Vietri. At Salerno the Forsters got into the train. We arrived at Paestum about 10.30 and walked down to the temples. T of Neptune is certain ly most magnificent. Inside it has a row of columns in the cella supporting a row of tiny columns which help I suppose the roof. As far as I could see, all this was surrounded by the cella walls. The proportions very fine and no ble, columns just right in height and diminution. This cannot be said for the so called Basilica which is much too broad for its length-a facade of 9 columns. These columns both bulge and taper so much that they look like pillows tied up at the top and the capitals are also very ugly, sort of sloppy and formless with a great extension. The old wall is traceable right round the town. Further off is another very lovely little temple, of Ceres I think; the gro und near it was blue with those violets for whose sweetness ancient Paestum was famous. There is a little farm house between the temples and a line of stone pines and a certain amount of cultivation. The view towards the hills most entrancing. It's an odd site for a Greek town, down on the low ground; it looked desolate even in that bright day. We left at 1.17 and lunched voraciously in the train. We managed to go about 48 miles in 5 hours! Soon after C ava we saw Vesuvius and passed Pompeii in the dusk. We were late and reached Naples about 7.30. Hotel de la Riviera, all my luggage turned up satisfactorily. Found a parcel of books from Mother, Ulysses and Gratian. Wrote letters and to bed. u Grey morning. Went out shopping with Father. My boat left at 10.30. We came back to the hotel, picked up Hugo and took him so far on his way to the Museum, then Fa ther saw me off. S.S. Congo of the Messagiore. Very comfortable. Got off at 11 and immediately lunched. At my table are the Captain, a cheerful squint ing meridional, a Commandant of the Navy who is going out to take command of the stationnaire at C'ple, and a Commissaire who is going to join his ship at Crete. I made friends with the Whitakers, nice people, going to Athens. He is brother of the Palermo Whitakers. It was very gray; we passed Capri after lunch and ran down Paestum Bay, and Santa Eufemia, but rather far out. Had tea with the Captain. Then we ran into a head wind and heavy sea. Was a little sick after dinner and went to bed. u Very rough. Got up for lunch about 11 and was the only one of my sex. Sick after! sl ept most of the day till tea at 4 which was a success. Then slept till dinner after which I had a slight relapse. Sat on desk wrapped up and feeling rather ill and to bed about 8. u Capital n ight. Woke at 3 and eat some fruit then slept till 7.30 and found ourselves in smooth water off C. Matapan. Up by 9 and on deck. We ran round Matapan and across the Bay. Mrs Whitaker also appeared about 11. Mt Elias and Taygetu s thick with snow. During and after lunch we ran between Cerigo and the Malean promontory which we rounded about 1. Good deal of sea and wind round the point but the sun came out. We passed across the wide bay of Nauplia into the Gulf of Athens about 6 and was too late to go in to port so we anchored outside a little east of Phalaris. Full moon and cloudless sky and all the lights of Athens shining. Played Patiences with Mrs Whitaker. u The Commandant had me wakened at 5.15 and I run up on deck to find a perfectly clear sky and a moon reflected in the smoothest water. Lycabethus and the Acropolis ris ing above a light mist and snow on Pentelikon and the western hills. As the sun rose Salamis turned gold and all the hills and the sea the deepest blue. Off at 8 about and caught an 8.30 train to Athens. Got out at Monasterion and went to the telegraph office and the Museum where I saw the Cape Malen things. First a long room full of beautiful ghosts; marbles just retaining a reminiscence of exquisite form all crowded by the sea and encrusted with sh ells-rathr horribly suggestive of decay. One exactly like the Farnese Hercules. Then the Hermes, the surface of the bronze almost uninjured and eternally lovely, with the exquisite turn of the head and the lifted arm which the Ol ympian Hercules lacks. He was lying on a sloping couch of wood and plaster undergoing repair. The enamel quite clear in the eyes. Also a lovely bearded Jove head with enamelled eyes, life size, and 3 small bronzes very beautiful, and some hands, one with a fighting weapon strapped on it and some buskined feet. The marble of the man stooping to strike, half perfect, half coroded as if by some horrible leprosy. Also a marble statue of which the head was almo st perfect. Then to the theatre of Dionysus, looking more exquisite in the morning sun than anything that can be seen in the world. I sat in the armed seat and basked in the beauty of it. And then up to the Acropolis, all white and gold with a blue sky and a blue sea and a white town below, the loveliest of temples. The great facade of the Parthenon is after all the grandest thing that remains of ancient art, as the Erectheum is the most graceful. Onto th e Pnyx for the view and then down the the T of Theseus where I eat oranges on the steps and so to my train at the Theseus station. Met a party from the boat in it who presented me with a great bunch of Parma violets. Back at 12.30 a nd lunched with the Commandant of the Stationnaire with whom I had a long talk on religion. He's a dear. A young English soldier has come on board-on his way home from India. With him I talked. Reread Ulysses sitting in the sun on the upper deck-with much emotion-and wrote to Mr Coloni. Off at 4. Cloudy. Lots of islands. Amusing dinner with an inspector of the MM. 8uWednesday February 26, 1902.>u Arrived about 7. Mr Van Lennep and a Kavass came out to meet me. Went to the Hotel de la Ville, Fragiacomo; where I repacked, then shopped with Mr V.L., the n to the Consulate where I saw Mr Cumberbatch. Lunched and caught a train at 1 to Mahajik Dereli Keui where we arrived about 2. Drove up in a covered cart over most impossible roads. Many coloured anemones everywhere-about 4 mil es up to the farm. Mrs VL and Evelyn welcomed us and gave us tea after which we had an enchanting walk up to the top of a hill where Mr VL is opening a big tumulus. Mr Bari appeared at dinner. Mrs VL's brother. Developed photographs . u Started out at 9.30 on little nags and rode up towards Colophon. Karaja Dagh lies behind it and the Acropolis is a spur of them. We went in by Deirmendere and at B got off and walked up the hill to C tracing the walls in the prickly oak scrub. The wall there goes over the top of the hill, then drops down to C where it is remarkably distinct with round bastions at intervals. Just near where the Kabakly dere runs through the wall the modern road passes through it at what looks like an ancient gate-three paving flags lying on the road. The masonry is remarkably good and even in this bit. We then returned to B where w e lunched at 12. We then scrambled SKETCH OF COLOPHON up onto the Acropolis. We lost the wall after the bit near Deirmendere but found traces of it all up the W side to the Plateau X which is a wide flat stretch on which if anywhere, the palace must have stood. The E side of the hill above the 1st plateau is all terraced and covered with foundations of walls and with foundations that must hav e been houses. The 1st plateau would certainly be the place to begin excavations. We went up to the top of the hill which is very pointed and only a tiny platform on the top. Here are clear traces of walls-an outstanding tower pro bably. I then walked down, passing a pit that may have been a tank, to the other, east, side of the valley and followed the wall up to the crest of the spur. At E is a tower shaped rock from which a wall runs round the base of the Acropolis, but here the wall is not quite so finely built, more polygonal. The wall runs quite clearly up to the ..... and then down across the valle y, north. It began to rain and we went back to our lunching place where we had coffee and rode home by C passing a tumulus on the left. Got home about 6. Rather long evening-I very sleepy! Talked. u Printed photographs most of the morning with Evelyn and then walked up to see a tumulus that is being excavated by a party of half starved Albanians and a very tal kative gypsy-Sckerji by name. The Albanians come here for the winter and are brought over by a leader who pays their expenses gives them $5 at the end of their time. He feeds them exclusively on bread in consequence of w hich they are half starved. Mr VL pays them 12 piastres a day. He offered them an extra half ....... but they begged for food instead. Mr VL has 20,000 acres of which 5000 are under cultivation. He has villages of Yuruks on his farm, g ypsies, Turks, Greeks and Tatargis in his village. The Tatargis are wood cutters and heathens. The Yuruks are divided into many tribes, Sanjaklis, Tekelis,etc Araplis, Burhans,Topchas, Chibuis, they are by nature nomads and a re governed in the tribal system by BeysThe Tekelis are the most important. The Araplis Topchas Chibuis are a semitic race, the others Turkomans. They have a rotation of crops, the land lying fallow every 3rd year. The plan is that the villager does the labour with Mr VL's animals and implements and he gives them a quarter of the produce per man. Printed after lunch and walked up to the tepe near the house where we gathered lots of anemones of all colours and then photographed in the village, after which we developed. M. Bari went to Smyrna to fetch the children in the afternoon. Played patiences after dinner. u Printed and walked out with Evelyn to the tepe and the manganese pit and on to a field where they were ploughing with buffaloes and to the top of a hill where Mr VL had opened a Byzantine tumulus and some archaic dittos and found various pots an d rings. Prof Ramsay had also assisted. In to lunch-very hot day. At 3 Nellie, Irma and Willie came with M. Bari. Played croquet till tea after which we walked up to the tumulus. Perfectly cloudless evening. Colophon a nd Pilar Tepe exquisite and the river and the plains. Played Bridge after dinner. u Misty early but cleared into a perfect day. The Van Heemstras and her brother Mr Whittall tu rned up, nice people, and we walked up to the tumulus. They were still clearing away the sides, so we determined to come back and fetch our lunch and watch proceedings. So we Mrs VL Mr Bari and the Heemstra party walked back-they not to return. We packed up lunch and returned. Very merry picnic after which we watched the men work. At about 5 metres we came to a layer of very big stones, below (we dug down to 5 and a half metres) was earth with small stones . We dug along the trench but found nothing. Came home soon after 5 and met the Heemstras who returned and came in to tea. A little blue iris and narcissus grow about the tumulus hill. All the people go about with a sprig of narcissu s or hyacinth stuck in their caps. u Came up by the morning train with Nellie Irma and Willie. Mr VL and M Bari drove us to the station in 2 carts. There we found the Van Heemstras and Mr Whittall - the latter travelled up with us and we had a long talk about trade. He says the English trade is still much greater than that of all other countries-German and F rench no where. The Armenians are the richest community and have all the import trade. All goes in English bottoms[?]. He is a coin exporter. Bass has an agent here because Smyrna area is the best for brewing. English trade goes on increasing. Got out at the Caravan Bridge station and drove to the Hotel de la Ville. After lunch shopped and wrote letters. Dined with the Cumberbatches-Mr Hanson also dined and we had a pleasant dinner discussing 70 peop le and all ambassadors ministers and secretaries of the Levant. Two collegues came in-a Baron someone and his wife and we played Bridge till 12. u Left by the 11.30 train with . Went to see M. Gandin at the station to thank him and he rearranged my journey very satisfactorily. Most comfy in a reserved carriage. Made the acquaintance also of Mr Hatton. Lovely country. We follo wed up the valley of the Hermes-all the willows yellow and green and the plums flowering. The wide rich valleys all cultivated. At Magnesia young M. Sarandides came to meet me and I sent by him a letter to the missionaries saying when I would arrive. Bought halva and flowers - a red tulip - some hyachinths. Extremely hot day. Here the line branches. I went on to Soma, passing Ak Hissar which was Thyateira-very charming looking place with gardens frui t trees and cypresses. At Soma where trains end their course, the station master welcomed me and took me to his charming clean house, where his very nice old wife was ready to receive me. A pretty little grandson called Byron. Ex cellent dinner at which another Greek assisted-a doctor, I think, and I went to bed very early. The station master called Laoussiki. u Up at 5 an d started off at 5.30 driving to Pergamos. Cloudy morning and colder. Gradually the dawn came and showed a charming country, a wide, cultivated valley and a very good road through it. the villagers of Soma were already awake and we met lots of peasants coming in with loads of onions, for it was market day. We drove for 4 and a half hours-very pleasant pretty hills and wide valleys and all the lovely spring green and the peasants ploughing with bu llocks and buffaloes and riding on donkeys and poneys. We saw a Circassian and some Albanians. I learnt Turkish all the time with great interest. We stopped occasionally for a few minutes to drink coffee and breath the horses. At last the Acropolis of Pergamos, castle crowned, here in sight, with the pretty modern town of Bergama set in fruit trees and cypresses below it. The clouds lifted and a bright hot sun came out. I was taken to the office of M. Sophian os a very kind Greek to whom M. Gandin had written about me. So we drank tea in the office and then set out for the Acropolis, having first got permission from the Director of the ruins that I should take photographs. M.S. took me t o a Roman bridge near which was a tanner's but I fear not for pergament. The river, Bergama Chai ... Selinus runs under a tunnel of fine Greek work surmounted by Byzantine. It splits just before the hill, the eastern stream bein g the Kestel Chai ..... Cetius. There are magnificent baths of brick and stone, Roman. They consist of an enormous central corps de batiment and 2 large round vaulted buildings, one on either side. The S. most is now a cotton facto ry. They lifted a board of the floor and showed the underground heating place. As we walked up we went in to see a little carpet factory which has just been started. So up to the outermost ring of walls, Greek, with the remains of a f ine gateway and much marble work. We followed the paved way up to an agora recently excavated on the site of a Byzantine necropolis. The row of pillar s between the shops have been reset up- one bears an inscription: Damer in Greek, it was the Cafe chantant. There is a small museum with scraps of carving and a large marble tablet bearing the rules of the Agora in Greek. Here M.S. left u s-he had the wedding of a servant in his house to attend to - and I went up by the paved road which led round a line of wall, beautiful Greek work at the bottom, Byzantine above and Turkish towers. On the E side we entered the en closure by a gate near which the old drains came down and still followed the paved road above the Stadium round the S. side of the hill. Presently it turned N and we had a fine view of the acropolis and theatre. We entered the A cropolis through a Byzantine wall built up of ancient materials which the excavations have mostly destroyed. Here I lunched near the house of the Turkish gardien who gave me coffee before a splendid view towards Dikeli and the sea , with Bergama and the Roman amphitheatre below me. I walked up through an agora on the W side of which are the remains of the T of Dionysus to the 2nd platform on which stands the core of the great Altar of Zeus, the Throne o f Satan. A paved road leads through a gateway to the 3rd plateau all paved, the Athene Temenos with the library buildings to the NW and the remains of a Byzantine Church on the SW. W are the many foundations of the Palace of Attali ds and above them lots of house foundations in one of which is a magnificent round cistern with a column in the centre to support the roof. Higher up at the NE end of the acropolis is a very fine bit of the wall of the Attalid king s overhanging the Cetius valley. The hill runs out NE into a promontory at the end of which are the ruins of the T of Julia. Great bits of the Byzantine wall stand out on the N. Returning within these walls I went to the ruins o f the T of Rom and Augustus at the NW corner and got a lovely view of the theatre which is the highest and narrowest I have every seen. Below me the remains of the beautiful little Ionic T. There was a roaring wind and I was bothe red by a cold in the head. I then descended to the Temenos of Athene whence by the old stair down through the theatre. It is supposed that its proscenium was of wood and there are stones wih holes in them paving it-to receive t he wooden supports I imagine. A bit of the gateway of the Ionic T stands-beautiful carved work, very elaborate. So down through the Stadium to the Mosque of Agia Sophia once a Byzantine ch. to the house of M Sophianos where I was int roduced to his wife mother in law and children and had tea and biscuits and preserved fruits. Left at about 2.45 and got in soon after 7. Most magnificent sunset, the whole floor of heaven red and gold which faded into a grey cold sk y like the fading of the glories of the Atealids. My good host and hostess gave me a warm welcome-an excellent dinner at wh. Manoli Louissaky Byron assisted, after wh. I went to bed. I paid 9 and a half mej for my carriage. u A blustering grey day. Left Soma at 7 with the first drops of rain and got to Magnesia at 11.30. Mr Gagossian an Armenian of the American mission and M. Sarandide s disputed the honour of my visit, but I went with M. Gagossian as Mr Cumberbatch had written to him. We drove off in the rain through the streets of a charming Turkish town. His house is the Haranlik of the Kara Osmanli palace and not uncomfortable with big rooms. His wife and 5 horrid little red faced children with beady eyes received me. My room was all carpeted with a divan and the portrait of a dead Armenian lying in bed en face, but no bed! Texts and bibl es galore. We had a scrappy lunch with all the children. They came from Erzerum where they knew Mr Graves. Their family is from Bitlis where they suffere d during the massacres and most of them have emigrated to America. After lunch still pouring but I went out with Mr G to Sarandides office in the bazaar, then we fetched Mrs G and went to see the Sultanieh mosque which is Seljuk and has some fine stained glass windows and a charming court. Across the way are a nice old Medresseh also Seljuk and a lunatic asylum where I saw the men and women in separate courts. Wrapped in white felts and kept behind bars like wi ld animals. I believe when they first came in they are well beaten to frighten them. We went on to the Mahmudieh-no this is the place we went inside with the windows, we didn't get in the other. It has a delightful medreseh near by wit h some Corinthian capitals. We passed a good fountain made of a sarcophagus. Then Mr G and I climbed up the hill to the Ulu Jameh once a church. In the court are the old columns and capitals, a cross on one column and a Greek inscript ion on another. A good minbar inside of woodwork. We climbed up and had a lovely view of the town. There is a clock here without a face which strikes the hours; we waited to hear it strike. On the way down we went into the Dervis h Tekke-this is the greatest dervish place after Conia-and saw all the felt hatted dervishes sitting in their cells as comfy as possible. A peach tree blooming in the court. The rain now ceased and we went home and I took a carriage w ith and drove out by a most muddy road to the Niobe passing over where Sultan Mahmud's great palace and gardens were-now empty ground with a factory at one corner. We drove round the foot of the hills on the top of which th e mists gathered and lifted till we came to the rock where she sits, high up and very old, her body bent over her knees looking down with a blank featureless face. You can see her knees and the top of the arms and the breasts, all else but 2 wings like the arms of the seat, is too disfigured. To the left are 3 Hittite tablets quite effaced, I thought. I went over the spur to the E and walked along the face of the hill. High up in the rock is a great to mb, the real tomb of Tantalus-and above the tiny acropolis on which is the Throne of Pelops hanging over a narrow dark ravine. Below in the plain is the tiny lake into which the city of Tantalus vanished. Here one was at the very root of Greek tradition with the images sung by Homer before one. Further on is a great chamber cut in the rock where the hot springs were-sacred to Apollo I think. I saw it next day from the train. Drove back wet and cold and call ed at the Sarandides house where I found the old father also. Had great trouble in getting them to allow me to go. Got in about 7 and found the Gs at supper, a meagre repast mostly prepared on the stove in the room. Knives plates and spoons not enough to go round. They had put me a bed down on the floor and I went to bed and slept sound in spite of wind and rain. u Cold but fine . snow on the hills. Went out and photographed, ending with the Kara Osman house now deserted and fallen into decay but once very splendid. The Karamanians they say could not count their weatlth and were independent princes. N ow only one remains, living in a house near the station, and he has no children. Mr and Mrs G came to the station with me. 9.20 my train went. Mr Hatton appeared in it, rotund and cheerful and booted and we set off very gaily. E xcellent lunch in the train of my own delicious kaimah and Mr Hatton's good provisions. The day cleared and though the wind was cold, the sun was delicious. Got to Sardis about 11. The hill on which it stood is made of mud which has washed away and fallen down in great masses covering ruins and everything else;but some Roman and Byzantine fragmentsremain on the lower slopes facing the st ation and some bits of Byzantine wall on the top, much undermined. Walked up the Pactolus, a very small stream no bigger than the Wiske to the T of Cybele of which 2 great Ionic pillars are standing one with its capital all askew. The T was knocked down by a earthquake. Near here must have been the agora through which the Pactolus flowed. Skirted round the back of the hill past some Yuruk tents and up by the E side through the largest bit of wall a ll built up of fragments of earlier work. Here there is a big grass plateau, red with anemones. You look E to the Tmolus, Bos Dagh, and I think this must be the side Herodotus meant when he describes the Median soldier climbing up by the side that faces Tmolus. But it is now the least precipitous. Beyond the plateau this mountain top is knife edged, all fallen down in debris below. We sat here and looked out over the great plain where Croesus was defeated. Bin Tepe lay in front of us with its line of great mounds, the most E being the Tomb of Alyattes described by Herodotus, and Marmara Giul behind. And behind that the stretching country and low hills of thebattle field-that wide c ountry through which the Hyllas flows. At the w end is a tiny bit of fort which will soon fall and by this we descended skirting the N side of the hill to the place where the theatre and stadium can still be traced in the hills ide with great masses of substructure. We came back by a road which leads past the gymnasium and a Byzantine church. Saw on the ground a marble slab with a long Greek inscription. Back to the station where we made and eat an excelle nt tea and caught the 5 o'clock train. M. Sarandides was in it. At Salikly I was welcomed by the daughter and son in law of my Soma hosts who gave us coffee and cognac. At Ala Sheher (Philadelphia) Mr Sarandides and I drove off to his house, leaving Mr Hatton at the station. A very nice station master M. Fiorevitch pressed me to stay. We got to Alasheir at 7. Sarandides house the regular Greek sort, the door opening into a hall with the Salon and i ts reows of brocaded covered chairs and sofa and the dining room at the end. I found the 2nd wife, a handsome woman but very fat, a pretty daughter and a cousin of the wife's and 2 sons of 10 and 13. The daughter spoke a little French. I sat on the sofa solemnly till they asked me what I'ld like to do so I said I'ld like to wash and was taken up to a very comfortable room where I washed and changed and came down and again sat in a circle conducting a most laborious con versation in which we repeated the same platituted over and over again-the amount of times I've said that the Spring was the best season of the year!) and eating various confections and cognacs till near 9 when M.S. asked me what time I was accustomed to dine. I replied with great firmness Now and in ten minutes we sat down to a long elaborate dinner. During and after dinner troops of masques came in dressed in all sorts of costumes and played and danced. At l ast one dressed as a woman who presently disclosed himself as a friend of the family and sat playing on the guitar and singing a long time. He spoke a little French. At 11.30 I went to bed. u Grey. Breakfasted at 8.30, Mr Hatton also appearing, after which he and I and M. S. and various servants went out to see the town. At the top of the hill are th e site of the Stadium and Theatre but all the stones have been carried away. Above them the Acropolis with a few bits of Byzantine masonry. From here we saw the whole town shrivelled somewhat with the limits of the Byzantine walls w hich could be clearly seen all round. Behind us beautiful mountains with snow on them-part of the Bos Dagh I think. we walked up towards them through a love ly bit of country full of olives, apricots plums and Judas trees to a great wall built by Timor of Christians-you can see their bones. Then on to the hot springs at the foot of the hills. Here we met M.S.'s carriage and drove do wn to a spring of mineral water and so to the remains of the ch; two great piers of masonry, rubble faced with great stones, with a cornice above and a brick vault springing from it. Traces of fresco especially on the E pier-circles with saints' heads in them-It all stands in the back premises of a Turkish house of which the owner came out and gave us a Khush Gueldinez. So through the bazaar-it was market day-home to lunch, after which M and Mme S came with us to the station. We left at 1.30. I photographed the daughter in the old Smyrna costume in which she looked very pretty. The railway doctor was travelling up, a pleasant young Greek. At Gunai Keui the station master joined us Maksouri, a cheerful little party. the line runs up very steep 1/40, and passes through bare mountains covered with oak scrub from which they get the stuff they use for dyeing. Almost unpeopled and uncultivated. All the pop ulation Turkish. We got out at Inai where we found a sleeping carriage for us to pass the night in. The Stationmaster is a Maltese and an English subject, Lacoste by name. He lost a good post by getting across the Kaimakan and has been in this desolate place 3 years. His wife died a year ago today and his 2 boys are at school in Smyrna. His sister in law lives with him, a delicate unhappy little thing from Smyrna. Her mother died 3 months ago. They gave us tea and Mr Hatton prepared an excellent dinner in the station master's office. After which we had coffee upstairs and listened to the phonograph which is all the amusement they have. I am housed in a sleeping carriage of 2 compartments of which Mr Hatton has the other. Most comfy. Wrote my diary and read Adam Bede. u Pouring wet morning. Had breakfast in the Station Master's office, Mr Hatton cooking bacon and eggs. Then retired to my sleeping carriage, finished Adam Bede and wrote letters till 12 when it held up a little. Lunched hastily and set off for Suleimanli (Blaundos) across bare hill tops where nothing grew but the prickly wild oak scrub and starch hyacinths. Put up a hare and some partridges. After an hour and a quarter's smart walking in the rain we came to the Acropolis, magnificently situated with a steep valley on all sides and a narrow isthmus where the entrance was. First the remains of the aqueduct for Inai with the ruins of a temple to the E of it; then a magnificent gateway of dressed stone which the Yuruks are destroying. Inside on the left an arched place in th e wall where some Yuruk shepherds had made a fire. Further on ruins of 2 temples with much elaborately carved marble, cornices and the corner of a pediment and a very bad draped figure headless. The ... temple had some very poor columns standing, some of them (and many of the ruined blocks) of sort of double or engaged columns. Then a corps de batiment of very big stones. All round the rocky valley was a vast rock cut necropolis, Phrygian they say. The biggest tombs had 2 or 3 chambers stretching into the rock with arches cut out of the rock and traces of plaster work on them. Loculi all round. further on(but I had not time to go and see them) there is some fresco on the plaste r in this pattern [SKETCH] leaves and fruit. The doorways are sometimes an arch, sometimes a rough moulding [SKETCH] in the solid rock. In the valley a Yuruk village of good houses. The men said if I would co me and stay I should be put up in the Musafa Odasi. So home, the rain holding off. We dined with the Station master and had a concert after. u Left at 8.10-stormy day. Met Mr Herbert Whittall with his daughter Helen and his niece Rachel (Edward) and travelled down with them. Very pleasant journey, we played Bridge and talked. They had been up shooting in the Murad Dagh and had been driven down by the snow. They often go there or to the Ak Dagh. They got out at Halkar Bunar and Mr Hatton and I reached Smyrna at 7.14. Went to the Hot el de la Ville washed and dined. Letter from Elsa saying Maurice had broken his collar bone. u Pouring rain which cleared and came on again. Packed and shopped. Called on Mr Cumber batch. At 11.30 Helen Whittal came to fetch me and we went to Burnabab, Mr W joining us in the train. Called on Mr Gandin at the station to thank him and saw M Hatton. Got to Burnabat at 12.30. Charming house with a big garden and mos t splendid cypresses. Old Mrs Whittall, the grandmother of them all lives here too. Mrs H Whittall a delightful woman. Round the dining room family portraits-on one side the grandfather who first came out, a stern old man; on the other his wife, a Venetian (Cortazzi) of the Byzantine Venetians, driven out by the Turks first to Crete then to Athens and then to Smyrna, and her mother, an Italian, a Capo d'Istria. Both women in semi oriental d ress. We walked in the big garden after lunch; magnificent cypresses planted in a cross, part of the old monastery garden. After a very merry schoolroom tea to which young Herbert Whittall came, Mrs H.W. and I went to se e Mr Edward Whittall, the Vali's right hand and a great gardener. Delightful gardening talk with him. He took us to see his nursery garden. After dinner he and his 2 daughters Elsie and Rachel came in and we played Bridge. u Stormy and cold. We sat round the tandour and read and wrote. Left at 12.15; Mrs Whittall drove me into Smyrna-to the Point station where I caught the 1 o'clock tra in to Burnabat. M. van Heemstra met me and we had a cheerful drive up to the farm where I was warmly welcomed. After tea Mrs VL, Evelyn and I went up to the Tumulus after which we were just preparing to develop when the Van Heemst ras came in so I hurriedly dressed and we played Bridge till dinner and afterwards. u Fine but cold. Mr VL and I went to Ephesus. Mr V. Heemstra drove us to the station. We had an amusing journey travelling wwith an American Catholic bishop, 2 Americans, priests perhaps, and a young Englishman. Arrived, we walked up to the Seljuk fort where there is not much to see, and down to the most lovely mosq ue, a beautiful example of elaborate Seljuk work. The big columns taken from Greek buildings are splendid, there are the remains of tiles above the Mehrab. We then walked down to the theatre where we lunched, the Bishop lunching be low us. He was much excited about the Panagia Kapousi, the Virgin's tomb and house which they are supposed to have discovered on a hill to the S. The Austrians have excavated since I was here the long road leading down to the Port ( it was lined with columns) and a great deal more of the Roman Baths.) Here there was a lovely bit of frieze, garlands with rams heads. We returned by the S side of the Acropolis, St Luke's Tomb and the gymnasium. Sat at Karpouza's an d had coffee and cakes. We had to wait for the goods train onto which a 3rd class carriage was tacked for us. At Tourbali M. Edmond de Hochepied got in - an amusing p]erson and a bad lot I should say. Arrived at Develi Keui at 6 .15 and found M. van Heemstra's cart waiting for us. I drove Bob up. Dined with the van H's and played Bridge and early to bed. u Woke to find Maleajik white with snow. Our expedition to Geaul Keui was therefore abandoned. Developed my Pergamos photographs. Photographed interiors in the village. There are a very odd race here called Tachtagis, wood cutters, who are found in all the hill forts and are supposed to be a part of the indigenous population. They have a religion apart, though they conform outwardly to Islam, and are ruled by priests called Karabash who come travelling round and settle all disputes. They hold yearly religious gatherings in their churchyards; they have marriage and burial customs of their own-for instance the br ide is paraded through the village covered with a lot of rugs/rags? and a red cloth over top with flowers and ..... over it. She rides a horse on which a nice carpet is laid and whoever lends the horse takes the carpet or saddle bag . They are bound only by a secret oath of their own. On one occasion Mr VL threatened to turn them out of his village because they lied and stole so and their headman revealed to him the secret oath by which he could make them ..... a nd ensure orderliness. These people came in after lunch, but they would not dance because one had died of their tribe. Their musical instrument is an earthenware jar, the bottom of which is made of parchment. Mr VL won't let them pursue their wood cutter calling in his village for it led to so much stealing of wood, so he made them sell their mules and settle down. In the Greek church here is an old old picture of St George slaying a very vivacious dragon w ith sea and a red roofed Dutch town in the background. It has 4 bullet marks on it made by Bashibazouk bullets in the wars at the beginning of the last century. There is a Greek girl now in the house who has been sent here to be prote cted. Her father lives in a Turkish village and a Greek miller (who himself wants to marry the girl, but she won't have him) has given information against him that he wants to make her turn Muslim and marry a Turk who has offered $100 for her. It remains to be seen what is true. Bitter cold north wind, a day like an English March day. At 3 Mr VL and I went out riding, I on Kula, Mr VH came with us so far. We rode past the old chiflik up the most lovely gorge above the mill. The mountains are all wooded with pine and high up are great crags with caves and holes in them. On the ground floor line panthers and jackals, above birds, eagles and pigeons, and in the wood pig. The mille r made us welcome and was very eager I should carry away a tame decoy[?] partridge. He lives in the mill with the sound of water in his ears. On the grindstone a little bell which rings when the corn gets low and wakes him. He had a b ig wood fire. Developed Evelyn's photographs. The mill had fallen into disrepair owing to brigands coming down so often. It was opened again 5 years ago. u Hard frost , we therefore decided not to made an expedition. Developed 2 rolls of my travelling photographs-most successful. Bitter cold N wind in the morning; but it went down after lunch and Mr VL and I rode out beyond Pillaf Tepe, I on Kula, taking the 2 dogs, Blanco and Akila. Most delightful rough country. We left our horses and walked up to where we had a wonderful view up the 2 gorges, that of the Tachtali Chai crowned with precipices, the home of pigeons. Right up on the hill protected from the N wind is Mr VL's pen for goats and kids. Lots of wild olive about here. We rode back another way behind Zeitun Tepe and went to some Yuruk tents, of the Araplis, the lowest of the tribes, they are Semitic. They made us welcome and we sat in the black tent and drank coffee and eat bread and butter, most good. Home about 6, a lovely evening, still co ld but the light exquisite. Only the beans have suffered in last night's 2 degrees of frost. u Went in to Smyrna in the morning driving to the station in a hard frost. Lunched at the Consulate where I heard that 'Abd ur Rahman, whom I take to be 'Abd ul Aziz ibn Rashid's uncle, had passed through and I might have seen him! Mrs Cumberbatch, Mr C's mother was also there. Walked with Bertie and a kavass to M. Ga ndin's house where I spent 2 hours looking at his museum. He has a lot of wonderful gems and some ornaments of Mycenaean work mostly found near Pergamos. Also a fine collection of Tanagra beads some of them most lovely. Then I w ent to tea with Mrs Hatton and found the daughter and Mr Frank and Mr Hatton. Most warmly welcomed by Monsieur Tom. In near 7 and before dinner Mr Herman Hatton came to see me with a letter from Helen. After dinner read a novel comfor tably in my room before a fire. u Mr Edward Whittall came to see me in the morning to tell me the Yemenlar expedition was off and propose Ephesus-At 11.30 I went to Menemen with a letter to Dr Buhlan Casse l. Mr Hatton travelled so far with me and introduced me to Dr D?B at the station, who turned out to be a nice cheerful enthusiastic German, nephew of Frl. Schwabe. I nearly had Mr Hatton and the Station master of the party! (His name i s I think Huffner.) Burungik which is Larissa is a Pelasgic town on the othr side of the Hermas. We took about 1 hour to reach the Hermas, there left the carriage, ferried over the river and walked 10 m up to the village. We went first to the top of the acropolis where they are excavating the foundations of the a sort of temenos with a temple which he thinks may be the tomb of a hero for it has a sort of tomb in it not yet excavated and another hole perhaps f or burnt offerings, a vague building with a most confusing ground plan, a fine polygonal wall of excellent workmanship-when I was there the stylobate of the real temple was laid bare-near this they had just found a sma ll clay figure of the Mother Goddess, a woman and child. Round the hero shrine they have found the fragments of a painted terracotta frieze, feasts and chariot races, some in beautiful workmanship and so perfectly preserved t hat they think it can only have been in place a very short time. To the E of this acropolis is the necropolis and beyond it I think a fortified hill. Traces of a road round the acropolis and a paved via sacra round the hero shrine. Went down and had tea with Dr B and saw the most interesting frieze. All this is circa 700 BC-they hoped to come on Mycenaean things but have found no trace. Dr B is very keen on Colophon. So I went back to my carriage-.............. at the food for it was bazaar day in Menemen-and drove back to the station which I reached half an hour too early. Made the acquaintance of Mrs Whiteman-her husband has a flour mill here. Found Mr Hatton in the train and we went back to Busma Khanek (Bosniasneh he calls it) and I onto Bournabat which I reached about 7.30. Helen came to meet me. She and Kathleen and Herbert dined with me. After dinner a mass of cousins came in, the Lafontaines who stay with M r Storr, Ed. Whittalls, Dick Whittall etc and practised their Easter anthem while I talked to Mr and Mrs Herbert. u Up at 5 and off to Ephesus with Mr and Mrs Edward, their 4 daughters, 2 Maltas girls, Helen and Arthur Whittall and a daughter in law of Mrs Edward. She Mrs E is a very nice kind woman. Drove to the Point. Talked to Mr E. nearly all the way of England's attitude to her foreign settlements-he says he thinks a great ch ange is beginning and already they feel themselves being protected, to their immense advantage. At Ephesus he and I took poneys after we had had some tea an d rode up to St Paul's prison which is the end tower of the walls of Lysimachus-magnificent Greek fortifications in the best style stretch from here all along the top of the Coressus-dressed stone without mortar much in the style o f the Colophon walls. Gateways made like this and many towers. We walked halfway along this wall-magnificent view [SKETCH] over Ephesus and the sea-and then scrambled down to the port and rode back to Karponza's where we lunched. Kitchener's brother was there. Played Bridge and Patience all the way home and got to Burnabat at 6.30. I found a charming yellow frittillary on the hill and the c urly leaves of the red tulip. Mr Edward came in in the evening. u Left Burnabat at 9.30 and travelled to Smyrna with Mr Richard Whittall the head of the firm, father of Mrs Van Heemstra. mr Hatton greeted me and loaded me with Kaimak. Went to the hotel which was quite full and I was given the linen room. Out to shop and met Mr Ed Whittall. Then to the Consulate, took my ticket and wro te letters. Lazare saw me off-I do dislike him so much-my boat is the Cleopatra-........... Lloyd a capital boat near empty. Sat and read till Mr Paton turned up, the young man who was with the Bp at Ephesus. Also a young Austria n, quite nice. The son of the gov of Rhodes on board with his wife, she wearing the feridyeh but unveiled. Talked French at dinner to the Captain, with some pain. Played Picquet with Mr P and read Marietta. u Lovely morning. We ran down the enchanting broken coast and sea full of islands. Printed photographs. At 1 we arrived at Rhodes and went on shore. Lovely fortif ied harbour built by the Knights. We walked up the famous Street which is full of 17th or 16th cent work, very nice, square moulding to the door. Labels to the windows and lots of coats of arms. Fine gate at the top of the hill. Then down through the bazaars meeting some Arabs from Yemen with whom we talked. Sat and eat oranges and drank coffee under the gate of the port. For it was raining hard-a fine double towered gate-and so back to the Cleopatra. We n ow talk Italian at meals which answers better. Talked to the Doctor after dinner a Czech from Prag, a bitter little man and we talk German and played Picquet. The 1st officer is a dear old thing with a .................. It was Bairam -all the Turks in their best. u Cloudy in the morning but a lovely afternoon. We ran down the S coast of Asia Minor, beautiful hills with snow on them. Printed and toned photographs; after tea sat on deck and read Mr Browne's Bubi book. Mr Paton turns out a great dear, so sensible and nice. He is a Dante devotee. We reached Mersina, beautifully situated on a plain under the Taurus at 6-it was Bairam-pratica nicete! So we lay in the bay most comfortably all night. After dinner played whist with Mr F the doctor whom I cordially dislike and the little black Austrian who is a good little sort. Then chess with the Austrian and won. u We left Mersina at 10 so I did not go ashore. Printed photographs and talked to an American who is learning Arabic at Strassburg under Noldecke and a friend o f his called Yahuda-a Syrian Jew, rather a beast. Toned in the afternoon and sat on deck with Mr Paton reading Arabic. At 4 we reached Alexandretta, lying under most lovely mountains. Already at Mersina they talked Arabic-to my great relief. We went on shore. It is a horrid little place in the midst of a marsh. We walked along a tiny toy[?]railway to a place where we sat and had coffee by some tanks and running streams. Then back. A great storm was hanging over the hills the low red sunset light striking the slopes below the clouds. The water the brightest blue in the low clear W light and white seabirds flitting over the blue of the sea and the red and violet of the hills. We hurried back and got to the ship at 6 but the storm passed over without touching us. There is to the NE of the town a wonder cleft in the hills, full o f shadow. It looked like the gate of the Inferno. Frenckel is the name of the Austrian. u Touched at Latakia in the morning but I did not get up in time to go ashore. Saw from my po rt a ruined castle sticking out in the sea. All day we crossed to Cyprus and got to Larnaca about 5. Bare white coast with mountains behind. The ruffians refused to work as it was Sunday evening so we lay there all night. Fren ckel got off here. Mr Paton and I played picquet. Very angry with the doctor who is a rud abominable little man and he now does not speak to me! u Got off abou t 11.30. Lots of passengers came on board for Limasol and some for Beyrout. Among these 2 nice old Americans whom we have christened Mr Dooly and Mr Hinnessy. (Mr H's name is Killalea.) They came from Chicago and are very pleasant Mr Dooly told me how bad things were in Cyprus-the people are ground down to pay the $92,000 to the Turkish govt and are absolutely starving. They all say that though the English govt is just and good it is too expensive for them-the na tive salaries were cut down by half lately but the salaries of English officials are unchanged. It's good to have justice and equity, but you can do without even these better than without your daily bread. They are having a great ru mpus now over the election of the Archbp: the election is entirely on party grounds. The anti English candidate has been elected and his election cancelled by us and they are now in the thick of another. Their desire to be united t o Crete, which would indeed, I think, be a good plan for the island is no use to us since we have backed out of Syria and it has not even a decent port. At 2.30 we reached Limasol and went on shore. Amusing seeing the Cyprus police and our own Tommies. I believe there are 2 men and 3 officers here. Mr Paton and I went to the post office, walked about the town and found a bar where we had tea and biscuits for 1/-everything is absurdly cheap. Then out of the town through some cornfields-very hot bright sun, the fig trees budding. Back at 5. After dinner played Bridge with our 2 friends and then the Demon. They play against each other for cents. They are like 2 delightful old maids. W ent to bed at 11 This advertisement in Limasol. Tailor to the perfect fit. u Reached Tripoli about 6. The beloved Lebanon deep in snow. Breakfasted before 8 and went on shore with Mr Paton and Mr Killalea. Most lovely hot day. Out boatman was the same fat cheerful little man who took me about 2 years ago. Mr Paton and I took the train and went up to the upper town. Talked to 2 nice little chi ldren going to school and learning their French lesson on the way. One was the son of the Turkish Kaimakam. An obliging gentleman hooked himself on to us and took up up to the castle built by Raymond of Toulouse, a magnificent pl ace. The fine gateway is Saracen. We got permission to go up to the very top-it is enormously big and is now used as a convict prison. There I took a photograph. The Kadesha comes down in a deep valley which splits the town in two. A little higher up is the beautifully situated Malawiyah, the dervish monastery, lying on the side of the valley. We visited the mosque which was the Ch. of St John and has a pool in it which was part of the Phoenician Venus-Atergates worship. There is a cap over the doorway from the bazaar carved in stone. The present work is the finest Saracen-stone in stripes of black and wh ite, beautiful pendentives over the doorways and very fine Arabic inscriptions in panels. We could not however go inside the mosque itself as it was closed till midday. One attached himself to us who turned out to know me-his name is Elyas and he is a cook and to be found at the big hotel at Beyrout. He knows Hanna and says he is well and has a child. We drove down to the port and walked about there. There is a hotel there called Hotel de Belle Chos (sic!) Mr Killalea joined us and we returned to the boat getting back at 11.30. Off at 12.30-most exquisite running down the coast with the great snows above the Cedars in front of us. Reached Beyrout at 4 and went to the Consulate f or my letters. The Drummond Hays not in. Met Mr Paton in the twon and he walked with me back to the boat. I found her coming into the harbour and waited till she was moored. Read old Timeses all the evening. We did not get off til l 1.30. From 12 to 1 looked out of my cabin window and watched the tall splendid Beyroutis unloading bags of grain under the moon, crying to each other across the smooth waters of the harbour, springing up the ships' side and cutting surreptitious holes in the sacks through whence to extract the grain which they pocketed or eat. u Woke at 7 and found that we were just coming into the harbour. Got up in haste. A s tiff wind. Fritz Unger met me and took me through the Custom House without difficulty. His brother drove me up, through the clean prosperous German Colony to Pross's Hotel on top of the hill. Most lovely position-I am absolutely al one. Unpacked, lunched, went out and gathered broom, scarlet ranunculus, flax, cistus and blue irises and then decided to walk down to the town. Pross Junior accompanied me, an amiable half wit. Went first to Herr Wasserzug who i s a religious maniac of sorts but a very pleasant man. We found him in his shirt sleeves carpentering. He took me upstairs to his English wife, a very nice woman and advised me as to teachers. She had heard of me from Dr Cropper. So I started off again and called on Mr Monaghan whom I roused from his siesta I think and who was somewhat embarrassed as to how to entertain me. I carried off some books from him and went off in search of Abu Nemrud. I went first to h is house directed by the wife of the Syrian clergyman, then his daughter took me to the bazaar where I found him in his shop, a respectable old party, and we soon came to terms. Next I went to the house of Husein Effendi, Abbas's so n in law, a man with the face of all the mystics, that ever were who received me most kindly. It was odd getting into the little country store and finding oneself suddenly in the heart of the Persia of dreamers and mystics. So I ro de home and got in after 6. I picked up a horse on my way back but not for a permanency. u Abu Namrud came up in the morning, but it is too far and he won't come again so I shall h ave to demenager. Rode down after lunch on a very bad horse by the sea road under the monastery into Haifa where I inspected the two hotels and settled to go to Ibrahim Nasar's. Then, satisfied home, getting in about 6. u An off day. It rained a little in the morning, I printed photographs and did Arabic. At lunch the daughter of the Armenian engineer of the Vilayet the daughter of the Pasha at Haifa, and the latter's Syrian secretary came up and we had long talks. At 1.30 I rode out all along the top of Carmel towards the Dalieh whi ch I failed to reach, but I saw the ruins of Duble on the hill top beyond. Gathered tulips. Lovely exquisite views over the Plain of Jezreel and the bay with Aleka in the middle of it and towards the W across the plain to Athlit . Mount Carmel is all stretching hills and valleys, an endless network all much the same, but very beautiful especially towards sunset when the level light shows every curve of the ground. Saw on my way back the ruins of Ruslime a. Mr Benjamin Thomas appeared at dinner with 3 Americans from the Beyrout college. Pleasant people. u Rainy early. I rode down to Haifa directly after breakfast and had an Arabic lesson at th e New Hotel and transacted much business with Mr Monaghan, mostly concerning horses. The upshot was that I had another and a better horse to come home on. Rode up by the broad road towards the Carmelites which leads to destructio n being only half finished, and got in at 12. After lunch washed my hair and sat on my balcony doing photographs and Arabic. Mr Monaghan came up for dinner which we eat tete a tete and I toned afterwards. u Easter Sunday and a lovely day. We started at 9, I on an excellent horse of Dr Coles', and crossed over a spur of Carmel and down by an execrable path to Tireh, following at the foot of the hill, a lovely path through olive groves. There there is a ruined mosque which was a church. The inhabitants are said to be all thieves. Then by the road, which we entered just at a stone drinking place, between the plain and the ridge of rocky mounds, past Destrey with its ruined castle and sharp to the right through the narrow passage cut through the limestone ridge to Athlit. On the right hand side of this passage are some niches and holes as if for beams but these beams could not have fortified the entrance which passes on the other side of the rock. Above are some more rock cut niches like stelae. You then enter a marshy plain with lots of standing water and tamarisks and opposite is the great pan de mur, half of which retains its fine ashlar facing. Before you reach it you pass over the .... and the foundations of the enceinte at the end of which is the Custom House washed by t he sea. Next you enter the inner enceinte, the bit of tower is 80 ft high, remains of a gate, only the springing stones of the arch. On the inside of this wall the spring of the vault with 3 corbels, 2 heads and a bunch of flowers. The inside is full of Arab houses more than common squalid till you get down to the sea and find the remains of the great banqueting hall, sea washed, the magnificent vaulted stable and beyond walls and arches of what was I su ppose the outer fortification. Vaults run all under the town. Great bits of the vaulted roof of the banqueting hall lie about eaten by the sea. We lunched here and watched the sea breaking up against these stupendous ruins. It is I think the most romantic and magnificent bit of medieval work I have ever seen. Next to the stable is the barrel vault of the great cistern. On the flat rocks sea worn, beyond our lunching place is the base of a huge col umn. Above the cistern the foundations of the many sided apse of the church. On the SW side the landing place runs down to the sea and beyond the walls stick out into the sea, protecting the harbour which is further protected by th e end of the outer enceinte. Hot and delicious; we sat a little in the shade and then rode home along the road and the sands getting back in 2 and a quarter hours. Had tea and did some Persian. 2 Englishmen turned up to dinner, one o ld and one young and we had an amusing party. Afterwards I got a mass of letters by the Austrian boat. News of Margarets's daughter and Uncle Tom's acc ident. u Came down in the morning with Mr M and arrived at my Hotel (New H. Ibrahim Nasar) about 10. Had an Arabic lesson and wasted time waiting for my luggage. After lunch sto pped in the suk and got flowers on the the railway by the palm trees. Then came my luggage and at 4 Mr M who stayed till 6. After dinner my Persian Mirza Abdullah who is a dear and so to bed. Mr Gee came and we developed together ti ll 11. u Arabic in the morning till 11. After lunch rode under the palm trees-quite tropical with huts and niggers. Crossed the Kishon and rode along the sands. Mr M. came to see me at 6.30. Persian. u Very stormy. Mr M did not get off. Violent rain and hail all morning. Arabic-Abu Nimrud told me most interesting tales about the battle between the Sukhur and the 'A nazeh and the mission of the former to the 'Adwan with the piece of black cloth round his horse's neck and of the 2 daughters of the 'Adwan Sheikh who married Zoktan of the Sukhur. Zohtan of the Anazeh and of Fa'is and his receiving a whole tent from the Sheikh of Ma'an. He stayed till 11. After lunch I shopped. Then called on Miss Gipps and Countess Denison and Miss Ramsey called on me. Captain Gaisford turned up at dinner and we had an amusing talk. He i s buying horses. Persian as usual. u Arabic and lessons all morning. After lunch rode to Rushrina. Delicious afternoon. The ruin not vry interesting, oddly built with arches everywhere. Rode up to the Bait es Sitt-so home to work with lots of flowers. u My mornings are spent always in the same manner. After lunch I rode to the Valley of the Martyrs a most charming Wady with a copious spring and gardens of vine olive fig and pomegranate. The spring comes out of the solid rock and flows into a hewed out cistern. Above I drove my horse over smooth white rocks full of ex traordinary petrified branches up to where the ruined wall of the old deir bars the narrow valley. Here the watercourse got too narrow, so I led him up to the right onto the little plateau overgrown with fig and olive and pomegranate where the monastery stood. In the rock are many tombs or caves and another spring trickling into a tank. Opposite on the left of the walled course is a big double cave used as a store house and closed with a door. Above the monastery garden the valley is wider and shallower but quite barren. I went up it and came onto the summit near the Bait es Sitt. u After lunch photographed Dora Lydia and the whole family. Shopped and came home to see Paulina and Ibrahim, children of Abu Nimrud who paid me a visit. Then to tea with Dora's mother-Dora was just going off to the American College at Beyrout w here they teach her all knowledge-I wonder what she will make of it! Funny to see her botany cahiers with the Latin names written out in Arabic and the old Syrian peasant women her mother looking on and asking me whether it was necessary for a woman to know these things. 2 clerics to dinner, one a Syrian and the other vicar of an East End parish. I think his name is Ross. Met the 1st officer of the Cleopatra in the town when I flew down at dusk to post le tters. u Started off at 9.15 and rode up to the Beit ed Sitt and so all along the hill to Esfia where I met a Druze who showed me the path to Daliak. Went down a delicious gorge with corn and olives in it to a deep valley full of corn and climbed up a steep hill to Dahliah. PUt my horse in the house (I think) of Sheikh Ahmed and went off to see L. Oliphant's house where I drank coffee with the old guardian and his wife and much painted daughter. A lovely Druze girl took me there. From the house you look down a valley to the sea. Then went to see the monument to Alia Oliphant now enclosed in a Druze courtyard. Then to the Sheikh's house where I eat bread and leban and talked to the Druzes. So home by the well and up the hill and down into the Athlit road. Here another Druze sho wed me the way into the Khureibeh road-(Khirbet Attedy?) from whence I found my way straight down the hill to Haifa. Some Arab tents. Got in at 6.30. After dinner developed photographs and talked to Dora's mother and her 2 br others who came to see me. Also the Bp's chaplain-the English cleric. u After lunch went round to Mr Gee and saw him print. Then to Mirza Abdullah where I talked wi th his mother and sisters in a room looking over the sea and drank tea. Mrs Wasserzug and Miss Ramsay came to tea with me. u Rode after l unch a giro on Carmel round the back of Rushrina, coming out by the Beit es Sitt. Went to tea at the hospital with Miss Gipps and Miss Borsham-the Wasserzugs came in and an English cleric who fell ill and was nursed at the hospital. A cantankerous English woman Miss Bradley appeared at the hotel. u Went out and got flowers below the monastery. Bottcher and his "lady" a nice little gi rl, sister of his former wife and Miss Bradley came to tea. She went off to Mt Carmel. u Very close scirrocco weather. Printed photographs after lunch but they did not turn out well. The Baxters came to see me, after which I went to the house of Battaj. u Went with my black Mr Scandarani on board the Midnight Sun to breakfast with Cp. Johns on. They are carrying 200 odd Spanish pilgrims. Most of the boat is filled up as a chapel. 2 enormous crosses nailed to the masts. I came in late for my lesson. After lunch rode along the sands towards Athlit. Mr Rust and Mr Khaddar turned up to dinner. Long discussion on faiths with Battaj. u Boring afternoon. Mr Amin abd el Nour came to tea with me. Then I went to tea with my horse dealer Marun and then to Abu Nimruds where I saw his wife, 2 sons, Ibrahim and Philip, 3 daughters Rosa, Paulina and Ferideh and a granddaughter. All very nice people. Heard with great sorrow of Hanna's death. The Pers ians here are really Behaiys not Babis. They look on the Bab merely as the gate to the Messiah who was the Beha, a sort of John the Baptist. u[GB 14th] Rode over to Acre. Visited the mosque which is charming and went to the house of 'Abbas who was out. Got a letter to Abu Kasim his gardener at the garden by the Nahr Na'man, Shahuta is its name [PERSIAN] where I lunched under the tree s Abu Kasim discoursing to me the while on religion and Abbas in Persian. .... oriental untidy garden full of flowers. Came rain and I sat on his balcony and drank tea. Then rode off to the Bahjeh a really lovely place with a big tank an d pines and cypresses. Went into the house and talked to the women. Then on to the Bahjeh House behind where the Beha's tomb is, where the gardener gave me flowers and so back to Acre where I succeeded in seeing 'Abbas. He was most polite but not very cordial I thought. His servants treat him with immense respect. We spoke chiefly of the possibilities of a universal language. So home getting in at 6.45. Talked to Mr Khaddar and Mr Rust who left next day early. u After lunch called on Amin Abd ul Nur's wife and went to Marun's where I photographed his Arab. Then to Bahaj. Felt very ill and came home to fine I had fever. Had a Persian lesson in a sort of nightmare and dreamt of it all night. 2 American globe trotters, husband and wife went off today to see Abbas with Balora. Nic e old things. u [GB 14]Still very bad. Temp 102. Had my lessons and slept all the rest of the time. Countess Denison came to see me. u[GB 15]Bett er.Temp normal.After lunch rode to Baladesh Sheikh by the hills and came back by the plain. u[GB16]Went to tea at the Hospital where I met the Miss Shaws and a painter Inchbald and hi s wife. We saw his watercolours after which were most lovely. Poor Lydia has to have an operation. u[GB17] Delicious brisk day. Rode after lunch into thepalm grove and photographed. u[GB18]Rode on Mr M's horse, 2 rather nice Americans theology professors arrived, one called Professor Vance and the other Prof. Eager. The Brands came back from Nasare th. u Rode out at 7 to the Bait el Hadid on the Nazareth road where I took Suleiman el Ruhana to show me the way to the Mahraka. Most exquisite view over the Plain of Jezreel , with Tabor Letih[?]Hermon and Nazarethin the middle distance. Suleiman lost his donkey. Rode on to Daliah where I saw the Oliphant people and the Sheikh Ahmed el Hassan and so home. Great crowd of people. A woman in my sitting room. u Miss Gipps came to tea with me. I rode Mr M's horse up Carmel. Lunched with Mirza Abdallah, very comic. He begged me to let him talk to Prof. Eager after dinner, so we had a long theological conversation which came to little. u[Text deleted] No, called on the Baxters and met Mrs Wasserzug with whom I walked to her house. Met Mr Inchbald on my way down. Pleasant talk with Prof Eager before dinner. u All the 4 Americans went off early to my great regret. There remain in the hotel a par ty of Syrians Fuad Saad and his wife and children and governess, nice people, from Akka. Muhammad Ali and Badi' Allah live in his house. Rode up from Balad[?] Tell[?] Sheikh meaning to find my way up to Khureibeh, but I mi ssed it and got into impossible places and was obliged to turn back. Found the lovely wild broom. u Determined to go to Nazareth tomorrow. Had tea with the Wasserzugs where I met the Inch balds. Then went to Abu Namrud's to see Paulina who is ill their name is Behnam and their cousin in Mosul whose letters I am always reading is Sulein Hassan, the same name as Sheikh Ahmed's in Dahlia. Then home and made some prep arations, then to Mirza Abdullah's. He had a long talk with Fuad Saad when he came in the evening. Marun insists on my taking his son Nasib with me. u Off at 6.30, delicious morning. Got to Suleiman Al Ruhana's in an hour and a half and heard to my delight that the donkey had been recovered. Then up through delicious woods of oak and saris, leaving Sheikh Abreik to the right and down into the Gr eat Esdraelon plain. Up to the ridge most of the land belongs to Suleim Khurj who lives in Haifa, beyond it the proprietor is one Shursa, a richissime o f Beyrout. We crossed a most fertile plain to Jeida, a flourishing village on a ridge, along the top of which extend a long line of ruins. Then down again into the plain; I stopped and eat a little under some bushes and a friend of ours an Arab on a donkey whom Nasib knew accepted my invitation to share my lunch. We then skirted under the hill-I ought to have seen Semunieh but I missed it-and climbed up to Mujeidel, leaving Ma'lul on the hill top to the ri ght and Jebuta on the point of the hill to the left. The villages usually stand up on tells out of the plain which is a sea of corn and new ploughed land which they are just busy sowing with corn. Here and there is a tree-y place-a garde n of olives and pomegranates and vegetables, watered I suppose and all belonging to Shursa. On the top of the Mujeidel hill is an olive grove and from here one has one's first view of Nazareth, as one climbs up the hill. Ov er the brow is a magnificent view of Little Hermon and the Esdraelon plain and valley with the Jebel Ajlun far away. You see also for a few moments the top of Tabor. The road skirts round the hill past Yafa, below it is a little dep ression full of olives figs and pomegranates and even a palm or two, with a little bit of a rise beyond. Coming over a little ridge you catch sight of the first scattered suburbs of Nazareth, the most marked feature being the Greek chapel of the Precipitation as the most marked feature of the landscape is the rounded summit, falling steeply to the west which the Latins hold to be the the real site. (Ma'mun el Mesih I think it's called) I went to th e little German hotel at the entrance of the village. Got in at 11.45 and lunched. Shursa's wakil was my convive, we talked Arabic. Slept for an hour and then sallied forth. First to the Franciscan Ch of the Annunciation wh is built over St Helena's ch. A nice Alsatian monk showed me the Grotto with the suspended pillar and a narrow passage through which the angel Gabriel came-all this is part of Helena's church but the actual walls of the house of the Virgin are in France at Lazarets. The grotto they could not remove. It is divided by an altar into 2 parts and beyond a narrow stair leads up into what was probably a cistern and which is now called Mary's kitchen. A n ice old party there took me to Saint Josef where I found a most charming French monk. This is supposed to be Joseph's workshop and on the site are the foundations of a Crusader church. The Franciscans have got the place and a re going to build a church. The Ch of the Annunciation was built in 4 months and for that reason they could not follow St Helena's lines. The Sheikh of the town was going to Mecca and he gave permission to build during his abse nce-6 months. I think this was in the 18th cent. One gets in it, I don't know why, perhaps from the altar pictures, an extraordinary feeling of the Child, the little child everywhere, with Joseph or with Mary, who was to bring a sword i nto the world. But on the hills above one thinks of the man, the dreamer the mystic, who wandered here and looked over the lovely cup of Nazareth into the Esdraelon plain and across to Haifa and the sea and the wonderful plain of B uttauf with Seforieh in the middle of it. (Sephoris was a great Jewish place and had a sanhedrun in it.) My work took me to the Ch of the Mensa Christi where thre is a big slab at which tradition says he used to sit and teach. Then I went down to the Greek Ch. which is supposed to be the site and indeed part of the actual walls of a synagogue where he used to preach. Then to the Greek Ch of the Bashara which is the only interesting building here. The Grotto lined with a charming arcading and tiles and some mosaic patterns. The Ch itself looks very old. There is a carved slab over the door, th e cap and the candlesticks if I remember. It is the Greek Good Friday and the ch was decorated and in the middle a little coffin canopied with flowers. Then down to Mary's well which is the only authentic site here one can' t help feeling and then up to the English orphanage, having a letter to give to Miss Scott. Miss Newey received me, gave me tea, told me of their work which seems in every respect admirable and afterwards took me for a walk to the top of the hill. The view was perfect. The Mount of Precipitation divides the cup of Nazareth from the plain of Esdralon. To the E Tabor sticks up his head and on the hillside is a monastery set with cypresses. All Carme l is visible, and the sea and Hermon and Seforieh. We returned to the orphanage-I went home via the Greek Church where I picked up a friend who had seen me in Jerusalem and who walked back with me. Got in a 6. Mr and Mrs Suitor from Tiberias and Dr and Mrs Pattison from Hebron in the Hotel. I went out after dinner with Dr P hoping to see Nazareth under a moon, but it was cloudy. u Off at 6.1 5 with a man for a guide and rode up to Mt Tabor over the tops of the hills. Then down into a valley full of corn. The view across this valley onto Tabor with Daburieh at its foot and the plain and Little Hermon behind is most exquisi te. I got to the Latin convent at 8.30 and stayed till 10.30. A Dutch brother took me round and showed me the ruins of the Crusader church and fort-lovely view of Hermon. There are also foundations of Helena's building and a l ittle apse which is supposed to belong to a Greek chapel. Beyond in the garden they have found endless foundations of houses which may have been houses for soldiers and lots of rock cut tombs wine presses and cisterns which belong to Jew ish times. They gave me a lunch of an omelet salad, cheese bread and butter and oranges, after which I talked to the charming old Pere and so off. We rode down Tabor by the same road. Then struck across to the W across a rolling country, first sparse oaks, then some corn and many Bedouin. Past two fine ruined Khans. When we came in sight of Kafr Sebt I dismissed our guide and rode on down the valley to the Wady Ahina. Lots of Bedouin with flocks and camels. Here we missed our way and had to come back over the top of the hill where we struck the path. Exquisite view of the Lake Tiberias and the steep E shores. Rode down the hill and got in at 3. Nice little hotel. The town is walled an d no houses may be built outside the walls. Palm trees sticking up and white mosques. It is mostly inhabited by Jews. Had tea and washed after which Rashid Nassar turned up and walked out with me through the town. My hotel is n ear the fort at the N end. Went to see Najib Nassur's wife, and called on Mrs Suitor. also had a talk with Dr Torrance about Lydia. Very sleepy and tired. u Strong east wind and grey. I walked out to the baths, a horrid sight. There are ruins all along the edge of the lake. Soon after 11 I set out riding along the lake-Nasib forgot something and had to go back which delayed us near an hour-past Mejdel and the splendid Wady el Hammam and over the plain of Genneserat the way very difficult to find because of water courses and deep withered flowers, to an old ruined khan and so to Tabugha which is probably Capernaum. A charming little monastery and its gardens here. I got a man to guide us up the hills to Safud. We rode for 2 hours over most desolate heights, then dropped into a magnificent valley with a village in it and great cliffs and so up to the top of the hill to Safad. I put up at a little Jew hotel and an obliging gentleman took me through the town to Nicula's hou se where I also found Najib. Charming people. Najib walked back with me in the dark. u It is Passover and I can get no bread but massa. Went onto the top of the hill where ther e are the ruins of a Crusader fort and had a most magnificent view. Met the Nassars. Najib came and saw me off. Left about 7 with a guide and rode round the hilltops to Meiron where there is the ruins of an old Synagogue-much carve d stone eagles and things on it-and a new Synagogue. Then down a valley full of water, round the hill top with a magnficent view and down into a valley full of flowering olives. At 12 I lunched near a big Druze village. On th rough flourishing valleys and over the last hill above the Akka plain through which we had a long boring ride on very tired horses. Got to Akka about 5 and fortunately found a carriage into which I hopped and drove home. Miss Ramsay an d Miss Thomson arrived by boat. u Wrote letters and did some Arabic stayed in all the afternoon till 5 when I went to see the Behnams. Much joy at my return. u Went to s ee 'Ataiyeh Khanem in the afternoon-after a most unsuccessful fishing with Fillip and Ibrahim Behnam. Najib arrived. u Tremendously hot sirocco. Rode Marun's Arab in the afternoon. u and in consequence of being out in the sun made a malady, short but sharp. M. Abdullah, ' Atayeh Khanum, Rafi 'Khanum came to see me in the afternoon. Sat with Lydia most of the rest of the day. u Sat with Lydia a good deal and rode after lunch. Went to tea at the hospital. u Drove with M. Abdullah and A and R Khanums to Akka. Got the Bagh.. about 11.30 where we lunched with his mother, sister and brother in law. A son of Muhammad Ali's was als o there. Shu'a Allah. Then I was taken to see the tomb set about with lamps and covered with carpets. Zitt Allah is also buried here.Then to see Fughuriyeh Khanum and her husband Sayyid Ali. Then to the greatest widow Bibi Kh .[ARABIC] or Khannuri or Hazrat Haram where there were a lot of young women probably granddaughters and a daughter I think. Samadieh Khanum. Drove off to Akka where I called on Muhammad 'Ali and Badi Allah and saw the other wife. (Abba 's Mother's name was [ARABIC] Ghanhar Khanum). So home getting in at 7. u Rode with Miss Gipps in the afternoon. Lydia and Najibwent off to Tiberias. May 6-10 On Tuesday I dined with Amir Abd ul Nour to meet Mr Monahan; Badri Beg and Mr P Abela made up the party. After dinner they had in old Mushkin Kalam who did tricks for us. Amin Effen di and I went to see himn one afternoon this week. Very hot. u Rode up to the Shajarat ul Arba'in where I spent the day with the people from Khureibeh. Too hot. Miss Ramsay was in the hotel from Friday to Monday. Had a writing lesson and a long talk with M. Abdullah. u Went to tea at the hospital and called on Mrs Amin Abdul Nour. u Most days I seem to go in in the afternoon to M. Abdullah's house. His mother and sister and brother in law are now with him and from Akka. u Professor Martin turned up in the hotel. I rode up to the Monastery after tea and saw th e cave, and oh such a view! ******************************************************************************* u Left London at 9. Mother and Aunt Bessie taking me to the station. Had a cold crossing and got into a carriage by myself at Calais. u which took me to Berne when I had an hour to reregister my luggage and lunch. Crowde d train to Lucerne and very hot. Had just time to catch the Meiringen train and by dint of paying an extra 2 frcs had a 1st class compartment all to myself. Heavenly journey over the Brunig line. The woods full of spiraea. Got t o Meiringen at 7. Ulrich and Heinrich Fuhrer met me. Slept at the Bear. u Woke at 9, jumped up and did my packings and shoppings and we started at 11 for Rosen laui which we reached at 1. It was very hot and I felt awfully tired. In the afternoon Frl. Kuntze and Mr Hasler came in and I mad acquaintance. At 4 I walked uphill for an hour on to the glacier for training. The flowers most lovely. Sodanella, white ranunculus, big gentian and small, silene in great pink patches, globe flower, alpen rose-all heavenly. I rejoiced. Mr Coolidge was dining with Hasler and Co but I did not know who he was and therefore did not ....... him. u Off at 5 in the dawn, the sun just touching the highest rocks and up to the Ochsenthal. Found the columbine. We saw some chamois on the Kleine Similstock and tur ned off at the entrance of the Thal and followed them up the grassy sides. We turned up at 6.30. We clambered up rock and grass and by a very steep chimney till we got to the NW arete and followed up it to the top 9.35-10.15. The Simils tock looked very fine but quite impossible on this side. We came down onto the SE saddle and then by some very steep smooth rocks where we had to use the extra rope. We got to the grass slope at 12.45 and stayed till 2.15. Th en a hot hour home through woods. After dinner I looked at Mr Hasler's photographs. We found a cairn and it had been done by the NW arete. u Walked up t he right side of the glacier and inspected the Vorder Wellhorn rocks 9-11.45. Very hot and I felt tired and slept after lunch and then read L'Etape and talked to Fl. Kuntze. She and did the big gendarme on the Vorder Wellh orn. u Got up at 12 and started at 1 am. But when we got to the Schonbuhl Alp the clouds began to blow up. we waited some time under a rock till the rain came. Ulrich went do wn to the chalets to see if we could take shelter there and came back saying dubiously "Dere is pig." However we went down and found one without pig and lay on some hay till past 4 when the rain and thunder decided us to give up t he expedition. Got back about 5 and went to bed till lunch time. It rained all the afternoon. I finished L'Etape and began Sir A Lyall's English in India and was rather bored and cold. u Cold and stor my but we started at 9.50 and went straight up the Vorder Wellhorn to the foot of the big gendarme. We let ourselves down into a couloir on the left hand side which led us up grass slopes to the foot of the rock towers. It was too windy to follow the arete so we climbed over it and traversed under it to the gap between it and the gendarme. A difficult piece of rock took us to the top. Ulrich first stood on Heinrich twice, then I followed up and U . fixed the extra rope round an iron nail and onto this I held with great difficulty while he climbed up me. On the top we found Mr Hasler's sling into whic h we fixed our extra rope and let ourselves down beyond the SE corner into the gap. We got to the top at 1 o'clock and were back in the hotel at 3.30 having lunched on the way down. It was bitter cold and windy but the glass rising. Mr Hasler calls it Henstock. u We left the hotel at 5.10 and walked up the Vorder Wellhorn by the Schonbuhl Chalets and the ironstone path-a very tedious pull up. We did it fast and I felt it a good deal. At 7.40 we stopped for 5 minutes and roped. As we were sitting a chamois strolled up over a ledge of rock not 30 yards from us and fled precipitately when it saw us. we saw another running up the arete above us and sending down q uantities of stones. We then climbed over easy rock, on.. iced and up a not very difficult ledge onto the arete overhanging the glacier, by which we made our way to the top, 8.40, a record I think. We breakfasted till 9.10. Lily' s Peak was just in front of us which Ulrich thought would give us some trouble, and the overhang above. We went down the S face of the Vorder Wellhorn in the foot of Lily's Peak, about a quarter of an hour and then up to the ar ete by a slope of blackish rock. The smooth gendarme turned out to be not very difficult. The rock was not steep and we got up it without klettershuch, taking a little to the right 10.35-40. We then followed the summit of the arete which is narrow but of good rock, and crossed up and down 3 gendarmes. It was amusing work. At the 3rd we came full in view of the overhang which is formed by a jutting out rock like a ceiling-which supports the top of the ar ete. There was a 4th gendarme leaning up against this bit of the arete, but we did not continue on to it, but went down the 3rd gendarme on the S side and round a grass slope which brought us to the left of the overhang. The rocks up to the arete were comparatively easy, with a good deal of water running down them. We went a little to the left then slightly to the right up onto the arete and lunched above the overhang 12.45-1.20. We or rather I, now thought that all our difficulties were over, but they were really only begun. The next piece of the arete is extremely rotten and tedious to climb, the stones lying like slates on a roof and falling with every touch. It is also very narro w and descending on one side to a precipice and on the other to very steep snow slopes. It took us nearly an hour. It ends in a sharp gap, on the further side of which the rock rises steeply to the final ridge. There seem to be two possible ways up this bit of rock, one to the left and one to the right. We chose the one to the right which consists of 2 small chimneys. The first is about 20 ft high and offers good holds; it leads onto a small platfo rm on the NW face of the mountain. Ulrich and Heinrich went up to this leaving me below, very cold, and worked for a good half hour, calling down to me that it was not easy. They drove in a nail and tried to throw a rope, the latt er without much success. Finaly Ulrich put on Kletterschuh and Heinrich making himself secure by a rope round the nail, U was able to climb over his shoulders into the chimney. The second chimney is about 15 ft high but it is di fficult to get into from the exposed platform. I then came up to the platform, H went up and I followed. We left the nail. We reached the summit in about 20 minutes, a very cold wind blowing on us 3.35. we came down the NE side of the Wellhorn bearing a little to the left and reached the glacier at 5. We eat here for about half an hour, then crossed the glacier under threatening seracs (a thing we had no business to do, but it saved us nearly 3 hours, for otherwise we should have had to go up the Dossensattel and down to the hut) and came down by the neves below the hut onto the Rosenlaui path 6.35. We got in at 7.45, I found Robert Collier to my great delight. u Fine morning but cloudy later. I wrote letters and the Alpine book and mended my things. u The weather did not look very settled so we decided not to go to Grimsel. Left the hotel at 7.20 and went up the Ochsenthal path to the foot of the Rosenlaui stock, then traversed over the grass slopes to below the Ochsensattel and so over the foot of the NW arete of King's Peak and breakfasted by the smooth couloir which leads up between King's Peak and the Princes 10.10-10.40. I had on Klettersh uh for the first time and found them delightful. Crossing the couloir, we followed up the arete to the gap on the N side of King's Peak and then turning to the right we went straight up the arete to the top of the first Prince. 10.10. The summit was so small that only 2 of us could sit on it. It took us 50 minutes to reach the top of the second. We went up a very rotten couloir which led to the N of it. Fine view of King's Peak and the Frog Mountain. We got back to the breakfast place at 1.10 and lunched and to the hotel at 3.50. Gathered lots of columbine on the way down. u Went down to Meiringen and lunched and then drove up to Grimsel-12.30-1.30 and it cost abo ut 1 pound. Lovely gorgeous hot weather, but the drive was a little long. We telegraphed to Alexander and Heinrich II to join us.I was made welcome by Frau Liesegang-he was in bed with a broken leg.In the evening talked to Dr Wilson, Mr Wicks and MrBrady [Bradley?]who were there with Kobler, Emile Rey and Hans Abner. Delicious place the Grimsel. u Doubtful m orning. We hung about till near 4. It rained hard in the afternoon. Then we went up to the Pavillon Dollfuss. Delicious walk up the Aar valley-blue butterwort, yellow anemone a different primula. Tedious moraine. Got to the h ut in 3 hours. We were 16 people! and a lot of men from Geucon. However we packed them off into the left and made ourselves comfortable. Thunderstorm in the night. u The weather cleared and we got off soon after 3. Very promising and a lovely sunrise, the light slipping down the shoulders of the Finsteraarhorn. 3 tedious hours of glacier, then we started up the steep snow slopes. Awfully hard work, it was 8.30 before we got to the col where we breadfasted and saw heavy clouds in the west. Started up the arete at 9-in half an hour the mists came, and soon after snow. But we went on, stopping at intervals, round endless gendarmes and o ver snowslopes, the summit receding and receeding[sic] in the mists.I lay down on a rock and went to sleep at one moment At about 1, when we were quite near the top we found a more or less sheltered place and let ourselves down into it and lunched and boiled tea, which was very reviving. At 2.15, Ulrich Heinrich and I went to the top and saw about 30 yards of the arete. Then we came down, following the arete a little and then straight down the hill plunging into the mists. The other 2 followed the arete. Snow very bad, horrid climb. I slipped once and was caught by the rope. We got down onto the glacier at 5.20, just a little above the ice fall and had something to eat in the rain. T he others had not appeared so we left Heinrich to wait for them and went on. The snow very heavy. Got to the hut at 7.45, done. Found 3 nice little German schoolboys there. The others came in some 3 quarters of an hour later. Found some coffee which we heated, then made chocolate and had a hearty meal. And so passed the best night I have ever spent in a hut. u Lovely delicious day-too provoking. Still pretty tired. We came down to the Grimsel when we arrived about 9. Talked to Herr Liesegang then had a bath. Slept most o f the afternoon. u Pouring. We drove down to Meiringen and lunched there. Then came by train to the Lake of Brienz where we had a pleasant journey on the steamboat. Fine and warm . Got to Interlaken at 3.45 and waited till 5.42. Had chocolate and read at the Hotel du Lac. Then up by the railway reaching Grindelwald at 7. Horrid grey, cold evening. Sat by Fraulein Kuntze at dinner. u Cloudy and a low glass. Talked to Mr Bradley and Dr Wilson. Read most of the day and was horribly bored. At 4 it cleared and I walked out up the path to the upper glac ier. Cold and dank. Made acquaintance with an English family called Bevis. u Still rainy. I telephoned to Rosenlaui and walked up to the Scheidegg where I met Lily and Yseult and lunched with them. It rained most of the time and was a horrid grind going up. Changed my seat at dinner, and sat by the Bevis family. Quite cheerful. u Still wet an d the snow down very low. Quite impossible to do anything. Spent a lot of time talking to Dr Wilson, Mr Bradley and Mr Wicks who are extremely pleasant and amusing. There was a conjurer in the hotel in the evening. u At last fine. We started out at 10 and walked up to the Baregg where I lunched in an hour and a half. Frl. Kuntze came up before we left. We took 2 hours up to t he Schwartzegg. Found the white lily and the purple martagon and two garlics a white and purple. Very pretty. At the hut was on Kuyper-professor of theology at Amsterdam with whom I talked. He had Kuster with him who had travelled in Africa and climbed in Crete. Frl Kuntze came up and joined us. Then an American arrived with Christian Burgoner and finally a fifth party, a German so that we were 15 people! u Up at 10.20 and off at 11.10 pm on Wed. A brilliant night. Fortunately Frl K and the Bernets went off towards the Schreckhorn saddle. We followed the glacier and struck up to the Strahlegg. In half an hour we came into brilliant m oonlight and put out our lantern. The Finsteraahorn in the moon was a thing never to forget. Got up to the Strahlegg at 1.35-50 - most easy walking up in the night but here we met a most bitter wind coming up the Schrechfirn. It was awfully cold. We went on pretty soon up the long arete leading towards the summit. Every time we turned round into the Schreckfirn side the wind was bitter. It was good climbing however. We got to the top of this arete 4.10 and breakfasted 4.25. Horrid cold. Here the dawn came, one of the loveliest of Alpine dawns, the whole sky pink. we trembled and admired. Suddenly the Matterhorn leapt up into the sky. The lovely Weishorn shone beside it and the light struck Mont Blanc at the end of the line. We then had a nasty bit traversing across the mountain facing the hut. It was sort of shale and frozen hard and it took us some time. We got onto the saddle at 6.35 and met the sun but wind was cruel. Here Ulrich half suggested not to go to the top of the Lanteraarhorn but I insisted and we left the sack and turned to the right over a snow piece and onto the gendarmes. We got to the summit at 8.5. The rock was not bad, but not easy and complicated by fresh snow. There was a long snow crevice which we crept along. Then a tall gendarme not very easy and at last we were on the top. We breakfasted till 9.10 then turned back and rejoined our sack at 10.20. Over a small gendarme and then up a very tall and pointed one where we sat and waited for Frl K and the Bernets. They took ages c oming down the smooth gendarme in front of us. They joined us at 10.45. We got to the top of the smooth arete at 11.35 and then had a difficult bit of very sharp arete, a hard gendarme, though small, with a flattish top and then the gendarme with the overhang. Ulrich looked over and said "It is quite overhanging, I do not care for dis if we can go round." My heart sank, but next moment he was unrolling the thin rope. It was a drop of some 25 to 30 ft, not real ly bad as one could get some hold for the feet and hands on the rock, but the landing was onto a very sharp place. H. went first, I followed, then the sack and axes, then Ulrich, doubly secured on his own rope. After that a smooth fa ce and we were on the top of the last. The descent from it was quite easy. We were just above the saddle by 2 and we stopped to lunch till 2.30. Frl K. did not go up the overhang. They turned round the bottom and went up the other s ide of the gendarme. The snow was bad coming down, mostly ice and I did not get on very well on it. Finally we took the rock and got onto the glacier at 4.30 (it snowed a little) and the hut at 5.30 just before Frl K who had followed the ordinary route down the Lanteraarhorn and come over the Strahlegg. I found the American and my 3 friends, Dr Wilson, Mr Wicks, and Mr Bradley, who were eating beefsteaks which I instantly shared. We had a very merry evening sitting outside in the drizzle and talking nonsense. Frl K took up her bed near me and rolled onto me all night. I was most civil but she was rather out of it, poor thing. Dr W said "She doesn't take our fancy at all." u Nasty morning, but we had a cheerful breakfast. Then I walked down to Grindelwald got in at 10, had a bath and went to sleep. The 3 came down too and we spent most of the afternoon together and had a pleasant tea together. After dinner talked to Mrs Vere O'Brien and walked up to the blacksmith's with Mr Wicks to fetch his ice axe. Glorious magical silvernight with every stone & snow patch on t he Eiger shining. The 3 started off for the Schreckhorn at 11 and didn't[did it?] up the face. u Glorious day. We walked over to Rosenlaui. Yseult met me at the Scheidegg and Lady M* a little way down. Found all the Grant Duffs, including Arthur and Robert. Spent the afternoon talking. Sat by Sir M.S**. at dinner. Margery and Owen O'Malley arrived. u We went out a bout 6.30 and tried a way up the Welterhorn, but were stopped below on the first glacier by falling stones-I observed the movement of rocks on my knee. So breakfasted and came home by the Schonbuhl in the mist. Slept most of th e afternoon. Lady O'Malley and Eva arrived. *[Monkswell] ** [Mountstuart] u It misted and rained. Eric and I developed photographs. After lunch Lady M and I w ent down to meet Gerard. u Off soon after 1 and walked through the pine woods in lovely moonlight. Had to wait till dry break on the morain at the foot of the rocks. Then scrambled up onto the f irst glacier but to our bitter disappointment found that we could not get from it onto the rock above. The only comb was one down which the screes fell. So turned back and got in for breakfast. Robert Gerard and Lily went up King's Peak and did not return till 2 am next day. The Vere O'Briens came over from Grindelwald. I sent my guids down to Innertkirchen and walked down at 6.30 myself; Dot coming part of the way. Got to the Bar at 8 and went to bed. u Off at 6 and coached up to Grimsel. Most lovely day. Nice little American couple with m e and a Mr Colin Campbell AC in the coach. Reached Grimsel at 12 lunched and slept and started off at 2.30 for the Dollfuss. Walked up slowly. The Alp most exquisite-a paradise of Soldanella, pale sweet violet, the tiny azalea etc. Sat out till 7 when the sun set behind the Schreckhorn. We were quite alone. Slept sound. u Off at 1.35 and got to the seracs just at dawn-about 4. some difficulty in gettin g onto an arete, we had to cross a snow couloir down which the rocks fell and were a little pitted at first on the arete. Breakfasted at 6 in safety. Then up. Enormously long and very difficult. Treacherous rock-I pulled ou t a big piece on myself which knocked me down hill a little, but I caught myself up before I came on the rope. Subsequently discovered that it was cut half through about a yard from my waist. Tower after tower and gendarme a fter gendarme, extraordinarily steep. We cut ourselves across several iced couloirs. Got up a bit of ice and rock onto a col between 2 gendarmes where we had some lunch in the snow, about 10. Next followed a very difficult chimney w ith a traverse at the opening of it. Still we kept to the arete and had a most awkward crossing in front of a tower followed by a long snowy couloir. The rock thus: SKETCH At last we began to see the top of the arete and the top of the Finsteraahorn. Also I saw black clouds coming up from the west. At 3 we got onto a col and saw the last 2 gendarmes-and the first was impossible. It began to snow and we sat down and eat a little. Then we crept along the knife edge col and let Ulrich down on the right of the tower on to a rotten sloping outledge. No go. Then we all let ourselves down on the left to the bottom of an iced couloir, but th esnow was already tearing down it in a small avalanche and we decided to turn back. The rocks already covered wi th snow. The traverse of the tower (above) was very hard, we had to drop off into the snow. We longed to get down to the midday chimney, but at 8 the thunder began. As I was standing by a big stone on the top of a tower, suddenly it gave a crash and a blue flame danced on it. As I looked it gave another & without stopping to consider further we dashed down a chimney and buried the ice axes in the shale. I had felt mine give a jump and the steel felt hot throu gh my woollen glove. It was now dark. We found a crash more or less sheltered but pretty uncomfortable and passed the night there shivering. At first the storm was splendid, all the rocks crackled and fizzed, then it cleared and all the stars came out. We roped ourselves in lest as Ulrich said we should be struck by lightning. u At 3 the moon rose and we longed for the sun,but the clouds blew up and the dawn came in a grey mist of snow. At 4 we started-extraordinary quantity of snow on the rocks. Awfully difficult climbing-more than a man could do, said Ulrich. The chimney was a teazer. We each dropped down it in time, Heinrich f alling first-getting up onto a rock a little to one side to hold us. Ulrich terrified-he called out, "Heinrich, Heinrich! ich bin verloren!" and fell of f as we had done. We eat a little at the luncheon flan. Then awfully difficult at the iced bit. Ulrich and I got together where we could not stand or he hold me. I fixed the extra rope but could not hold on to it and called out t o H. I was going to fall. In another minute we were both headlong down the couloir. Ulrich put the point of the axe in a crack and held us all up. I came to my feet directly I felt the rope, caught Heinrich and the axes and we cut[ ?] ourselves up. He said he could not have believed he could have held us up there. The wind and cold were bitter-we shivered all day. The snow rose round us in clouds and we saw the birth of avalanches. Snow rivers ran down the co uloirs. We used the extra rope all the way. My hair was iced. At length we got down by the edge of the couloir and crossed onto the original arete, we had followed down one to the right of it. Here we eat a scrap, it was 5.30 or 6. We then had an easy time onto the glacier which we reached at 8 in pouring rain and guessed well at the schrund which we crossed. Tried in vain to light a lantern-every match was wet. Tried to go on-Heinrich fell into the snow up to his neck. So we laid our axes down on the snow and sat on them. U and I put our feet into a sack. H gave me the other to lean on. My shoulders ached and ached but I lay down, put a wet handkerchief over my face and went to sl eep in the wind and the rain. Mists over the glacier. u At 4 I could read my watch and we started off. At first we could scarcely stand. The g lacier ever so easy and we turned the screes. Had some water on the Untraa Glacier, having had nothing to drink since the first night, and some chocolate. About 6 unroped-48 hours on the rope. As we walked down the stones I saw the figu res of my guides wherever I looked and they heard ........ It streamed. Got to Grimsel soon after 10 and was welcomed by Mr Colin Campbell with a Thank God. Went to bed and eat 4 eggs and drank quantities of milk. My feet frost bitten a little. slept till 7, then dined and slept again. A S.A. doctor passed through and wrapped up my guides' feet and hands in cotton wool. Frau Liesegang did the same by me. u Stayed in be d till 4 and wrote to Father. Then up and had tea with Mr Campbell who told me the astonishing tale of Miss Perk[Peck] the American editor, the O......, the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc.Saw my guides.U looked awfully tired. So was I. Swolle n feet. u Better and a fine day-sent for a carriage from Handegg and drove down to Innertkirchen where I had a rather unpleasant lunch, with the Fuhrers. The old mother mostly in tears. Then on to the Reichenbach Hotel where I parted with my guides, came up the railway and walked up to Rosenlaui where I arrived at 4.30. Much greeted. Louise and Sidney Smith here, Margaret Usbarn, and the Cummingha ms.