Lake of Tiberias, and along the valley of the Jordan, up to the Anti-Lebanon, exploring all the old castles and ruins; but we did not come very much in contact with the natives. The interest of the tour is chiefly archæological and architectural, so I will pass it over here. We returned to Hâifa on the 10th of December.
M. Zifo, the Prussian Consul, called to welcome us. He said that he was the "only hat in town," and he was detained by business, much against his inclination, for cholera and typhus-fever prevailed. All the people were praying for rain. For three days after our return, there was not one death in the town, and some of the refugees came from the Convent. The French Consul was one of the first arrivals. Unhappily, his youngest daughter, the pet and plaything of the family, who used to lisp out Arabic and French so prettily, was immediately attacked with cholera, and died after twelve hours' suffering.
On the 15th the panic was revived; but a curious circumstance suddenly restored tranquillity to the minds of the Arabs. On the night of Sunday, the 16th of December, a woman dreamed that she saw four malignant imps. Each one held a stone, with an inscription on it, in his hand. She said to them, "What do you want? Why are you here to trouble me?" They said, speaking as with one voice, "We have come to throw four stones." Then she said, "Hasten to throw your stones, and go in peace." One was thrown at her—the others flew in different directions. She told her dream the next day, and seemed very much alarmed. The imps of her dream were said, by the interpreters thereof, to be "imps of the yellow wind." The majority of the people believed that there would be only four more deaths in Hâifa from cholera. On the 18th, fourteen individuals were attacked; but only two died, one of whom was the dreamer. On the 19th, there were two more deaths, the last which were reported. The people were reassured, and flocked back from ’Akka, Galilee, and Carmel. But the wished-for season of rain had not set in.
