"19th Century Travel Notes" – a book by the noted Rev. James Kean, M. A., B.D.

Reverend James Kean, M. A., B.D. made a pilgrimage to the holy land in 1882 and later published a book of his travel- notes. 

These notes below express his excitement while visiting the Mar Saba Monastery, in the Judean desert (nearby the Dead Sea).

 "…….Still forward, and far on in a secluded hollow you suddenly come upon a solitary hut. In front of it stands a dreadful creature, an old man, clad in a soiled white frock, with some sort of girdle twisted round his waist. In the girdle are stuck two large pistols, bright as if from constant use. This man stands mute and motionless as you approach….….."