Sat 4. [4 February 1905] Bright but windy. Wrote letters and diary.
Walked out and saw the Saracen tower which is very beautiful and
climbed to the top of it - fine view, Gerizim Carmel etc. At the foot are
the ruins of the great mosque of the Atba'in. The mosque to the E of
the tower is a Crusader church in very good preservation. Mr
Macalister says the Crusaders did nothing but harm. They changed
all the old traditions and invented others and to them is due the bitter
hatred between Moslem and Xian that exists to this day. Their work is
bad enough to make me believe any evil of them. All the little boys
here play a sort of hockey with curved sticks and stones. They are
very skilful. Got back to Jerusalem [(El Quds esh Sherif,
Yerushalayim)] at 5. Packed and said goodbye to the Dicksons and
the Sykeses. Dined with the Yacovlews - the most notable thing
being his ingenuous opinion that all our soldiers were lawbreakers
escaping from justice. Otherwise why should they serve?