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f.bet*.ftin-m-wtodQ’t*rnanildlintle,•,ed1-THE PAR EAST.heofJeniton the Way From Jaflfc to Jemma-The Plain of Sharon—Bamleb— Himtorlo Spotm-The Moly City—Poor Pil-grlme—The Mount of Ollres—An Znter-estinj Supposition—1The Talley of Je-hoeaphat-Tho journey from Jaffa to Jerusalem, writes a correspondent of the New Haven Journal and Courier, has disgusted many an ardent searcher of the word who came to Palestine to strengthen his faith. Having arrived at a state of mind, by reason of my Oriontal experiences, whereby I was prepared for anything, and having boon forewarned as to the disappointing nature of the country, I was able to endure with considerable composure the discomforts of the journey. At this time of the year most people make the trip of forty miles during the night; but I wanted to seo the country, whatever the heat of the sun, and so went in the day. The trip has to be made in a rickety, uncovered wagon, drawn by three horses harnessed abreast. Emerging from the orange and lemon groves of Jaffa we proceeded to cross the Plain of Sharon, the greatest plain in all this country, immeasurably superior to the plains of Tyro, Sidon and oven Esdraelou. The plain appeared to be qnite fertile, and wheat and barley fields stretch on either side of the road as far as the eye con Id reach. As the country grew more hilly wc could seo large flocks of sheep, goats, camels, asses and cows grazing in the pastures, just as they are represented as doing in I. Chronicles, xxvii., 29. In some places the fellahin were ploughing. A single man can carry on nis shoulders a whole set of those native farming utensils, including plough, yoke, bows and ox-goad. The plough is wooden, with the exception of a single iron point like the fluke of a small anchor. It has but one handle, as an ancient times 'Luke, ix., 62), and if the man who is guiding the plough looks around for a moment the whole thing flops over. The yoke is a small, straight, round pole, with straight sticks in each end, which go down on each side of the neck of the ox, and aro tied with a small string under the throat. The ox-goad is from eight to ten feet long, armed with a sharp piece of iron at one extremity which is used for cleaning the plough, and a spear at the other extremity for prodding the ox. In time of riots the natives use the ox-goad as a weapon just as they did in the time of Sbamgar; but I liave not heard j of anybody’s doing as much mischief with the goad in these modern timos us Shamgnr did.We met great cavalcades of ragged-looking camels on the way, and overtook some bound for Jerusalem loaded with American coal-oil. I saw one poor camel loaded with.heavy stoves. For the first twelve miles I counted the camels, and then stopped because it was too hard work. The number was above 300. Twelve miles out of Jaffa we reachedBamleh, an enterprising modern village of about 4,000 inhabitants, by all oddsthe largest town between Jaffa and Jerusalem. Owing to the constant intercourse with pilgrims and European travelers, the village lias assumed a more modern metropolitan aspect than any other town of its sizo in Palestine. Most of the European countries have consular agents stationed there. Nevertheless, there is a tremendous amount of filth lying about in the blind alleys, just as there is in all these cities of the Holy Land. In the aubuabs I inspected some miserable mud hovels, and wondered if it were such as those in which the apostles wore wont to dwell. Eacli house consisted of one room, made out of plaster and sticks, without windows. The whole family dwells, eats, cooks and sleeps in this single unsavory apartment. In winter manure is heaped about the hut to keep it warm, and the cattle are admitted to the interior. The floor which the family then occupies is something liko two feet higher than that upon which the cattle stand, the mangers being constructed along the separating line. It thus happens that a manger is a very convenient place in which to cradlo an infant, and people here tell me that it is quite a common things to seo infants thus cradled.At regular intervals on either side of the road, perhaps three or five miles; apart, were barracks where Turkish soldiers were stationed to guard the highway. Palestine is full of robbers. The Bedouins, or wandering Aralm, are p fessionals. The Turkish soldiers officiak.are jvorst.of all. I *, ^ _We-rMe on t*hrdugli a country4Yiftf-f ren of 'everHhibg except scriptural as--sociations,-though rich indeed in them. Qf Our last halt for resting the horses was made in a valley at the foot of the last mountains prior to reaching Jerusalem. The remaining distance was about five miles, but the climb was a severe one, and it is always thought best to rest. On all sides we could see historical spots of which I shall have occasion to speak again. Away to the right, was Ain Karim, the home of Zacharius and Elizabeth, and consequently the birth-place of John the Baptist. The village was quite a decent one from the point where we surveyed it, but perhaps it was the distance that lent the enchantment to' the view. Two birthplaces are shown, ono under the rich altar of a convent, and the other in a grotto fully a quarter of a mile away. The only satisfactory theory which has been advocated for counteracting this discrepancy is that Elizabeth divided the time betweening of the donkevs is also somethingawful. A single bray can be beard ■ quarter of a mile, and there is no limit to the possibilities of a well-trained chorus.Tbo number of pilgrims hero thus late in the season i6 astonishing. But I am particularly surprised to seo how many poor people there are. Groat numbers of Bussians may bo aeon wandering about in tho bot sun, and living almost upon busks. These people walk from Jaffa here, if they cannot get a cheap ride, and never go any further into the country than Jerusalem and its en-vioras.The Europoan citizens live for the most part outside of the city wall on the road to Jaffa. There are some quite comfortable homes. The Germans have a flourishing colony west of the city. There are quite a good many French people here also.The Mount of Olives is the greatest disappointment of all. In the first place it is hardly a mountain at all, and in the second place it is painfully conspicuous by reason of a paucity of olives. There are plenty of other hills hereabouts that are much more thickly wooded. In the third place the top is disfigured by a large number of tawdry mosques, dirty huts and manure piles. This may seem like a savage arraigment, but it is sincere. I doubt not that in the days of Christ the mountain was all covered with olive trees, and altogether a more attractive place than it is now. The valley of Johosapah, otherwise known as the valley of the brook Kidron, separates Olivet from Monnt Moriah and Bezetha. As this valley is quite deep, Olivet is made to assume the proportions of quite a hill when you stand at tho bottom of the ravine; but looking toward the mount from a point in Jerusalem where the valley is not seen. Olivet sinks into painful insignificance. The popular path by which Olivet is ascended is believed to be the same which David pursued when he fled barefoot and weeping from his son Absalom, accompaniod by a band of faithful subjects, who heaped earth upon tlioir heads in tokou of their grief at the disobedience of the usurping prince. Up this path I have toiled in order to familiarize myself with the country round about, pausing anon to look back at the city which has played so important a role in the drama of the nations. From the summit of tho mount the view of Jerusalem is really satisfactory—all that one could wish. The extreme top is, as I have said, cluttered up with unattractive buildings, but one can hardly resist the temptation to reach the summit in order to commaud at once a view of the Jordan valley, including the Dead sea on the ono hand and a view of Jerusalem and its environs on the other.H.OBBTWG TBB MAILS.the two places, in onler to multiply the ' site:nnmlor of sacred sites and thereby in crease the piety of future generationsWe toiled slowly up the long zig-zag ascent and were at length at the summit. Surely now the Holy City wpuld loom up grandly, for I had an idea that Jerusalem was built in the • crater of some extinct volcano, and that when perched on any side of the basin’s rim I could See every - pinnacle, dome and pavement stone. Alas for the fraility of human anticipations! The Mount of Olives could be seen on the east, with Scopus as tire northern terminus of the range; but Jerusalem itself kept persistently out of sight. And so it did until we were almost under its very walls. The truth is that the elevation of the hills about the Holy City is so slight, and so many objects intervene, that the view is altogether obstructed.“As the mountains are round about Jerusalem.” The comparison is not founded upon any very striking semblance, and yet it is a fact that.the ground is elevated a little on all sides of Jerusalem. Even the summit of the Mount of Olives is only about twenty feet higher than the highest point of Zion.. To the right we saw tho convont of tho Cross, a substantial establishment down in the valley, kept by some well-fed Greek priests. Here is pointed out tho exact site where grew the tree from which the cross was made I Maundfel • rather flippantly sums up the claims of this tradition by a parody on tho story of the house, that Jack built: “Hore is the earth that nourished tho root that bore the tree that yielded the' timber that made the cross. Under the high altar you are shown an ..actual hole in the ground whcTe the stump of the tree stood, and it meets with not a few visitants, so much verier stocks than’* itself as to foil down and worship it.Jerusalem is hardly a disappointment, because I hptVmy ideas rather low clowto. Many of Jtbe streets in remote «quarters are/abominably filthy, in theift .hhd I would n6t advise allyone to venture about in them without a clothspin on ’his nose. * Dead eats, rats and dogs aro plentiful. I oveta Van across one or two -lead donkeys just 'outside one of the city gates. There aro many sacred (?) pools which have, stagnated from dis-use*r-«mcj would be rooted out by the health ‘board of any well regulated city. Walking is difficult, as the narrow streets ore paved with ugly coblestoues, which have beoome verf slippery and are exceedingly hard on shoe-leather. Night is made hideous by the howling of hundreds, of hairless, scabby dogs that seemavItnvtdedvs’d.sito h«v* nothing elae to do. Tho bx»j- e
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The Northern Pacific Farmer
Wadena, Minnesota, US
Thu, Sep 25, 1884
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