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Rh for those of our party who had prudently taken an easier route round the base of the hill. They presently overtook us, and we were reminded that Amos, the herdsman and prophet, who said, "Shall horses run upon the rock?" dwelt not far from here, and very likely he had often seen them stumbling or stepping cautiously over such hills as this. We rode all together up a narrow winding valley, where wild thyme and heath, and blue, yellow, red, and white salvias, grew abundantly among the gray rocks, which were half-covered with orange-colored lichen. The air was warm and fragrant.

At the head of the valley there was a rounded hill, crowned by a low clump of trees, which sheltered a white tent. The northern and western slopes were green with bearded barley. This lovely patch of cultivated land contrasted strangely with the wild hills around, where there was not any sign of human industry. Mr. Meshullam enjoyed our surprise, and then explained how he had cleared the land and sown it, and made a little garden on the top of the hill. The soil was very rich in quality, but rather thinly spread over the surface of the rock. There were higher hills rising beyond, and sheltering this retreat. We ascended gradually, till we reached the