Page:Domestic Life in Palestine.pdf/333

326 Mademoiselle, but indignation that excites me." The soldiers were endeavoring to clear the church, and it was expected that they would receive orders to fire on the obstinate fanatics, who, not content with injuring each other, began to attack the building itself. Pictures of saints and martyrs were destroyed by sharp-pointed sticks being thrust into them. The carved and gilt wooden vases, which ornamented the tawdry, cage-like covering of the tomb, were deliberately aimed at and knocked down; and two priests, who had intrepidly climbed on to the top, to try to preserve the crystal and silver lamps and other valuables there, were pelted piteously. As soon as the ornaments were displaced they were picked up, and used as missiles wherewith to assault the galleries. Many a large piece glanced close to us, who were near the front, but happily we escaped injury. The Scottish lady was so overcome with alarm that she fainted, and then at my urgent request the Arab women fell back as far as they could, to make room for her to recover herself, and to enable us to retreat a few inches from the railings in front of the box. The conflict became more and more furious. We saw terrible wounds inflicted, blood flowing from shaven heads, frightful gashes on uplifted faces, and people thrown down and trampled on. Screams, imprecations, and desperate prayers resounded. For more than a quarter of an hour this fierce fight lasted; then, by degrees, it abated, and the Turkish soldiers succeeded in driving out the chief of the combatants, not, however, without receiving some serious blows.

When the place was partially cleared, we saw that the marble pavement of the Rotunda was strewed with fragments of glass, silver chains, bits of carving, broken tapers, torches, and tarbûshes, and the entire surface shone with oil, which had streamed from the hundreds of lamps thrown down and crushed under foot. We were hoping that our friends were all safe, when to our relief they appeared crossing the area with the English travelers who had been present. They all looked pale and anxious, for