Syria and the Holy Land : their scenery and their people : incidents of travel, &cfrom the best and most recent authorities . deep, and the partywere in extreme perplexity. At that moment a single rider appeared on the opposite bank two hun-dred yards lower down. We hastened towards him, and found the stream divided by a well woodedislet. The channel nearestto us seeming to be ford-able, we passed over itat once; and, forcing theway through the tanglesand brambles which op-posed us, reached nearenough to the water toperceive that it would beno easy matter to accom-plish the passage. Youare wel
Syria and the Holy Land : their scenery and their people : incidents of travel, &cfrom the best and most recent authorities . deep, and the partywere in extreme perplexity. At that moment a single rider appeared on the opposite bank two hun-dred yards lower down. We hastened towards him, and found the stream divided by a well woodedislet. The channel nearestto us seeming to be ford-able, we passed over itat once; and, forcing theway through the tanglesand brambles which op-posed us, reached nearenough to the water toperceive that it would beno easy matter to accom-plish the passage. Youare welcome, said thehorseman, who had notyet dismounted; let mesee you cross,lah ! replied you were here first, andby your head we will notgo before you. The stream was very rapid, and swept round the island with much noise. The bank, on which stood the Tartar, for such he was, bearing despatches from Egypt for Ibrahim Pasha, was several feet higher than the ground we occupied. An express must not demur in the East, however, and he began to strip himself cursing the river, the letters, and the rains alternately in the course. Wul-Hassan, A Tartar Courier. SOME PECULIARITIES OF EASTERN TRAVEL. 67 of the operation. At length, with his most precious burthen, the letter-bag,on his head, he waded into the stream, and, when the water reached hischin, paused, and crying out Inshallah! pitched it towards us; it fellshort, and set out at speed down the river. The poor messenger stood im-movable, his head above the water, and implored us by our fathers* souls toendeavour to save it, for it was sure to pay for the swimming. Fortunately,the despatches were caught in their course by the plants at the point of theisland, and we were able to fish them on shore. The second attempt of the Tartar was still more unfortunate. With hisclothes tied in a bundle on his head, he mounted on horseback to ride over,when, within a few hundred yards of the island, a bank of mud threw thehorse upon his side, and a
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