Page:Travels & discoveries in the Levant (1865) Vol. 1.djvu/349

Rh by the excitement of a death-bed, which is regarded as a public spectacle, where all have a right to be present who can elbow their way into the house. They seem to like it nearly as much as a play. Another occasional excitement is the punishment of a thief, who, when detected, is, by the custom of the country, hunted like a mad dog through the town, the whole population following him full cry up and down the steep narrow streets till they are weary of the sport. The punishment of a four-footed thief is also singular. One day I saw a man shoot three pigs in his field, and, inquiring what this meant, was told that, by the custom of the country, a pig found trespassing might be put out of the world, without judge or jury, by the person on whose land he had strayed. By the same ride, one ear of an offending donkey may be cut off.

 XXVIII. , February, 1855. Since my last report on the diggings, I have coutinued to explore cemeteries and other localities, with very chequered fortune.

After a great deal of trouble, I succeeded in obtaining permission from Janni Sconi to dig over the very field where he had found the treasure some years ago. I very soon came to graves, but not of a very interesting character. The outline of the grave was only marked by two or three rough slabs placed 