great deal of rain, we had an opportunity of seeing many Jews. We also paid a visit to the Chief Rabbi of the Sephardim, where we met with several other Jews. They were all very friendly, but would not enter into any discussion. I also visited the schools which are kept in the synagogues. In that of the Sephardim I counted about forty children, who were divided into three classes; the first class, under one rabbi, was being taught to read; the second was translating a portion of the five books of Moses under another rabbi; and the third was reading the Talmud. In the German school there were only three children, because most of the German Jews come to this place when they are advanced in life. Hebron is one of the most ancient cities in the world. After Abraham had separated himself from Lot, he pitched his tent in the Plain of Mamre, before Hebron; here it was that the angels visited him, and here he bought the cave of Machpelah, to bury Sarah in; and here again, Isaac and Ishmael buried their father Abraham. Jacob, after his long absence, visited his father in Hebron, and Esau and Jacob buried their father in the cave of Machpelah. Jacob was,

after his death, brought by his children from Egypt to Hebron. When Moses sent the twelve spies from the wilderness, it was from this fruitful valley, that they brought to their brethren the rich produce of the land. After the country was conquered, Hebron was given to Caleb, and was made a city of refuge. In Hebron King David resided seven years and six months; and when Absalom rebelled against his father, it was here he found most of his followers. When Judah was conquered by the Babylonians, Hebron shared the lot of most of the other cities; and when the Israelites returned from the captivity of Babylon, Hebron was rebuilt. It was afterwards taken by the Edomites, and again wrested from their hands by Judas Maccabeus, Hebron is not mentioned in the books of the New Testament, but that Christians must have resided in the neighbourhood is evident from the ruins which

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are pointed out as having once been Christian villages. It was captured by the Crusaders in the twelfth century. In 1167, a Latin Episcopal See was established here, which flourished until 1365; it again fell into the hands of the Mahometans, by whom it is still trodden down, until the hour of Israel's delivery shall arrive. In Scripture, Hebron is called "The City of Four." Hebron means "joining," and it is remarkable that, to this day, Hebron consists of four different towns, divided from each other, and yet very close together. They also bear different names: the first, situated on the right as you come from Jerusalem, is called Harat el Sheik the second, a very small place to the left, is called Harat el Hurba; the third, again to the right, and in which the Jewish quarter is situated, is called Harat el Casas; and the fourth, to the left, Harat el Cadam. At Hebron, a variety of articles of coloured glass are manufactured, which are brought to Jerusalem and eagerly purchased by the pilgrims, and carried as holy relics to all parts of the world. At present, there are no Christians residing in Hebron; the population consists of Jews and Mahometans.

RETURN TO JERUSALEM.

Jan. 10.—This morning we prepared for our return to Jerusalem; many Jews came to take leave of us; to whom we gave some tracts. At about five o'clock in the morning we departed from under the roof of the hospitable son of Abraham who had so kindly entertained us. Mr. Rowlands took leave of us, as he is about to return to England by way of Egypt. Mr. Blackburn had some business to attend to, and remained behind; thus the Bishop and myself set out alone with our guide. It was a beautiful morning as we rode through the valley of Eshcol. We saw from afar Abraham's Tree, which called up many recollections, and we praised God in silence that he had

blessed our visit to this place. We again passed Solomon's Pools, left Bethlehem on our left, stopped for a while at Rachel's Tomb, and arrived in Jerusalem at two o'clock.

Jan. 11.-When Mr. Nicolayson returned from Smyrna, several months since, he said that there were two Jewish children, a boy and a girl, there, whose parents wished them to be brought up as Christians. Mr. Nicolayson promised to take charge of the boy, if Mrs. Ewald would take the girl. After some conversation she agreed to do so. The children arrived to-day, and were brought to our house; they were in a most wretched condition, having been at sea more than three months.

Jan. 12.—An inquiring Jew called upon me late in the day.

Jan. 13.-Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Benjamin sent this morning to tell Mr. Nicolayson that they would be with him on Monday next.

THE COPTS.

Our Bishop had an invitation to the Coptic Convent for this morning, to which he begged Mr. Nicolayson and myself to accompany him. We first went

to their church and then to the convent, which bears all the marks of extreme poverty; they are greatly oppressed, and have no means of protection. In the middle of the court-yard of this convent, the spot is pointed out where Abraham saw the ram caught in the thicket when about to offer up his son Isaac. A Coptic priest showed us the place where the very tree is said to have stood, in which the ram was caught, and which only a few years ago was rooted up by the soldiers of Ibrahim Pasha. He added, that his grand

father had told him that a Greek pilgrim once took a piece of wood from this tree to his own country, but that it returned to this spot by itself, and his grandfather nailed it to the tree again. Thus those things and places, which are interesting as containing vestiges of scriptural antiquity, are often made to appear contemptible by folly and superstition. I had some conversation with the priests, and was glad to find they administered the sacrament in both kinds to the people. Jan. 14.-To-day Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Benjamin came to Mr. Nicolayson, with the firm resolution of becoming followers of Christ.

Jan. 16.-Rabbi Abraham joined the two other rabbies; Mr. Habershon and Mr. Critchlow arrived from England in company with Miss Yarborough. I went into the Jewish quarter. There was again a great excitement amongst the Jews, but as the three had been excommunicated, and have now broken through this law, no one is permitted to speak to them, and they are given up by the Jews as lost.

Jan. 18.-I went among the Jews and spoke with several; they have now given up all hopes of seeing the rabbies amongst them, but are anxious to prevent their wives from approaching them, and those whom they suspect to be favourably inclined to Christianity from following their example.

My eyes, I am sorry to say, have pained me again since last Saturday. I hoped it would pass off, but it kept increasing, I therefore called upon Dr. Macgowan to ask his advice, and he prescribed for me.

INSTRUCTION OF THE THREE RABBIES.

I went to the three rabbies who are staying in Mr. Nicolayson's house, and arranged with them to begin a course of instruction on Monday next. Mr. Calman has kindly undertaken to instruct them in the English language, which they are anxious to learn.

Jan. 19.-I went again to the Jewish quarter. The Jews think that the rabbies have already been baptized. I told them that this was not the case.

Jan. 20.-Rabbi Z and Rabbi S- called upon me, and afterwards a secret believer in Christ, who reads the New Testament diligently, and compares it with the prophecies in the Old Testament. He asked me to-day how I could reconcile the two following passages of the New Testament, namely, that the Apostle Paul said, that he believed in the law and the prophets, and yet the apostles, when writing to the Gentiles of Antioch, said that they would not command the Gentiles to keep the law, which neither they nor their fathers could observe. I explained this to him to his satisfaction.

Jan. 21. This was the anniversary of our Bishop's arrival in the Holy City. The Bishop had given notice last Sunday, that this morning he would administer the holy sacrament in Hebrew, at the usual hour of the Hebrew service, and that at eleven o'clock there would be English service in commemoration of that happy event, but as the Bishop and Mr. Nicolayson had, in consequence of the stoppage of the church, set out yesterday morning for Beyrout, he commissioned me to perform the Hebrew service. At eleven o'clock there was a service in English. Last evening the Prussian Consul arrived, and was present this morning at our Hebrew service.

Jan. 22.-Being now under medical treatment, I could not take any part in the services of the day.

INSTRUCTION OF INQUIRERS.

Jan. 23.-This morning I commenced a course of religious instruction with the three rabbies, by pointing out to them those passages of Scripture which I thought most appropriate to their case. I could do this without trying my eyes. I also had the two other inquirers with me to continue their instruction, as I am

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