A messenger met them at the entrance of the town with the announcement that they were to put up at the Russian convent. As they rode along the Doctor explained to the boys that the "convents" were more properly hostelries, or hotels for the accommodation of pilgrims on their way to and from the holy places of the country. They are sustained by the churches to which they belong. Those who can afford to pay for their entertainment are expected to do so, the same as at a hotel: but no bill is presented, nor is any payment demanded. Poor pilgrims are received free, but their accommodations are much inferior to those for the traveller with a well-lined purse. The large number of Russians, Greeks, and other Christians annually visiting Palestine renders the maintenance of these convents a necessity.
Our friends found the Russian convent so much like a hotel that they would never have known the difference if they had not been told of it. The lower story of the building served as a stable; the second story was reached by a flight of steps on the outside, which brought them to an open court surrounded by rooms that greatly resembled the cells of a prison. But the rooms were comfortably though plainly furnished, and as the youths were fatigued with their ride, and the other exertions of the day, they had no difficulty in sleeping. There was an hour to spare before supper, and the party went to see the curiosities of the place. Frank said they would take a walk to get up an appetite, to which Fred retorted that he thought the ride was enough to satisfy any reasonable being on that score.
[Illustration: THE TOWER OF RAMLEH (FROM THOMSON'S "THE LAND AND THE BOOK").]
The principal sight of Ramleh is the Tower, which is visible for quite a distance, and forms a conspicuous landmark. Its history is not definitely known, but it is supposed to have been originally the tower of a Christian church. The church was destroyed by the Moslems, and the tower left standing, in order that it might serve as the minaret of the mosque erected on the site of the Christian edifice. The Tower is about a hundred feet high altogether, and its summit can be reached by means of steps in the interior. Ivy and other vines give it an appearance of age and neglect, and on the top bushes have sprung up from seeds carried there by the birds.