- Sheep's Tails. Issim.— Primitive Construction of its with the Tartar.-Severe Riding. Gulf of Nicomedia. 294 A SUMMER RAMBLE IN SYRIA. CHAPTER XVII. Leave Tabaria.- Hot Spring.-Magdalum.-Plain of Gennesareth.-Its fertility.-Remains of Bethsaida. — Prophecy accomplished.-Guide refuses to leave the Hadj Route.-Curious excavated Pass in the Rock.-Aqueducts. -Fountain of Capernaum-Variety of Opinions concerning.-Talhoom, the supposed site of Capernaum.-Chorazin.-Pasture-land beyond Jordan.-Sheep-cotes.—Joseph's Well described.-Cross the Mountains toward Saffat. The Fountains under Bethulia, where Achor was bound by the Servants of Holofernes.-Situation of Saffat. -Its Government. Heavy Rain.-Take shelter in a Composing-room.-Printers of various nations.-Visit the Moosellim.-A Jew.-Start for Soura. May 9th. OUR road lay due north along the margin of the lake, where, at half an hour, a hot salt-spring flows near the ruins of two round towers, which are washed by the water; and the opening VOL. II. B mountains form a valley fertilized by a wide but shallow rivulet. One hour farther is the site of Magdalum, now called Midgdol, marked by a few huts standing close under the mountain, at the commencement of the plain of Gennesareth; but, with the exception of a coarse and massive piece of wall near the water's edge, it retains no traces of its former strength, which was so great, that the force sent by Agrippa for its reduction did not think it prudent to hazard an attack. The town having received its name from the towers with which it was fortified, Jerome has fancifully supposed that Mary "Magdalene" was so called because fortified by faith. Her house was shown in the time of Breidenbach :* but although Midgdol continues to be one of the "holy places" which a monk errant is expected to visit before he is entitled to a certificate, the position of the house is no longer pointed out. The ground beyond, to the north, is swampy for some distance, and was at this time strewed with the carcases of camels, which had been sent to the fertile plain of Genne * Broc. Breid. Itin. Nice. Hist. Ecc. 1. 8. Joseph. in vit. su. Nig. 1. 3. Hiero. 1. Ep. 16. REMAINS OF BETHSAIDA. 3 sareth for pasture, but were unable to resist the severity of the past winter. Beyond the morass, the plain, enriched by numerous streamlets, retains all the indications of the productive soil which it has been said to possess; although the cultivation of grapes and figs,* and other fruits, is beyond the genius of the Arabs. It extends about four miles along the border of the lake, varying in its breadth inland according to the breaks in the mountains. At the northern angle of the sea, where the shore turns away to the eastward, are a few pieces of ruined wall; the only visible remains of Bethsaida, now called " Sheikh Said." Having been once a considerable city of the Decapolis, the birth-place of Peter, Andrew, and Philip, it was probably the place where our Lord healed "Peter's wife's mother of a fever;" and according to Nicephorus, St. Helena dedicated here a church to St. Peter, upon the site of his house. Many were the miracles performed in this place and Chorazin; yet their obduracy drew down upon them a denunciation which has been so fully accomplished, that *Joseph. Bell. Jud. 3. 18. It is stated that fruits upon this plain were in season throughout the year. 4 GUIDE REFUSES TO PROCEED. whereas they were then flourishing cities, scarcely enough now remains to prove that they existed.* A little to the left are some arches, apparently of more modern structure. It is possible that other vestiges might be discovered by diligent search; but the corn was so high, that it was impossible to attempt this without doing much mischief, and incurring the consequent displeasure of the natives, who, being placed here almost beyond the reach of control, are not rigidly attached to honesty, even when unprovoked by injury. At this point we were to leave the Hadj route, which passes from Stamboul and Bagdad to Egypt, in order that we might visit the site of Capernaum, more to the east, at the end of the lake. The muleteer, however, stubbornly refused to go aside, urging the danger of losing his mules, and setting before me the certainty of losing my baggage, if we should fall in with any of the people of the district. But when reminded that, by his contract, he was to receive more than the usual payment in consideration of deviating from the route to visit this place, *The site of Bethsaida is placed by Bonifacius a league beyond Capernaum, near the Jordan. |