Off to the left a little way I see Tabakat Fahil, identified as
Pella, the place to which the Christians of Jerusalem fled just
before the siege of Titus in obedience to the prophetic warning of
Christ.

It is two o'clock when we reach the Jordan Valley, at a point a
little south of Beth-shan, which is on the west side of the river.
We now turn northward and pursue our way steadily near the
mountains until after five o'clock; then we turn toward the river,
which we reach at sun-down.

The Jordan Valley is covered with a growth of thorn said to be
like that used in the crowning of Christ at the time of his mock-
trial. We eat of a delicious yellow berry now ripening on these
thorns. We pass two or three small villages, the names of which I
could not learn. We cross a number of small streams this
afternoon, the largest of which is the Tayibeh. All of these
streams are thickly lined with reeds and pink oleander; so thick
is this growth in some places that the streams are completely
hidden. Our Arab guide springs down into each of these water-
brooks and hands drink to us, but he drinks, I think, after the
manner of the drinking of "Gideon's three hundred," in the time of
their being tested; that is, by a quick movement of the hand
throwing water into his mouth.

Pushing rapidly across the open valley we startle gazelles from
their hiding-places among the reeds. Then, near the river, we pass
several encampments of Bedouins whose tents are black as those of
Kedar. At last, after being in the saddle all of ten hours, just