The great pyramid passages and chambers

354 From the customs, our road led through several very narrow and dirty streets. We made some acquaintance with Eastern life immediately, and were not enamoured of it, although we were greatly interested. After walking for several hundred yards we entered two carriages which were waiting for us, and were taken to the Du Pare Hotel. This hotel is to be taken over by the Orient Commerce Co., of which Brother Cotton is the London manager and a director. It is very comfortable, and has attached to it a beautiful and extensive garden and a museum of valuable antiquities. We were informed that Brother Cotton had had to depart the previous evening for Gaza, where he has some pressing business, but that he might meet us later in Jerusalem. He left a letter putting us in charge of a courteous young Syrian, Mr Anis Jamal, who, he said, would show us round during our stay in Palestine.

355 After breakfast, Mr Jamal took us to see the town, and, as you can well understand, we were greatly interested by what we saw. With a few exceptions the streets of Jaffa are very narrow and dirty, and the central ones are thronged with all sorts of people; but this being the ‘off-season,’ we seemed to be the only European strangers. About the oddest of the odd people we saw during our walk, were some women dressed in black, with their faces entirely covered with tightly-drawn muslin print veils. The print, mostly faded and of a large ugly pattern, gives the unfortunate women a ghastly appearance. I tried to take a snapshot of them, but they turned and hastened off. Camels and donkeys are as numerous here as horses are at home, and they do make a noise. This morning (our first in Jerusalem), we were all awakened about three o'clock by a camel groaning and grunting below our bed-room windows. I think it was being loaded, and they have generally good cause to groan when this is done, for their burden is often unmercifully heavy.

356 While speaking of burdens, I may mention that we were much astonished at the immense loads which the Jaffa porters carry. During our walk, one of them passed us with a huge box on his back, held in place by means of a rope passed round his forehead. I wanted to turn back and take a photograph of him, but was told that we should have plenty of opportunities to take such records; and, sure enough, I did manage to secure a photograph of one of these porters, on the veranda of the hotelPlate LXXXIV. The manager of the hotel told us that some of them can carry a piano, a load heavy enough for a camel!

357 In the afternoon, we drove to some places of interest, among others toa small flat-roofed building which is claimed to be “the house of one, Simon a tanner,” where the Apostle Peter saw the vision of the sheet let down from heaven. This house is in the hands of the Mohammedans, and is in consequence very dirty. We ascended by an outside stair to the battlemented flat roof, and noticed that it is not far from the sea. There did not appear to be any official care-taker, but a number of little girls with redstained finger-nails showed us round.

358 We have never anywhere seen so many blind people as here. This may be due in part to the bright sunlight reflected from the white dust which covers everything ; one can hardly look at it. Doubtless, however, the chief cause of the blindness is the infection carried by flies. Our hearts were heavy at the sight of a poor blind beggar who came up to our carriage yesterday, when we were leaving the Jaffa hotel for the railway depét, en route for Jerusalem. He came up with outstretched hand, his

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