MR. STENT'S TRAVELS IN EGYPT AND PALESTINE. THE route of

Mr. STENT was the new grand tour. Starting from Malta, he visited Athens, Alexandria, Cairo, and its adjacent sights, but it was too late in the season to ascend the Nile. With a party he next crossed the desert to Gaza ; made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Jericho, the Jordan, the Dead Sea, &c.; and, after looking in upon some other places distinguished in religious story, he reached Beirout, and embarked in a steamer for Constantinople; where his book ends.

Like the works of Mr. BUCKINGHAM On America, Mr. STENT'S Travels in Egypt and Palestine is rather an eminent example of a genius for commonplace. He does not, indeed, like Mr. BUCKING- RAM, give his reader the history of every spot he arrives at ; and he is, designedly, rather sparing in his accounts of antiquities : but he draws upon publications as common as school-books, for sketches of the geography, productions, manners, and customs of Egypt and Palestine; curtly investigates the character and career of MEHEMET Au, which has been done so often at large that the very theme is wearisome; and in a similar manner takes a view of OTuo and Greece. The more living matters in this route have now been so frequently detailed that average description no longer avails to attract the reader. No man should essay a book of travels about any region to which steamers regularly run, unless lie has sufficient confidence in his powers as a literary artist to think he could make a tour through London interesting.

Mr. STENT not only falls below this requisition, but does not come up to the average of travellers, either in acumen of percep- tion or in the power of representing what he sees. He appears to be a goodnatured, pleasant person, fresh from college, and de lighted with the scenes and foreign manners that met his eyes on his Mediterranean excursion. To him, of course, every thing was new—new, we conceive, not only in the reality, but as [described in books ; and be determined to impart his fresh acquisitions to the public, without considering whether it was new to them. He also seems to have carried with him a considerable quantity of college credulity, and to have implicitly believed the topographical fables by which the monks have professed to identify all the sacred sites in Palestine, from the first arrival of the Jews, or sooner, until the Ascension. At least, Mr. STENT, in his visits, rarely ex- presses any misgiving, and sometimes is rather rapturous in his emotions

The points of the book which rise above this general character are things of a practical kind, or matters of accident. Such is the progress of the Movement that it is disturbing the Eastern world, and changes may take place between the publication of one book of travels and its successor ; in which case their description has the advantage of newness. Our author also has a turn for remarking the conveniences of a traveller, and noting the charges at hotels

and so forth. And his advice upon times and seasons, bag and baggage, with his record of prices at different places, may be use- ful to persons making the same tour, and they have the merit of reality for the reader. In an archwological sense, too, Mr. STRNT appears to have but little of the wildness of enthusiasm and de- scribes things as they really appear—except in the Holy Land.

It is from these better parts that we will take some extracts— fur they can hardly be called samples of the book in general.

ECONOMICAL MEMORANDA AT ATHENS.

Before the arrival of the court, land around Athens might be purchased at a few shillings per acre, which realizes at this day several pounds : the value of building-ground there has risen from sixpence the square yard to eight times that sum. Among the inducements to reside in this country, the low price of provisions would act as an important consideration ; butcher's meat varying from twopence to threepence per pound, while fruits and vegetables are ex- tremely cheap and abundant. A well-fattened turkey costs from two shillings, and the small fowls from sixpence each. The game includes the red-legged partridge ; snipes and woodcocks abounding throughout the country; with pheasants, deer, and wild boar, in particular localities. The former are met with near MissOlonghi, but the coasts of Albania and the Western shores of the Morea afford excellent amusement to the sportsman in quantity and variety.

Woodcocks are in such excess that we loathed the sight ot them at our table; the price is from sixpence a bird. Lambs arc slaughtered so small that one was served for our dinner as a hare, being scarcely of greater size. It is not the custom to cook either of these animals with the head remaining on them.

The butter is quite white, having a burned flavour; it is made by simply propelling the material to and fro in a bladder. The honey of Hymettus maintains its classic fame : amid all the changes of Attica, the Cecropiart bees remain in their wonted excellence : the aroma of the honey is truly de- licious, arising from the thyme, whence it is plentifully culled. • Owing to ignorance in their manufacture, the oil and wine are very inferior : the latter is, indeed, almost nauseous, quantities of rosin being mixed with it, not only for the purpose of fining, but to prevent acidity : notwithstanding, it is largely consumed by the lower classes of the community, who delight also in garlic, olives, bread, milk, and fruits.

TUE DESERT NEAR CAIRO.

Such trifling incidents much contributed to diminish the monotony of the wilds, though in truth these did net prove so desolate as had been anticipated ; for, notwithstanding parts of the Desert were nearly bare, the surface gene- rally was thickly strewed with low shrubs, yielding thorns and minute fleshy leaves, in addition to a few flowers, especially the small single yellow marigold, and blue or copper-coloured iris : now and then a grove of palms was seen, or the flatness was relieved by gently undulating hills of drifted sand, wherein the camels sunk considerably ; the surface, with these exceptions, being hard and firm. No living creatures enlivened the midst of the Desert, except beetles, tortoises, or the graceful aatelope bounding fleetly along.

The water for some successive days was salt, bitter, and quite undrinkable ; consequently the stock carried with us became so reduced that at length only sufficient to wet the corners of the towels could be allowed for the morning ablutions; plates, cups, or culinary utensils, being cleaned with sand, and, to our no slight dismay on its discovery, further by our Arab scullion with saliva ; who was forthwith awfully threatened with the severest castigation if he re- peated the dose.

THE JEWS IN JERUSALEM.

So slight is the trade in the Holy City, that, except daring the period about Easter, when it is thronged with pilgrims, a peculiar stillness prevails. Its population approaches thirty thousand, composed of Mahometans, Jews, and Christians : to all these distinct quarters are assigned ; those for the former being in the neighbourhood of their chief mosque; the latter, of whom the Armenians are the wealthiest, and the Greeks most numerous, reside in the Western parts, in the vicinity of their convents. But the Jews, strangers in their own land, dwell at the foot of Mount Sion, in the lowest districts. They are poor, and cruelly oppressed ; yet of late they have decidedly increased in number, now amounting probably to five or six thousand; and many come hither from distant climes, when of advanced age, in order to lay their bones by the side of their great forefathers. Several of this misguided race may be occasionally observed bewailing their sad fate, at an ancient ruined wall which divides Mount Modell from Acre, in consequence of a tradition that it was a portion of the Temple. And a truly interesting though piteous sight was it to witness, as I did, many fair ones of the daughters of Judah, "arrayed in robes of virgin white," seated in silence, on their Sabbath eve, around the Southern slopes of Sion.

Mr. STENT was at Jerusalem on the arrival of the new Pro- testant Bishop. Notwithstanding his good wishes, he draws but an indifferent picture of THE PROTESTANT cucacia AT JERUSALEM.

A small upper room, within the city, on the lower slopes of Sion, appro- priately fitted up, and ascended by a staircase from without, is as yet the only place for the administration of our boy worship ; and that was too spa- cious for the little flock that assembled there, including, besides ourselves, only the architect, the Bishop's family, with a portion of his household, and two Missionaries.

Adjoining the temporary chapel, are laid the foundations of the new Pro- testant Church ; for which the ground is excavated to the depth of fifty feet, through accumulated rubbish. Assuredly it will now stand, toe it is not only founded on a rock, but "her foundations are upon the holy hill, and the Lord loveth the gates of Sion more than all the dwellings of Jacob " : once more, "out of Sion bath God appeared in perfect beauty. This sacred edifice is intended to contain five hundred persons. Where so many are to be found, remains yet to be seen. God will, if it be so decreed, prosper the work.

As yet, the only Protestants in the "City of God" are the Consul, a very trifling number of Hebrew converts, and the Missionaries. The prayers of our liturgy are read daily at seven o'clock in the morning in Hebrew, and in the evening in the English language : on a Sabbath afternoon, and on other occa- sions, the German is used in addition.

Having received an invitation to attend evening service in the confined, though comfortable, well-furnished residence of the Bishop, in a narrow street, I gladly availed myself of the privilege ; and subsequently enjoyed much con- versation with him. His family consists of a wife, daughters, a governess, chaplain, two or three English servants, soda medical man,—a most requisite addition, the climate at certain seasons being decidedly unhealthy, the rain falling in spring causing fevers and ague : so severely was the architect suffer- ing, that on the occasion of our dining at his residence he was compelled to

keep his bed. • • • •

The Greek Church, which is not opposed so strongly as its sister of Rome to the tenets of Protestantism, gives its countenance, in some degree, to this uew mission which, though undoubtedly detested by the 'Parka, and not strengthened thened by a guarantee to be depended on from the Sultan, was yet, as regards appearance, received with due marks of reaped; the Governor of Jetu-

salem, accompanied by a guard of honour, having gone out to meet it on ar- riving from Jaffa, and escorting it into the scene of its future labours.

The prospect, it must be confessed, is at this moment aught but cheering; the continuation of the building of the church being, by the last report, forbid- den by authority.

Not a novelty, but new enough to afford a topic, from constantly shifting its appearances, are the passengers by the Oriental steam navigation.

STEAMER PROM BEIROUT TO CONSTANTINOPLE.

The steamer was to convey us in eight days, to Constantinople ; the fare for each thither being ten pounds, besides five shillings per day for meals. Our captain and crew were remarkably civil ; the berths and saloon sufficiently commodious; and we were daily treated to madeira, and once or twice to cham- pagne also.

The weather, with only one day's exception, was propitious; the party, too, was extremely agreeable, including English, Irish, and American ; so that, being furnished in addition with a tolerable library, the trip was truly delight- ful, especially when such magnificent imposing scenery was continually offered to the view. The general drawback to our comfort was the cramped condition of the deck, which was literally thronged with passengers ; and among them filthy Turks, who, with their wives and children, continued unceasingly squal- ling or smoking, praying or devouring garlic, to the no slight disgust of our mans of hearing, seeing, and smelling, besides obstructing a promenade. These poor people looked most destitute : scarcely had they a rude piece of sackcloth, perhaps, to protect them from the night air, and with food most meagre in quantity and bad in quality, to satisfy their craving appetites. On the deck of the second class passengers were, moreover, numbers of dogs, the enormous tailed sheep of Lebanon, besides horses from Syria, sent as a present to the Sultan. A never-failing source of amusement was afforded by the harem of Selim Pacha ; consisting of eight fair ones, though forsooth some were Nubians, and therefore none of the fairest. These were permitted to come on deck for two hours daily ; but were always closely veiled and wrapped in the common ample white linen or cotton robe, seated too in a solitary corner, with a large sheet spread before them to prevent the vulgar gaze, and their attendant black keeping vigilant guard. Their cabin could be clearly discerned from the window above; and on my presuming to approach it, when opened for the sake of air, the chief protector of the happy ladies thrust me back with violent gesticulations, looking bowstrings and daggers unutterable at the presumption of the infidel dog, for having the impudence to cast an eye towards the unfortunates ; who, however, made themselves happy enough in working, playing, and chatting with the attendant Nubian slave ; whose doings we could clearly discern through a crevice in the adjoining apartment.