DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12665#0156
140
INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL.
around them, and their dogs by their side, pre-
senting the same pastoral scenes which I had so
often looked upon among the mountains of Greece ;
but unhappily, here, as there, the shepherds and
shepherdesses do not in the least resemble the
Chloes and Phillises of poetic dreams. In the even-
ing we seated ourselves round a large bowl of
cracked corn and milk, so thick as to be taken with
the hands, unaided by spoon or ladle, followed by
a smoking marmite of stewed kid; and after this
exercise of hospitality to the stranger, some with-
drew to their rocky dwellings, others laid them-
selves down around the fire, and I retired to my
tent. All night I heard from every part of the
valley the lowing of cattle, the bleating of lambs
and goats, and the loud barking of the watch-dog.
Early in the morning, while the stars were yet
in tlie sky, I was up and out of my tent. The
flocks were still quiet, and the shepherds and shep-
herdesses were still sleeping, with the bare earth
for their bed, and the canopy of heaven their only
covering. One after the other they awoke ; and*
as the day was breaking, they were milking the
cows and goats, and at broad daylight they were
again moving, with their crooks and dogs, to the
pasture-ground at the foot of the valley.
We set off at an early hour, Paul again on my
horse, and I on his dromedary ; the patriarchal fig-
ure who had welcomed being the last to speed me
on my way; at every step we were now putting the
desert behind us, and advancing into a better coun-
INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL.
around them, and their dogs by their side, pre-
senting the same pastoral scenes which I had so
often looked upon among the mountains of Greece ;
but unhappily, here, as there, the shepherds and
shepherdesses do not in the least resemble the
Chloes and Phillises of poetic dreams. In the even-
ing we seated ourselves round a large bowl of
cracked corn and milk, so thick as to be taken with
the hands, unaided by spoon or ladle, followed by
a smoking marmite of stewed kid; and after this
exercise of hospitality to the stranger, some with-
drew to their rocky dwellings, others laid them-
selves down around the fire, and I retired to my
tent. All night I heard from every part of the
valley the lowing of cattle, the bleating of lambs
and goats, and the loud barking of the watch-dog.
Early in the morning, while the stars were yet
in tlie sky, I was up and out of my tent. The
flocks were still quiet, and the shepherds and shep-
herdesses were still sleeping, with the bare earth
for their bed, and the canopy of heaven their only
covering. One after the other they awoke ; and*
as the day was breaking, they were milking the
cows and goats, and at broad daylight they were
again moving, with their crooks and dogs, to the
pasture-ground at the foot of the valley.
We set off at an early hour, Paul again on my
horse, and I on his dromedary ; the patriarchal fig-
ure who had welcomed being the last to speed me
on my way; at every step we were now putting the
desert behind us, and advancing into a better coun-