slide, and narrow escape from falling headlong, we reached the bottom of the valley in safety, where we found caravans of camels and asses, with their guides asleep by the wayside, waiting for the morning light to enter the city gates. We pursued our way-an hour yet remained that hour was one of strange and indescribable excitement. I had seen, by moonlight, the time-hallowed glories of the old world, and the wonders of nature in the new;-I had stood alone, at that hour, within the awful circle of the Coliseum ;-had watched the lunar rainbow spanning the eternal mists rising from the base of Niagara ;-but this night's march across the desolate hills of Judea awoke a more sublime, more thrilling interest. I was approaching the walls of that city (the scene of events which must ever remain the most touching in their influences upon the human heart) which I had long and earnestly hoped to see, and my wish was about to be realized. As the stars began to fade from the heavens, and the dawn to break over the eastern mountains, I sought to pierce the gloom which wrapped the silent region around; but nothing could be distinguished. It was not till the first red glow of morning glanced upon the eastward hill-tops, that I caught sight of the city. But there was nothing grand or striking in the vision-a line of dull walls, a group of massive towers, a few dark olives, rising from a dead and sterile plain; yet, enough that this

was Jerusalem-the Holy City: her mournful aspect well suits with the train of recollections she awakens.

We had to wait some time outside the Jaffa Gate before admittance could be obtained, and not a sound was heard when we entered the silent streets. Within, the city is as dull as without; ruinous heaps and mean houses meet the eye as we enter. The stern Tower of Hippicus is on our right-a noble wreck of the past; a narrow gloomy street conducted us to the highest part of the city, where we had some difficulty in finding the British Consulate, to which we repaired, in hope of meeting with an old school friend, Mr. Johns, who held the appointment in the absence of Mr. Young, and who was the architect of the new church on Mount Zion, connected with the Episcopal mission. We met with a warm and cordial reception, and it was arranged that during the day I should partake of his hospitality, and at night repair to a cell in the Latin convent, with which I had every reason to be satisfied, as, after the late watches in open boats and elsewhere, a clean bed was no small luxury. The Latin convent is, next to the Armenian, the best resting-place in Jerusalem, and, as most travellers remain there, I shall, in my future excursions, always start from its well-known locality.

After mutual greetings over a good breakfast we laid down our plan of operations; and Mr. J. was already familiar with every part of the city and its environs,

which we repeatedly visited together. The first object was to make the circuit of the walls, and looking out of the casement I perceived that we were close upon them : they exactly resemble the walls of York and other ancient cities in our country, having steps, at intervals, leading up to the battlemented breastwork; these we ascended just at the western extremity of the city, whence the wall gradually descends-Acra, towards Bezetha. The morning was very favourable-gray and cloudy; the light and shade swept fitfully over the city and hills-sad, stony, and sterile, dotted with a few dark olives, bringing out successively into strong relief every point of its remarkable topography. We were looking down upon the high rocky plain, N. W. of the city, where, from the earliest time, so many armies have ranged their standards against her: the Assyrian, Roman, Persian, and the toil-worn Crusaders, with their heroic leader, Godfrey of Bouillon.

As we reach the N. E. angle of the wall the view over the interior of the city is very striking. All the localities of scripture come in sight. That platform with the noble mosque once sustained the temple of Solomon ; beyond is the proud height of Zion; nearer is Calvary. Deep beneath the whole length of the city-wall, the valley of the Kidron unrolls her memorable scenery, sacred to holier associations than those of warring hosts, animated as they were by lofty enthusiasm. That dark

plot of olives, in the cleft of the glen, is Gethsemaneabove rises the Mount of Olives. The eye wanders from point to point, and it is some time before the mind is able to conceive, that in sober certainty the scene of so many wonderful events is spread around-that below are the very paths trodden by Jesus of Nazareth-the very shades to which he retired for communion with God, and whence he was dragged to crucifixion upon the dome-covered mount, which seems as if we can almost touch it.

Thus passing the battlements we come to the boundary of the Mosque of Omar, which obliges us to descend and pursue our way without the wall. Here we are struck with the different character of the masonry; large stones of great antiquity forming the basement, and the upper portion formed of small stones, evidently built into the irregular remains of the larger. We came to an ancient gate, with a double arch of Roman architecture, filled up with Saracenic masonry. Tradition says, that through this gate the Christians will again enter the city in triumph. Proceeding along under the wall, we have the rocky Jewish burialground, at a great depth below, in which both Jews and Mahometans place the scene of the last judgment; but the Messiah is to stand on Olivet, while Mahomet's somewhat perilous seat is on the top of the wall.

It is at the S. E. angle which we now reach, that we

meet with a most remarkable display of the large masonry before noticed. This, the same all around the great enclosure, must be of great antiquity, at least as old as Herod; perhaps even Solomon may have stood on the very spot, watching the progress of the stupendous work. Still further along the wall is a most extraordinary piece of patchwork, built up across the Tyropeon, of stones of all shapes, sizes, and dates, wrecks of successive periods, mementos of revolution upon revolution. It is overhung by the mosque El-aksa, and above waves a solitary palm. The wall now climbs the breast of Zion; it is wholly Saracenic, and runs across what was formerly the centre of the city. The view hence is very striking. On the level brow of Zion is a group of buildings, containing the legendary tomb of David, and around it are scattered the cemetries of the Protestants and Armenians. Following the wall we reach the towers of the citadel, where it becomes necessary to descend into the Valley of Hinnom, and soon after reach the Jaffa Gate, not far from the spot we started from.

The circumference of the city wall, according to Robinson and others, does not exceed a space of something less than three miles; and allowing (vide map) that the whole of Zion, down to the valley, and a considerable portion of ground north of the city, was enclosed, it would still give it a circumference of but about four miles ;-narrow limits these for the population