."fe.. w IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) A m '^S 'n (/l fA 1.0 I.I 1.25 '- IIIIM «^ IIIIM 36 m .r I M 1.8 U IIIIII.6 ^5 V] ^a c': €7, O ^f ^ ^a i^i. X' p% C? / /A &» Photographic Sciences Corporation # \ \ .v'^ '^ 6"^ ee(lles.-Ponii)ey's Pillar. -.Mosl.'iu Funeral.- Kail to ( ain).- lurks at Prayer.— Tomb of Anu'u.— Dancing and H(.\vlinL' Dervishes. -Hide on Donkeys to the Pp-aniids. -Ascent and \-ie\v roni the Top.— lonibs of the Caliphs.— The Nile.— Dei^nrturo for Canuan, I'aLre 1— :.'l CHAPTER II. JOPPA TO JERUSALEM. .l' CHAPTER V. JERUSALEM TO THE DEAD SEA. ^..f^!^,^fni--pncomfortable Quarters. -Our Military Escort. -The Children of the Desert.— Bethany.— Tomb of Lazarus.— Wild Seen- Mil CONTKNTS. CHArTKll \I. BKTFILEIIKM To HDTIIKL. Convent of Mur Salt.'v.— Hi'tlilclicin.— Clmivh of ilu> Nativity.— Wi'll of David.— I'ools of Solomon.— Hebron.— Cavo of MacliiH'lah.— ^.lis- siunaiy Farm.— ToMili of tilt' I'roiilicts.— IietlK'l, .... 71—^1 CIIAlTKIl VII. SIIILdU TO SA.MAUIA, Shilo)).— Jacob's Woil.— Joseph's Gmve.—SIu'cliem.—Sanmria.—CluircIi of Jolm the Baptist, Sj — UT ClIAITER VIII. TIIIZAII TO XAZAULTir. Tirzah. — Dothan. — Kn-f;fiiinim. — A Fi'acas. — Tlaiii of Fsth-arlon. — Mount (rilhoa. — "Witch of ijulor. — Naiii. — P>rook of (iideoii. — Sl\u- iiarii. — Nazai-cti). — Mai'y's Well. — Jesus Christ : His Early Life and Ijiilxjurs ut I^azareth, Jis — 11-} I I CIIArTER IX. NAZAKKTH TO CAUMKL. Cann — Tlie ]\Fnrria;;e Feast.— Haifa.— Elijah and the Priests of Baal- — Mount Carniel. — Ca\sarea. — Tvre aud Si(h)n. — St. Jeaii d'Acre. — The Battle of Hattin.— The Mount of Beatitudes, . . . 11.5—1:.'.^ CHAPTER X. LAKE OF GALILKE. City of Tiberias. — Sulpluir Baths. — Bethsaida. — Capernaum. — The Mir aeles of Christ. — The Avenger of Blood, 1;JG— KJ*:" CHAPTER XI. GALILEE TO DAMASCUS. Joseph's "Well.— Fountain of Ain Melahah.— Village built of Mats.— Site of the Ancient City of Dan. — Source of the Jordan. — Banias. or Ca'sarea Philijjpi. — Mount Hermon : Ascent and Descent. — Un- governable Temper of our Dragoman. —Route to Damascus, 1 '.i\) — l.VJ CHAPTER XII. DAMASCUS A\D BEYROUT. Appearance of Danrascns. — Its Bazaars, Mosques and Streets. — Mission Work. — Interior of a House in the Ancient City. — Bible Characters connected with Damaseus. — Mount Lebanon and Eternal Snows.— ^Vady Hunimona. — Beyrout, 154 — 101' M ily sluik incrr good ing divicfl day 8 r rail our ing awaj ; diligi snowl qneti 6mo]| the d on tl a mid h.— ..lis- -Church .on. — Shu V liit'o all' ^ ^ets.— Mission ,le Characters •ual Snows.— . 154-hi'-' WALKS IN CANAAN. -•o*- ClIAPTKH I. RUN THllOUGII ]:(nrT. My Setting Out. — Th« Alps. — Alexandria. — Scono on Tiamlinp:. — Cleo])atra*s Ncc Pyramid. — A.scent and View from tho Top.— Tombs of lUo Caliplw.— Tho Nile.— Departure for Canjian, MY will was written, read, and signed, and my insur- ance extended from Europe to Asia and Africa. My dear old people gatliered round me to weep and shake hands as tliey thought for the last time. My mf^rry young friends of our Sunday-schools bade me good-bye, laughing through their tears, several request- ing I would take them with me. ^My relations were divided in their opinions respecting my sanity; but the day came, and on we went through London, crossed the Straits of Dover, on to Paris, where at dinner we met our fellow-travellers to the East. Spent two days view- iug the monotonous city of soldiers and priests, then away up the grand vine-covered vales of Savoy, met tiie diligence at Macon, began to ascend the mighty ice-clad snow-capped Alps; my place being perched in the ban- quette, over the heads of the bearded, "peak-hooded, smoking breaksman and driver. Beginning at tiiree in the afternoon, we rose higher and higiier, and still higher, on the mountains of Hercules, Hannibal, and Napoleon, amidst towering rocks and forests of pine, tlie only road 8 W'Af.KS rX CANAAN". u 1. .11 row lodoe cut in the crags, with por])on(liculur cliffs on one hand and awl'ul precipices on (lie other. Still uscendini,^ aniid.it cidunin.s of ici^ and eternal s-nows, we a|)pr()ach the tjuniinit. when wheels become impossible, and then cininixe Ibr sledo'es. Ijeavinij the land of the (Jaul and the ISwiss. we enter Italy, and begin to descend until we again changi; lor the couch. The sun had glided d(»wn l)ehind the clond-covered peaks, and was succeeded by the full, clear nioon, whose beams rellecting on the countl(\ss glittei'ing s))ires and glaciers, presentecl a grandeur and magnilic'-nce sur})assing all imagination. Down, still down the giddy iieights, amidst the rever- berations of cascades, foaming and dashing against rocks and boulders, — down, still down, tliC zig-zag steep, under impending avalanches, or over dark dee]) ravines. Wo gazed on all in wonder and awe, and my fellow-traveller in the baiKfuette, after long silence, observed, — ''Mr. Ashworth, this is graiul l)ut awful. Did vou make your will before setting out?" ** Yes," was my rei)ly. *' Is your life insured ? " '' Yes, and, I trust, my soul too,'' I answered, and was trulv ii'iad I could so answer. Down, still down, hour after hour, tlie whole world seemed Alps, and ice and snow, cliffs, crags, glaciers, and ])recipices. The piiinfully steep and dangerously narrow shelf in the rock was so dangerous that, had u spring broken or a horse fallen, it is probable our journey to Canaan would hav<^ ended in some dee}) dell of the Alps. Our ascent and descent occu})ied from three in the after- noon until five the follov/ing morning. From first to last we were drawn in coach and sledge by thirtv-two horses and mules. On arriving at the bottom we rested at tSusa, then we continued our journey over the olive and vine-clad plains of Itjily, calling at Turin, Bologna, Ancona, and Pirindisi, inspecting all the cathedrals, halls, museums, galleries, cemeteries, statuary, and ruins, not forgetting the old house of Virgil at the last-mentioned place. ^ 1, ar cliffs •. IStill )ws, we )os.sil)le, of the tiesceiid iin had ,nd was Uectiiig •esen ted illation. } rover- st rooks ), under es. We raveller ^id voii and was e world 'I's, and narrow .1 spring irney to le Alps, le after- first to irty-two rested le olive )(»logna, s, halls, ins, not ntioned ^3 urx Tiiuor(;n ecvpt. J At l)riiKli.^i, we took our l)er(hs tor Alexandria, in the sc'ivw-steanier I'riticc ('(iriijudu, and at four sat down in the lirst cahin to dinner. Such a dinner: — 1. Vormicolli soup. n. S]iinach and lemon ') Tlilii slices of a greon saii- t . liai'ks. sii^e. s. Pigeons. o Sardines. {». Sweet cake. 4. Another little fish, in oil. lo". Fruit. 5. Slices of black beef and olives. 11. Cotfee. All of which I would have gladly exchanged for an English beef-steak. Five days we rocked on the Adriatic, ^lediterranean, Archipelago, sighting the mountains of Argosella, also the Island of (Jrete, or Candia, and Claudia, and read Paul's graj^hic description of his own voyage on these dangerous seas. On the morning of the sixth day Alexandria lifted its low head above the waves and soon we were deluged with such a multitude of Arabs, Copts, Syrians, ^I'urks, and Nubians, leaping and tumbling over the hull of the vessel, screaming and jabbering in every language, snatching up our goods to tumble them down into their boats ; live or six })ulling in ()p])osite directi(Uis both oursidves and our trunks; the whole a perfect mob and Babel. On landing the confusion was still worse, but fighting our Avay into something called a carriage, off we went jolting through deep ruts of mii(i and filth, every moment expecting a break-down, and to be maimed or smothered in lilthy jibomination; but to our astonish- ment we arrived safe at the door of the Peninsular and Oriental Hotel without our necks being broken. iVlexander, the Macedonian conqueror, founded, adorned, and enriched this city, making it the sea-mart of many nations, and for centuries it vied in opulence and power with any sea})ort in the world, and here the famous warrior was buried in a golden coffin. Dinoc- rates. the builder of the tem])le of Diana at Kphesus, was the designer and architect of the city. After the death of Alexander, ihe Pt(demics also added to the mag- nificence of the town: the learned from all nations flocked to the place, attracted by its celebrated library, which at one time contained seven hun^Jred thousand 4 WALKS IX CAXAAX, volumes, l)Ut diirino; tlic sIc^q of Alexfnnlria by Julius C;vs:ir, four liuudred tliousund l)ool;s wci'j burnt. The Calipli Oniiir, when i\aypt fell into the hands of the Turks, ordered Amru, tlie ^[osleni ueueral, to burn the rest^ Siiyiui^ that no book but the Koran ouf,dit to exist: thus the f^reat Alexandrian library i)erished. When this Amru had taken Alexandria, he wrote to Omar, saying " I cannot tell you how many wonders it contains; there are four thousand ]ia]aces, four thousand baths, twelve thousand gardens, forty thousand Jews who pay tribute, and four hundred tlieatres." It would, indeed, be a strong town that four hundred theatres did not ruin. We visited the i)laces of note and the few ruins now remaining of this once royal city, containing at one time a million of inlnibitants, but now only about twelve thousand, and these a strange mixture of aljject beings. Cleopatra had her palace on the walls of the ancient city; the two obelisks called her Needles may yet be seen; one lying in the sand, the other standing on its pedestal. They are about seven feet square at the base, and sixty feet in height or length. The pillar of Pom- pey, or Severus, is rod granite, the shaft and upper mem- l)er of Ihe base are of one piece, and ninety feet high; the capital is of the Corinthian order, with palm-leaves, one block nine feet thick. The base is a square, tifteen feet on each side; the whole is one hundred and fourteen feet high. There Avas originally a statue on the to]), one foot and ankle of Avhich still remain. This discov- ery was made ])v three madcai) English sailors, who de- termined to drink a bowl of punch on the top; flying a kite over the pillar, they fixed ropes by Avhich they ascended, to the utter astonishment of the Turks and Arabs, and on the top drank their grog. At the base of the pillar there is a Moslem cemetery, and while we stood looking at the column, the funeral of a fennde came. The body was borne in an open colIin, at each end of which was an upright j)ole about two feet higl ; on this hung the finery of the dead, her veils, shawlV li-inkets, &c. She was dressed in her best clothes, and had little of the ai)pearance of being dead ; EUN THROUGH EGYPT. ■f Julius t. The i of tlie urn the o exist: hen this , saying s; there !, twelve tribute, id, be a ruin, tins now me time : twelve : beings. ancient V vet be g on Its the base, of Pom- ler mem- et high; n -leaves, 0, fifteen fourteen the to]), s discov- who de- icli urks and Hying thev emetery, funeral an open )le about dead, her her best lug dead ; the relatives or frieuds were clothed in almost every shade of colour. At tlie grave, a large shawl or awuiug was spread over the opeuing, under this the body was laid and stripped of all its clothing, then hurried, with- out covering or coffin, into the deep narrow hole, amidst the howling of the peoi)le. I would mention here, that at Constantino]de and Athens we afterwards saw two funerals, reminding us of this in Egypt, though the cer- emonies were somewhat dill'erent. At Athens, the dead man, in full dress, the red fez on his head, lay in the o})en collin, preceded by the })riest and friends to the church ; and during the service his relations gathered round the coffin to kiss and shake hands with him. If poor, before being interred the clothes are all taken from the body ; if rich, they are cut into shreds, to jirevent tlie grave being ritled for the clothes. In all three cases, though no doubt they were dead, yet they seemed to be buried alive. The celebrated Catacombs of Alexandria are scarcely worth a visit, as little of them now remain ; the subter- ranean reservoirs, dug to receive the IS'ile water, are many of them choked up with sand. The best part of the town is the square, with here and there a few good shoi)S and a fountain. Xone of the streets are paved ; deej) ruts of sand, mud, and every description of tilth, reeking und festering, producing a stench that caused us to cover our mouths with our handkerchiefs, and often to retell violently. Hundreds and thousands of dogs are ])rowling about or lying in the sun, and these are the sanitary commissioners of Alexandria, Cairo, Constanti- nople, and all the towns under 'J'urkish rule. These thousands of dogs are the scavengers, and without them the Turk would be smothered in his own filth. Pesti- h'ncehas often visited Alexandria, and the wonder is that there is a soul alive in it. Apollos, Paul's companion in Christ iiin labour, was born at Alexandri.i. and at this place .Mark the Evan- gelist suffered death by martyrdom. We visited the residence of the Viceroy, entering the grounds through arches into a lai'ge open sciuare, one 6 AVALKS IN CAXAAX, U ■t 1 1 side of Avliicli was oecnpied with tlic rooiii.s of lii.>^ many wives. AVc w(3re inrornied thai soiiu' of tliom luul re- cently been givin<; liini much trouble, and tliat lliey, with several oilicers, had mysteriously disai)})eared. Polyg-amy made a fool even of Solomon, for beino^ un- natural it revenges itself. We also visited a day-school, composed of little wretched-looking boys, much resem- ])ling our ragged-schools in JMigland. They all squat on the mud tloor, having no forms or desks. A tall, bearded, gaudily-dressed master, stick in hand, was Aval king amongst them. To their great delight aiul astonish- ment, I santi' for them some of our 8undav-school hvmns, and on leaving, they gave me a tremendous shout ; though they had not understood a word 1 had spoken, the singing greatly pleased both them anel their grotesque pedagogue. We left Alexandria with unfavourable impressions, the vast contrast betwixt its present conditions and former greatness is no doubt owing to Moslem rule, for every- thing perishes in the hands of the Turk. Maln^met Ali, the father of the present Viceroy, did much to shake off the destroying power of the iSultan, and the son Avislies to carry out the reforms begun by his ])aivnt, but their efforts have been much cripi)led by the interference of foreign meddlers. A railway from Alexandria to Cairo lias been constructed, under the dii'cction of English en- gineers ; also one from Cairo to Suez on the Jied Sea, which has greatly im})roved their commerce, and is raj)- idly deveIo[)ing the resources of Egypt. The line from Alexandria to Cairo is about one hundred and thirty miles in length, on a reinarkaiily fruitful and level plain ; paii of this line is on the Delta formed by the annual overllowing of the liiver Nile, and is amazingly fruitful in corn, cotton, sugar, rice, tobacco, melons and cither fruits. There are no fences, but the grazing cattle are all tied to short stakes driven into the earth, and re- moved from ])atch to ])atch as the herbage requires. The ride across this Delta was exceedingly interesting to us all ; the long strings of camels nu)unted by the bearded, bare-legged Arabs or their mu tiled ladies ; the countless <)] RUN" TIlROU(ilI E(rYl'r. 4 Ill's many 11 liiul re- rhat 11 lev, 'api)eared. beinc: uii- ay-schoo]. 3li resem- 1 squat on 1, boai'iKHl, 1 walking astonisli- ol liymns, IS shout ; 1 spoken, grotesque ssions, the id former ("or every- oniet Aii, shake otl' on wishes hut their ere nee of to Cairo iglish en- J\ed Sea, id is ra])- line froni nd thirty ^el })lain ; e annual y fruitful nd (>ther 3attle are , and re- fes. The ng to us bearded, couiuless |«]iinki'y>!. earryiug corn and other jirodnet ions ; the liam- JcLs built of uiiburul In'ieks, as in the days of the I-rael- jtcs ; the mode <>f watt-ring the land, by the wheel, the jrver, or the bucket, was all new to us. Stojiping a short lime at one of the stations, revealetl trised with the Turks })ouring out water, from tin kettles, on their hands, ieet, ;ind faces, then s})rea(ling out their mats on the gToiind, and kneeling down to jtray. All had their faces in one direction, towards .Mecca, the tomb of Mahomet. Watching one of them, J saw that he lirst stood erect, his head a little bent to- wards the ground, then fell on bis knees, his body still eivct, then bowing three times with his face to the earth, he touciied it with his foi'ehead, then rose to his knees, then again to his feet; this he re])eated three times, his lips all the while moving, and his feet remaining in ex- actly the same place ; the Avhole was solemn, graceful, and impressive. Some of them had not linished their ])rayers when the whistle sounded ; but instantly snatch- ing up their mats they rushed into their cattle-jien car- riages. I thought some of ns might learn at least one lesson from these ]\[oslems, not to be ashamed of our . religion, for they evidently were not ashamed of theirs. I know Our Lord recommends closet })rayer in ]ii-efer- eiice to this open exhibition, to avoid distraction and iiiterru])tion ; but those that never pray at all, will lind n rejn-oof in the dark, ignorant Turk. About live in ilie afternoon we came in sight of the Pyramids, twenty miles distant. Arriving at Cairo, we took coach to our I (piarters at Shepherd's Hotel ; Ijeing shown to our rooms, 1 and after having enjoyed a good wash, we sat down to " dinner with about one hundred ladies and gentlemen, from almost every part of the world, some of tliem titled r lords and i)rinces, which made the dinner neither better i nor worse. on that caniu <»iii of ciilu'r with cridit was M\>b JS'i;^^litin,i;alo. h't tuniiiii,' to Cairo, we liircd donkeys to take ns to tlie I'vi'aniids of (Ji/a, sc'ttiiiir out at seven in the morn- in;j;; the distance was twelve miles, hut seemed ahoul two, HO clear is tlie Syrian atmosphere. It liaving once been the i>ur|)ose of tlie l^mpress of the Fivneh to visit E;4yi)t and the I'yramids, the \'ieeroy liad repaired tlie I'oad for iier, whicii makes the Jonriu'y now mucii easier than formerly. Our asses were (,'lean, liiie-linil>eil, aetivit uninuds, capahle of arlowI boo, .lack Sprat! boo, Tom Thumbl" and laui^hing anuiziugly at this ])roof of their knowltMbn^ of the Kindisb lanirua^e. 'I'lie apj)roaeh to the Tyramids is truly impressive. Their distinctness, vastness, and stu])emlous height, towering terrace above terrace aij^ainst the cU-ar eastern heavens, strike the behoKler with astonishment and awe; es])ecially when we remember that in majestic gramlcur they have stood for thousands of years looking down on many I'baraohs, and many dyiuisties, witnessing the I'ise, greatness, and decline of a once mighty nation, with its ])opulous, but now ruined and buried cities, and beholding the departure of that oni' army, not one ()f which retuj'ned; and that thev were shrouded in that dreadful darkness when the river at their base Avas turned into bloo(i, during the ten fearful plagues when Heaven ovcrwbelmed the ot)})ressors of (Jod's chosen peo})le ; that u]) their slopes, and on their tops, it is ])ossible, yea and probable, that Abraham, Isaac, Jacol), , Joseph, and Moses have stood, for these huge ])iks raised their lol'ty beads before Abraham, in a day 'iee the height of St. Paul's, London ; the stei)s are abont tiiree feet, and two feet ])road at tlie to]). On arriving at the base, we were instantly surrounded KIN lllltoidll I- .^ i'l'. i:. va.s Miss ike us to ic ninrn- illfi; OIH'C 1 to visit irod tlu' L'h easier (1. aclivo •rs brim- leaI)ill,L,^ ()(), .lack 'aiiLjly at <;"iiagt'. j)i'('s>i\(>. liei;^-|it, ' eastiTii .11(1 aun-; raiideur lown oil !!<;• till' nation, lira, and t one of in that ■; tr.rnud Iloavun !)<'o])l(' ; )K;, yea |)li. and ir lol'ly it bread and is 1.9; eight raul's, wo I'eet oiindcd hv a whole Irooj) of InrbatUMl Arabs, with bare JVet and legs, dressed in one singlt.- divss that might be called in elas>i(! language a tuiiie. but in i'liiglish a dirty nhirt, with a gii'dle oi' sash round their waists, and a bag in the breast {'or holding anything or everything belonging to themselves or any one elsi«. i-'oiir (»f tliestf niml-col- ouivd genth men laid hold (d* nie, asking if I was big king, big prince, mighty sheikh, de otle-rs all my slaves; de be four good Ai'abs. good guides, berry safe, take me ii|) nice, no be hurt — then stroking their hands down my arm, they kissed my hand, one of them olTering me a ilrink of water out of a hmg-neeked clay bottle; two of them mounted the lii-st stej), one taking boh! of my I'iglit hand, the other the left, and a third stood behind; the signal was given by a grunt, two pulling, iind one pushing, up step by step I went, until we reached about lialf way; then I gladly set dt)wn to rest, and the bottle- holder kiKjwing his time, gi-iiining with his white teeth, j»resented me with my welcome favourite bevi-rage. Huring the time ^ rested they all knelt round me, chaf- itig my legs and feet to soothe the aching muscles and tendons, jiatting my back, and calling me big j)rince, big king, big sheikh, and tdl in one chorus asking for bakshish, which in Arabic means money. ''Don't tease me about bakshish until I have been to the top and returned safe to the bottom," 1 answered, '*for I will not give yon." " Den be much, bcry mucb bakshish, berry mucli," they replied. Again began tlie pullitig and pusliiiig. np and up. until at last 1 reached tluj summit, preceded and followed hy nine of our conii)any, one having turned back in terror and alarm. Jiut five minutes at th(^ top compen- sated for all the toil of the ascent, for stretching out before and around us, in vast extent, lay the classic and historic hills, rivers, and plains of Ham and Mizraim, ileliopolis, Meini)his, Mount ^Fokattem, Sakkara, and the outstretclied ^,'ile. We thought of, and dejtlored, the moral desolations of this ancient and renowned nation, but thought with joy that the Sceptre of Him '■m IG WALKS IN CAXAAX. ulio once v.'iis hore slieltcred from the sword of th<; Avk'kt'tl Herod, slitdl vet swav over the djvrk t^ons of Africa and Ethiophi ; and on the top of the Pyramid we sang — " Josus shall roipni wboro'or the sun Dues his successive journey run.'' ^Phe forty Arabs who were squatting around ns seemed greatly astonislied as, verse after verse, our voices rose and fell in harmony and cadences no doubt new to them; we all felr the truth and grandeur of the fine immortal liynin we sr.ng; then, concluding with the Zs'ational Anthem, we prepared for the descent. This was no small undertaking, and to some is the most perilous part. To look down from the giddy lieight requires strong nerves, and to avoid a stumble great care. The Arabs knoAv this, and exercise wise caution, keeping only one steji in advance, never losing their hold, but all the time whispering bakshish, much bakshish. On arriving at the bottom, safe and thank- ful, we prepared for inspecting the interior; this is a choking alfair, for we had to cree]) on our hands and knees down and up a sliiipery narrow passage, air and light being excluded by the crowding in of the Arabs, for say or do what we would they still held fast to us. Almost suftbcated, we arrived in a chamber about fifteen feet square, containing three sarcophagi or marl)le cof- fins, one larger than the otlu-rtwo; this is thought to be the colliii of the Pharaoh that built the pyramid for his tomb and monunient, and the others, of his two wives, but no record remains to confirm the conjecture. We emerged as soon as possible, all ])anting and ])ers])ir- ing, and glad to breathe the colder and fresher air. On the east side of this i)yramid, half buried in sand, is the wonderful colossal !Si)hinx, his head twenty-five feet high, and back one hundred feet long, all one stone; the face is partly disfigured. Mounting our donkeys, we began our journey over the soft sands, across the ]dain of Mummies, towards the ruins of Memphis, the Noph of the Bible, and the once royal city and home of Jose})h, vying with Alexandria KUN' TlfKOCdn EOVIT. 17 •rd of tlie s of Africa we sang — us seemed voices rose w to them; ; immortal ) ISJutional )me is the the giddy a stumble 3rcise wise 3ver losing lish, mucli ud thank- ; this is a hands and re, air and the Arabs, ist to us. )ut iiftcL'u arble cof- lought to ram id for f his two olljectun^ d ])ers])ir- air. d in sand, went} -live one stone; y over the wards the the once k'xandria •3 in magnificence. It now lies l>uried in mounds of saml; but in the day of its glory, the grand teni})le of Osiris, where the Ai)is or Sacred Ox was worshi})i)ed, with one wing for the nu)ther of the ox, this temple reared its liead even higher than the great colossus that stood in the great square of the city. There were also tem])les to Venus and Vulcan, and avenues lined with sphinxes, and on the hills dazzling i)alaces ; these told of wealth, ])ower, and superstition. The foundations of the city walls are still distinct, extending to Sakkara, and here are the tombs of their sacred oxen. On descending these catacombs of the gods of ancient I-gypt — gods copied by Aaron in the wilderness, when he made the golden calf — and holding our tajiers over our heads, we traveled three sides of a square, about ten feet wide and two hundred in extent, in which with astonishment we beheld thirty-two recesses, all containing massive marble coffins, once, and perhaps yei, containing the embalmed dead deities. The one we most carefullv examined was carved on the outsule with sacred hieroglyphics, sharp and clear in their lines, and the polish on the mar- ble bright as it was three thousand years ago. 'JMie coffin of this god would weiirh twenty tons, and the interring of this deity would cost as much as the bury- ing of any king or conqueror, ^.'ear the subterranean cemetery of the oxen or bulls, are the groves or pits of their sacred birds, also formerly worshipped : these are enclosed in earthen vases, the bones and broken urns now lie scattered all around. There is also a dee}dy interesting tomb or temple now being uncovered, the rooms are square and snudl, and the walls are in a good folate of preservation ; and in the interior are thousands of miniature drawings representing tlieir deified bulls and birds, remarkal)ly well executed, and the colouring ah fresh as if oidy just iinished. All the jiassages and rooms are clean and clieerful, the dry sand having for many centuries covered and concealed them from olun- dernig travellers and reckless Arabs. The only vestige of Memphis, the once regal ca])ital, that arrested our attention, was a colossal grajiite idol, '1 18 WALKS IX CANAAN'. willi a Oiilni. ]>l;u'i(l Cdiinloiiiiiiec, rccciilly (liscDloiiiljiMl from I lie .samls. Tlii.s ijiia^X' oiict.' scrii will be lnHi'- jviiieiiibi'ivd, IVoiu Its iin|)re.s.>^ive ibatures; il.s lieight would Ix' about Iweiity feet. Wo weiv tills (lay deli.iiiitcd to ridi' throui;ii a forest of splendid iiahn-trees on our way to the Nile, but de- ])i'essed liy the iii<^lit eoiiiiiiii;- down upon us so far from (Hir lod^'iiiu's. Wendiiii^ oui' way through iiiud villa<;'es Jiud barkinu" doijs. we with dillicniltv hired a Xile-boat to carry ourselves and our donkeys, of wdiieh we were now so heartily tired, that some of us made a (juiet resolve we would never riile a donkey a<^ain : however, we some- how groped our way into the one-masted ilat Nile-boat; we at one end, and our kicking (piadrupeds at the otiier, and for several hours lay on our ba(d\s gazing u[) into the clear heuvens and bright stars, so bright that they were rellected in the calm waters; once or twice we stuck fast in the mud or shallow water, but were so fatigued that W'.' cared little about it. Disembarking at u village called Zoan. where stands the Nilometer tliat records the rise or fall of the river, we again strode our long-eared ponies, urriving ut Cairo ut midnight, and men whose feet almost touched the ground re(|uired assistance to dismount. If any doubt this, let them ride thirty-two miles on donkeyback; tlie going n])stairs to bed that night was almost as bad us ascending the pyramids. The following day we set out for tlie Hod ^Fountain, the tombs of the Cali})hs, and lleliopolis. 'J'lie tombs are well worth a visit, f^ittle now ri'mains of lleliop- olis; the nuissive foundtitions of the Temjile of the Sun are visihle m many niaces; and tliere is one line a'raniie obelisk still standing, the last monument of a temple that once vied in mauniticence with those of Karnak or liaalbek. Poti-pherah, the })riest, or rather prince of On, wus an important man, and is su})posed to have resided here. Josep»h nnirried his daughter Asenath, who l)ecanie the mother of Ephraim and Manasseh. Near the ruins of the Tenijile of On there is ii very aged sycamore tree, supposed to luivc once sheltered the Holy I m:x 'riruoroif f.cvit. 10 Inltil)! (i lici^liL 'orcst of hut (Ic- 'ar from villages -boat to ere J low , resolve e soiiie- le-l)oat ; e oilier, u[) into Kit they kvieo wo were so rkin<^ at ter tliat 'ode our hi, and t'([uired •ni ride stairs to the no- untain, tombs leliop- he Sun m'raniie tem[>le •iiak or inee of :o have iOnath, nasseh. IT a,u"ed le iloly I''amily a:^ tli<'\ e'ltcrrd ]\i;T|>t: a hrtlc Ix-vond is the laud of (Joslicn, I he home of the Jsnielites for four huiidi'i 1 and thirty years. Fi'om the Red Mountains may be soen the windinf the ^'ile, as it stretches out over the j)eltu. This river, onee turned into ))lt>od, was always, and still is, held sacred by the l\uy])tians ; anciently they had i)riests of the Xile, and even now it is called the most holy I'iver — most blessed river; no doubt it is to them a blessini;'. The amazing fruitfulness of their Jaud is the result of its ainiual overllow, which is caused bv the heavy rains coming down on the mountains of Ethiopia and Abys- sinia in immense torrents about the middle of July, causing the Nile to rise, and cover the land for three months: the height to which it rises very much deter- mint'S the itroductivcness of the land after it has sub- sided ; if eigliteen feet, the harvest will be good; if under eighteen, there will not be so much rich sediment Hsrc'iuired; if over this height, the waters i-enniin too long for the best seed-time. Egvpt. during three months of the year, is like a sea, and the houses seem standing in water: three months mud; three months a rich green; and three months the C(»lour of gold, or luirvt-st colour. The extent of this fertilizing river IVoni its rise in Ahala, to its terminus in the Mediterrautan Sea, is two thousand miles, and about half a mile wide. One of the onicial-ligured ])illai's, or as it is called, the kilo- meter, that indicates the rise or fall of the water, is at J'llephantine ; the man in chai'ge daily ])i'oclaims the depth, and when the desired height is attained, and if it then begins to abate, there is great rejoicing throughout the land. In whatever aspect avc view Egy])t, it is a land of jWomlers. Thebes, Mem])his, Alexandria, Cairo, the very inanies take us back into the mists of anti(piity. Its [buried temi)les and towering i)yramids speak of a once miighty people ; it was the cradle not only of the -Jewish mat ion, but of many other nations, and the birth-i)laco [of many of the sciences; but now, and lor two thou- [Simd three hundred years, Kgy])t has been ruled by 1 30 WALKS IX CANAAX. %r strangers: Persians, Macedonians, Komans, Greeks, Arabs, Tartai's, or Ottoman Turks, liave iri succession lield lier in subjection ; but Egypt is as tlie Lord, by the propliets, foretold it should be. '^rhe whole nation was so sunk and degraded by idolatry, that Ezekiel was commanded of Egypt to say. — "Thus saitli tho Lord God; I will also destroy the idols, and I will cause their images to t-ease out of Xopli; and there sliall he no more a i^rince of the land of Egypt : and I will put a fear in the laud of And I will make Pathros desolate, and will set fire in Zoan, and wiU execute Judgments in No. And I will pour my fury upon Sin, the strength of Egypt ; and I will cut off the multitude of No. And I will set fire in Egyi)t: Sin shall have great pain, and No shall be rent asunder, and Nopli shall have distresses daily. The young men of Aven and of Pibeseth shall fall by the sword: and these cities shall go into captivity. At Tehaphnehes also the day shall be darkened, when I shall break there the yokes of Egypt : and the pomp of her strength shall cease in her: as for her, a cloud shall cover her, and her daughters shall go into captivity. Thus will I execute judgments in Egjqit: and they shall know that I am the Lord. " The abomiuatiuns of idolaters have destroyed Egypt, and will destroy any nation. Being now ready i'or our journey on to Canaan, we dispensed with our Copt guide, and engaged a Syrian dragoman to conduct us through Palestine; the contract was drawn up, the re(|uired tents, beds, and servants ins])ected, and th' terms lixed. AVe embarked at Alex- andria, in the steamer Carlotte ; pilgrims and travellers from many lands accompanied us, amongst vvhoni was an American gentleman, Avho had been ten years a mis- sionary in the Ottoman dominions, and was then on a visit to the various stations. Talking with this gentle- man on the moral condition of the Turk, he said the truest and best description that could be given of the Moslem, was found in the first chapter of Paul's *' Epis- tle to the Komans,-' and others on board, who had much knowledge of the social condition of the Mohammedans, conlirmed his statement. Our two days rocking on the Mediterranean Sea made JU'X THilOUGir EGYl'T. n IS, Greeks, I succession iord, by the nation was ^zekiel was )ls. and I will I be no more a n the land of 5oan, and will ^gypt; and I , and No shall le sword: and I shall break shall cease in iters shall go dl know that Egypt, and 'anaan, we ^ a Syrian e contract I servants I at Alex- travellers rboni w^as ars a mis- then on a is gentle- said the ?n of the .*s '' Epis- lad much nmedans, several of my fellow-travellers look serious, and com- j.ietely took away their appetite ; thirtv first-cabin i)a.. senrrors should have taken breakfast the first day of sail hut only live sat down, and these made a very little serve. As we neared land most of the passemfers be- came excited, and when the peak of Carmel rose out of the sea, several snouted for joy; for now we literally The hills of Canaan rise Above the troubled wave. Sea made 2J> AVAI.KS IN TANAxVX. ciiArTjaj II. JOPPA TO JERUSALEM. Joi)p;i. — Fii'st View of Canaan. — Scripture Characters who have lived i)i Jo])pa. — Awl'ul IMassaere peipetrated by ]Sapoleon,— Euj^lisli CV'ineterv. — (Hir Tents and Camp. — Ludicrous Scene.— (»a/.a and Ashdod. — Tenijileof Daj^on. — Ranileli (Ariniathea) ]-5efore and Alter tlie Crusades. — Si-riptiu'e Names associated witli tlie Place. — liyclda. — \'alley of Ajalon. — Fears awakened by Appearance of Fierce- lookin<^ Arabs. — The Sabbath Morning. — Religious Observances. — Kirjuth-Jearim, pAKAAN, land of tlie Bi])lc! laiul of Luulsl heaven's \J chosen spot for lieaveu's choicest blessings. Here ])eity ii'ave man a law, and man dird ; here incarnate Deity, for man, fultill -d that law. and man lived. Here Avas the home of all the patriarchs, })ro})hets. and apos- tles; tlie theatre of Our ISavionr's birth, labours, suffer- ings, death, crncihxion, and glorious resurrection. O'er its vallevs have anjrels sweetly sun"', and on its soil have angel footstejis trod. Its hills and dales, and rocks and rivers, have all their history written in tears, and sighs. and blood. Its wasted plains and ruined cities proclaim unerring proi)hecy. The eyes of all nations are upon it, the songs of all })eoples are inspired by it ; its wondrous tale, though ever old, is ever new, and long as its moun- tains last and time rolls on, down to tlie sound of the last trum]), that tale shall still be told. From my earliest days I have felt an interest in this land, because of its marvellous associations; and now, in more mature years, that interest, though less roman- tic, is not less powerful. It stirs deeper emotions, forms stronger conviction^;, and I had long desired to see this Avonderful land. On the morning of the 28th of Feb- ruary, 18G8, I find myself standing on the highest ])art of a jMediterranean steamer, with telesco]u' in hand, de- scrying Canaan, like a bank of mist rising out of the JOri'A TO JF.IlfSAI.K.M, 4't bo liavo livod .Hju.—Euglisli 3. — Oji/a and ore and After ace. — liydda. CO of Ficrco- b.servances. — 5 1 licavcii'.< IgS. IL'IV iiicaniatc red. Here {ind a})()s- urs, sutler- ion. O'er soil liiivc rocks and and si^'lis, proeliiini •e ii})on it, wondrous its nioun- md of the est in til is and now, ss ronia"- )ns, forms see this h of Feh- rhest ])art hand, de- nt of the PCM. This first Li'liinpsc 1 hail wi(h intense delipfht : for this we had travelled through l'"ranee, Switzei'Iand, Italy, lliiNjit. enduring many har(lshi;)s. and encounl'MMnL:' nianv perils. Nor was 1 aloiH' in myeestacies: my MnL'- lisli felli)w-ti'avellers, together with re})rest'ntatives of all (|iiart('rs of the globe — Asia, Europe, Africa, and Amer- ica — creeping from every corner of the shii), s|)ring to tiieir feet, a'ld, standing on tij)toe. gaze on the rising liills of Carmel and f]])hraim. As the ancient little citv, ))erehed on alow, round hill, lifts its head alxtve the Avaves, the Syrian passenger shoute out, ValVa I the Jivnch.dalTa I and the j^ible-reader, Joppal Slower and slower rev(dve the hugh wheels, the hissing foam no longer marks our i)athway thi'ough the deep; rattle go the firm links of the strong cable, slowly swings the vessel round, and we anchor within ;i mile of a city so ancient thai riiny tells us it existed before the Flood. And now we witnessed a scene — the countei'part of Aviiat we beheld on landing at Alcxtmdria : crowds of boats gather around the vessel, their crews consisting of every nation under the sun, with skins black, brown, ■yellow, and mud-i-olour, almost naked, or adorn.ed with ^aded rags of worn-out grandeur, jabbering, shouting, Beivaming, yelling, and climbing uj) the companion- ;;la api)earance from the sea. Through these miserably-paveii narrow windings, Nubian porters dragged our boxes out at the Jerusalem Gate, near which our tents were pitched, and in which we took up our first quarters in the land of Canaan. Jop])a, like all the Bible towns, has peculiar feature^ in its liistory. There the rebellious, bad-tempered Jonah found a ship going to Tarshish, so he paid the fan thereof, and went down into it to go to T'arshish from the in'esence of the Lord. Jonah lied from duty au'i got into trouble, as all who ilee from duty ever will. JL made the very mercies of God an objection to doin: what God required, preferring his own supposed honour to the salvation of Nineveh, with its vast population Jonah was a proud man, and he got the proud man"; wages ; but he spoke the truth when he said " they tha; observe Ivinor vanities forsake tlieir own mercies." T' Joppa, cedars and pines were brought from Lebanon foi rebuilding the House of the Lord at Jerusalem. A' Joppa, Dorcas lived and died, and came to life again. 1; Dorcas had not been a good, kind hidy, the poor widow- of Joppa would not have sent ten miles to Lydda, u fetch Peter, in order that he might raise her from ih dead ; widows and orphans cannot well spare kiiul- hearted, charitable ladies, and it was a beautiful siglK round the dead Tabitha, when the poor widows stuo' weeping, and showing Peter the garments which Doit;i> foJ Af ont Sir nai roefore it was in the laud ready, he fell into a trance, and saw heaven oi)ened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a Liliar features gjeut sheet, knit at the four corners, and let down to the iipered Jonal. garth, ^vith various descriptions of food, but some of it )aid the Ian not good enough for a Jaw, though God had sent it. So arshish from thought Peter, and so he said." The meaning of this 3m duty anu g^eet from heaven was soon explained, for three men verwill. \l ^ere below waiting for Peter. These three men had ion to doini: \^en sent to him from CcTsarea, a distance of thirty miles, losed honour }jj .^ praying Gentile, named Cornelius, who was seeking t population, m^rey. This Cornelius was a tine character; he prayed proud man > a^^ gave, he mixed prayer with deeds, and while praying d " they thiU on a certain day, a man stood before him in bright cloth- aercies." '1' ing, and said: *' Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and Lebanon foi thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God; rusalem. A* ^md men to Jopjia, and call for Simon, whose surname ife again. I' isfPeter, who shall tell thee words whereby thou and all poor widow- t% house shall be saved." Peter went with the men, to Lydda, h ^i^ preached to Cornelius, Jesus of Nazareth. Corne- niier from tin M|8 believed in Jesus of Xazareth, and was saved; and spare kiiul- l^ter learned a new lesson, for he said, of a truth I per- [autiful sigli; o^ve that God is no respecter of persons; a bold expres- kvidows sUny. g^ for a Jew in those days, and, perhaps, the tirst ever iiich Dorea- Tgl^Q by a Jew. entered the house said to be the residence of Simon, 20 WALKS IN' CAXAAN', the (aiiiicr, at J<>|)pa; u sriiiart' aiiactiiu'iit with stroiii: walls, (j^roiiu'd root", one window, luiir recesses, and one door. I went up tiie stont steps leadiiiir to the llut roof, and thoui^lit of Dorcas, of I'ctci-. and of the siicet let down from heaven; draids at the well close to the wall of the house, gathiTcd a ])el)l)le from the roof, a l)iece of stone from the room, u \\\'\'^ olT the li;^"-tree ^rowinij- a*;ainst the gahle, and shells from the slnnv near the sand-hills, and 1 now look u[)on these souvenirs as ])leas- in;^- rennnders of my visit to ,J( pj)a. thereby confessinu that 1 am weak enough to set some value on them, and manv other such remendjrances <;athereel in mv randde.- in Camum. Some who luive visited Joi)|)a did not go to comfoi'l. but to make, widows ; not. to i-aise from the dead, likr JVter, but to destroy. Pompey, Alexander, Saladin, Na- ])oleon — terrible iianu'sl esjK'cially the last, all visited this city. In lTi)U Xapcdeon bcsiea'cd Jop])a; the gar- rison oiTered to lay down their arms and surrender on condition that their lives were spared. Eugene and Crosier, two of Kapoleon's stalT-otliccrs, agreed to tlif terms ]»ro})osed. Four thousand men laid down their weapons of war. and were led to the head-tiuarters of the French army. ^'a})oleon, with a terriltle frown, ordered them to sit down ; their hands were tied behind their backs : des])air instantly nnirked every countenance, but all were silent. A council of war was held, and thougli his own ollicers had jjromised them life, this deity of Fi'ance signed the death-warrant of the whole four thousand, and ordered every man to be shot. Bound and helpless, they were led down to the bottom of the sand-hills on the .sea-shore, formed into scpnires for exe- cution. They requested one word with Xa])oleon; thai one word was to remind him of the terms of tlndr sur- render: but the hero who had just been through tin hospitals and ordered the poisoning of four hundred sick creatures, could no\v order four thousand to he butchered. For live hours French soldiers tired vollrv after volley into the dense nniss of sons, husbands, and fathers, till not one soul was left alive. The returnin.i; .Ml .lOl'l'A TO JEliL'SALKM. z stroll,!: [h1 OHf it roof, wvi U'\ he Willi [)i('(.'t' ol" ;i'owin,L' car the s ploas- ilV'Ssiim Mil, ami raiiiltlus oTiiroi't. ■ad. Ilk'- I'm, Na- vi.siU'd the {i'ar- 'lulcr on 'lie and I 11 to til. tl WW |)a, hut no tide will ever wash tlieir hlood from tiioso l^'reiich executioners, and this s till' liulicroiis (lie followiii;; niorniiiLT. Our Syi-i:ii» (lr;i;j^(>iiiiiii — wiumi wc luul fii^^^ii^anl in K;^^yi)t tu c'oiuliK't us tlir()ii«(li Ciinjiaii,jin(l iirovitlelorus everytliiii;; required, for so nnicli [)er day — re(|Uo.sted us to niako liiiid choice of lior.sor slew in his hfe. Then his hrethi'eii and all the lionseof his IMhereatne down, nnil took him, aninJop})a, took u]) liis (jiiartei'S in tliL' convent of IJanilch. Bnt it inli'ivstf(l ns tiu; most to remember tliat liere lived Elkanali, and licre Samnel Avas born, and from this ])lace Hannah, his ^(xjd motlicr, took him, uceording to l)romise, to tlie llonse of the I.oi'd in Shih)li, sayin,n' to ohl Idi, "For this eliiUl I i)rayed ; therefore also I iiave lent him to the iiord : as lonu' as lie livetii lie shall he lent to tlie Lord." When ehiidi'cn have motliers that take them to tiie llonse of the Lijrd, like Saninel's mother, it is better tlian scndini;- them; many mothers send their children, bnt ^-o not themselves. But we had another sweet thon<:ht while at this place: here lived that rich man whose name shall ever be held in the lii^^li- est esteem, Ijeeause he lent his grave to 11 [.N[ who had no place when living to lay His head, or when dead to lay His body. Thongh Josejjh lived thirty miles from Jernsalem, yet, like thonsands besides him, he wasarixious to sleej) his last sleep amongst ])roi)hets and kings near the holy city, and had jirovided himself wit'i a se})ul- chre cut in the rock ; for round about Jerusalem theiv are more of these rock-hewn graves than there are houses in the city. .Matthew, in the twenty-eighth clia])ter. recoi'ding this event, tells us that on the dav of our Lord's crucifixion, — " WluMi tlie even was cdinp. tliere eriine a ricli mnu of Ariraathfpa, named .Joseph, who also liiinscU' was .Irsus" disciiile: He went to Pilate and l)e<;-;4e(l tlie t)od\' of Jesus. Then Pilate com- manded the l)ody to he delivci-ed. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And lai(l it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the roi'lv : and ho I'olled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and dei)ai'ted. .And there was j\Iary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting o\er against the sepulchre." By this act of Josei)h of Arimatlnea, the prophecy, writ- ten seven hundred years before, was fulHIled, that Our Lord should be buried in a rich num's tomb; and no jtl'ice in the world is regardetl with deeper veneration ihau this hiit sepulchre. Klkanah, Llannah, bamuel. .lOl'l'.V TO .lEHT^^ALKM. ai (1 Lydda. n Jo})});!. Imt licro Voni this )r(]ing to uvin<;- [() )0 I iiavt,' sliiill l.C" lers tluU Siiinucr.s inotliers t we liad ere livi'd the hi<,di- who had 1 dead to lies i'roni ,s anxious iiigs near a se})ul- em thero re houses ehai)ter. V of our Lrimatha'a. 'ilate com- iii a cli'an out in tlii> ilchiv, ami ttiug OMT 'cy, writ- hat Our and 111) neration feaniuel. .I()M'|»li, all sweet names in S('i'i])ture history, made Kam- l.h to us a })lace of interest. r.eavinpj Arinuitlnva, we in a few minntes })a.s.sed the little town of Lydda to the left. Here I\^ter, as reeordod ill the ninth of Acts, restored to health J''neas. who had lain eiiill, and the moon stayed. And there was no day li'.c that, before it or after it, that tht> Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man.'' This standing still of the sun on revalent, that tlie more guns you have to shoot with, the fewer }H'0})le will be shot. But I, while rt'{ udiating the thought of being either more valiant or more })erfect than my conijianions, believe that the less a man has to do with swords and guns, the lonijer he is ' n f i m '.■ II d'Z WALKS IN CANAAX. likely to live. I never yet knew a consistent member of the Petiee Society shot, but history tells a sad tale on the other side. These being my princi])k'S, I had no gun to take care of. Before retiring to rest, and tying, not bolting, our tent doors, several shots were fired, the reports rolling and echoing amongst the rocks, to tell the Arabs to come if they dared. But the night passed over, ar.d the Sabbath morning found us all safe and sound. All mornings belong to the Lord, but this day He specially claims, and, in mercy to man and beast, emphatically declares that no ma^ur of work shall be done on that day; so, without quib- bling, we settled it once and for all to obey the command of heaven during our entire journey, and then expect heaven's blessing to rest upon us. Twice had we service in the tent on this sweet Sabbath. Our Syrian, Nubian, and Arabian servants did not understand one word of the language read or spoken, but they saw that we read a book and heard us sing; iaw us on our knees in wor- ship, and knew that our religion gave to them a day of quietness and rest, and from that day their devotion to us, and respect for us, seamed to know no bounds, and we had af*^ jrwards nnmy reasons for being thankful that we had been tirm on the Sabbath question. This day thirty-seven Arabs came at seven in the morning to repair the road near our tents, and sat down on the ground until three in the afternoon, waiting for some one to tell them what to do, but no one cominii, they all left without doing any work. Such is Turkish rule. Monday morning came, and with it considerable ex- citement, from many reasons. We were within sixteen miles of the great centre of interest; sixteen miles more, and we should then realize the grand dreams of many years. The prancing of our horses, the jingling of our mule-bells, the shouting of our Arab servants, with the now revived energies and cheerful faces of all, made it a moment of joy. Besides, we were now travelling over ground every foot of which was sacred. We had to pass Eninuius, and up this way went the ark of God, that J5-iii;ii f two ^(Mll! :9t\vo Mark. i(»r til »great ffit K »lie 1 ^Ml'uiii:- ^ Ki ^ak'n Sre 1 jlatid :^MBtr()n fi)iiiKl ftith-, |Keror Snd I S\-(' lu ^Booko aliiiiui Mpu]: y jopi'A TO .ti:uu.sai.i:m. 0-) ncmber of ale on the no gun Id tying, not fired, tlie jks, to tell I morning ; belong to I, in mercy no ma'Mur lout qnib- I comniaiii len expect we service ,n,Nnbi:ui, ne word of at we read 3es in wor- m a day of levotion to onnds, and nkful that en in the 1 sat down waiting for tie comini:, is Turkish [lerable cx- lin sixteen niles more, s of many ing of our 3, with the made it :i filing over uid to pass Uod, that Hiiall. niystei'ioiis cofTer, (iiree feet nine inclios in length, two feet three inches in breadth, and (he same in height, (■ 'iiiaining the golden pot of manna, Aaron's rod that d;ii(l(h'd. and the 'i'ables of the Covenant or the law given (111 Sinai ; the lid overlaid with ])nro gold, between the ;t\vo cliernhim, and on the lid (Jod's presence with the iiiik. ,'^een by a visible luminous cloud. Every movenii-nt ifif this wondrous and truly sacred chest was marked hy trear events. We travelled in its wake until we ari'ived iiit Kirjath-Jearim, where itrennuned ior twenty years in 'the liousc of Abinadab in the hill: this house is now in ■ruins. Kirjath-Jearim is a village about ten miles from Jeru- isahni, standing on the side of a hill ; many of its houses ■arc large, and there is an old Gothic church, deserted jtiiul lilthy. l)ut not in ruins. It has six sfpuire ])illai's, Isii'iing walls, groined roof, aiul lancet windows — a good ll'iiihling, but now only used for cattle. Leaving Kii-- :rj;iih-Jearim on our rigiit, we hastened on thi-ough dan- !^vrous deliles of rocks ami zig-zag windings, rising higher land higher, until we ari'ived on a table-land, o er whicdi |\vi' hastened, expecting every moment to behold the long liHiked for object. At last, towers, domes, mosques, luiiiai'ets, and the walls of the city of cities bnrst upon .,l)ur viow. Jprnsnlmnl how many th sang of Isi-ael's Greater King, wlio sliall for ever and i ]'or ever reign. Judah's thousand f Harps eauglit nji the theme; lier jiropliets i Swelled tlie sung, and distant n;it ions jeinid. ' Those harps are now on willows Inmg .; In many climes, and Salem's daughters 4 Weep and wail their ruined lu»me; and '-, On that ruined home I now iu I Joy and sadness look. U i'v'B 34 ^VAI.KS I\ CAXAAN'. ClIAPTKlf III, • I JKRUSALKM. i-^ ■n' The Strof-ts nnil ricncivil As|)('<-t of tlio City.— Tlic IToly Sopnlclir.'. - Dt'jii'ailiii;^' Scenes ami ( iross Sii]ierstit ion. — Place of Wailiii.LT. — i l"' Lc'iKU* Houses. — I'uk'stinc Exploration Coumiissioii. — Mouut Moi'iali, IT was about two o'clock on llic second of Marcli, Avlicii we arived at, Jcnisalcni, and wliile our tents weiv l)eing fixed on iho west, outside the walls, we, like Mc- liemiali. I'ode round the city on onr beasts, viewinf^ tlie walls and tlu\ij;ates; the Diiniascus (Jatc, the Sheep (iatc. St. Stephen's (Jate. the once Ueautilul (iateof the Tein- ])le, and the Joppa (late: the whole circuit enibraciiiLr about three miles. On returning" to our tents we found Mr. Frankt'l, a missionary and fellow-labonrer with l^ishop (loliat, come to l)id us welcome, makin^r partie- nlar intiuiry for one of our company, and informing" him that his books were being read by nniny in Jerusalem Avith the (leei)est interest. Mr. Frankel kindly oil'ered to be onr conductor to every ])ai't of the city, which oiler Ave o-ladly accepted, for a thirteen years' residence in Jerusalem nnide him to us an invaluable guide. '^J'lie followino; morninsi" we entered Jerusal(>m tliron^h the Jopj)a, (!at(\ and now^ every step revealed the abject and degraded condition of thj once glorious city of Israel's ivings. Cajttors ami ca]>tives, the Turk and the Jew. presented evident indications of indolence, poverty, and wretchedness. The (dieerless, ill-])aved, mu'row, and gloomy streets, crossed and I'ccrosseil under and over by mouldei'iiig and bi-oken arches: the small, windowless. and almost empty shops, ami the miserai)le beggars, ail told of a wasted city and a perislied commerce. The distinct and exclusive riest, of John Mark, ill whose house the ])rayer-meeting was held when Peter was in ])rison, and where Peter went after the angel had delivered him from the hand of Herod. Also, the room ill whiedi James was skiin with the sword; also the Sepulchre and Calvary. The two latter places will refjiiire special notice. ill the year 300, the aged Queen Hcdena, mother of Coiistantine, built a cliureh over the Se})ulehre and Cal- vary, no doubt with the pious intention of ])reserving these remarkable ])laces from desecration ; but never was a purpose so entirely defeated, for, perhaps, nowhere .i-i! iSI 36 WALKS IX ('AX A AN. k- m • on the fa M' of llif earth can we Ix'lio]-,! siicli iiiiseral)le siipi'i'stilicn and iiicivdulous folly, and wliile I stood to witness it, 1 felt f^lad tlnit the truth of those places beini,^ really the Se})uk'hri' and Culvary, could on good grounds he called in (jucstion. 'I'o enter the church we passed through a small street into an oi)en court, almost sur- rounded bv miserable convents. The court is used as a ba/.aar, in which may be ])urchased from iioivsy vendors, rosaries, crosses, and pictures in mother-of-pearl, from JJethlehem ; also fruit, spices, cutlery, und small wax- tai)i'rs, — all ])hu'ed on the ground. Money-changers sit beside t]i«ir ])recious boxes; the poor, maime(l, halt, and blind, calling in mournful accents for ])ity and coni- l)assion from tiie i)ilgrims. A guard of dirty Turkish soldiers, smoking and joking, sat near the ])rinci})al entrance. Tlie church is irregular in form, and dillicuit to understand either inside or out. It is an extensive building, in which the (Jreeks, Co])ts, Latins, and Arme- nians, have chai)els. After entering, the lirst thing ]Mjinted out is a marhle slal), Avitli three large wax can- dles at each end, and '"'ght lanijis sus])ended over it. j\[any pilgrims were kneeling down and kissing it, for it is said to be tlie spot where the body of Christ was laid to be anointed for burial. ]*assing through a door, the rock that was rent at the Crucilixion is pointed out; the rent is covered with a grating, and it has all the appearance of a natural lissure. At the top of about eighteen ste})s near this place is a room called the chajx'l of Calvarv, it is divided in Iavo by arches, the floor is com})osed of various marbles, and on the walls are many l)ictures and ornaments. The Latins preach here on (lood Friday, when the place is filled to excess. At one end there is an altar, where Christ was nailed to the tree, lii a i)assage below this room, Christ was arrayed in mock royalty, and tlie lioman soldiers divided His garments. On the left of the entrance hall is a large room, also called a chapel : sixteen S(puirc ])i liars sup])ort a dome, galleries run all rouml, and under the galleries are sev- ei'al a[)arlments. The seiuilchre is umler tiie centre of i ill .JKllLSALK.M. 37 senible tood to ;r()Uii(ls )yt sur- ged ilS Jl iMulors, 1, from 11 wux- gers sit i, biilt, id eoTii- I'urkish i'iiici})ul ilillk'nlt ^tensive 1 Arnu'- t tliin^i,^ riix caii- over it. it, for it Y;i8 laid )or, the ■d out; till the r about ehapi'l iloor is e many ure on At one to the irraved ltd 11 is |ni, also dome, lire scv- ntre of this dome, and on stoo])inii- down to enter we found the place divided in two: the first is the [)hice whcr" the ;in,u;el stood when he told Mary and the other women that Christ was risen, ''['his is li<:httjd by forty lamps, which are kept bui'niufi' niijfht and day. I'he tomb is in the second room, about six feet Ions:? iind is of white marble, without any carvinnf. Over the tomb, forty-two lamps are burninc^ eontinually, and two priests stand as iiiiards, one in each ])laee, sprinkling' with holy water all who wish it. The beat caused by the crowding in of the ])eo|)le and the burning of so numy lamps in such small rooms, was intense, and I was glad again to bend (Inwn [ind return to a co(der atmosphere. Pilgrims are continually crawling on their hands and knees into these two rooms, weei)ing and kissing the Iloor and tomb, iminy of them sobbing and howlip.g. The ]\Iussiilmans who will solemnly say their jirayers ill all other })laees consecrated to the memory of Christ, will not enter the tomb, nor do they hold it in venera- tion, for the j\Iohammedans l)elieve that Christ did not (lie, but ascended into heaven alive, and therefore will lint enter into the st'pulchre. The Turkish government, for gain, allows all sects and parties to worshij) in the Cliurch of the Sepulchre. The. Copts, Syrians, and ]\raronites. have the smallest cbajx'l ; the Armenitms, Latins and Creeks, claim the largest portion — especially the (} reeks. Their chaji]\ Mild oi'iiamented with pictures. Scenes the most revolting are often witnessed in the whole Church of the Holy Sepulchre, but jirinci pally round the sepulchre itself, especially on the Saturday in Easter week. Then iu'iiorance and su])erstition, which always go together, hurst forth into the wildest frenzy; the Turkish soldiers keep open a })assage, and ti»rty or fifty men clothed in 1 ';■ f Hi .40 -JO WALKS IX CANAAN'. skiii.^. or iilmosf naked. I'lm wildly round tlic toinl). Icapinii' <»n each otliei's' l)aidtion, yet tlu' Idsliop |)retends to faint on cominu" out of the sej)ulchre. lo pi'ove to the |)o(U' dehided ])ilLirims, t hat when the heavenly fire came down it was so glorious thut he he- eame insensible. No dou1)t many hcdieve it to be rt'al. for the wonuMi hrinii' with them the iiowns in which thev intend to be buried, and touch them with the tlaminu" taper, assured that by so doin::>' they will certainly go to heaven. In the Latin or Catholic ])art of tlio church, on the Friday, they nail an imafi'e of Christ to the cross, hllini]: the holes, in which the nails were driven Avith l)lood: the inui.u'e is allowed to remain on the cross a few hours, the pil;xrims g-ather round and kiss the Ux't. then it is taken down, carried to the stone of uncti(UK anointed, powdered, rubbed with spices, wra])ped up iu .TKUrsAI.KM. no 1 tlu' tolill). and ycllini;. lie loiijl) (if forth ii pi'o- ;i)Kl, iiiul the )m tho liiiuv illinii' t'oi" t 111' rrc times tlir |>iilelire, l)tii the Turkisli e them oiii ; ves to he e\- u! si-piilehi-c. iiiids aiiothei' thousands of ' })]a','e whei'c •nicnt a st ill- hriuht Ihiiii'' ^'all, the lii't' ;ij)ci\ till the hen eomes ;i and houses ei'ushed to on two iiun- t ion, yet the e sepulehiv. it when tho that he he- t to he real. 1 which they the llaniin^- ■taiidv u'o to the eluireli, o the cress. driven ^vith the cross a iss the feet. of unetion, !])}R'd up in liuen. and laid inatomh; the nails are sold at a hi;[,di prici', and carried to distant lands to work miracles. 1 was not in derusalern in l*]asler week, hut in Con- stant ino])le, and tlu're, in the Catiiolic cathedral on the I'Viday, the stat ue or imai^^e of thedi'ad Christ was just taken down fi'oni the cross as I entered: many were kneeliuir rouinl ami kissing- the feet. In the (ii'eek cathedral the eveiiinu' followinu', T \vitnessed a scene ureatly resemhlinu" what was takiuu" I'lace at .lerusalem, ;nul once seen, it will never he foru'otten hy the many tliousands ])rcsent. y.'. Ormerod and myself were the enlv persons present without candles or tapers. llov.' intellia'ent ('hiMstitinity must hlush ami weep at the sin'lit or record of these ore-ies; and how sad that so many ])oor iii'iiorant creaturt.'s should have travelled thousands of miles, nndern'oinu' every description of suf- fi'rini:' and privatiou, and speudiiin^ the earnin_i>'s ofa life to reach Jerusalem, tlnu'e to how down and Avorsliip saerod ])laces. ])ossess pi-ecious relies, and in the sepul- chre ho sprinkli'd with holy water, under an impression that it is mei'itorious, and ahsolves them from sin. Many. Avorn out with a,L;"e and iidirmities, lj-o there to (lie, helievinii' that if theii' hodies are laid in the Holy Land, they will rise lidoriiuis at the resurrection. AV(dl may the ])i'iests wish to keep tVom them the Word of tied; they know that the l)ihle exposes and condemns all these foolish teachinu's; for Avhile the ])riests ])rofess tt) magnify the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus, tliey sin aa-ainst Him hy suhstitutini^' the worshi)) of tho creature for the Creator. This the d(M\s n<'ver did: and it is not at Jerusalem that the Jew will l)e eOi!vince(l of tlie truths of (diristianity, as such wi(d\ed ceri'monies will ])revent rather than induce him to helieve in the Messiah. From the pretended sepulclire we went to the IMace of Wailinuf. M'his ])lace is a narrow jtassao-e, near the iiiieient and hi;^h wall l)uilt Avith immense hlocks of ."tone, close to the spot whei"e the (Ji-and 'rem]de, huilt hy Solomon, once stood. J"'or this ])lace, in which they iiiiiy be allowed to Aveep over the desolation of the Teni- •U) WALKS IX CANAAN", ])](' iuid Jt'niy;il('iii, diL' Jc'W.s ]);iy ;i iviit lo llie 'I'lirks. Jlei'c llie Jews of all ag'cs, and holli scxos, IVoin all parls of tliu earth, raise their wail over their beloved but now den^raded city. 'I'lu'y sit on the ground, coverin;^' them- selves from head to foot with sackcloth, some in silence, many of them cryinu" out in the touchin<^ lanfi-ua^e of Scri|)ture. "0 (itnll the lieathen are ctune into Thine inheritance; 'J'hy holy temple have they delili'd; they liave laid .Jerusalem on heai)s ; we are become a reproach to our nei.uhbours, !i scorn and derision to them that are round about us. How lon<(, Lord, wilt Thou be an<'i'y O J lor ever? Zion s])roadeth forlh her hands, but there is none to comfort her; Judali is gone into captivity because of allliction.'' It is im])ossil)le to see tliese exiles of Israel sittiuf]^ in tlie dust, wailinpf over their condition, without a feeling of symi)athy. Here, as in all places throughout Caiuum, may be seen the wonderful fullillment of prophecy. Jeremiah, by the mouth of the I^ord, foretold jdl this: tations he savs, "The elders sit on the 111 his L ;imen ground, and keep silence: they have cast u]> dust upon their heads; they have girded themselves with sack- cloth ; they hang down tlieir head to the ground ;" and then ho gives the cause, saying, ''Jerusalem hath griev- ously sinned, therefoi'o she is renn)ved: the sins of the ])eo])le have been great, for they have shed the blood of th.c just in the midst of her." The Jews are not allowed to a])proach nearer the Harem — tlie s])ot where the tem])le stood — tlian this aiuient Avail; they press their li])S to the large stones, and insert written i)i-ayers and ])etitions into the dee]), oj)en joints. With much diihculty I extracted a scrap of i)ai)er, brown with age, written in Hebrew characters. Ik'ing translated, it Avas found to contain nine names of a Jewish family, probably brought by some pilgrim iVom a distant land, and Avith ])ious object laid in the crevices of the huge blocks in this scene of their sorrow, this melancholy place of Availing. Our next visit Avas to the court or houses of the h'l-ers. On entering the enclosure, about twenty-six .TKUrSAf-KM. 41 came out. of tlicir low huts or oiie-slorv ilwclliiiirs, tlio must wrctc'lKHl objects that, {'an jjossibly i)e conceived. 'I'liey all sat down on tiio ground, about twenty yards distant from where wo stood; the llesh was rottin<; on the bones of every one; forehead, cheeks, nose, arms, all (k'caying, and the finijers dro])|)inL( olY joint l»y joint ; some were the colour of liver, and others white Jis snow; all of them set up the most dismal howl to obtain our l)ity and onr money. We collected {imon<;st ourselves ul)out twelve shillings, and pitched the coins amongst them; they seemed pleased, and ran to their hiding- ])laees. I thought of Xaaman and (Jehazi, and of the ten lepers Christ healed, when only one came to thank llim, but the want of gratitude on the part of the nine did not prevent llim liealing others. If there luid been no other evidence of His divinity bnt the restoring to liealth aiid soundness such miser(d)le creatures as we that day siivr, this in itself would luive been sutlicient. Near the wailing-place the Palestine exploration agents were at work, and, through the kindness of an English- niiin. Sergeant Birtles, who came np from Jericho ex- pressly to conduct lis down and through the excavations, we were privileged to see what has hitlierto fallen to the lot of few visitors to the Land of Canjian. Jerusalem, to some extent, is a city on a city. Often has it been surrounded with hostile armies and engines of war ; OTer and over again has it been conquered, and to some extent overthrown ; and once at least, as foretold by our Saviour, utterly laid in ruins. The suggestion made ))y Dr. Kobinson, in his " Biblical Researches," induced others to take up the question, and led to the formation of a society, in London, having for its object the ex])lor- ing of Bible cities in the Holy Land. Messrs. Wilson and Anderson were, in 1805-0, the pioneers in this deeply interesting undertaking. Places were selected, and plans made, of the most important parts of Syria, Judah, and Samaria; and, in February, 1807, Lieuten- ant Warren commenced operation.s in and about Jeru- •salcm. According to appointment, we met Mr. Birtles — the right-hand man of Lieutenant AVarren — near the *ir %\ 1-^ WALKS I\ CAN' A AN. • .* Miicicnl wall ot' llic irai'cni. tliaf ciiclosos llir -itc of tln' 'l'i'Mi|»lr, and, will) Ai'ali servants, caiKilcs. and ladders, prepared for oui' snitU'iTuneaii jonnicv. \ cry soon \v«! \vei'(> many feet Ixdow the sii:'*'mO(', soinetimes orccpin;,^ on our hands and knees tliroML:li 'lole-; dnii' in ilie walls, liolilini;" npoui' lights to heliold with astonishment maiif- nilic -nl arches, composed cd" uii^anl ic hlotdxsof limestone; at othei" limes exlendinn' onr vision hy the momentary but hrilliant illunnnat ion of the /ine ii^^jil j)i'ovided l»y our kind eondiietoi"; now ascend in.t;", now deseendinu^ lhn)uu;h the streets, arches, and courts of Ancient .leru- sai.'iu; heholdinu' what f(»i' cent nries has heeii entomhed and hidden from human eye, hut now semlini:; forth a voice loud as the marhle slabs from the u'rave of Xii'cveh, and both pr(»claimin,n" to a wondering'" world that the records of Holy Writ stand all icrits, for tiie Word of the Lord shall endure for evei'. Passinir from our subterranean resciirclies to the Harem, or Mount Moi'iah, we were auaiii amongst the vestiges of former u"iaiideur. We bad passed IVom ruins below to ruins al>ove Tl le word IL irem means noble sanctuary, and is almost a fifth [)art of tlic entire city. The place is held in the u^reatest veneration by the ^fosleins, principally because it includes Mount Gloria]), lor everything coiuu'cted with the history of Abraham they itlolize. Hero Sob)inon built the Temple, and ])art of the foundations yet ronuiin. Moriali is not a, separate hill, but one of a section of bills — the ridge exteniling to the valley of Jehosbaphat: it is divided frt)m Mount Zion by a snuill valley called Tyro])OH)n. 'I'liere are \'e\v ]>laces in I'alestineso deeply interest ing as this s(puire enclosure. For centuries travellers were for- bidden, on pain of death, to })ass thnMigh the enti'ance, and we had to take otf our shoes and pay live shillings each for the privilege of inspecting the wasted remains. (Jod himself directed Abraluun to the snndl mount, as the place where he was to offer up his son. Abraham obeved the Lord, "And came to the place which God liad told him of ; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. 1 .IKlllSAF.KM. i:{ .• of \hr lillllU'l'S, soon we M'('('l)ili;^^ ic Willis, lit niiiL!- iicstoiic; uu'iitiirv idcd Ity cc'iulin^jf lit Jmi- itoinlu'd Cortli ;i S iiH'veh, lliat (ho d of till' to tlie ii^st the 'd IVoiii means e entire tion by Mount tory of I\'nii>le, 1 is not le ridge divided •ojxeon. sting as ere for- I'ance. lil lings eniaius. )nnt, as )ra]uini Vbraham Isaac his 4 \u<\ Aljialjain stfotclu'il forth liis hand, atnl took tlu< knifo to sl/iy Aii'l llic mi;;vl ol' thf I.oid (•■■illtd unto liini out of hcavt-u. ami saiil. Al>i'<'ili'ini, Alir'alii^in : and Iw said, lIciN'ani I. And lit' s.iid. Lay not thine hand uimhi tin- lad, neither ilo thou any thin;; unto him : I'nr now 1 know that thou fearest ; in the stead of lli> soil. .And Aliraham called the name of that I'lace .lelniv.'ih-jiieh : as it is said to this »hiy, in the moiml of the Ii<>rd it sh.-ill be seen." Ill later tt es puri.ose y to bring back niemeiuos of places the m,.st celebrated m .Scripture, I did uot wish to be wl - Morial, '''' "'' "" '^'^'"'l''' "'"' °f •'*J"""t 3 Hi: Ji:ursALEM. .15 CHAPTER IV. JERUSALEM. Mount Zion. — A Sabbath in Jenisalom. — Garden of Gotbsemane. — Mount of Olives. THE City of David, or Mount Zion, rises a little higluT than Mount Moriali, and, in passing from one to the otlier, we had to thread onr way through narrow, irreg- ular streets and waste places in the low parts of the city, that formerly were called Milo, now Tyropoeon. Zion had several names — Salem, Jehus, and Upper City — and occupies almost the whole of the south-western part of the town, and projects further into the Valley of Je- hoshaphat than Moriah, a great part of it being outside the city w\alls. On this Ilill once stood the strongliold of the Jebusites, which so long defied the Israelite-', but at last was taken by David. There David built his pal- ace, and there he was buried, and fourteen kings that succeeded him. On Mount Zion Israel's kings and princes lived and ruled for more than a thousand years, and it was the last place that fell before the Koman con- queror, Titus, when Jerusalem was utterly laid waste. On entering Jerusalem, at the Joppa Gate, there is a slight hollow or depression in the hill, rising right and left. On the right is the deep fosse of the Citadel, with the tower of Ilippicus, the Bishop and Pasha's hou.ses, and the neat English church. On the left, or west side, the enclosed part is occupied by tiie convent-garden, I'arrack-yards, and the waste ground at the leper's huts. Under and outside tlie walls of Zion, but on a liigh part of the hill, is the burial-ground of the Christians, in which are many English names; and the health of some of our party was so shattered by fatigue, and othc" causes, that we once thought it probable others would be added to tlieir number. A lady, belonging to another '4m\ 46 ■\V,\LK^ IX CAXAANT, small group of Eiicrlish ti-avellers, left lo go down tn Jericho jiiul the Jordan ; she took the Syrian fever, and. tiiougl) Sergeant F>irtles rode rai)idiy up to Jerusalem for a doctor, she could not be saved. Her last words Avere, "])ury me at Jerusalem near Ihe place where my Saviour shed J lis blood for \h)ov me."' 'rhey brouglit her body on a litter, betwixt two mules, and laid it in this cemetery on Zi(»n. Here again, with regard to this once thought-to-be- impi'egnable place, are the ])rophecies luHilled ; a few olive trees are growing among narrow strips of corn. Centuries before it came to pass, the projihet Micah said — '•Hrnr this, I prny you, yo heads of the houso of .Tacob, anrl princes of tlio lioiise of Israel, that abhor jii(l;j;iuent, and pervert all equity. They build up Zion with Itlood, and Jerusaleni with iniijuity. The heads thereof jud^^'e for reward, and the i)riests thereof teach for hire, and the proi)hets tlusreof divine for money : yet will they lean upon the lord, and say, Is not the lord among us i none evil can come upon us. Therefore shall Zion for j'our sake b(> ])loughed as a field, and Jeru- salem shall become heaps, and the mountahi of the house as the high places of the forest. " We all desired to attend service at the English church on Mount Zion. J had a wish to have :i whole Sabbath in Jeru.salem, and rose early on the Sunday morning, to have a full day ; but upon step})ing out^ of my tent about six o'clock I soon found that: the Sal>bath in Zion was forgotten. Early as the time was, lifteen woman Avith bare feet, and meanly clad, were going towards the Jopi)a Gate, all carrying on their heads snniU bundles of firewood, they had been cutting or gathering in the country, and were takinG: them to the market for sale. I I'ollowed them through the gates, and found many others S(iuatting on the ground in the o]>en space front- ing tiie old tower ; most of them with lirewood at six- pence per bundle, some with ligs and oranges, others with u mixture of articles. The whole of the i)roi)erty and goods exposed for sale in the Zion market, was worth about three pounds, and had it not been my Sabbath, I would have cleared the market of every particle vi' inerchaudise there was in it, and given it away to the lepers. ■■<^ ,teuu.sam:m. 4: own ii> or, iiml. rusnlcin t words lere my jroughi id it ill it-to-bc- ; Ji fi'W L)(" corn, li Stiid — \f\ princes eavid, his fatlier. Near the l^etiiany- road arc (►ther mansions of the dead, called the Tombs of tlic Prophets; many (tf the tombs, especially in the clin's, re8<^)und with the cries of children, and tiic bleat- ing; of shee]) and <(oats. tlie present occu})ants; and the vaults of ancient kings, princes, and nobles, who Averc Ih-^re consigned to their se])ulchres with pomp, majesty, ar.d great honour, arc now homes for the )M)or, and shelter for the cattle. J5ut as we ascended the valley of the Kidron, towards the bass of Olivet and Moriah, our (piestions and oV ci- vations gradually subsided; thoughts more ])OAverful than Avords crowded, on our minds; we were approaching Gethsenumo, Tliat si^cred sixit, whoro JVsiis ywnj'ed. Ami (ri'ieil^ and {groaned in a^ony; And in sjteli agfj«iy, tliat bUxxl Pivssed throuj^h His bursting i>ores, and in Grest di'oiK, fell to the ground. That night, that dreadful night, when all the sins and guilt of a sinful and guilty world fell on His guiltless soul, and though an angel came down to strengthen Him for the dreadful conlliet, yet the angel could not sliare the load; it was the hour and power of darkn&ss. And oh. how simple are the records of that momentous hour! "Tlien oometh Jcsns Avith them unto a i)Iare called Gethwrnane. and sjiith unto the diseiples, 8it ye here, while 1 go and pray yonder. And he t(X)k with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and bt'gan to b(> sorrowful and very heavy. Then saitli lie unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death : tany ye here, and watch with nie. And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, say- ing, () my Father, M it i -^ iK)ssible, K't th:s cup i)ass from me; never- theless, not as I win, but a-; thou wilt." "Andlwingiu an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great cb'ops of blood faUing down to the gi'ouiul. " On entering the garden I left my companions, and walked alone amongst i.he olive-trees; my soul heaved V JKliUSALKM. 51 1 1 iukI ^\]\h iiik'nse oniotioii; thousands o? i'wAO^ liad I tlioii^dit of (.u'tlisc'inaiRs and now that I walki'd in the vei-v gar- don and stood on tin; ground wlicru tlic great urops of blood fell, unseen Ity :iny l)ut llini that knew my lu'art, I knelt down, and in inex|)re,ssiblo joy exelainied, "Those droi)S of blood were shed lor nie ; yes, for })oor unworthy me." Oh I the rai)ture of that moment ; (Jethsennine, without Jesus, would have been nothing, hut Jesus, mv Jesus, in (.Jethsemune, was mv Jjord and niy (lod. With mingled feelings I left the garden, and began to ascend the ]iIount of Olives, that 1 might have a last view of Jerusalem. 'IMie top of the mount is one hun- dred feec higher than the eity, and, sitting down on the ])lace j'ointed out as the spot where Jesus sat, and near where lie stood when lie ascended up to heaven, the wliole of the city was spread out before us. No other view of Jerusalem is to bo compared with this, and glo- rious indeed must have been the sight of the city in the time of the first Temple on Mount JMoriah, with the dazzling reflections of its gold and silver coverings and ornaments, the towers, s})ires, and i)innacles, and the palace of Solomon ou Mount Zion; but alas, how fallen! rerhai»s it is not possible for a Gentile to behold Jer i- Rideni with the thoughts and feelings of a Jc\\\ Xeh;'- niiah, in his night-ride round the broken-down walls ai.d burned gates, was sad at heart, but not more sad than millions of the children of Israel wlio have seen ('v thought of Jerusalem in its fallen and desolate con- dition. As in I5at)ylon they sat by the rivers, and hung their hari)S on the willows so do they yet sit on the banks of many rivers in many strange lands, and weep when they remember Zion. They love the city of David and Solomon with an affection that eighteen hundred years of exile have failed to destroy ; and in their prayer they still, as Daniel did, turn their faces towards the once glorious city and temple. But its glory is now de- l^u'ted, and as I gazed on the guilty and doomed capital of Judah, I thought with the weeping but insulted Jeiv- 53 WALKS IN CANAAN. (r miiili, "Ts this llio city tluit inc!! ojillcd tlio jx'rfcclion of ht'Uiity, tlie joy of tlie vviioli' 'jiirtli: Ijow doth k1u3 sit solitary that was full of pi'o])I(.', slic liiat was ijjrcat anion tli(^ nations?" Yes, Jerusalcni was indeed onee , for two would roll over when aslct'p, and four were too juany; three ]»ropped eaeh other u]) njetjly — this wa-s the new invention ; hut it is not patented, so aU are at lih- crty to use it. The warm sun of the f(dlowing day rx^paiwd the des- olations of tlie stormy night With a, little help onr fruil cam]'>s were jnit into shape; hut their credit was shaken. We never suiig tlieir praises after mi loud as we had (lone l>i'foi\;, for we (houglit it poessihie they might Jigain repeat their pranks at a time very inconvenient to tlieir tenants. Our setting out from Jerusalem to Jerivho was almost as ludicrous as the collapsing of our tents. JiOng hefore, and ever since a certain man going down there fell among thieves, the roiwl has been considered the most dangerous in (.'anaan; and to preventour falling amongst the Ishniaelite robbers, and being stri|>ped, wounded, and left half or altogether dead, our dragoman had pro- vided a military escort, consisting of a sheik, or cliief of one of the Hedouin tribes, and four of the chiefs infantry. 'J'he chief was mounted on an Arab horse, i ^1 .',. i, i ' 60 WALKS IN (ANA AN, Mm oosliiino consisted of a dirty silk sIimwI round l)is liciid and face, r('V('ulin«jf just liis eyes aud nose, a tlow- iuL( licdouiu (jloak, a jiair of old sli|i|»('rs, stui'k in im- niciisc stirru])s. Ins Ici^s culiivly hare; lie was armed Avitli an ancient Hint musket, rini^cd with many hniss lio())).s, and a very primitive swoi'd to matcli. \ll^ in- fant rv were almost naked ; l)ut(aeh had liis Hint musket. 'I'll is was our miUtarii rsmrf ; and sui'cdy such an escoit never before took elr.ii'n'e of tlcvi'U Mu<:lislimen, ten of whom were arnu'd with ivvidvers. The moment J saw this convoy, that mii^dit have been a remnant of the (iiheonitosj in their old clouts and sli])pers, I })urst out Iau;j:hinfr, observing that if any men rohhed ns they would. [ know we are told not to judi;-e hy appearances, hut it is not always easy to avoid doin;^" so. \o douht the tliirtv thousand Ishnuudites, the wild dwellers in tents, that are spread over Palestine aud Syria, tVom Dan to the hanks of the ^'ilo, are a formid- ai)le race. An an<;el told lla;:ar, the mother of Islnnael, hefore her son was horn, that he would he a wild nuiu, aud that his haiul would l-eapiinst every man and every man's haiul a,i;ainst him, hut that he would dwell in the l)resenee of all his hrethren. It is three thousand years since this ]>ropliecy was uttered to the ejected maid of ano-ry Sarah; aud how true it is, tlie I'haraohs of K.irypt' the kino's of .ludah. Jsi-ael, Syria, and the Sultan of Turkey can all hear witness to their ; ost. They are cks «d* floats, sheep, and sonu'times snndl cows. 'J'iu'ir prouder l)reth- rcn. tlie J)edouins, reiiard them as their inferiors, and demand from tiiem a p(»rtion of their crops, on condition that they do not steal all, and these terms the Fidlahs are ohliued to aceejjt. In Koin<; down from Jerusalem to .lericlio, we had to ])ass throut^h several of thes(! Arab trihes; and they stipulated with us that, if we wonld <^ive them so mueJi money they "woiUd not roh us of all, hut take us .^afely down to .Jordan and the Dead Sea, and ^niide us hack, if we wished to return to Jerusalem. These terms our drairoman complied with, Avhich accounts for ;Mir im- posiiiLT military escort. What the price was I never learned. We were now a I'ormidahle companv — tiiirtv- one horses, mules and donkevs, eiuiitoen serviints, ex- eluding our convoy, eleven travellers with tents, ami a few dogs, whose rihs were not so i)are as when tlioy tirst joined us. We (lrop})ed down the slopes of Mount /ion, crossed the Kidron, ascended by the south eml of the Mount of Olives, taking the road to J^ethany, which we reached in about one hour. lU'thany is ii little short of two miles from Jerusalem, and was the home of our Saviour when he was in Judah, as Caperiuium was when in ^Jalileo. We have m> record that lie dwelt a single night in .lerusalem ; but having taught all day in the city and ti'inple. speaking as never man sp(dve, and healing all nuinner of diseases, when 3* I Ill m^'mmKr tS WALKS IN CANAAN, tit' i'\ clllli;': (ll'cw lilLlli, II I' w II lulii'W . aiHl <'r<>s>in^' I In I'l'uok Kidrdii. rf'ircd sonirt iiiirs nil niulil In the .Moiiiil ( I t OUncs. lull u't'iit'iMlh Id ill ( hdllSC (t r I ;i/,;inis, iUKJ liis sislcrs Miirv ;iml M;irlli;i. Tliis r;iinil_V licIicvtMl, .•U'cortlitii: l<> llic lr>i iiiKUiN of M;ir!li;i, iliai .It'sns WHS I he ( 'lirist. llu'Sdii of (It'd who j^lioiild i oiiic into llic woild. ll is prnlialdt' thai iIh' same Spirit which rc- VcaK'd this tad to i'rlcr revealed it to the h(is|»itahle lai nils td' lu'ihanv, for IKl IdixMJ caiiiiot i'e\ea ("hi'ist ir. the Mtiil. La/ariis died whrii Christ was iti (dililee: on heaniiL;- (d' Ih- deaili of jjis friend. He sri oiii lor lii'ihaiiv. 'The sorrow inu' sister. Martha, ran out •■- meet II iin, e\(dainiinii" : "I.oril. if 'I'lii'U liM'Ist Ik I'll licTc. my ttrntlnT Ii.'nl iutI died. Jt'Mls >;i!lii iilito Ih'I . 'rii\ liiol lifi- nIi.'iH li^c .ml;.'!!!!. M.'irlliii sjiitli UTilo Him. I Iviinw tluit lie ^iiall ris(> ;i};;iiii in tlic rt'siir- n-elioii at tln> last day. Ji>sus said unto luT. I am tlio r("snrr«'ct ion, and the life: iictlial 1'" lit'N I'lll HI ]\tt'. t llOllull ll Ti' il( ad. \<'t sli.'ill III' li\i' And \v liosorviT i;vr( h and lu'ii'vtlli in .Me shall ncviT dii'. Hcliov- t'st tlion this :" (irander woi'ds than these the woidd liad in'ver heard, and in-!;:Mtl\ llo }»ro\<'d ilnir tiaiih. i )i'oj»|)ini:" a tear (Ml ihe or;(^,. ^,t• ihrdead Idoiher. lie cried with ii loud \ (Ue La/.anis. come forth The four-davs' dead man came fofth al the siuind of that voice; ixud the hour is comini: when all that are in these ;:nive8 shall hear 1 liai sanu' voie and come fort h !• roni Hethany Christ set (Uit on t he morniiig of his triumphal hut last visit to deru.silem. ('rov,-(is of pco- ])le ran to sec La/.arus. and uatlu'rini;- round the Saviour, with })alm-iu\'nu'lu's. wi'iit with Him in j)rocession. shout- iiiii'. •* Ilo.-anna ! hosanna ! hlessed is the King of Israel, that Cometh in the name of the Loi'd I" Bethany is a ]u)or \illage, wiih ahont twenty lton.«e8, irngnlarly huilt on tlie eastern slopi> of Olivet. The tor.ner residence o f M irv and Mart la, now in rniiKS, is ])ointedout; tilso, the cave of La/arus. We found the entrance to the cave dinicnlt, heing low. It is a sepul- chre cut in the rock, with broken steps leading down t the real iirave, where the bodv of Lazarus h 0' I fell it .IKIU SALKM TO 'Hli: DIvAl) SKA. 69 no sni.'ill |)riviI(«^o Jo .s'.jinil in thai vaull, wliicli liad once r('V«'il)('ralr-(-i The Jie- iiiu Arahs, s(|nalting round tlifir black tents, witji (•ager gaze looked down upon w^i as we slowly wcndt-d our way through tint dismal delilcs. I began to have a very high opinion of the Samai'itan who, in this gloomy pass, could care for any one but himself. 'I'hc priest and licvib; look care of numlxr (uie, while the insig- nilicant, despised Samaritan did tlieir woi-k in caring for a brother in trouble, I never saw the man, but somehow I seem to know him, and I am sure if I met him 1 Would give him the Mnglish salute. We j)ulled up beside some fragments of arches, near which was a ell of brackisli water. Jlere an iMielish ti'aveller WllA Ftrijtped, woumh'd, and left half dead, ))iit it is forty- eight years since. On again forming in line to ])ass on through the glen, my proplieey resj)ecling our escort was near being fullilled. My good wife, in addition to other good things, had provided me with several white silk })ocket-handkerchiefs. J had a clean one in the 8ide-})ocket of my white coat, but under my sash; per- haps a })art stuck out, which })ecanie a tem})lation too strong for the sheik. My horse, Jerry, began to [)lunge, caused by the uncomfortable contact i>f tlie i-ljiefs iiorse. I felt a tug, and my silk handkerchi','f wai< gone. I wheeled round, demanding my pro})erty. 'J'he sheik was caught; for tiiis he was sorry and ashamed : sorry, not that he was a thief, but that he was found out., for amongst the Hedouins the disgrace is not to b' a rogue and a robber, but in beiuir cauirht; and Arabs are not E 1.. \A (io WALKS IX CANAAN, ulimc ill tlH'ir ()])iiiir)n on ilii? ])()iiit. He \v bed, IV-cIiii^^ that I .^lioiikl like to rost a month. We had u dux it servant v,q called AVillie, a Syrian, Avhose hmsinesH it was to serve at table, as liead- waiter, and oet us ont of bed in the ni()rnin, hi)), hurrah ?'' i'hough, from excessive fatigue, we lay almost as unc(»nsei()us as blocks of stone, Willie roused us up. Many times we tried to bargain for a little more slee]), but Willie was inexorable, ringing his bell, and shout- ing, "(Jet U])I get upl hip, hi}), hurrah!" And, though he alwavs vexed us in tiie niornin;:- Ave held him in hi^h estimal ion. lmmediat<'ly on entering our tents the night we arrived at Jericho, thick darkness gathered round us ; our re- volver-men got ready for any emergency. They liad seen sus})ieious-looking Arabs crouching behind rocks, armed with matchlocks and lances, looking out for prey. Our dragoman informed us that thrcL- were })rowling round our eiicampment. On demanding their business, they rcjilied they had c^me to d^mee for the travel- lers. Dance I dance! was shouted out on all sides ; we will dance them if they don't walk off! After a little ])arleying. however, leave was given them t" dance: and we all went out, witli candles over our heaiis, to witui ss the performance. Instani ly two-and-twenty <)thers joiuet to tin .i- heels, then j)lunging out their arms at fiul length, fell on one knee, peering out in the dark at their sui>})osed enemies. The ' i Cyi WALKS IN CAXAAX. other t wcnty-thiTO stood .^ide-by-sido. wedged close to- getlier, stamping with tiieir feet, clji])piiig witli their Iiiuids, swinging t,o iind IVo, and nttering strange gut- tural sounds, something like IIosli, hosh, hosh ! Yha, yha, yhal This continued for the most part of an hour — hosh, hosh, hosh ; ylni, yha. yha, growing louder and louder, the last shout heing, 'vBakshish, bakshish!" Then we understood their object; thev had come to dance for money. We collected a sum amongst our- selves, and luuuied the amount to one of the mighry swordsmen. 1 shook hands with them all, and requested that they would go back from whence they came, and come no nn)re. Our revolver-men did not like this visit from these savage-looking Arabs; they thought it only a dodge to ascertain our HtnMigth; but the night, with the exception of the liowling of some wild animals, ])as8ed quietly over. Very early the following morning we set out to ex- amine the few ruins and remarka'>le mounds of the once famous Jericho. The fountain made sweet by Elisha casting in a handful of salt, wa.s uear our tents. Our dragoman informed us that tht- {)revious evening we had drunk thirteen quarts of this water; some that were not full believers in wuter-drinking, expressed their as- tonishment that we had esca})e(i being made ill, but no harm followed. Dr. Gregory tells us that he has had tliousands of ])atients from si)irit-drinking, but never one from drinking water — vvater-drinkera seldom require doctors. The water of this fountain is very deTTcious, and con- sidered the l>€st in all Palastine; it rushes u\) in such volumes as to provide a dej)th in which we bathed. Ke- specting this water, 11 tlie book of Kings we read — ' And the men of the cn^ said xmtn Elishn, Behold, I pray thoe, tho situation of this city is ple-wNent. as my lord seeth . but the water is naufjht, and the ground barrt'u. And h*' Raid, Bring me a new cruse, and put .salt thoi'^in. And they brought It to him. And he vv-^nt forth unto the spring of tho waters, and oast the salt in there, and saith, llius saifh th<^ Lord. I havt> hoaled these waters ; there shall not l>e from then<"e any more d aecordiug to the saying of Elisha which he simki'." ^ JEltUSALEM TO THE DEAD SEA, G3 'I'lie priiici})a] ruins of Joriclio consist of lliive l)r()ki'Ji arcliL'S of un (jld u(jut'duct, part of a tower, a hroad fuundiition of what may liave been the city wall, and many mounds. In one of these mounds, the Palestine Ex})loration Company were conducting o[terati(Uis under the superintendence of Mr. Warren, and S('i-<(eant Bir- tleg, — the latter gentleman informed us that the Arabs who danced for us, were the worst men in all the hills or ])Iains, and that he had great trouble with tht-m. While sitting f)n this mound, with Jiible in hand, .lericho in all its former history and grandeur seemed to rise up before us. Here Joshua nnirshalled the hosts of Israel after crossing the Jordan, and "Jericho was straitly slmt upbecauseof tho children of Israel : none went out, and none came in. And the Lord said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king tliereof, and the niiglity men of valour. And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt "thou do six days. And seven priests shall boar before the ark seven trumjicts of rams' horns : and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with "the tnnnpets. And it shall came to pa.ss, that when they make a long bla.st with the ram's horn, and wIicti ye hear the s(nnid of the trumpet, all tho people .sliall shout willi a great sliout ; and the wall of tin; city sliall fall down flat, and the people shall a.scend up every man stright be- f >re him." Here Christ opened the eyes of the blind man who sat at the wavside begging ; liere Zaccha^us clindx'd up the tree to see (Jhrist pass by, but was calletl down to provide a little food for Christ and Jlis disciples, and llie momerit he entertained (Mirist, he was anxious to lepair any wnuig he had done to any man, and to give to the i)oor. The reception of Christ will always pi'o- (luce «rood-will to man. And hero the wicked ilerod, that slew all the children of Bethlehem, died. On leaving Jericho, we immediately found ourselves on a vast open ])lain, and soon arrived on the site of (lilgal, where the Israelites first encamped in Canaan; where the hist heaven-sent manna ffll; wln-rr the first Passover was observed, whero the Tabei-nacle stood, and where ISamuel anointed Saul kin rid'mpf over this ])laiii, oiio of our cninp;niy, wliile (liscliar^^iiig his rovolvcr, was thrown from his fritjfhtencd Iiorsc, iiiul sustained ii serious sprain of tlie liaiuL We Avere now drawing near tlie Jordan, and all tVelin.f( ratlier excited, -we urged on our cattle ; the tall- est riders caught the first gliin])se, and sliouted '^Tlie Jonhm ! The Jordan I " A lew minutes more and we all ])ul]i.'d up on the bank of this river of rivers, this em- l)lt'm of life's last ])assage to the si)iritual Canaan; and of all rivers in this world, the most celebrated, and the most honoured. Almost every child, in England, and other Jiible-lands, has sung of this sti'eam ; sung of ]\I()ses standing on Pisgah, the mountain-range of Moah now rising before us, and viewing, across the Jordan, the outstretched landsca])e, the Promised Land. Three times liavo these waters been miraculouslv divided, and these events took })lace where we then stood. It .v;is ovt-r against Jericho Avhere the Israelites crossed when the Ark renuiined in the midst. For — " It caino to pass, when the people removeil from tlieir tents, tr) jtnss over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the c J I feet .atfi- and soa, ainst e the two arrd hem s lie |i;i>S('(l (Iirou^'h the clouds crying out " My Fjitlier, my FallR-r:*' ''Tlioii patluTiiit^ .1]) tlic mantle of Klijah that fell from him, he went liafk. and stood hy tiic hank of .fordaii : And he took the manth^ of Klijah that fell from him, and sinoto the wat«'rs, and sjiid. When' is thn Loi-d (Jod of Klij.ih .' and when lu' also had smitten the watiTs, they parted hither and thither : and Klislia went over." Uut here ;i still more momoiitons event transpired, — one that tills the mind with wonder and aniazi-ment; one on whii'h lieaven looki'd down with approval, and the IIolv (Ihost endorsed l)v His visihle presence, and was sanctioned by the voice of Clod Himself — here Christ was ba])tized. He came from Galilee to receive baptism at the hands of John, who was inspired to distinguish the Messiah from all others. John's voice jiad often been heard in the wilderness, boldly crvinij to the mul- titude, " Kepent 1 "' hut now he nttered another crv, a cry whose echo shall reverberate till the sound of the last trumj), " IJehold the Laml) of (Jod, that taketh away the sins of the world.'' John feared and treml>led jit the work he had to do, but his Lord and Master meekly said, " Sutler it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteonsness." This last event stamps the Jordan with everlasting i)re-eminence over all other rivers in the world. I had often (piietly resolved, that if I ever reached .lordan, I would let its waters roll over me, but now that I saw the deej), ra})id river, rushing on with great force, J began to doubt the wisilom of plunging into its whirl- ing eddies. Jordan, in its ordinary course, is not a very formidable stream, but when the swellings are on, it is Avide, deep, and dangerous. At the time of our visit, March 5th, the rain hiul been unusually heavy, th(! swellinj,^s had considerably subsided, but were still over- llowing part of its banks. Being a tolerable swimmer, I determined to carry out mv long-cherished resolve. Tying Jerry to a bush of oleander, I ))r('[)ar('d for my ablution, to the evident surprise of my fellow-travellers. In 1 i»lunged, and up I ctime; one of the comptmy ob- 3( 00 WALKS IN CANAAN'. r .served, "Mr. A., yon ;nv verv hold." " lV'rlui])s I am as looJish as hold," I rei»lit'(l; "hut 1 have now ht-eii haj)tiz('d in the river .Ionian; I know tliere is not tlif least merit in it, hut I have realized a strong desire, and if it lias not heeii done in the letter, 1 am sure it has heen done in the s})irit ; " for I thouiiht of llim who had preecded me, and who hajitizes with the llolyOhost. *' Would von advise me to j^o in; what do you xa *' " he asked. '• I will hnve nothing: to do with it; if vou are drowned, I shall olame myself, aiul if y^'H do not go in. you will re))ent as long as you live; nuike your own ehoiee," 1 replied. The long, slender, hut strong ri])re of a tree root lay at our feet; taking it up he said, '' If you will hold one end of this, I will i)ut the other betwixt my teeth and venture." " Well. I will hold fast to my end, but will not be resi)onsible for the teeth-end," I re})lied. lie was soon (uer-head. battling nuinfully with the ndling waters, ami eame out all right. A third went in taking hold of the root, the others all longed to follow, but preferred the will to the deed. At this ])lace the Jordan is about one hundred feet wide; the banks on both sides slope down to the brink : above and below, they are very steej), and oleamler, tam- arisk, and willow, with reeds, long grass, and brushwood, form a belt or jungle that is often a eovering for the wild beasts, and Arab robbers, both of w^hich at times infest the border of this river. On Passion Monday, in Easter week, crowds of pil- grims, — representatives of almost every nation, — set out in procession from Jerusalem, headed by the Governor, with an armed escort, to bathe in the Jordan; then the silent plains are filled with multitudes, as in the days when John was ba})tizing. When they arrive at the river the scene is exciting; some plunge in naked, others part dressed, but most put on white dresses, which they have brought thousands of miles for the occasion, which dress, from that moment becomes sacred, and is never uscvl a. And hv suid, I will not (h'.slroy it for ten's saicu." '{'here was one ^ood man there, and the hand of the destr(»yiii;^^ an;;el was held hack. 'I'lie an;j:el eallini,'" out to this ^nxxl man, " Haste thoel escape Tor thv life; look not behind thee, neither slay thou in all th plain, for 1 cannot do anvthiiii,'- till thou art safe.'' What a «;loriou.s testimony to the value of one of CJod's children in God's sii,^lit. When Lot was safe, "Tlion tlic Lord rninod upon Sodom and upon GonioiTuh brinistono and firo from the l^onl out of hcavon; And ii(^ oviTthrcw f liose cities, and all the plain, and nil tho inhab- itants of the eities, and that which j^rew u])on tlie f^rciUK^" The p;ood old ])atriarch .Vbrahain, overwhelmed with amazement at the fate of the awfully wicked inhabitants of the doomed cities, seems to have spent a restless night, and risino' early in the morniiij^, lu; went to the place where he j)leaded with the Destroyer the nii^ht before. " And lie looked toward Sodom and fJoniorrah. and toward all the land of the ])lain, and beheld, and, In, tho smoke of the comitry went uj) as the smoke of a furnace." The high grounds on which Abraham stood, and which are still })ointed out as the plain of .NLimre. com- mand an extensive view, and, though at considerable distance, the llames from the burning eities would appear almost close at Ids feet. .ii;KrsAi.i;M to tiii: I)i:ai> si;a GO Tnurllrrs Viii'V in their acooinits of what arc (lioiiirlit |(> l)(! lip' ruins ami vcstiuvs of Sodom — sonic in iIm' depths reci[)itons rocks, is said to he the richest in all Canaan; it is a eoinjioiind of the ^I'ave and hulicnnis, and a perfect lalnrmth in its rooms, cells, and suhterranean passa^^es. Ahout lii"ty I'at and sleei)y monks are dra^^^irint;; out a monotonous and idle life. They are on <;ood terms with the hlackliirds that ahound in the clill's. and rather exult ingly showed us how they couKl whist le thenj uj> from their de})lhs, or down from their hei IN < ANA AN, necessity Jiiid d (Icvicc for Imrviiiir tli''iii alivr, 'Tlicrc liiis bc-cii iiKinv ii 1acos hallowed by events (ki itiy interostini: to thi whoie human race, or stjuuling on the high-tei'raced slo]:)es on a clear moonlight night, to gather in the whole scene —our readings and thinkings of this higlily-favv)ured s})ot received stronger and more forcible imprcs^iions. The white mound, or welv, stand- ing n^ar us on. the Bethel road, nnirks the place where Uachei died ia giving life to IV^nJMnin. Many real tears are yet ahed l)y the llachels of Judah round this tomb, as they open the book and read how Uachei sulTered, and how she, with her last breath, as her soul was departing, named her child i^eiijamin. JJinilLKUEM TO i;i;iJlEL. "And Rnchol died, and was buried in the way to E))hrath, whifh is Bt'th-l«'li<'m. And Jacob set a i)illar upon her gave; and that is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day." Here, after ten years' sojourn in tlie land of A^oab, came tlie widow Xaonii, and lier alTectionate, widowed daught,er-in-law, Kntii. Jn these tields, Ruth, while f(leanin<^ amongst the reajters of Boaz, found favor in iiis sight, and became his wife, and the mother of Obed, the father of Jesse; and here Samuel, tlie prophet of the Lord and Judge of Israel, came to the house of Jesse. " And Samuol said unto Jorso, Aro here all thv cl'ildron? And he said, Tht'i'e romainoth yet the youngest, and, l)ehol(l. he keepeth the sheep. And SuMuiel said unto Jesse, Hend and fetch him; for wo will not sit down till Iib come hither. And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful eountenanee, and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. Then Haniuel took the horn of oil. and anointed him in the midst of his brethren; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward." David's troubles began the day he was anointed king. The young, ruddy she})herd, who kept his father's flock on tlie plains of Bethlehem, became the object of Saul's bitter hatred and the vengeance of the Philistines, and hid himself in eaves and rocks to preserve his life; and, almost dead of thirst while in the cave of Adullam, said, **()h, that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Jiethlchom, which is by the gate !" Three dar- ing men rushed through the garrison of Bethlehem, and obtained water from the well at the gate. The cave of Adullam, from which David sent his men, is large ; but if all the j)eo}>I in this country that are in distress, debt, and discontented, had to dwell in a cave, it would require to be much larger than the cave of Adullam. From Ik'thlehem, and the coasts thereof, went forth the wild wail of the woe-stricken mothers, when llerod slew all the children, and — "Then was fuinilcd Ami which was spoken b}- Jeremy the prophet, saying, 74 AVALKS IS f'ANAAN. In Ilniiia was tlicro a voici* licanl, lainciitafion, niul \vp(>j)iiij:j, and givat iiiKiiniiiiK, liacht'l • t't-piii^; fur liur childivu, ami would uuL bd comforted, becuuse they are uot," But Jill tliose i)jist ivcords of IV'dili'liom ])alo and Viiii- inli Ix't'ore that one ^Teat evcMit that inovctl hotli liraveii and cartli, and which must for (.'vur till l)oth witli won- der and ainuzcnicut. Tliis event was foivloUl hy the sweet sin^nT of Jsrael in ihe suhlinie son^M»f the Mes- siah — **x\ll kin^s shall fall down heloroJIini: all na- tions shall serve Ilini; for Jle shall deliver the needy when he (U'ieth, tin ]K)or also, and him that hath in> lielper." The prophets hailed his coniinu". Isaiah, look- ing down the vista of S"ven hundreil and thirteei» years, exclaimed, " Behold a vii'gin shall eoneeive, mid I;ear u son, and shall call his name Imnumuel." "And ttioro sliall come fortli a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branoh grow out of liis ro(»ts. Analled \Von derful, Couns«'llor, The mighty (hid, The everla.sting Father, Tin- Prineo of Feaee. (Jf *'ie increase (;f his government and peaee there shall be no end, upon the thnnie." 'I'hree years after Isaitdi had sent forth this sublinif and f^lorious })redietion, .Micah takes up the tliemo, still more minutely, saying — "But thou, Betli-lehcm Epiirntah. though thou i)e little among the thousands of .ludah. yet out of thee shall he eome forth unto me that is to be I'uler in Israel ; whose goings t\)rth have been from of old, from everlasting." The morning came, the morning when these gram! and merciful j)redietions shoidd hefullilled. One single angi'l winged his way from the realms of glory, convey- ing a message from (iod to the trcmhlingv awe-stricken shepherds on these slopes Jind plains; and what a mes- sage to a sinking, sin-stricken world I — "And the angel said unto them. Fear not, for, behold, 1 bring you good tidings of great joy, vrhich shall be to all people. For luito you is born this daj' in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. ih:ti[i,i:iii.m 'io im/iui:!-. 75 Andtliis shall li»> H sifX'i iinterhat)s th — }>erna})s tne only answer is, lliat there, or somewiiere close by, they un(b)ubtedly once existed ; and, lookin^^ at the whole nuissive i'onn of the ancient basement enclosing the two important rooms, it requires no very great stretch of i'aitli to believe that here, in one of these very grottoes, (,'hrisL was born. Of tin; j)assages and rooms over and around, lilleil with foolish jiictures, relics, ami trivial and monkish traditions, ol' which other travellers say much, I say nothing. The cui'ioiis may, and ])erhai)S do, lind some little interest in the thousand and one traditions that invention has scattered through every corner of the vai'ious convents, crypts, caves, and laby- rinths of the whole ]nle; but it is a waste (»f time to record them. The student of tiu^ Bible will he inter- ested to know that in some part of these buildings one of the I'^athers of Church historv, cfood old Jerome studied, and wrote, and died. Connected with the Church (^f the Nativity there is a larire building called the J^asilica. built in the vear 3;^>7. ' to^ It is the oldest ])lacc of worshii) in the world, and is divided into aisles by rows of marble columns of the Corinthian order ; it is now the common projierty of ({reeks, Latins, or Armenians, and joined to these are the three convents belonging to tliese orders. Two dead pilgrims, who had })erished in the cold, were brought into one of these convents and buried the same The present inhabitants of J^ethlehem number about three thousand, and all are Christians. ^lost of them are ])easiints, ciiltivaiing their llelds, gardens, and ter- raci's oi" vines and ligs. Some of them are clever at T'arv.'ng on (dive wood, mother-of-]iearl, and stone gath- ered from the Jordan and the Dead Sea, illustrating nirniLKiiKM to i5i:tiii:l, f* ■*/ events llial liiive t I'lMispircil at lid lilclifiii, and tlu'V aiv very dt'teriniiied that you shall liiiy Sdiiic of lliciii. Wv were tliere on the inarkt'L (hiy : I'oiMy shillin^^'s woidd Inivo bou<;ht C'vcrythinu" the market contained. 'I'he streets are narrow and unpavcd. th^ liouses (dieorU'ss and <,Hooiny, little correspond ini:' with tlicii" appcafance in tlie distance. The women are said to he very hrauii- I'ul, and so thoualit some of my fellow-travelK'rs ; i;iit it is a ((uestion of taste. AVhik' we sat l»y the Well <^[' David, one of them, a statciv hodv. eamr out to di'a w water i'or n,- Slie let down hci' pitch ler witli a lon<^ strin^^ and lirawin*^ it U]), sit it down heside us; then walked to a resjH'ctl'ul distance and stood very erect an( I f^raceful. She had a Ionic ^;'>ld chain n^und her ne(d<, a reath of silver coins ound her foreliead, with a })lai AY n blue dress, and bare feet. One observed "There stands a model for a (rrecian sculptor." '•Yes," rei)lied another; "but a pounil of soa}) vould greatly im])rove her appearance.'" We nnule the Latin convent our quarters during our stay at Bethlehem, and there my o])inion of the Carmel- ite monks was rather nn^re fiivourable. 'i'hev seemed disposed to make us comfoi table. The l)edro(;ni8 were small ])ut clean, and the dinine-hall was kept in good order. One or two decent plates and picture^j iiungon the walls. The monks attended to all our wants, and were silent and respectful. You never i)ay them too much for their attendance — at least, thev never tell vou st), or^dve anything Ijack. In the cemetery attac' d to the convent, about seven in the morning, J beard theilolet'ul sound of many weep- ing voices under my window. On going out, I saw ti-i •- teen wOiiien sat on the grou id, surrounding a ne\> ly- closed grave. They Avere all covered with shawls from head to foot; no part of the face or body could be seen. One of them, who seemed to he the chief mourner, in words as near as I could get inter[)reted, cried alor.d. in })itiable, broken sentences: "Oh, my dear husband; he was a good, kind husbaiid ! Oh me I oh me I oh me I" Then all the other twelve, in a moaning wu"' joining in ';.s WALKS IN' CANAAV. JIU'I (»ll IIU'I oil JIK' I " lloo I lloo ! lioo I" clioi'iis, " JIoo I li(»(» I lioo I" " Oh, my (lourlHisband will iiuvcr CDiiU' lioiiR! to iiif! and my little ones moiv I Oh Ai^aiii th(j twelve moant'd out, This was foiilimit'd the ^'■ivalcr part of an hour; then all I'osc u{>, and went chatting" away. I thought of the fi'ieiids of .Mary and ^larlha, who, Avhon they sjiw ]\Iary rise u}) and go out followed her, sayin;^, ''Shepfoclh to the grave to wee}) tliere^" This weeping of groups of lemales round gri;-es in early morning we saw in many places in Canaan, and it was always distressing to look upon. Whether it was real or feigned it was not easy to determine — i)erhai)s Itoth. Our visit to Uethlehem was productive of many i)leas- ing and i)roritahK' thoughts, for in no other jtlace can (Jod's greatest of all His gifts to uian he felt or under- stood with the same force as in Ik'thlehem. Here Hosts niif^t'Iif Kniig tlic story, Sanj^ ill raitturcs of his hirtli; "Wild in Bctlilclicin veiled llis^lorj", To retlecm tho tribes of eartli. Our first ohject on leaving Bethlehem and taking tho llehron road was to call at ]\lham, or the Pools of Solo- mon. The road was the worst we had vet found, which we had thought to be im])ossihle. 'i'he |)ools are three deep tanks, ])artly excavated ami partly built of strong masonrv, and ])artlv lined with cement. T'hev are alto- get her about eight hundred feet long, and average about two hundred and thirty feet wide. They are close to each otlier, but on three levels. A small a<[ueduct runs from them on the slopes of the hills, i)a.st Bethlehem to Jerusalem, but seems now of little use. Below the pools are the gardens of Artas, where Solomon olien went, and where he is supj)osed to have written the Proverbs and the book of Kcclesiastes. There are a few small build- ings, and an interesting ruin, thought to have been the king's country house. The gardens are in a deep glen, narrow, but very productive. Hebron is about four hours' ride from the Pools o^^ Solomon, the roads wretched in the extreme. It is u Very ancient town, and was one of the six cities of iM/nii.KiiKM TO iu:tiii:i. 79 i('fu;;e jii>p<'ii)l((l liy Moses. It is llie INi'liol wliere Joshua ami Cult l> ciil down the lar^c lunu'lios of grajtos when tliev were setil with tfii others to view the himl. Josliua afterwards t(tok il from the Auakim, and it he- «,'ame a portion (tf the I'romisi'd Land. I)avihrou the llittite, before Mainre." This world-wide celel)rated cave, the last resting-place of the Patriarchs, has l>een considered a sacred place for three thousand seven hundred years by Jews. Cliri.-,tians, and Moslems. The Jews es[)ecially love this place, re- garding it only second to Jerusalem. 'J'he Moslems or P t ! I so WALKS IX CANAAN. Turks, its present possessors, keep a strict p^nanl over tlie place, iiiul ref,^ard it with tlie f^nvatcst veneration ; no infidels, as tlieycall all not Moslems, are allowed (o enter or go near the real sepulchre. We have one exception in the case of the })resent Prince of Wales, who, by special })erniission from the Sultan, visited the real cave; but it rccpiired a thousand soldiers to guard him from the iudigiKition of the ^losloms and Islnnaelites, and the irritation c(nise(iuent on his visit was still rankling in their breasts Avhen we were in Palestine; and knowing that we should not be permitted to see the sej)ulchre, the only real attraction of Hebron, we turned our liorsos' heads to other ])ai'ts of Canaan, north of Hebron, Beth- lehem, and Jerusalem. The breaking n[) of our encampment on the morning we set out for the Xorth, was a repetition of what we had often before witnessed — the fighting of our horses, the savage rebellion of the mules against carrying our trunks and tents, and, when mastered and burdened, taking their revenge by dashing through the company, witli a deafening rattle of their bells, ni)setting master and servant, amidst the screams and shouts of riders and muleteers, and sometimes causing angry words and religions feuds from the drivers against each other, for the kicking of nr.iles often lirought out their owners' creeds. "You Christian dog, I will kill your mule I" shouts the enraged 'I'urk; the Christian dog, a Syrian, rushes madly at the 'I'urk, yelling Avith the most ungov- ernable fury. Instantly both are secured, dragged a])art, and held fast by tlicir fellow-servanis until their fiendish wrath subsides; all the while we are looking on in silence, not l)eing able to innlerHtand a word, or cause of tlie f|uarrel. Some pirsotiM liiivn a wonderful way, when defeniling or contending ahoiit rellgloli, of proving tiiey ui'u witholil, In more places than Palestine. Order being ol)taine(l, we formed in rank and fde, ea- gerly pushing on to scenes yet unevphu'ed. Our kind I'rieud, Mi. I'rankel, rode out with us a few l\o\us to see us oil our way. We called at the missionary farm, of which we had heaixi so uuichi UOW, or formerlY» umler r.KTin.Kiii.M To I'.r.Tiir.i. 81 til'' {>;it roiiiiu'i' and can' (if .Mrs. I-'inn. "We wciv iri'ally (lisa}ti»<)iiit»(i oil vi.sitiii;:" tins place The house wilhout tloor or windows, the walls or W'ucc hi'oUcii dowi . the L'Toiuids bk'iik and waste, not ji soul near it — evervtliini' indicated a conntlete railure. It was wofsu than the niissionai'V farm we saw at .)oi>}>a, and that was I»ad enough. One of the tests of a Jew's conversation i.) Christianity is, that he will work for his own support ; it is one true test of a Cliristian anywhere, hut in Palestine thev du not likt' it. 'I'hev would rather live on profes- sion and alms than conversion and work; and I rather think that to seek the salvation of the Jew, as a man, a sinner, like all other sinners and not as a Jew nieivly, or l)ecaiise he is a Jew, will he more productive in its results. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avail- eth anything", nor uncii'cumcision ; hut a new creatuie, for there is no resi)ect (d' persons with (Joil. A short ride from the farm brings us to the Tomhs of the I'rophets, or Sanhe(lrini, or rule^rs of the Jews. These tomhs are cut in the rocks, in lai'ge suhterranean p({uare excavations, each s(puire containing thirty holes drilled in the walls, siitllcientlv large to hold a full-grown hody. When laid in this ])vd in I he rocdv, the soles of tiieir feet "would sometimes he visihh.'. Only persons in high honour, such as Nicodemus. were interreil in these sepulchres. 'I'he i)rincipal entrance to this catacomh is througli a riclily-carved arch, now considerably disfigured, and the wlnde i)lace is now much dilapidated. Xo remains of the great dead are found; but loohe stones, debris, and nettles, occupy the }tlace oiure the mausoleum of the mighty of Jerusalem. Leaving the tombs, we ascended towards (iibeah of Saul, the biilh-place of Saul, king of Israel, and the ])lace in which al one time every one did what was right in his own eyes, the consequence of Avhie'h was, as recorded in Judges xix., the wife of the young licvite was cruelly murdered, which broimht the almost i'litire deslructieiii of the I'eiijaminites. From (iibeah we rotle on to Mizpah, then to Beth-IIoran, afterwards |o Michmash and I>eeroth; and here "ve lunched beside a gushing spring of pure water, i'ov which I 1 >^-2 WALKS IN (ANA.W. we I'l'll I liankfiil. l-'i-oni ;i f<'\v inisri-aldf-lddkin:,'- Ikui- cs jH'iir I lie sjiriiig caiiif tlic damsels witli |iilcliti-s, with their haro It'i't, hrow ii faci-s, hhiek eyes, ami |ilaiii hliie col toll dress; hut all woWi jewellery. Several »d' them hroii^iht their clothes to wash, mid s(jiiatte(l down near tho si»riii<;, dashed walei'oii them with the left hand, and heat, them sonndiv with Ji wooden stave in the ri'-ht. 'J'hey had evidently eonie to the well at that moment to set' the travellers : yet there- was nothin;^' boKI or im|)i'<»j)er in I heii- (jemeanoui'. M(»nntin,i^" our horses, we, after a two hours' riile. reached our tents and encampment at lii-thel. This, no douht, is the site of the once rainou> Bethel of Sci'ijitui'e. it is on high gi'ouud, in the centre of two valleys that mei't helow. From this j)laee the great (h)me on Mount Moriah, in Jerusalem, nniy he seen, {\\o .;h about lifleen miles distant. The ruins of lU't IhI are lound spread overall the ridge. A s(|nare, broken t(»wer stands on tlu' highest part. A little more south, the ci'umbling walls of a small (ii'eek church, large blocks vi hewn stone, iind strong foundations, are found on evei'y side. Jn the valley, on the west, is jin immense cistern, eonsti'ueted of large stones, but now without water, the two fountains that formerly lille thfsoutli; 111! in thiM- and in thy st>fd shall dl the l'antilii-s of tlio I'lirtli I ji )0 hi fS.S<'( And, ht'hr)ld. I am with tin-*', niid will kcop thix^ in nil plucos whitln>r thou ^ix'sl, ami will lirin;; tli ai^ain into this land; i'oi- I will not It-avf tli'-f, until 1 lia\c done tliat which I have simkcn to tht'f o|'. And .lacoli awaUi'd oat of hisslofj), an; and I knew it not. And Ih' was afraid, ami sijid. How droadful is this i)laf'i'I this is noiio otluT lint the Iioum' of (lod, and this is thf K"^"' "* ht-avcn. And Jacoli rose np early in the inoiiiin;;. and took the stone that he lind put for his pillow, und set it up foi' a pillai-, and ixiured oil n]>on the toi) of it. Ann ho i-alled th«> namo of tliat place IJethel: but the name of that ritv was called Lnz at the lirst. And Jacob vowed a \(iw, wiyin;::, If again tx) my father's house in i)enco; then shall the Tiord be my (Jo up to Uetliel, and I will make there an altar unto (iod, avIio answered ine in the dav of niv (list re, Here (j<>d chautred hid name from Jacol) to Israel: from this liltle be^iinniuij arose a ^Mvat saiu'tuary and an imj)ortant i ity. After the rev(dt of the ten tribes, .leroboam, their first king, built a tem))le of the K<.iyi)tian modt.']. intending to rival the one at Jerusalem, llere he olTered sucriliees to the golden calf, and caused Israel to sin. During one of these great sacrilices there came a man of (Jod out of Judah. "And he cried aij:ainst the altar in the word of the r.ord, and sjiid, O altar, altar, thus saitli the iiord; liehold, a i-liild shall be boi-n unto the house of David, .Josiali by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that l;uru ineeuse ujion thee, and men's bones shall Im? burnt ui)on thee." Three hundred and iifty year.s after this prediction, King Josiah reigned in Jerusalem, and broke down the images of Moloch, in Jiidah, and the golden calf of fSamaria. i if #..<' IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 2.8 S Ilia It m M IM M 1.8 !.25 1.4 1.6 ' -^ — 6" ► p^. ^ °m m %. W J^^' ^^ a;^. '/ m /i M m Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, K.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 r^r Ltf fe £p. 8t AVALKS IX CAXAAX. " Moroovcr the altar that was at Rcthcl, and the hij^h i)]a('o which Jorohuaiii the son of Nciiat, who inahek, hut again ihcy were smitten, and the Ark of God was taken. When Eli heard that the Ark was taken, he fell from (dT the seat hacd^ward, and his neck broke, and he died. J*oor l^li; ho was one of those exceptions to the rule, a good man having had children. It was at Shiloh where one of the most remarkahio kid- nai)i)ing of wives took ])lace, as recorded in the last (diajjter of Judges. At the yearly feast, the daugliters (d' Shiloh went out to dance near the lUdhel road ; the young men of the tribe of Benjamin hid themselves in the vineyards, and while the maidens were dancing, the young men ran out of the vineyards and caught every man a wife. About two hundred were thus carried awav. Straniio as this may seem it was advised bv the (dders of Israel, to save from extinetit)n the tribe of Benjamin. Shiloh became a place of great wickedness, and brought down dt'sti'uction, as wicked ])1aces ultimately do. Jei'e- miah s])eaking of it, says, "Go ye now unto my [)lace, which was in Shiloh, and see what I did to it for the wicdvcdness of my ])eoi)k' Fsrael." AVc went to the jdace, antl saw that all that remained of Shiloh was tlic ground SHir.ttH TO SAM A f; I A, s: on ^vlli(•ll il J'oi-iiierly ,st(K)il. witli ;i liiiinlt'iil of scaflcrod ruins. Our jouiMicv now lay tlii'oui;!! the laiuls of the iuicicnt tri])(' of K[)hraiiii, tliat; dyinu,' Jacob blessed with the chiei' tiling's of the ancient niuuntains, and it is really a reliel' Ibr the eye to rest on verdant ])lains and slo])es, almost free from the everlasting' ,irrcy, limestone rock, and remindin;j; us of our own beautiful old Mnuland. Il^ is the richest, and most fertile pai't of all Palest ine; and on looking down on a smooth valley, about seven miles bv two, unbroken bv peak, dell, or fence, bou.nded on the east, by mount (Jerizim, at the base of which is Jacob's Well, and Joseph's Scjtulchre, and liehind Slu'chem, one of the six cities of rci'ug-e, it did indeed look like the ])romised hind of honey, oil, corn, and wine; and as we entered on the tine, level, fruitful vale, both iiorses and riders partook of the exhilarating- effects. We could now ride several abreast, instead <>f one at the heels of the other, like ducks in a ,ii'uttei'. 'I'wo of the most spirited horsemen dashed otf at full speed; instantly all the other Arab steeds became unmanageable, and a Avild break-neck race was the consequence, to the no snndl mortitication of some, who shouted loudly, "Stop, stop, sto])I*' as tiiey tightly held on Ity both ends of the saddle. We pulled uj), or rather stop[)ed, as soon as ])ossible, amidst loud bursts of laughter, and several elo- (pient speeches, directed ])rinci[)al!y towards tin; two reckless olTenders, who promised in future to be us good as they knew how. Passing on at the base of (Jerizim, on the sides of which are visible many rock tombs, until we reached the foot of the ])rojecting ])()int on which stands a snndl Avhite welv on the verv sixd where the Sanuiritan Tem- pie stood, we all dismount, and nudving our horses secure, gather around one of the most saci'ed and memorable l>laces in all the land of Canaan, — Jacob's Well. "And Jacob came to Shalom, a city of Shechem, Avliidi is in the land of Canaan, when ho camo from Padan-aram; and i)itoho(l his tt'iit iK'i'oro the city. And lio l)on;j,hl a parcel i)f a ficLl, wlicro he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Ilanior, >Shochem"s father, for a lumdrc^d pieces of money.'' ill WALKS \NAA.V. h I "Tlion omiH'fh ]w to a city of Samaria, -wliich is railed S3'cliar, near to tlie parcel of ground that Jacoli {^avc to his sou Joseph. Now ,Ja(M)l)"s well was there. Jesus therefore, lieiuj^ wearied with his Journey, sat thus on the wi'll: and it was about the sixth hour. 'i'here c(jnietli a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saitli unto her, (rive me to di'ink. (For his discii)les were gone away unto the city to buy merit.) Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him. How is it that thou, being a Jinv, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria i for tlie Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, Jf thou knewest th<> gift of Hod, and who it is that saith to ' hee, (xivo me t() drink; thou wouldest Lave asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The Avomau saith unto him, Sir, thou hast n jthing to draw with, and the well is dee]) : from whence then hast thou that living water :' Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle ? Jesus answei'ed and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this wa- ter shall thirst again :' ]iut whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst ; but the water that I shall give han shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst noi, neither come hither to draw. J(>sus saith unto her, (lo, call thy Inisband, and come hith(>r. The woman answered and s- '^ I ha\'e no hiLsband. Jesus said unto her. Thou liast well said, I have n ) husband : For thou hast liad live husbands ; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband : in that saidst thou truly. 'riie woman saitli mito him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain ; and ye .stiy, that in Jeru- salem is tiie place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto lier, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain, :ior yet at Jeruiialem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what : we know what we worship : for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, wlien the true worshippers shall worship the Father in sjjirit and in truth : for the Father seeketh such to worshij) liim. (4od is a Si)i'-'t; and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. The woman saith imto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Ji'sus saith unt<» her. 1 that speak unto thee am lie." SJIILOJ. TO 8AMAKIA. 89 '•'I tliiit spi'iik unto tliee am lie." 'I'liis ^\■•ds the first time our Saviour had di.stinctly revealed himself as the Messiah, and this he coudeseonded to communieate to a poor Samaritan woman, at the same time, teaching the ■whole world, that not only in Jerusalem and Sanuiria, God could 1)0 worshipi)ed, hut that " God is a Spirit, and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth." That one short sentence spoken at this well, for ever lays in the dust, nuirble moscpies, gilded temples, magnificent cathedrals, oi sacred shrines, as the only places where God hears prayer. It is the heart, and only the heart, that offers true worship. From that mouient ])ilgrimages to Mount jMoriah, IMount Zion, Mount Gerizim, Bethel or Samaria, as ])rivileged places were doomed. True devotion God ac- cepts in any or every })lace. Blessed truth, mercifully given to the humble millions who could not and still cannot from infirmity, poverty, sickness, or distance, join in temple worship, and that sweet truth was llrst taught at the well round where we now gathered with intense interest. The well is still deep, the mouth covered by an arch, about two-thirds only of which remains. Stoo])ing down, through the broken part we let down our pitcher, or earthen bottle, but the string being toi^ short, we called for another and another, one of our jiarty sitting by the well, reading aloud the fourth of John, called out in the words of the woman, " the well is deep, and thou hast nothing to draw with." We all drank at the well, and trust-knew something of that other well which the Messiah gives, and that springs up into everlasting life. The cuttinf^: of the well liv Jacob must have been a tedious and expensive undertaking ; and judging from a copious stream that runs not far distant, was not re- quired ; but though Jacob had l)Ought the land f''om the children of llamor, he durst not touch a dro]) of water, for water to this hour is guarded with the great- est care. Feuds and quarrel;; about wells, are still as bitter as in the days of Abraham and Lot, but th.re t " C AX A AX. h I niiirlit 1(1' olhci- I'cjisons, aiid m> doubt our woiiM ])(• ihc ])urily of the water, for we round i' elear iiiui ikdicious, whi(.'li in the Ea.st is considered a great Ijlcs.sing and a luxury. A short distance from Jacol)'s AVell, there is another deeply interesting object, Josepli's grave. 'J'hree thou- sand four liundred years previous to oui* visit, a lad about seventeen years of age, dressed in a many-coloured coat, was wandering (jver these ])asture lands in search ol' his shepherd brot tiers, llis father had sent him to see if it was well with liis sons and their Hocks. A stranger in- formed liim he would find liis l)rothers and their cattle at Dothan, a few miles farther on. The moment his brothers saw him, they saitl, " beliold this dreamer Cometh." They sli-ip])e(l him of his fancy coat, cast him into a i)it, but finding there was not sullicient water to drown him, they sold him to some passing slave-traders who were going down to Egypt. Here from a lecherous woman he was in more daniier than from his cru(d brethren, the dec]) pit, or the slave-dealers. But God was with him, and having tried him. He raised him to the highest station next to the king. Old Jacob his father knew nothing of this ; his sons had s})rinkled the coat of their sold brother with blood, and showed the stained garment to their father, to induce him to believe that Joseph had l)een torn in ])ieces l)y a wild beast. But sin, all sin, travels in a circle ; it comes back to where it set out, as those guiltv men afterwards found. Perhaps in no book, in no language can anything be found more simple, touching, and pathetic, than this tScripture narrative of Jose})h ami his brethren. But though Joseph was in dignity next to Pharaoh, yet lie did not tbrget the fields of liis youth; he fore- i.c out of K«*vnr, the onnressed W' Israelites. ^yi>t opp "And Joseph said unto his brethorn, I dio : and God tvill snrely visit you, and brinj^- yon out of this land unto the laud which he svvare to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacol). And Josepli took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up uiy bcnies from lience. Ho Joseph died, beuig au hundred and ten years old : and the}' em- balmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt," Si:iL(»lI TO SAMAIMA. 01 I'pwai'ds of t Invt' liiiiidrril year.-; after, this cotrincd omlciliUL'd l)()(lv was l)roiiL>i;t out of its iciiiponirv n.'rfliim*- place 111 J'.;,apt. ''And ]\r(isos toitU the Ixtnos of .T()s<>i)h with liim : for lu.' bad strnitly 8W(ini tlu) rliiidrcn ()♦' Israel, saviii},', (iod will suroly visit you ; iind y'o shall carry up my Ijoik-s nwuy heuco with you. Forty ycjir.s tlicse ])rcciouf5 reinaiiis of tlio fuvoiirito son of Jacol), tlio (k'livi'i'cr in ilie day of tamiu'*, the nilt'i' of Kirypt. were curried hy the udniiring trihes of liis now viist kindred, until they arriveci in Canaun, iiiul thus — "Tho bonps of JoRe])li. which the childron of Israel hroiiulit up out of E^.^l't, Ivuried they in Shecheni. in a ])arcel of {.ci'oiiinl which .Jacob bought of the SDii^ of TI.'uiioi* the father of Sh(>chein for an hundi'ed pieces of silver : and it becuuio the inheritance of the children of Joseph." I have stood Ix'side the tomb.s of tlie niiglity of muny nations, (he t(»inhs of eni})erors, kin<^s, j)rinees, iiml nii(;hty conquerors, in marble, and <:rani(e. and silver, and ^^jld ; hut this wely, this mound of whitened stones thcit covers the hones of Jo.sejth, have to me an interest far sn]'})assin^^ all. Jacob's Well, ainl Joseph's (J rave, are precious and impressive spots to travellers in the land of Canaan. Leaving the well on the left, and tomb on the right, and turning the corner of the hill, we rode on towards Shecheni, Neai)olis, Xablus, Sychar. The city to which we journeyed has all these names, but I prefer calling, it Shechem, the scriptural and ancient designation. Our Avay lay betwixt the mountains of P^bal and (Jerizim, at the base of both. These are the two mountains men- tioned in the twenty-seventh of Deuteronomy, as the mounts of cursing and blessing. " And Moses charp^od the people the same day, sayinp:. These shall stan WALKS FN CANAAN. sliijxjs of tlie in dis- ciirso ill to mens 'kiicss (lone since. Smootli-cliiniied counsellors, as a rule, are dangerous in either coui't or cottage; gray beards either laugh or cry at their owi. youtliful lolly. Here ,Iero- hoam was proclaimed king oi' the ten revolted tribes, and established the se;it of his new monarchy. The bitter feud betwixt the Jews and Sanv.iritans be- gan, or was intensilied, at the time of the rel)uilding of the Temple. They recjuested to liel}) in the rebuilding, l)ut Zerubl)abel and the chief of the fathers refused their help. They then built a tem])le of their own on Mount Gerizim, and from that day the Jews had no dealings with the Sanniritans; and though their temple on Gerizim is utterly laid waste, yet three times a year they go in solemn procession, reading the law as they go. These three days are the Feast of the Passover, when they sacritice seven lambs, and remain all night; then on the day of Pentecosit, and the Feast of Taber- nacles, when tiiey carry with them branches of trees to make booths. They keep the Sabbath with Jewish strictness, praying in their houses on the Friday night, and in the synagogue three times on the Saturday (their Sunday). On entering their synagogue, their high priest drew aside a curtain, covering a recess in the wall, and as a great privilege showed us their manuscripts; one they say was Avritten by the great-grandson of Aaron, 3.300 years since, but they did not make ns believe it. The priest is a tall, stout, avaricious man; he kept near our tents all the time we remained in Shechem, and he would be our guide to the top of Gerizim. The view from the top sweeps over a vast expanse, and its likeness and prox- imity to Ebal is then the most evident. The ruins on the top are few and doubtful. Early in the morning I Avas awakened by moanings and wailings near our tents. On dressing and going out, twenty-four lepers, all scpuitted on the ground, about sixty feet distant, began howling still louder. They had come to ask alms, and were the most wretched-looking objects, much like those we had seen at Jenisale7n. It is said that only at Jerusalem and Shechem are these (»1 ^V.\|,KS I\ CANAAN'. frarful crciiln.rcs (o \)o fouiid, mikI tliiit in no otln-r l>ni'i of Piik'stini' (lu llu'V rxist. I am j^dad it is so, fur oin- such rc'V()lliiif( si(jki'iiinitche(l the nu)n('V towards them. I'or which tiiey seenu'd greatly ]ileasL'd, and crawled away towards tiudi" liuts. 'I'he inludtilants of Sliecliem are ahout seven thousand: Arabs, (Jiiristians, Sanuti-itans, and about sixty Jews. 'JMie houses mucli resendjle tliose in Jerusalem, and are built of stone; the ui)|)ei' I'oojns projecting over the irregular, narrow, and lilthy streets. 'J'he .Moslems, or 'rurks, ai'c the most numerous and jiowerful in the city, and often insult aiul op])ress the Christians and Jews. We were miudi amused by the weekly donkey fair, all that changed hands being sold by auction, and we saw Ihat lads are lads everywhere; they could raise a tre- mendous chorus of he-haws, by shouting r-r-r-r-r-r, twisting the tongue as clever as any Scotchman ; both lads and donkeys seemed to enjoy the joke, but not so their owners, lor kicks antl cutis flew amongst the young Shechemites. On leaving Shechem, I don't think tlie Samaritan high jiriest, with his fez cap, short round jacket, bloomei- trousers, bare legs, and strong shoes, bid us good moi'u- ing yery cheerfully. At my recpiest, he jirocured me a glass t\yo-ounce bottle, worth about two-pence. I could not get him to tell me the ])rice, and when I ottered him six})ence, he looked greatly disa})])ointed. We had not been sullieiently lil)eral in bakshish; he was evidently an avaricious man, and judging of our stately tent and really tine horses, he thought to have a good offering. We set out rather cheerfully from Shechem, for avc had been informed that the road to Sebaste, old Samaria, Avas the best in all Palestine, yet an English ctirriage could not travel one hundred yards upon it without breaking in pieces, and on making this observation, all my companions joined in the verdict; but the scenery SiriLOTr TO SAMAIMA. 0') was vt'i'v Itcaiiliriil. csiiccially ilic Valley <'|' I''iufs. ()ii the road an iiicidciil occurrfd, showing i lie dcploi-abK' coiidiiioii of tlie iK'ople inidcr 'I'urUisli rule. \\'e met several veiled ladies i-idin^n)ii eaiiiels, oscorh'd hvatroop of soldiers and olVieers; the road was so narrow thai we heeanie locked fast, and at the worst part of it. eaniels, horses, asses, and mules, were llouudi-rin;^^ in deep mud, hes|)atteriii;j^ each other and struiiulinii- to push a passage throu,i:;h. Sonu- of the riders dismounted and elimhrd a stone I'eiice to esea))e the melee, when down eanie the wall with a thunderin^r sound, that IVii^ditened both man and heast. We were aftei'wards infornu'd that this pud- dle of water and muplied with water. Jvising amitlst linu' rocks, and millious of wild ilowers of almost evei-y tint, we reached a high \nn\\{. from which we beheld the sight of the ancient royal city of Samaria, Sebaste, a beautiful round mount in the centre of surrounding hills, on which stands the old church of St. John, a few dwellings, and the vast ruins of ancient ])alaces and temples. The ascent of the celebrated height occupied about twenty minutes. On passing through a village of about fifty houses, nu)stly built of the ruins of Sebaste, we came to the old church of John the Baptist, ])erehed on the east side of the hill. It is said that here lies the body of him who was the foreruntu'r of Christ, the voice of one crying in the wilderness. John the Baptist, whom Herod, when half drunk, beheaded at the re own v/ay, and followed at his heels, and 100 "WALKS IX CAXAAX. M thus got over rc'spectji])ly. In tlicso roiid-difliciiUies I oft en preferred tlie opinion of my iiorsc to my own. It is impossil)le to look at Mount Gilboa without thinking of Saul and liis line sons. cs])ccially his son Jonathan, David's true companion and friend. 8aul was in a sad condition the night he left his army on the hill, and with a few servants, crossed this plain to consult the witch residing at Endor, at the hase of Tabor. The witch cried out in great fear when Samuel came. "And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted mo, to bring mo up ^ And Saul answeivd, I am soro distressed ; for the I'hilistincs make war aj^ainst me, anii jN'ain is now a ])oor- looking village, standing about three miles south-east of Tabor. Our tSaviour was i)assing this i)l;ice. "Now when ho came ni^li to tlie gcate of the city, bohold, thero wna a dead man carried ont, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: ami nmi'h jjeople of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and «iid unto her, AVeep not. And ho came and touched tlie V)ier: and they that bare him stood still. And ho said Youn^' man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And ho delivered him to his mother." Yes, ITe delivered liim to his mother, and wijied the widow's tears, as He iias done i" millions of Avidows sinee. liicli and fertile as this part given by ^foses to Issachar is, only a small portion is cultivated; and at the east end only are there inhabitants, and they are few. It is the battle-field of Canaan, and the restless Arab tribes still roam and iilunder there. Generals of nianv nations have crossed it, and Napoleon here defeated the Turks, at what he called the l)attle of Mount Tabor. Esdraelon has suggested to many travellers the j)ossi- bility of forming a European colony, and English farmers liave been solicited to go there, and to other parts of Palestine, as places suitable for emigration. It would, I think, be the greatest folly to attempt it, as Palestine is no place for English farmers; it would ruin thousands. I know interested agents have written tracts, and trav- elled over England and some parts of America, to induce people to go; and since my return I have had nianv letters on the sulriect from English farmers, l)ut to idl I say, Palestine is no place for you, as the few that tried it have found to their cost. The Turk for master, and Ishmaelites for neighbours, render productive farm- ing impossible, and heahh and life precarious. On the low part of Esdraelon is the valley of Jezreel, once the residence of King Ahab, and his wife Jezebel, also the site of the vineyard of the murdered >.'abotli. Ahab, though king, could not sit easy oii u throne, I, T02 WALKS IN CAN-AAN". h ' 1)uc;uise i\ pnoi- luaii refused to sell liim liis hiviali ]i;if('h of 1:111(1; and his Je/ohcd of ii Avil'e iiuirdered ])oor Xa- botli, and Ihc'ivhy lost her luishand his kiii;j;dom. for wliicli deed siio was afterwards eaten of tlo.c^s, all but her head and the palms of her hands. Ood then did and ever will aveng** tyranny and o))})ression. Jezebel wives should have strong-minded husbands. ]n this valley of Jezreel is the lu'ook, or water, of fJideoii, where he selected his three hundred men to liii'lit with the invading .Midianites, as mentioned in Judges, (lideon. by eonnnand of (iod, brought his army to this !)r(jok. "And tlu! Lerd s.'iid unto Gideon, Kv^r}' ono that l.'Utpotli of tlio wat<'r witli liis tongue, as a do;^ Inpixtli, him shalt thou;4,li set by liiniscU': liliowisi' evt-ry ono that howctli down upon his Ivnees to drink. And the nnniljor of them that lappi'd, jiuttinj; tlieir liand to their mouth, weio liu'ee hundred men: but all the rest of the peoply bowed down upon their knees to drink water. And tlu' Lord said untcj Cideon, By the three lumdred men that lapped will 1 save yiju, uud deliver thoMidiauites into thine hand." Tho Brook of (h'deon was very welcome to ns all; some i)lunge(l into it, others waded, but we all la])|)ed, like Gideon's little armv, for the water was very clear. We also this day called and lunched at Shunam, which is now a mere niim village, near which is a small, neg- lected cemetery. We took our bread and cheese, and sat in this burial-ground, but did not iiiul out till our i"ci)ast was over that we were sitting on the se})ulGhres of the rude forefathers of the hamlet of Shunam. and l)erha]is on the grave of the good woman that made the ]U'()])het Klisha a little chamber, ^vith a bed, a table, a stool, and a candlestick. 1 rather think that this was the best-furnished room that this mighty prophet of the Lortl ever had. For the kindness of the good Shnnam- mite he brought her son to life again, who had died of the snnstroke; ami, seven years after, got her back the land she had lost in a time of famine. A cup of cold water given to a servant of Cod, because he is a servant of God, Avill not i>iiss nnrewarded. As we ascended from the rich vales of Esdraelon and TIUZAII TO NAZAUETir. lu;} Jozreol, Ave took a last look at tlie outstretclKMl land- scape, and wore struck wilh the graceful form of Mount Tabor, witli its smooth and uniform sides. Towards tlie summit, oakcs and olives seem to flourish, and a few inhabitjints are fou?id, hut in rude dwellings. Tabor is thought by some writers to be the Mount of Transfigu- ration, where our Saviour took Peter, and .Tames, and John, and where Eiias and Moses talked with Jesus; but judging from what immediately folloAved after, it seems to me more likely to have been on some part of the great Mount llermou, near tlie source of the Jordan; for when lie came down from tlie moujit. He healed the son of him that cried out, *' Lord, I l)elieve; help thou my unbelief," and then passed on through Galilee to- wards Jerusalem. This narrative makes it difficidt to include Tabor in that journey, but llermon makes it easy, and far more probable. David spe.aks of these mountains in his prophetic song of praise. In the 89th Psalm he says, '• Tabor and Her- nion shall rejoice in thy name," but in no part of Scrip- ture is the exact place of the Transfiguration pointed out. Our faces were now turned towards a spot the very name of which fills the mind with the most conflicting associations. All the week we had talked about it, and now, as the evening of Saturday drew nigh, we were approaching it. For about tw^o hours our ride was ex- citing, and at last, passing the little village of Iksal, we began to wind the last glen, and to climb our last moun- tain, when the joyful shout came, "Nazareth! Xaza- retli!" and it was to all a real joy that we should spend a blessed Sabbath at Nazareth. We rode at once through the winding streets of the little town, and found our tents fixed just outside, near some olive trees, on a pleasant spot a little above Mary's Well- Nazareth, from whichever side approached, presents a pleasing appearance, but if first seen from the rising ground on the west, the effect will be the most impres- sive. It nestles in the brow of a hill, on the top of which is a small white wely; most of the houses seem E \ 104 WALKS IN C ANA AX. Ii clinging to the rof^ky slope.'* The Franciscan convent, and the nioiique with its wliitc minaret, are the must })rominent objects. The houses are all of stone, and in the distance present a clean, substantial look. It is no doubt in every respect the best built and most prosper- ous hamlet in Palestine; though nearly all the houses are only one story, many of them are roomy and cheer- ful-looking; but it has the drawback of all Syrian towns: its streets are narrow, tortuous, and lilthy in tlie extreme. The population is about three thousand: Greek Christians, one thousand; Greek Catholics, live hundred; Latins, five hundred; Maronites, four hun- dred; Moslems, six hundred. There are no Jews. This great preponderance of Christians will account for the comparatively clean, healthy, well-dressed, and substan- tial appearance of the inhabitants — the Turk and the Jew luive here little iniluenee. The people are resi)ect- ful to strangers and to each other in tiieir manners. The woman, as at Bethlehem, are famed for their beauty, but I think in this respect the women of Nazareth excel those of Bethlehem; yet I believe neither of them can compare with the women of old England, or the women of Syra, Smyrna, and Athens. They are rather small, but remarkaldy straight, ])artly from their habit of carrying water-pots, wood, and other burdens on their heads; but i)rincipally because they have not spoiled God's work by com})ressing and distorting fashions; but, like women all the world over, they are fond of trinkets and ornaments. The place for seeing the women of Nazareth to ad- vantage is at Mary's Well; a fine gushing s})ring rolling out its streams of clear, pure water through several stone spouts projecting from a square, arched, stone tank, llere they come in crow^ds every morning with their two-gallon pitchers, or narrow-necked two-handled bot- tles, all of grey earthenware, and all of one shape. They dash into the sheet of water that is always standing under the spouts about one foot deep, with their bare feet, fill their jugs, then sit down on the margin of the water, and begin their morning chat. Twenty or thirty Hi il TIRZAH TO XAZAUKTir. 1 0,*) uill l)c llicreut oin; tinu\iui(l nioro on the SuiKhiy inorn- iii^^ 'I'lieii tlic'V arc all in their best altire, aiul the well is the ])laeo for its exhihition, I was fortunate in liaviiiiL,^ a little interpreter while at Kazareth ; he came carlv in tiie niornin'% as near our tents as he durst, and, ereepin<:( lu'liind nu', tot>k hold of my linger, sayiiii^, — " You he i'^nglish?" "Yes, my little fellow,'' I replied; '* I l)e Ktiolish. and ■what be you? and how is it you speak any Knavi(l; and t lie virj^in's iiaiiit' was Mary. And tho anp'l came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art liighly favoured, \lw Lord is with thcc: lilcsscd art thou ainon^; women. And when bin* saw him, she was trouhU-d at lli^^ sayinj.;, and ca.st iu her .nind what manner (»f sahitalion this should he. And the an^cl said unto her. Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with (icjd. And, hehold, thou shalt conceivo in thy womb, uud bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall l)<« ^reat, and shall bt," cnllod the Son of tliP Hij^hest: and the Lord (tod shall give unto him tiie throne ol his futhei- Havitl: And ho shall reign over the iiouso of Jacob for over; and of his kingdom there Biiall lie no end. Then said Mary unto tho angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man { And the angel answered and said unto her. The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore als(i that holy thing wliich shall bo born of thee sshall bo called the Won of God." Ju what part of Nazareth Mary was, when tlie angel (!al)riel made this amazing announeement, we iiave no certainty; some say at })rayer in the symigogue, others while meditating on the l'oiise-t(»i) in the evening, others when she was at the well, now called Ity lier namu. Mary, in astonishment, went in iniste into the hill country, to see and inform her cousin Elizabeth, afterwards mother of John the Baptist. J^ut Klizabeth, by a heavenly messenger, had been informed of Mary's condition, and exclaimed the moment she saw her, "Hlessed art thou among women." Joseph, her intended husband, hear- ing of her state, did not like to publicly expose her, and was planning privately to break the engagement, and put her away, hut an angel a})peared to him, saying, ''Jo- seph, thou son of David, iear not to take Mary, for that wiiieh is conceived in her is (d' the ll(dv Ghost ; and I. r-nW j f'Wff .W WBl l* - 110 WALKS IN CANAAN. slie sliall i)rin_ir forth ii son, and thou slialt; call Ilis e Jesus; lor Jle sliall save His people I'rom their nam sins. Now all this was done that it niiaht be fullllled which Avas spoken of the Lord by tiie proi)het 740 years before, saying — "Behold ii virgin shall be with child, and shall ))rin<>- forth a son, and thev shall call his name Emnian- uel, which, being interpreted, is, God with us." If no event in sacred history hiul taken ])lace in Nazareth but the Annunciation, Nazareth would have been for ever one of me nKJSt honoured places in the whole world. Good old Josei)h seems to have been kind to Mary and the Child, taking them down to Egypt to escape the bloody Herod; and after Herod's drath, returning to Nazareth, and again following his trade as ii carpenter, but nothing is heard of him after the passover journey before mentioned. Jesus followed, the same trade as Joseph ; Jesus was a carpenter in Nazareth, and. here WG come to a most wonderful ])art of Christ's humilia- tion. Look at Jesus the carpenter, working with saw 1 lamnier, aiu 1 1)1 ])la lie, m tl le svnngogues, houses, am d streets of Nazareth, and read of Him in the lirst of John. " In the beginning was the Word, anil the AVorcl was with God, aud the Word was Gi)d. The same was in tlio begiiniing with God. All things were roade by him ; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life ; .and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." "Aud the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." He did indeed make himself of no reputation, but humbled himself — and what a depth of humility! The King of kings, Lord of lords, the .Mighty God, the Ever- lasting Eather, in the form of a man, reproving indo- lence by labouring with His own hands, aiid refusing dei)endence by earning His own bread ; working at a bench in Nazareth, with axe, sfpiare, and plumb-line, for twenty years; Ave cannot behold or think of a scene liki! this without deep emotion. But so it was, and it TIIIZAII TO XAZAIIETH. JU -was iibsolutely nccessurv Unit ho it slionld be. It was a ]>art— an ini])()r(ant part — of the wondrous ])laii of ro- (leniptioii. (!()d made man, God as man, God incarnate, working at a trade as man, was a part of tlio gi-eat whole ;_ domestic rehitionships ado[)ted and exemidihed by Clirist Himself, and the di.aiiitv of labour for ever exalted, yea, by Christ Himself sanctified. Had He then been ignorant of His divine nature, as some have supposed, His life at Nazareth would have been no humiliation, but at twelve years of age, at the great feast, — "Thoy found liim in tlio tomi)](', sittin,tc in tho midst of tlio doctors, l)oth lit'iu-inj;- tlu'in, and asking tlicni (jucstions. And all that heard hiiu were astonished at his undt-rstaudin;,^ and answers-'. And when they saw him, they were amazed : and his mother said unto him, Son, why liast thou thus dealt with as i behold, thy father and I Jiave sought tliee sf)rri)wiiig. And he said unto them, How is it that ve sought me i wist ve not that 1 must be about my Father's business?' They understood not this saying, but He {u:!h the gospel to the poor; ho liath sent me to heal the broken- learted, to preach deliverance ta the captives, and recovering of sight to th(^ blind, to sot at liberty them that are bruised. And ho closed the book, and he gavo it again to tho minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on hiin. And ho began to sa}' unto them, This- day is this scripture fulfdled in j'our ears. And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which j)roceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's st)n; Is not this i\w cariuMiter, the son of Mary, the brother of .Janiop, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon:' and are not his sisters hero with us? And they were oifended at him." These brothers and sisters might not he his mother's children. ]\Iary seems to luive htid no child but Jesus; they were probably His half brothers tind sisters, Josei)h's children by his lirst wile. It is, i)erhaps, not jbstonish- ing thtit they were otTended. They were all looking for the coming of the Messiah, to come as a great king in majesty and i)ower, to restore the Jews to their former earthly grandeur ; tind again they murmured jind said, '* Is not this Jesus, whose lather and mothc]' we know ? How is it, then, that he sailh 1 came down from Heaven '^" " And all th(?y in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were tilled with wrath. And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto tho brow of th.u liill whereon their city was built, thiit they might cast uiin down headlong. Jjiit he passing through the midst of them went his way. TTKZAII TO NAZAKETir. 113 And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galileo, and taught them on the sabbath days. And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power." lie passed llirongh their midst, rendering Himself invisible, or making lliem powerless, and this seems to me His first miracle. Tlie moment He caine to Ca]K'r- naiim, devils proclaimed Him to l)e v*hat tlie Kazarites indignantly denied. The devil in the possession of a man, " Cried out with a loud voice. Saying, Let us aione; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth^ art thou come to destioyus? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying. Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not. And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying. What a word is this! for with authority and power he commaudeth the unclean spirits, and they (!ome out. And tlie fame of him went out into every place of the country round about." The ]\ressiali was come, and he was come to destroy the w^orks of the devil. " He came to his own, but his own received him not;" bur, to as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God. Christ's humility at Nazareth must have astonished angels; it did astonish devils, but it was a necessary part of His glorious work in man's redemption. Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, must be for ever associated as one grand and glorious whole. Witli tiiese views and feeliuirs. every part of Nazareth seemed to me sacred ground, for Christ must at one time or other have trod on evei'v phice — the little green Hat on which our tents were fixed, the semicircuhir phiin at the foot of the precii)ice facing the town, tiie well, still the general place of resort, the brow and the sum- mit of the mount rising l)chind our encampment, from which are the most extensive and maunilicent views in all Canaan, Mounts Lebanon, Hermon, Carmel, anil the Mediterranean JSea. All these places must have often , ' 114 WALKS IN CANAAN. been a'non;^sf' the scenes of His walks, tliouixlits, and nicdilations, as He contemplated the j^a-eat work He had come to do, for lie must know wiiut that work was from the beginninf^. During the two nights and days that I was in and around Nazareth, 1 felt how highly I was i)rivileged, and my mind was often filled with the most intense emotion. As I stood on the mount, and looked down on the little toAvn where lie had so long dwelt, and gazed on the expansive landscajie on Avhich His eye must have often rested, 1 was tiiankful that 1 had lived and been per- mitted to see this home of mv Saviour, the town of Nazareth. Our Sal)bath at Nazareth was indeed a happy day. We had service in our tents morning and evening; we preached, and read, and sang of Jesus of Nazareth, " "\\nio Slink beneath our heavy woes, To raise us to a throne;" and felt that we now more and more stood in awe at His ju-ofound humiliation. Oh, how "Great is the mj^stery of godliness: C4od was manifest in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, seeii of ange' \ preached unto the GJentiles, be- lieved on in the world, reecived up into glory," NAZARETH TO CATvMKL. 115 CHAITKI} IX, xazaiu-:tii to caiimel. Cjviia— The :Marriaj;o Foast.— Haifa.— Elijah and the Priests of Raal. — MountCariiit'l.— Ca-sarea.— Tyro and Sidon.— St. Joan il'Acre.— Tlie Battle of Huttiu.— The Mount of Beatitudes. rpiIE ride from XtizarGth to ^roiiiit Cjirm<'l, our next i ohJGct of interest, was principally throu,i,Hi that ])or- tion of Palestine allotted to the tribes of Aslier. The scenery in many places is line, and the land ^i,a'nerally good, though not all under cultivation. The few ruins, and small scattered villages, have their iirincipal historic interest from the Jewish wars. Josephus conducted most of his defensive o])erations in these parts. One place of interest Avas Cana of Galilee, where our Saviour ])erformed what is called His lirst miracle, at the mar- riage-feast, wher. the water in six stone v.'ater-pots was nnide into wine, to the astonishment of all the guests at the wedding. God in the beglnniug enjoined mar- riage, and here God incarnate, sanctioned,^ confirmed, and honoured it hy His divine presence. Yes, says the lover of the cup.^md lie also sanctioned the nse ()f wine bv putting forth supernatural powers to obtain it, and the ruler 'of the feast pronounced it good wine. Granted, hut what would the ruler have said if he luul szot a mou.thful of the liery counterfeit manufactured in this countrv ? He would hardly have said, the best was kept to the* last; the juice of the grape is undoubtedly delicious, and wine made from the grape— yes, from the gnipe— is as useful in its place as oil from the olive tree. The room in which they say the company met at tlie marriage, is now a little bare-looking chai)el ; a few ])ic- tures of the marriage and miracle hang on the walls, and two of the six water-pots are still shown, but though 11 G WALKS IN (ANAA.V. tliey fell you tliey iire ilio real vessels used at I lie /east, they could not give us faith to believe them. In descending into the vale to cross the famed Kishon, the rain had considerably swollen the brook, and we hail great ditliculty in ])assiiig over. On the banks of this iimall, but celebrated stream, Avhere J^lijah slew the ])roi)hets of Baal, the oleander abounds in great profu- sion. Our louruev for a e()nsideral)le distance lav au the base of the C-armel range of hills, which are eighteen miles in extent, [ind live across, from the ])lain of Sharon to the })hiin of IMurnicia, projecting into the sea with its liigh bold promontory, on which stands the CarmelicG convent. Before ascending to the mount, "we turned aside to visit the little tr's house, n that ye have foi-saken the commandnients of the Lord, and thou hast followed liaalini. Now therefore send, ami feather to me all Israel unto IMount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal foiu- hundred and lifty. and the prui)hets of the groves icur hundred, whieh eat at Jezebel's table. Ho Ahab sent inito all the children of Israel, and gathered tho prophets together unto Mount Carmel. And Elijah eame unto all the i)eople, and said, How long lialt yo between two opinions ^ if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. Then said Elijah unto the i)eople, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let tliem choose one bullock iov themselves, and cut it in pieces, anil lay it on wood, antl l)ut no tire imder: and I will dress the other bullock., and lay it on wood, and put no lire under: And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and the Uod that answereth bj' lire, let him be Crod. And all the jieople answered and said. It is well spoken. "And Elijah said unto the proi^hets of Baal, Choose you one bul- lock for yourselves, and dress it lirst; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under. And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until ndon, say- ing, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made. And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said. Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or ho h in a journey, or peradventure he sleepth, and must he awaked. And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. And it came to pass, when midolay was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice,Jnor anyjto answer, nor any that regarded. And Elijah said unto all the people. Come near unto me. And all tho people came near imto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down. XAZAKKTIl TO CARMEL. 119 And Elijah took t.wi'lvo stonos. accoi-dinn; to th(> ininibor of tho tribes of the sons, 'i Jacob, unto wiioni the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy nani'': And with the stones no bnilt an altar in the name of the Lord; and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measure? of seed. And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill i'nxu- barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. And he said. Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And ho said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time. And the water ran round about the altar; and he fllleil the trench also with water. And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sac- rifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and wiid, Loi'd (iod of .\bra- ham, Isaac, and of Israel, lot it be known this day that thou art (lod in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. Hear nie,'0 Lord, hear me, that this peoi)1e may know tliat thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast tiu'ned their lu-art back figain. Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sficritice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faies: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the (4od. And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; lot not one of them escape. And thej' took them ; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there." After this terrible day's work, Elijali again ascended Carmel to prayfo^ rain. Seven times he sent his servant to see if there was any rising clond; at hist rain came. It is probable that all this took place within view of the palace of Ahab, for the plains of Esdraelon and valley of Jezreel, and perhaps the temple built by Jezebel to the worship of Baal, might all be seen from various points of Carmel. The prophet Elisha also often dwelt at Carmel. It was from its heights that he saw the woman from Shu nam, coming to inform him of the death of her son, and from hence went to restore him to life again. The site of the convent on Carmel is well chosen ; the high promontory rising almost perpendicular out of tlie Mediterranean Sea, commands a most extensive pros- })ect. Standing with the face to the west, we have the wide expanse of waves that have borne on their bosom the most celebrated of all nations — kings and princes )::! "^m 120 WALKS IN CANAAN. ' i from tlic first Phanioli to tlie Prince of Wales ; Btatcsmeu from Moses to (lUulstoiie; poets from Homer to the one that sang tlie "Isles of Greece;" and last, but greatest, apostles that went forth to preach salvation to all mankind. A few miles to the left of Carmcl, almost buried in .<=afid, or covered with loose stones and weeds, lie the ruins of the once caj)ital of Palestine, C»sarea, now the iiom.e of jackals and beasts of prey; its theatres, once resounding with the mad shouts of its citizens, are gone, gorgeous palaces and heathen tem})lcs, built of mari)le and gold, are swept away. The ('a'sari; built it, and wiLli the Ca?sars it perished. Here Herod Agrippa, in robes of royalty, while making an oration, and called a god by the excited multitude, was immediately smitten witJi death, because, Ne))uchadnezzar-like, he took all the glory to himself. It would have been well for King Agrippa if he had been not almost, but altogether a Cliristian, as Paul wished liim. Here Paul remained two years, waiting to be sent prisoner to Kome. Here Philip resided, and here Peter baptized Cornelius, the first Gentile convert. Perhaps no city ever rose so rapidly to grandeur as Ca^area, and none so rapidly perished. Not an inhabitant remains. On our right, on the coast stretching out towards the north, betwixt Akka and Beyrout, are the remnants of two other cities, far more ancient, — Tyre and Sidon. These cities were in ruins when Cffarea was built. Tyre, the nearest Carmel, was once a famous city of Phoenicia, and a portion of the tribe of Asher; Tyre was also the mart of nations, and sent its artizans to adorn the tem- ple of Solomon. Isaiah called it the crowning city; whose merchants are princes. Tyre built Carthage, and many other cities by the shores of the great sea; her pride was her downfall, as it ever will be to both nations and individuals. In her glory she mocked at the sorrows of Jerusalem, and exulted in her l\ill, saying, " I shall be replenished now she is laid waste." "Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against theo, O Tyrus, and -will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up. NAZAUKTII TO CAU.MKL. ] -v' 1 And they shall dostrny the walls of Tyni.s, and break down her towors; 1 will alsoserapu her dust from her, and make hor liku tho top of a rock. It shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God: and it shall become a spoil to the nations. And I will caaso the noise of thy songs to cease; and the somid of thy harps shall be no more hoard. And 1 will make thee like the top of a rock: thou shalt be a place to spread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more: for I the Lord have spoken it, saith the Lord God." Tyre ia like the top of a rook, and fishermen do spread their nets on its rnins. *'Tiion slialt be bnilt no more," will be as true as that slio is now in ruins; for the mouth of the Lord liatli B})()ken it. Sidon, a city still more ancient, and the parent of Tyre, often mentioned at the same time, lies nearer lieyrout. Sidon is mentioned in Genesis, and Joshua culls it the great Zidon. The i)rophecies relative to the destruction of Sidon are not so numerous as those re- specting Tyre, but Ezekiel predicted its downfall; and these two ancient cities of the coast of the Mediterranean are everlasting monuments of the truth of God's word. He in Whom dwelt the fulness of the Godhead bodily, visited the ruins of the two cities, and refers to them in his discourse to the inhabitants of Chorazin and Bethsaida. IJefore leaving the convent of Carmel, "we ascended to the roof to take a last view of the expansive range. The })rospect was grand, but not exceeding that from the hill behind Nazareth. On looking down in the court behind the convent, we saw the first wheeled convevance we had met with in Palestine, — a wheel-barrow. Several of my fellow-travellers rather regretted they had to alter their notes, for they had recorded that there was not even a wheel-barrow. In descending from the heights of Carmel, and leaving Haifa on our left, we took the sands of the beautiful bay of Akka, or Accho, or Ptolemais, or St. Jean d'Acre, for the city has all these names. Our ride on the beach of this far-famed bay was bracing and exciting, but in- terrupted by having to cross the Kislion, which here 6 VZ2 WALKS IN CAN A AX. h I etnplios itself into tiio sea. We tried to Cord if, ridiiifr ill until we had to kneel on our saddle, but were ^dail to get safely back. JIailiu<( a boat, we were ferried over, our horses swiinnHn*^ by our side. In one hour we catne to a snnillcr streamlet, the Belus of the ancients, on whose hanks, IMiny tells ub, glass was first accidentally made. Another half-hour and we reached Akka, called by ^a- poleon the key of Palestine. Napoleon tried liard to get this key to lielp him to found an emi)ire in the cast, but Admiral Napier drove him l)ack. Akka lias the a|)peai'anco of a fortress in the sea, and is more connected with Kuropcan history than any other ])art of Canaan. 1'he fortillcations are shat- tered, and the town, containing live thousand inliabitants, seems luilf in ruins; yet it once numbered sixty thou- sand. Ancient history speaks of Akka as the mart of the Pha>nicians ; the Crusaders made it the liead-([uarters of Palestine, and the chief j)lace of the 1'emplars and the Knights of St. John, from whence came the Frencli name, St. Jean d'Acre. There are no buildings to attract special attention. The convent or church of St. John is small and obscure ; the streets narrow and filthy, the bazaar almost empty. 'JMie mole and ])rincipal arcli entering the city are in better order than any other part. We lunched under the arch, to the no small gratification of a numl)er of children and dogs. Paul called at Akka, or as it is called in Scripture, Ptolemais, on his way t'^ Jerusalem. The horrors of war have left their impression on every part of Akka, fragments of many columns, marble, gran- ite, and .syenite, are built in walls or temporary dwellings. It has been torn in 2)ieces by religious contentions and national jealousies. The situation is beautiful, and seems capable of again becoming a place of some im- portance, and in days to come, may really become for good purposes, the key to Palestine. Leaving Akka, our ride was over an extensive plain — a swamp in winter, but very productive in summer. We passed several villages constructed entirely of mats. The inhabitants were pure Nubian, and reported to be a quiet, i III! NAZAIfl.TII TO ('AI{Mi:r.. I r.i industrious ]ioo])le. 'I'licrc was notliin;j^ vri-y sjK'cijil in our jouniov back to our teiit.s. We luisscd Caiiaol' (iali- 1»HS bt't'oro incntioiicd, also 'I'cll Kisoii. Slud'a-Onu'r, »S:t'., and found ourselves in the dark l)et'(»ri' \vt' ari'ivedat our encampment, to \vlii(.'h wo had to he directed l»y loud shouts, the tiring of rev(dver<, and hoistini,' of paper lanterns. Wo were all dismounted, carefully i^ropinu^ our way amon It h i parcel to meet the Icvribln Molmmnu'daii general. The two armies met on the })lateau of ILattiu; the contest was severe, but the Crusaders Avere routed, many of the kni<^lits escai)ini,^ to Akka. Some of them, witli tlie now broken regiments, rallied on the top of Tell Ilattin, but they could offer little resistance. The King, the Grand Master of the Tem})lars, and Kaynoid, the cause of the carnage, were taken ])risoners ; and Saladin killed Ray- nold in his own tent for plundering the caravan. This Hill, Tell Ilattin, is said to be the Mount of Beatitude, wliere our Saviour, surrounded by great mul- titudes of ])eople from (xalilee, ])ecaj)olis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond Jordan, ])reaclied the sermon recorded in Matthew 5th, Gtli, and 7th, containing more divinity than all the schools, ancient or modern ; more hunninity than all the laws of ^l(>ses, fi)r it was grace and truth adorning the law. All the teachings of Con- fucius, Ijycurgus, Socrates, Seneca — all the oracles orall the ethics projiounded from the beginning of time, in all nations — fall infinitely short of the fulness, and grandeur, and truth contained in that one short discourse. Those nine blessings, pronounced in the lirst words, on the poor in spirit, the mourners, the meek, thirsters after righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemaker, the sulferer for doing good, and reviled falsely for Christ's sake, are the grand legacies of the Christian Church. That day the Christ of God gave to all mankind a new and glorious law of the love of God, binding the whole of the human race in one grand bond of brotherhood. The i)rece])t8 of that single dis- course would, if carried out, rectify all the many evils that alllict mankind. It is also said that at, or near this ])lace, Christ fed the five thousand men, besides the women and children, on five loaves and two fishes. As we rode along, the ruins of Irbid were on our left, filso the hill of Safed, with the little town of Safed on the top, seen from every side — " the city set on a hill, which cannot be hid." Before we began to descend, a vlatean two hundred feet below, })resented a pleasing NAZARETir TO CAIJMKL. 1'.>5 iM-om 11.18 point the Lake of (Juliloe was first .een, lyiii- calmly amongst the hills, rellectini. the lioht o,, its pitched close to its banks, on the east of (he'"citv. 1:20 WALKS IN (AN A AN. CHAPTKIl X. l.AKK OF (JAMLKH. r I ! City of Tiborias. — Suliilmr Baths. — Bcthsaida.— ('apornaum. — The Miracles uf Chi'ist. — Tlie Avenger of Blood. rpil Fi vjist ])(>i)ulatioii once inlia))iting the four cities T oil tlie sliores of tliis lake, is now reduced to about two tlH)u?;aiul, liuddled too;etlier in the half-ruined city of Til)erias; the .lews nuinl)eriiio- jihout eight liundred, ])cino- a mixture from many parts, pi-ineipally from S])ain and Russia. What couhl induce tliem trice paid. The folknving morning, for ex})h)ring purposes, we hired a clumsy boat, the only one now on the little sea once dotted with tlie "white sails of many ships. The f()ur Galilean bare-legged iishermen that we engaged ■with the boat seemed easy, hapi)y fellows. They luid riotions of their own respecting the quantity of work to be done; but Ave liked the men very well, especially their singing, which to us was really new. The Lake of Galilee is about iifteon miles long by nine Avide. It is an expansion of the Jordan, which enters at the north entl, and seems to run straight through, ])assing out at; the south. Its waters are clear and sweet, and very agreeable for drinking. Fish, dif- ferent a little in taste and form from the fish in Great Britain, still al)ound, especially on the east side. In turning the head of the boat towards the south, and jiassing the sulphur baths, we approach the ancient Irbid, or Arbela. Avith its fortified caverns, mentioned by Josephus. They are in the high rocky cliffs, and Avere once the stronghold of a turbulent race, but utterly destroyed by Herod. Then crossing the narroAV part Avhere the Jordan runs out, the mountains or hills of the Gadarenes, rugged, bare, and almost })erpendicular, stretch out on the east. At a distance they have the appearance of a huge Avail, so uniform is their height. Several names arc given to the various ])laces on this coast — Semakh. Gadara, Gamala, Fik, Deckah. It Avas at Gadara, or the country of the (Jadarenes, that Christ and His disciples landed after stilling the storm by a Avord. "And wlion 1ip was come out of tlif> sbi]> iinmpilintely there met him t)ut of the tuiubs a man with an unclean spirit, icam])- 1 l()os;e (1 feet, was a le type 3W his et, and ses, "we :tle sea . The ngaged ey liad v'ork to )ecially dug which itraight re cK'Hi' sh, dif- 1 Groat le. Ill h, and ancient itioned fs, and iitteHv w part lills of lieular, ive the lieight. on this It was Christ lin by a hore met LAKE OF GALILEE. Ud "vV'uu had his (hvcllirifc amontf the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains; Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And always, ni^ht and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. But when lie «iw Ji'sus ufar off, he ran and worshij)ped him. And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have 1 to do wi(h thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God ? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. For he said unto him. Come out of the man thou unclean spirit. And he asked him, \Vhat is thy name i And he answered, sjiying, my name is Legion: for we are many. And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swino, that we may enter into them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits wont out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violenliy down a steep place into the sea (they were about two thousiind) ; and were choked in the sea. And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was .lone. And they come to Jesus, and se<; him that was possessed with the devil, anii,s of lioiises, walls, mostly ol' uiulres.sed stone, princ'i|>all ■, and to us the most intel•estin^^ ^''^^o" meuts orcohimns, basements, ea[)itais, friezes, all of line, white, rieli limestone, almost like marble, lying amongst blocks of hewn stone. Pedestals of double (Mjlumns were also fouiul, indicating a singular style of areiiitec- tui'e. Mahy of the columns luul friezes, which, on be- ing struck, would ring like a bell, were of excellent workmanshi]). Some of the blocks were nine feet long, Avith ])anellcd and ornamental iVonts, but considerably defaced. Everything around indicates the former i)res- ence of elegant structures — the halls of the wealthy, l)ublic buildings, synagogues, or temi)les — but all that now renniins lies overthrown amongst thistles, nettles, and briers. Leaving Chorazin, and following the coast about one mile, we arrive at the spot on which formerly stood JkMhsaida. The ground is higher than Chorazin, the bank rougher, with rocks i)rojecting, and a tangled thicket of the thorny nebk makes it dillicult to land. The oleander grows in profusion, which, in season, must have n beautiful ap[)earance. There are scarcely any ruins, but in the slo})e of the hill behind, are what were i»robably foundations. The most cons})icuous object is a .circular stone wall, enclosing a fountain, called Job's Well ; vet here was the native town, or home, of Peter, and Andrew, and Phili}), and James, and John, lishermen of Ualilee, and afterwards apostles of Christ Jesus. Jlere they plied their craft; and it is said that on the smooth, samlv beach, that runs with an easy bend to the l)rink of the lake, they hauled in the great mirac- ulous draught of llshes. The word Bethsaida means house of lish ; but the once busy mart is now silent. Again following the shore about one mile further, Ave ran our boat on the i)ebbly beach of Capernaum. Here the traces of a former city are even less than at Jiethsaida; a low mound of black ruin, overgrown with thorns and thistles, is the most conspicuous object. 'J'lie ground is considerably higher than Cliorazin, rising to ■ LAKE OF (iALILj;K. J3l 11 rorky eminence, on tlie l)r()W (if wliich is rut the ])riii- cipal road of the whole city. On the western corner of this cliir is an old ruined khan, coini)arativeIy niodt-rn, and prohahly l)uilt for caravans travellin*^' from city to city. All is desohition, and whatever might have been the condition of the three cities in former days, Caper- naum is now tlie most utterly hiid waste. Ma^^dala, or Mejdel, the home and birthplace of Mary ^Ia(i:dalene, out of whom Jesus (*ast seven devils, is about two miles from Capernaum, and is also on the shore of the lake. There are a [\'w inhabitants, in ahnost a nude state, at Magdala, residing in about a ih)zen hovels, or mud huts. Tlieir wretched dwellings are in a beautiful l)ay ; and it was some little relief, after so long exploring the silent shores, to hear the shouting of a child and see a thin column of smoke issuing from one of the huts. This day on the Lake of Galilee was one of the most memorable of our travels. 'JMie heavens were cloudless, the heat not excessive, and scarcely a rii)ple disturbed the calm, clear waters. The di])])ing of our oars was all the nu)tion or sound that broke the stillness and .^ilence. We all felt we were on a more than classic sea; for He Who measures seas in the hollow of His hand, and Who had all power in heaven and earth, had often sailed on its surface. It was from a boat on its brink lie spoke to the multitudes that stood on the beach, the memo- rable parables of the sower, and of the wheat and tares, tlie leaven, the treasure hid in a tield, the merchant with pearls, and the net cast into the sea. On this lake — "When he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the se^v, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves : but he was asleep. And his disciple* came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us : we perish. And he saith unto them. Why are ye fearful, O }'e of little faith ? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea ; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, tliat even the winds and the sea obey him !" And on the evening of the day that Christ fed the five thousand, and sent them to their homes, lie Himself rs: WALKS IN CANAAN. h > I 'i'! went alone up one of tlioso liills to ]>i'ay. Tluit night a learl'iil storm arose, and His (lisviples were on tlie lake in that storm. He saw them in tlieir trouble, as lie ever sees His disciples when in trouble. " And in the fonrth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walk- ing on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, stiying, It is a spirit ; and they cried out for fear. liut straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying. Bo of good cheer ; it is I ; he not afraid. And I'eter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said. Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid ; and beginning to sink, ho cried, sjiying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt '. And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then they that were in the ship came and worshipi)ed him, saying, Of a truth,'thou art the Son of God." Yes! He was the Son of Hod^ and tlic Son of God had walked on this stormy lake, over which our little l)oat was now quietly glidin*.^; stilling the tempest, and kindly reproving ardent, loving, but doubting Peter, Jind thereby teaching the whole world that in coming to Christ we must never look at any other object, or, like Peter, we shall sink. Peter, looking straight at Christ, walked on the troubled sea ; Peter, taking his eye otf Christ, and looking at the roaring waves, began to sink ; and so it has been with thousands of Peters since, but the same sweet voice still says, " thou of little faith." Heading these portions of God's Word on the very place where the events transpired, greatly deepened our interest in everything around. The lake seemed sacred, and our minds peopled the surrounding hills with the multitude from Decapolis, from Jerusalem, and from Juda3a, and from beyond Jordan. The poor, the maimed, the halt, and blind, crowding the slopes or sitting in groups on the beach, watching Him on the waters, and waiting for Him on the shore, longing to be restored to sight and health., for He healed them all, whatever disease they had. And we, like Peter, and James, and LAKE OF fJALII.KK 133 light a \(i lake lu ever m, walk- ley were )(l cheer ; mo como )ut of the DCginniug i};ht him, ou doubt i u, saying, I of God iiir little )est, and eter, and miiig to , or, like t Christ, eye otf to sink ; ince, hut e faith." the very ned our 1 sacred, ,vith the nd from maimed, jitting ill ters, and restored whatever mes, and John, felt Jesus was with us in the hoat on tiie Sea of Galilee, and we sang the children's song; — "A little ship was on the sea, It was a iu'etty sij^ht ; It sail»Mi alouf; so pleasantly, And all was calm and brij^ht." After leaving the ])oat, and cliinhing the acclivily on which a ])art of Capernaum formerly stood, and walking the roek-hewn street, the j)rinci})al street of the perishctl city, I felt how proijalde it was that Christ had often walked through tliat narrow but once great thoroughfare, and I felt a joy in tho thought that I was treading in His steps, it is not literally, and never was, a carriage- road, ''Ut yet the great highway lor the inhabitants, tlu-ir eamels, and lloeks, and their trallic. A little above ihis pass are many scattered blocks of stone, showing that sub- stantial buildings had once crowned this eminence. From this ])oint the |)r()spect is extensive, stretching over the nn)untains of tiie (Jadarenes on the east; the sepulchres of Chorazin and ik'thsaida are on our left; the little creek of Magdala, and the plain of CJennesaret, once almost a i)aradise, are on our right, and behind us, the double-crested hill of llattin, called the Mountain of the Beatitudes; and almost every spot, especially the shores of the lake, is holy ground. Here Christ came when driven from Nazareth, and resided the greatest })art of three years; and here the pro})het Isaiah saw llim seven hundred and forty years before He came, and, in ra})tures, exclaimed, — "The land of Zabnlon, and the land of XephthaUni, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galileo of the Gentiles; The i)eople which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat ill the region and shadow of death light is sprung up." The light of the world had come to Galilee, at that time a pojjulous, i)rosi)erous i)art of Canaan. The shores were not then silent as they are now. Many thousands of people dwelt in Tiberias alone, for Tiberias was then the ca])ital of Galilee; Herod had greatly enlarged and adorned it. Pella, Scythopolis, Gadara, towns of im- lU WALKS IS CANAAN. i> I I f ^ ]i(»rtjinco, were at no ^vciit (li.stiince; Chorazin, Betiisaida, ("aj)eniaiim, .\ra<;(lala, were cliisteivd t()<^(>tlu'r on the hIkhv, and it. was ani()iieou done in Sodom, it would have )"eniained until this dav : tint I say unto you. That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee." Never did woe pronounced by Christ fail of being fullilled, and as regards these three favoured and highly ])rivikged cities, it is evidenced in their ntter anniliila- tion. There is no doubt of where Tyre and Sidon once stood, and travellers are more aefrced about the site of Sodinn than about Caperiutum. The best evidence is ill "' Robinson's llesearches,'' but even this by some is isaidii, )n the L?s that )n, 11 n- svorld ; ss, but Litthew , John, od the in the nrion's ])C()i>le, (I lierc woman oni the •fornied 3rnauni ssed so 11 its^elf odheam and truth, 'l\vre, Siihm, and Sodom, woukl not have rejeeted the miekness and humihty were undoubtedly manifest dur- ing Christ's residence on the coasts of the Jjakeof (iaiilee. Tlie im])osing idol tem})les, nuirble halks, {uul gilded jial- ace of Hei'od, were within two hours' sail, or tiiree hours' walk from Capernaum, but He sought not tiie court, and wlien sj^eaking of it He told His followers that the gorgeously a[)parelled ajid delicately fed, were in kings' houses. I'assing by nol)les, i)rinces, and royalty. He makes His home amongst the liumble ami poor, visiting I heir homes and soothing their sorrows ; and from their ranks chooses a few tishermen for His companions, atul gradnally i)repares them to understand who He was, and taking them from city to city, from village to village, makes them astonished witnesses and recorders of IHs miracles, until the day of His crucifixion. And after His resurrection, He comes again to His disconsolate disciples, who had gone bacdv to their fishing-boats, and to their amazement reveals Himself as the risen Christ, by giving them the miraculous draught of lishes. John, standing in a boat, first knew Him, and whi.spered to Peter, " It is the Lord'."' Yes, it was their risen Lord and Master ; their Ijord and their God. This was Christ's last visit to this lake. As I looked down from the heights of Capernaum, and beheld this little sea, this lake of all lakes, that had r.u'i WALKS IX CANAAN. r oneo l)onH» on its bosom tlio Tiifaniiitc Cod, llio I'riiice or iV'Uci', lliiMvorld's Iicdt'ciiKT ; and on its coasts assciii- hlt'd iMidliliidoH had licard Jliin preach, and I'clt Jlis licalin^^ l)oU('r, and on (he now desohitc sites of tlic cities Avhich had witnessed His niany niii^lity woiks, I felt I was jjazin;^' on a scene that lias no p.-ralh 1. It speaks with nniny voices, none of whicdi were ht;'vd l>y 'J\\ re, or Sidon, or Sodoni, thcv were indited nnder their own dis- 1 K'tisation. But now t lie sound hasufoneout to thewlude earth, teachin;,^ all nations, and individuals, that to reject the teacdnngs of Christ, is to reject Christ; and that to reject Christ, all will likewise ])erish. All Christ's \)\\\- cepts are given to num for man's good, man disobeying these i)recej)ts injun'S himself; but to hear and do them, — winds, rains, and Hoods may come, but that man is on a rock. Darkness came upon usbefore we landed at our encamp- ment, and as we had to steer near the crumbling walls and bending towers of Tiberias, thci-c seemed to be con- siderable danger. The old city of llei'od was silent as the grave; })ai)er lanterns, held u[» by our servants, guided us to our tents, and after a memorable day's work, amply re})aying all our toil, wc gladly gathered round our evening meal. A short time })revious to our visit to the lake, a mel- ancholy event transpired that roused the whole in''id)i- tants of Til)erias, and revealed the wisdom of the cities of refuge provided by Moses, to check the avenger of blood. A snnill ])arty of Englislunan i)aid a visit to Galilee. While out in tlieboat, one of them, when firing at a wild duck, had the misfortune to shoot one of the men at the oar: it was a sad event, and in great sorrow they at once made for the shore with the dead num. The intelligence rapidly spread through the whole place. The brother of the slain man, according to their laws and customs, was bound to slay the murderer ; an eye for an eye, blood for blood, life for life, reigns as supreme law amongst the Arabs or Lshmaelites, to which their family l)elonged ; to prevent the instant slaughter of the English gentleman, several who knew his danger dragged LAKE Ul" CiALILKK. i; ) t Prince llSSl'IU- At His L' cities Mt I Hpt-'llks 'vre, or vvu (lis- e wiiolu ) reject thut, to t\s prc- )beyin^' () tliein, in is on inciunp- \(r Willis bo con- lilent as I'Viints, L' (lay's athered a inel- in''al)i- le witics nger of visit to n firing e of the sorr(nv . Tlie e place, cir laws an eye uprenie h their ■r of the dragged n jiim to a strong hiiilding, shnt him np, and kept gnard over him. There lie was for two days; his friends doing all they conld to appease the I'liraged hrother, whose dnty it was to ho the avenger. J^arge sums of money were given to the dead man's relatives, to soften their wrath ; at last both sides consented to tho only ])ossible ]dan of saving tho nn fortunate homicide ; he must siih- mit to have one-half of his bearil shaved off by the hand of the blood-avenger himself, as a token, and the only evidence that his life would he s|)are(l. 'i't) this ho re- luctantly consented, knowing that by so doing he was ])utting his life in the power of him that sought it. lint there was no alternative, for the man would luive dogged his stei)s through Europe to iiccomplish his purpose, never giving u}) until lie had killed him, or he would have been scouted by his tribe. The da of decision came, the man entered the room where his intended victim awaited his doom ; several of tho gentlemen's friends stood ronrul him during the operation, one of them with a loaded revolver ready cocked, intended for the Arab if he })roved traitor. It was a mr})ing over the side of the boat, 1 placed my feci: flat on the top, and walked to the l)ank without the water coming over the to}) of my shoes."' It was curions to see the effect of this sfatoment on our com})any ; they looked at each other from the corner of the eye ; then one said, — " Jf it will make no differ- ence to yon, I had rather not believe your statement." Another remarked, "I have been in the habit of believ- ing your words, but you must excuse me this time." A third observed, *' That sounds like a monkish tradition." A fourth rejoined, ''A character for veracity is more i:)S \VALKS IN CANAAN, ii. ini]iort;nit iliaii sonic men seem lo think." A fiftli do- t'larcd, "It soundrd vci'v nuich like a lir." I^ut. the walker on llie deep ))ersist{>d in liis statein< iil lo the UHtonislniient of all, until lie said, amidst roars of linijfhter, " It was six inches thick of ice, and the boat V. as frozen in." 'JMien the (juost ion arose, liow^ far th(> first: stafement was Irne. and whether a person would he justilied in makin<^ it, without ex])lanati(in. We all aureed that without explanation it \\(Uild he an untruth, hecause it would be deception, with an intcul to deceive. l,'s jyc>lI.-Fn,n.f;iin of Ain >rH;.l,ah.~VillaKO l.uilt of Mats _ Strol the An.MoMt C.tyor J)un.-.S,.,.,v,. „f tin- Junla,, -- nias .. (asar..a •lnl,,,p,.--AI.,„Mt U^vuum : Ascent an-l I)...,, -Uul g lo Damascus. rpiIK iiioniiiicr wc left (.'alile.', or mdier Tihcrias, vus ± a sAvect, seivno openiiioof the dav. We rose at four, aiul while our rehelhoiis mules were heini^ loaded, I took a cIHu'ious swim in the lake. All readv, we marehed niiikandhle throuoh the vvretehed streets and broken arches wemlm- our way throuo-h the rank veoetation at the base of Capernaum-leavino- that j)lace on our ' '>^' ''"=^"I'^ ^<»'" ^^^'veral miles were dreadful, but na-ii jlie eountry i)r..ves its fertility bv no-as they walked in the statutes of the Lord; but if they sinned against Him, and disobeyed His commands. then, He said — "T will Tiiako your cities waste, and brinff vour snnctimries unto desolat.oM and I will not sn.ell the savour of %-mu- sweet orHus 1 n ., ^^ •' '"''"^ ""' '''"'^ '"f" desolation : and your enemies which dwell Ihereui shall he astonishe.l at it. tntiuub VMucli .j\'."/ ^?"'^^ w-atter you anion- the heathen, and will draw ,.ut a wa^tc ^''"' ^'"'"* ^''"'^ '^'''^^ ^" desolate, and your cities 110 ^\•.VI-KS ]N' V \NAA\. ir r II ! V i ; T])on shall the land enjoy hov Sabbaths, as loiip: as it lictli dosolate, niid yc l)u in your cneiuies' land; even tlu'ii shall tho land rust, and enjs came from (Jilead with their camels bearing s])icory and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. And Juda\i said \u\to his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood i Come, and let us sell him to the Ts]nna<'lites, and let not our hand benponhim; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content. Then there passed by ^Vlidianitos merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of tho ])it, and sold Joseph to the Islun >olitos for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into I'^gypt." Wc knoAv how the cruel brothers attempted to deceive their father, by showing him Joseph's bloody coat, and we know also that (Jod took cai'e of Jose})h in Egypt. There is u large building over the place, and the i)it is in one corner ; the water is red, and though we were exceedingly thirsty, yet we could not drink it. Two tattooed Arab women, "with bare feet, came with their kid-skin bottles to draw water from the pit, and after tilling the skins, disa})peared, where we could not tell. I^>und a small reservoir tilled with the I'ed water, behind but near the Khan, hundreds of small cows came to drink, tended by their armed half-naked lierce-looked owners, several of Avhom came and s(pnitted around as we were taking our repast. J was reminded that Josei)h's brethren might have been much like these keepers of cattle, and perhai)S as rough-looking fellows. Mirrors, i I i I,: K (;alii.i:h 'lo damascl's. 11 ^sdlate, ;st, and rest ill 8 ful- Kliiin will' re Joseph olhcr.s. iirs that i empty, lyos and I 'ad witli carry it slay our )ur hand brethren rew and oUtob for ileccive it, jiiid Egypt. .^ l)it is e were . Two their (1 after )t tell. )ehiiul line to ooked uud as seph's pers of lirrors. -1 OS liairhrusli, coiiih, and ])()niatnni, were not .suggested hy their toilet, and no doubt one of our J'^ngli;;!! or Freneli kid-gloved, scented dandies, would he to them as inter- esting as a })eep-3how. Another hour more brought us to the land of llisleh, in whieh is the lake called in Scripture the Waters of Merom, near which fJoshua smote Jabin, king of lljizor, one of the thirty-one kings that fell before the arnii(;s of Israel. Of all the lieasts that we had seen since entering Canaan, the butfaloes in the low part of the valley were the most miserable, the seven lean kine in the dream of Pharaoh could not be more wretched-looking, they all seemed smitten with a skin leprosy. One ol)ject was jdeasing to the eye, and really a relief in this vast wilderness. Two large oak trees, the largest we had seen in Palestine, spread their branches over the highway, and atTorded us an agreeable shelter from the burning sun. In about two hours more we arrived at our cam})ing ground at the fountains of Ain ]\[elahah, and what was unusual, our tents were not lixed, we having ke])t so close to the heels of our mule- teers all the day. Picketing our horses, and lying dowTi on the grass, while cords and stakes were lengthened and strengthened, we found ourselves surrounded by the almost black and naked inhabitants, who had come ont of their mountain huts and caves to watch the o})era- tions of our tent-builders. They had amongst them many children, who hid themselves behind their fathers, looking timidly at the strange-looking Knglishmen: one or two of the revolver men seemed dis})osed to order them away, Init others thought they had as much right on their own land as we had. I would advise all travellers in (\inaan to take with them })lenty of large or small ])ictures, scrii)tural illus- trations are the best and most suitaljle. I much regret- ted this omission, but never more than when at this halting-place. I had many photogra])hs, and taking some of them I sat down amongst tiiese wild-looking sons of Ishmael; they were wonderfully })leased, es})e- cially with a likeness of a Jerusalem Pharisee. One of them takina: hold of it showed it to all ti.'^ rest, and all u-z MALKS IX CANAAN. I t ' on looking at it sliowed tlicir ^vllite (eetli. I could not sjuire any of tlu'in, and felt very sorry 1 had no olhcr l)iL'tures, especially ibr the children. Our camp service that night, as it hiid often heen, was solemn, im])ressive, and ])rolital)le ; (hirkness almost to he felt shrouded us in its sal)le mantle. We I'cad our spirits seal; JSiu and want wo come conl'cssing: Thou canst save and Thou canst heal. Tliongh destruction walk around us, 'J'hougli the arrows ])ast us fly, Aug(4 guards from Thee sui-rouud us; W e are safe if Thou art nigh." We h;id many times to lie down in our frail tents in wild and lawless regions, amidst strange and nnknown tribes, and it was no small comfort to feel Jehovah's presence, and rest assured that all would be well with us whichever world we should Avake up in. 'The morning was again trancpiil and calm ; ^^ount Ilermon, whose snow-cai)])'d summit we had seen for several days rose np in full view, and Anti-Lebanus, at whose base we had encamped, stretched out beyond our vision. There was a wide sweep of mountain scenery in tile north and west, with the vale of Huleh, in whicli llowed the Jordan, iii its course to Galilee. AValking al)out our night's resting-pbice, we found a village built of mats, but a whole })aek of enraged dogs disputed our right to a])pro;ich ; the residents in these reed-made dwellings were Fellaiis, the more settled sections of Ishmaelites, and held as inferiors by the roving Bedouin, because they condescend to cultivate the land. 'J'hev had a few small cows, and several of the woe-stricken butraloes, — the bulls of Bashan. Had they known much about farming, they would have been in the land of Goshen. About twenty of the men came out of the village, some with small nets, and others with spears or OALILKE TO DAMASrrs. U'S lUl not ) utlu'i* 1 l)oen, 111 most read of les that etv-lirsl, touts in nknowii L'liovali's •ell with Mount een for inus, ut ond our Hconerv n wliicli Walkin^^ ire l)iiilt I ted our d-made tions of k'douin, . Tliey striekeu vnmuch land of o i ti 10 f pears or lances, all goiupr down to the pond or reservoir just be- low our tents and close to a small stone ruin once a corn-mill. Some of the men were entirely naked, and, lance in hand, waded into the midst of the sheet of water, up to the loins, then poisin U'd, and eneering licre one our way md coni- ■ liiboiirs; s-covcred lensu t cr- ake, tli< n and then T to form tliis mys- j by some world, by at Figeh. )ne hour, .midst the rejoicing V elegant imong.st a er and, I le foot of was in- lean com- longst the quota of iljours of Palestine. , rcsi)eet- |)))arently leni com- ss domin- ind their lorers. I best and lave done, sions, and seem anxious to do more: they take a det)) interest in every tiling aliecting its welfare, and the time is coming when they will be ])0\verful tu act. Inti'iuling travellers to Canaan may be anxicms to know how we fared in our tents, what we ate, and how we ixot it. Bv mv diarv 1 tind that a circumstance occurred at Banias that may give the answer. A shep- herd having seen us pass his ilock, and watching us ])nll up at the encampment, followed us with one of bis shee[) behind him, for in no ]>laee did we see shepherds follow their she '[), but the sheep follow the shepherd. Tht moment I saw the innocent, brautiful thing com- ing towards ns, 1 knew it would never return to its nibbling amongst its companions. Our cook and drago- man ])urchased it, and in a few minutes, it hung by its hind legs on an u})right iron bar, a ])art of the cooking ai)pa,ratus. In a short time, several half-naked children came with fowls for sale, these wei'c purchased, their heads nipped olT, and they also hung up near the sheej). Our cook was a clever man, and could serve up a great variety of excellent dishes with order and nicL-ty; and our table in the wilderness was no mean affair. \''hile on the subject of dining, we saw a repast that remi ided us of the Scribes and I'harisees asking Our Saviour why His disciples transgressed the tradition by eating -vith unwashed hands. Several men sat on the floor round an iron dish that contained mutton, olive oil, garlic, onions, &c., all hot and simmering; each man with a large round })iece of brov n bi'ead, t'rom whicli he broke a i)ortion, and then, in his turn, dii)i)ed it in the dish, and carried it carefully to his wide-opened mouth. 'J'hey were di}»ping with each other into the dish with evident relish. It struck me while watching them, that if I had to join at the dipjung, I should wish them to have washed hands, and that the Pharisees did not seem to be so unreasonable in tlieir demands, only the Piiarisees woukl have tbouglit less of a man starving his father and mother to death, or breaking all the laws of God, than by transgressing one of their traditions. They in this case made a sin of what w;is merely an act of ]>rn- !! IS 1411 WAT-KS IX TANA AX. ■I !! I I dt'ucc ; l)ul I nitluM" iliink tluil in I'alosliiic, ;is wi|| jis ]Mi,i,'lan(l. or any other ])la('e, tliose tliat keep or ii y to keep (lOcl's coniinanilinints in ])ivicri»n{'e to tradition, Avill 1)0 fonnd willi as clean Ininds ;is tradition-keepers. Our >«al»l)ath at J^anias. or Cjvsarea IMiilippi, was ft day of rest for our cattle, our servants, and sometiiin;^- more than a day of rest to many of us. Those thai I'cgard the Ijord's day as merely a restin;^- from lahouiv know little of its true value. A qui'-t. day of rejiose alter a week 'H excessive toil, we know is a p^reat l>hysi- cal blessing; hut when it is a day consecrated as holy to the Lord, and ])erishal)le secular things and thoii^^hts are laid aside for spiritual, moi'c sublime, and eternal realitios, the soul holdin<,' eommunin<;s with (lod, ami ctjmmunion Mith saints, gathering rich treasures for a I'uture world, and thus ])reparing in the school of grace for its home in glory; tlien the day becomes a day worthy of llim that nuule it and set it a}>art as a day of rest that it might better be ii day of holiness. Ciod in mercy gave the day to man at creation, renewed, con- iirmed, and incorporated it in the moral law, and to this day it renuiins the law to all nations. "Kemember the sabbath day to keep it holy," is as im})erative as •* thou shah not steal,'' or, " thou shalt not kill." >\'e had service in our tents, morning and evening, singing, reading of the Scriptures, ])rayer, and the ])reaching of the Gos])el of Christ. Our black, brown, and olive-coloured servants looking on in silence, but evidently impressed with the solemn hai»py scene, though they could not understand a word that Avas spoken. AVe regretted that our American neighbours struck their tents, and moved off on the Sunday, but afterwards learnt that they belonged to a church that regards the sabbath as a mere secular institution, therefore the obli- gation to kec}) it was not very strong or binding; yet if their horses could have spoken, they would have j)rol»- ably reminded them of their own outraged creed. So it is; deny the moral obligation to keep the sabbath, and tho-re will soon be no sabbath at all. There are manv objects of attraction at Ca^sarea Phi- (iALILKK TO l)AMAS( IS. 11 well as r try t<> •a<\it'u)i\, i, was a lUL'tlnii^' oso U»i»i it ]>i»ysi- LS holy to thoiij;l»ts (\ ftenuil (lod, iuul n*es for h I of grace ics a (lay IS a (lay ci" ;. CJoil in 'wed. con- w, and to Remeinlter x'rative us 11." II evoiuni; d tl <^. an le L'k, brown. ilen(;e. bnt thou lie as sjK ilU )ken. Itrnck tlu'ir afterwards L'i4ards the the obli- iri! ing; yet U' have i)roi)- [oed. So it ibbath, and tvsavea Phi- lijij)!, l)ut no doubt the jtrincipal onr is tin- liiulier source of tlu.' Jordan. ^Near a huge dark cave, at tlu.' base of a cliir of ivd limostone, OIK,' bundivd (ret liigli. in vast vol- ume, bursts fortli tliis ujt])t'r fountain from its ivtcky tombs in tlie bowels of old llormon, instantly forming a cascade, and tumbling down the steep (ataract, dashing and foaming with a dcaftuing sound, .■scattering its spray amongst ruins, fallen columns, and broken ai'ches ; then rusiiing into a deep I'aviiic, and disaiipearing amongst oaks, oleanders, and a dense thicket of brushwood. Still descemling on its swift career towards the phiin of lluk'h, the Lake of (ialik'C, down to the Dead Sea, a fall from lirsL to last of eight hundred feel, there to be swalltwed u}» in the caverns of the mysterious sepulchre of the cities of the jilain. AVhence comes this vast volume of water no man knows, and where it ultiimitely goes no man can tell. Jl Hows in a zig-/,ag course about two hundred and forty miles, n!ul in a straight line about ninety, luaking fruitful the land and carrying blessings in its whole course. When the scattered tribes of Israel return to Canaan, it will be a greater blessing still. It seems to me that this fouutain — the Leddim — at the base of llermon is the ])rincij»al and ival source of the rJordan, and that all below are mere tributaries, though inn)()rtant ones. That the fountain was the parent of the once grand city, may be reasonably ])resumed, as in thmisandsof other cases, cities gather to rivers, and wiu-n cities to ruiris run, rivers still run on. So it has been with 15a- iiias, a name said to be derived from the (ireek god Pan ; hence Panias, or Panias, the (Jreek settlers laving for- merly had an altar to their deity in the great cave or grotto, over which is an inscription in (ireek. Above is a little wely clinging to a ledge in the rock, dedicated to El-Khudr, the Moslem St. George, a CJreek ])riest hav- ing it in charge. The Romans, overpowering the (J reeks, made Banias their head-fiuarters in this (ialilee of the Gentiles. Josephus tells us that Ilerod here built a beautiful tem])le of white marble to the honour of Cfesar Augustus, which he dedicated to CiTsar. This was the us WALKS IN CANAAN. Iliii'd lcini>lt.' to three (liirci-ciii ;ro(ls : I'aal of tho Syrians, J'aii (»f I he (Irecks, and Cavsar <»!' tlie Ikoiiians. At ;i hiter period, IMiiUj) the 'iV't rui'eh irriMtly eidai'.i^^ed the city, and (.•liannt out. and his disciplos, into tho town of C.-vsarea Plii- li])))!; and l>v tlic way ho asked his disciplos, saj'iug unto thoui, Whom do men say that I am *. And thoy answerod, John the Bajitist: but some saj/, Elias; and othci-s, One of tlie i)rojih('ts. Anrl ho sjiilh unto thoni, But %A'hom say ye that I am ! And Peter answeroth and saith luito iiim. Thou art tho Christ. And ho oharjj^od thorn that thoy should toll iio man of him. And ho began to teach them, that tho Son of man must sulfcr many lliintis, and bo rojoctod of tho chlors, and of tho chief priests, and scribes, and bo killed, and after three days rise again. vruitis, At ;i ^(•(1 tbu honour ]>rs, iintl ;th. A wc Ikivo llU'StollC v inlitil)- "i- of the (' houses ■1, things ing high vers four il3 in all lo ruins, i?e, jii'ig- \ V)aek to haps the lienihered is stamps I'sars, and iven Her- on many destined •and iler- ,se. lipsarea Plii- leiii, AVbom Elias; and And Peter |m. Isiittcr many priosts, and fi.U II,r.i: TO l» \MAsr[>. 110 Ami lif spake I li;il fUNin;^ ojn-iily. Ami I'ltfr (.mi!; him, ainl In ;^jiii to rf|piil;>' liiiii, J{ut wlnjM lu' li;i(l tmiifd jilioiif iiiid Idulml dii his (lisci|ilcs. lie rc- buki'd IVtcr, sayill;,^ (Ji-t thfc hfhinil nic, Satan: for thou siivourist not tliotlunys tiiat bo ot" Clod, but tlif things that, bo of nion." Judging from all tlio records that u c have of tlie 'I'raiis- figuralion, it is prohahle that at this liub', and on soino l»art of llernion, it took phu-e, for "After six ilays.b'sus tnki'tii niHi him Peter, aiul .Taiii(>s, ;itii1 Jolm, and hadetli them up into an hij;h mountain apart by thoinsc Ive^: and lie was transfigured before them. An5- take, and one that nu)st showed his weakness. Seeing one, as lie thougiit, illegally ea.^ting out devils, he said : " Master, we saw one easting out devils in thy name, and ho foll IN' < AN'AAN'. L'l! join iiMf //.?, jiiid ;ir(! not ojilli'd jiftcr ks\ Ihcv onpht not It) prc'tund or lu' allowt'd to do ^rood, ;i,,,l ks \\\\\ yut Irv to l»r('veiit them as fur {IS possible. And those who ciitini exf'hisivc succession to IVter because of the words Clii'ist spoke to IVtcr at ('ivsarca IMiilipjti, " Tliou art Peter, and u))on tliisroek will 1 l)uiid My chureli, and the «,Mte.s of liell shall not prevail a^i'ainst it." should retneniber that at the same j)laee and time lie rebuked I'eter. say- ini;, ''(iet thee behind Me. Satan, for thou savourest not the thin;:s that be of (Jod." So if tlie Church (daims sjx'cial descent frotn Peter, tliere is little to l)oast of; and 1 think the Satan part should }>e added fiUhe in- s(;ription round the dome of SI. I'eter's at Itonie. Peter's presumption and .John's narrow views Christ corrected, ;is lie often had to do, His well-meaninij^ but erriuL"; disciples. They did and said many thinL,'s beft.re the day of I'entecost. whicli they did not door say after. TIk,' scales fell from their eyes that day ; bid'ore they had onlv seen men as ti'ces walkinir. StrikiniMr, mimI our jouiiu-v .>low aud (hih«(t'rous. Tlie peak of litTuioM. ahiiost pcrinndicular, the sides })aro and ruuufi'd, rose Ufar three tliousaud lect al)ovo us, the suinntit covei-cd with |)rriK'tu;d -now, aud seen from iiuiuy distant parts of rahsliiii'. 'I'he lii^hrst point of Lt'l)auon is only alxnit ouo liundrod I'n't ahove this glistcMiiiipf jicak. In another lioui- wo hc^'-an to divu down a deop ^^ov^o, tluit ina(h.' havoc with the phit(\s on the foot of oui' iiorses ; aud. to our sui-prisc. found a villa;^!', tile liouses of wiiich seemed cliny iii;^^ to tlie rocks like swaUows' nests. 'I'he name (d' tliis iiamlet ii' tlie declivities is liest Jennuo," the House of I'aratiise. Many aiieieuL rcjck tomhs were visible near this place, of wliich we know no reconls. The stream that here <:ushes down the rupufed stee|» is one of the t rihutaries, and may he considered one of the sources of tlu' river Pharjtar. At this j)lace we saw seventeen dead goats, and many doirs^, and amongst them cliildren i)laying, without any regard to the stench of the festering carcasses. We were in- formed that these and iminy more had perisl'ed in a deep fall of snow (hat had recently covered the whole of the houses. On the hanks of the stream, at a safe distance from the putrefying animals, we to(d\ our mid-day rej)ast, part of the Druse and Moslem population looking eag- erly at our viands. Our lournev for a con?:iderahle distance was near the hrook, tortuous hut interesting; then, merging out of the ravine, we took an open cultivated district, and entered our tents at the village of Kefr Hauwar, where, tradition says, Niinrod was buried, and what seems to he the base of the shaft reared to his memory is pointed out. At this place, to our regret, one of our baggage- horses died of fatigue ; and here 1 again felt sorry I had no pictures for the little Druse aud Moslem children that crowded about our tents, and here also our drago- man had another of his ungovernal)le tils of passion. The cook, as he often did, l»ought some charcoal at one of the huts or houses that happened to be the nearest W \I.KS IN' CAXAAN, our tt'uls, to ^rill or boil our victuals. On tlio .seller asking for payment, the dragoman ottered what ho tho iglit sullieient ; hut this was rejected by the vendor, ■\v!i(,. to show his indignation at so snuill a price, struck the hand of tho drag(»nian, and the money fell on the ground. Instantly the dragoman snatching an o.\-goad helonging tO the man, shivered it in pieces on the man's shou'dcrs, then cat(;hing u]) his musket to shoot liim; h!it tiiis being taken from him by three of our servants, lie drew his &.word ; but before he conld use it three others laid him on his bacdv on the grtuimi, holding him fast until his rage subsitled a little, when he called for ■water, and poured it copiously on his head and face. About twenty *keil on ; and had they taken ])art with their much-injured, but not faultless, neigh- liour, a general conflict would have taken place ; swoi'ds, daggers, and revolver;: would have been at work, and numy j)ei'S()ns left deatl on the spot, ali through this one nuin's wickeil ten.ii)er. AVhen it was all over and settled, lie came round to shake hands and ask our forgiveness; but I then told him that he had placed us all in more danger, both of life and limb, than we had encountered in all ihe other ju-rils through which we had come, and that another such foolish outburst would prevent my signing his certificate. With the exception of his hot, j)assionate tem})er. he was an luuioi'able, clever guide ; but 1 bebcve, as 1 told him, that he will be slain in one of those mad frenzies, and very likely be the cause of dea.tli to otliers. The foil* wing morning found us on the way, ainl, to oar astonishment, on a road where we could ride two or more abreast, now going towards the most ancient city in the world — Damascus. Jiahylon, Nineveh, 'J'yre, Sidon, derusalem — all are comparatively young; and even I'^gypt dates m>t so far back in history. Our road to this hoary and once Syrian capital presenleu nothing remarkable. For several hours the whole aspect was dreary ; shrubs and patches of grey thovn, and tufts of ling, that reminded us of some of the Yorkshire hills. [> . (iAI.ll.IlK TO l>.\ M A>( r- 1 .>.) liiy all around, and it \va>: nut niitil wc a|>])n)a('li(Ml tlio cross roads to l'';-'"y|»t and dudali. wIltc it is said Paul was strucd\ down, tliat wv IVlt any ;^rcat intcivst in what wc saw. Here wc dismounted to paHakc of the waters of a suuill brook, and nad and talked of the event. Takin*^ our Hihles, we read: — "And Saul, yot hn'alliint:^ '"it tlirenteniii},'s mikI slaughter n^^ninst the (lisciplcs of tlu' I.dnl, went uiiti' tin' lii)j.li pi-icst. Ami (lt'sii-fil nf liiiii Icttcislo DaiuaM'iis to the s\ iiapi^^ucs, that if 111' ft mill I any of tliis way. wlictlin" tlicy witc iiicii ur woiiifu, lir luij^lit bi'in;; liiciii huiiiul \iiitu .Jciiisaltni. And as lu- jimrni'Vfil, he came near Iinmascus: and suddenly there shint.'d mund atiuut liini a iij^lit finin licavcn; And hi' fell to tln' tartii. and heard a vniee sayinj^ unto iiiin, Saul, Said, Nvliy iM't'sccutcst tlmu int' .' And he s/dd, Who art thou. Lunl ^ And llie Lnnl said. Iain Jesus vhoin thou jtersecutest: it is iiacd for thee to kick against tiie pricks. And he t rcnililiiiK and astonislied said, Lord, wiiat uil( thou liavc nie to do? And the Lord moi/ unto liim, .Ai-ise. and go into the city, and it shall be told thco what tliou nuist do," It ■would be prelum])! ion to say that this is llic exact place where the arch-persecutor was arrested in his mad career. The Scriptures do not say more than it was '* near Damascus," " niLdi unto nanniscus." Hot!i these e.\i)ressions jiistil'ythe belief that it was on the <:reat road to Jerusalem, near the city, and ])os!;il»ly here, iiut the })lace where Saul fell to the earth, and heard the voice, is not so im})ortant as tiu' great and instant ehanee that voice })r()duced in the nnni. Had lie been stnu-k dead on the spot, the youn;,' ('hureli (»f Christ would luive been delivered from its bitti n-.t foe; but his ciui- versation gave it its great" t champiiU). 'I'he trembling (piestion, ** Lord, what wilt Thou have tw to tlo ? "' was in his case, as in all others, the prelud<' to v\hat the Lor«l had for him to do. In .Jerusalem li-' has(]uos and Strocts. — ]\rissi<:»ii Work. — lnt<'ri<>r of a House in the Ancient (,'ity. — liil)l(' ('liaracttTs coniitH'tod with Damascus. —Muuut Lebaiiuu aud Eternal Snows. — AVady Hunuiiona. — Beyrout. Ii'^lJOM this place tlic extensive })lain of Damascus stretches out het'ore us, tinted here and there with bright ^i^'reen foliage, little villages, and nurseries, bor- dered l)y Ant i-Iiehauon ; the round Jahel Blount and other hills on the left. A few minutes more, the majes- tic domes, S([uare towers, and tall, graceful minarets, shoot u}) from the city, amitlst a dense mass of jxtplars, foliage, and fruit trees, and as we aj)])roached nearer, the white battlements and monjues ])retH.'nted a truly Orien- tal appearance. Hy our side, the ancient river Abana, silent but rapid, rolled on, to distribute its thousand lil'e-givmg sti'tamletsaud tiny fountains to citadels, halls, bazaars, and marts. (>n its banks, bleacliing silks, groups of lazy Turks, gi'azing camels, smart Bedouin cavaliers, sheej), o.\en, and what surprised us most, wlu'cled conveyances (the first we had seen since entc^r- ing Palestine). As we entered tlie city, through "The (iate of (iod," we were gazed upon by men and women of many colours, and in the costumes of many nations. Winding our way through luirrow streets of clay-col- oured liouses, anil i»assing the horse mart, we arrived at (Uir (puirters, called the (Jrand Hotel, the only hotel in Danniscus; and entered out of a narrow passage, through folding doors, into a large and truly Eastern court of marble fountains, with mosaic and inlaid pavement, and orange and lemon trees bending with ri})e fruit. The walls sparkling white, decorated with stripes and bor- ders of scarlet and blue: the wide contrast betwixt the DA M A<(.L> AND l;KY KUl'l". 15") s.— Mission Characters .1 Snows. — )iim:iscus lu'iv with 'i-ies, bor- iMint luul he ni:ij«'!^- miiKirets, t' po\)ljirs, M'arcr, the ily Orieii- er Abulia, thouj^tiiul rl8, hulls, no; silks, Bedouin us most, i(;e ent(!r- mh "The \([ women y iiutions. t' cluy-col- airived at y hotel ill 'e, through \ court of 'ineiit, and ruit. The and bor- petwixt the ontranoo and interior pleased and astonished u-?. Only under an KasLern sky could such an enchanting scene be ])ossib]e. The bazaars of Damascus were undoubtedly the best we saw in the East, either at Constantinople, Smyrna, or Cairo. Lon:j:, narrow, covered streets of mercers, tailors, shoe-makers, clog-jiatten-makers, saddlers, s])ice, books, and old clothes dealers, tobacco-cutters, and sil- versmiths, all in bazaars, kept by rolled, turbaned, l)eard.d vendors, tin- most comfortable-looking shop- kee})ers this side the .'^i. lime I'orte, sf|uatting in a few square inches in the mid.-; of their merchandise, iilmost as immoveable and unconcerned as a statue. Costumes the most fantastic are inside, and on the backs of men and women outside, these bazaars; the dervisli with his llower-})ot siiaped hat; the Turk with his fez; Sheiks with their bed-(pults wrajiped ""und their necks; and Englishmen with their chimiiej-pot huts, crowd tlio streets; jostled and jostling mules, camels, dromedaries, horses, and donkeys; many nations are rei)resented in travellers, pilgrims, and wares. Muslins from Et'icester and India; calico and })rints from Manchester; llunnels from Ivochdule ; Cashmere shawls, and JVrsian carpets; silks from Lyons and ]\[acclt'.stield ; guns and knives from ShetHeld and IJirn'ingham ; and in the (Jreek ba- zaar old armour, jjorct-lain, and mcient curiosities. In one or two of the bazaars, tliL- j > asktni is the only price taken, but in mt»st of them, oiieii live times more is demanded than ucct-pted, — but this is <'nly to you, for Ihev would not aell lo any other man in the world so clieaj) as to you. The horse fair is held every morning ill a square in the centre of the city. <>n one side d' this S(piare there is the ancient plane tive, foity fet^t round the bole, and in a healthy and tiourishing condition. Passing through the greu -lUaiv of ui ca.>tle. wt* were amused with the Turk sh scddiers at paraile. Man never looks more foolish and truly ridiculous than on a })arade-grouiid ; the whole is a burlesque on common sense, and humiliutiuii- in the last deirree. The castle i:)0 WALKS IN' CAN' A AN', U covers a great part of ilie city, and is part in ruins. Near this place is the bazaar ol' the silversniitlis, one of the most curious i)Uices in tlie city, and into wliich you had Ijctter not enter exci-pt you are ]»repared for any an.'ount of teasin^^ to Ijuy. Swartliy turbaned artizans, s(luaLiing round their Hllle tires, Avitli smoke curling up t(j the barn-like roof, with the i)recious metals, orna- ments of almost endless variety, with rubies and dia- monds glittering in the dim light. They are all sharp men — Christians by profession. From an opening in till' roof of this bazaar, and from the surrounding Hat t(>j)3 of the buildings we got a good view of the grand old mos((ue, to describe which would reijuire a volume. It is evident that it was not originally Moslem, for tliere is an inscription in good preservation: — " Thy kiiKjildni, (J Christ, is an everlasting I'ingdom : and Thy (foNii/nnn endurcth thnmyhoiit all ymeraf ions."' It is remarkable that ueh an inscription should have renniined twelve hundred year- -li one of the most holy ghrines of Islamism; but ms it can be seen only by mounting to the top of the bazsiar, its having escai)ed destruction may be tlius ac('< iitt- wliich jiil may learn to read the Scriptures, many 1 all creeds, especially adults, are Ihx.'king to it, and the Damascus m - u promises fair to again restore the Word of (iod to the city where Paul oiKt- preached ; and thou ijli the priests continue to de- nounce liie instructions in the Hible, and all that attend the Protestant mission-house, it produces no elfect; the people will go. Mrs. Thompson, of Beyrout, works hard for this mission, and sj)oke of it to us with thank- fulness and much ho])e. English service is conducted rvci'v Siind.iv ;it ( wche o'clock. DAMASCUS AND ItKYlfOl'T. 1 ■.r I nuns. ;, one of lich you for any irtiziins, rling up Is, onui- [ind iliii- ill slr.u-p cning in itling lliit he grand i v«)lunie. for there l-i)Hj(lom ; n\\d have most lioly I only by ig escaped iculptured be eipial he Sun at hosts of vent and its OJ- pi'O- Tho Bible c»' of wor- read the ivlulls, are >nuses fair here Paul nue to de- hat attend ert'ect; the out, works ith thank- condneted Tlie streets are most of them narrow and uninterest- ing; tlie liouses are nniny of tliem Imilt of mud and wooden rafters, or sun-dried bricks, and in rainy weatlier have a miserable ajrpearance. There are nine gates in the city, but only three of them in use: the others being walled up with fragments of ruins. One cause why Danniscus is the most nourishing city in the east is owing to the vast multitudes of })ilgrims that annually Hock here on their way to .\[ecca ; at least forty thou- sand vearly arrive, some of them months before the dav of setting out. jNIany of them are merchants, and trade with tlie citizens in what may be re(iuired by the pil- grims, and buy at Mecca the ])roduce of India to sell or exchange on their return. These hordes of pilgrims are a medley of many countries — Persians, Kurds, Cir- cassians, Anatolians, Turks, all marching in one cara- van, for forty days, to ])rostrate themselves at the holy shrine of the False Prophet. "The sabre, the sword, or as it was once called the Damascus blade, is not now known. The temper of this famed sword was such that it would cut through the best armour; its flexibility so great that it would bend from the point to the hilt with- out breaking; but the art of making them is now lost. 'J'amcrlane, when he sacked the city, carried away all the artizans to Persia, and no blades worthy of note have since been nnuh'. Damascus has been governed by at least seven different powers: Babylonians, Persians, (j! reeks, Jews, Pomans, ISaracens, 'J'urks. Its history reaches back to Uz, the son of Aram, the son of Shem, the son of Noah. No city can trace so far back ; and had it not been for its salubrious situation, and especially its rivers Abana and Pharpar, Avar would have ere this destroyed it; these beautiful fertilizing waters have been its peaceful pre- servers. The homes of several of its inhabitants are gorgeous, and remind us of the tales in the "Arabian Nights.'' Two of them, Lisbony and Faskhy, we were allowed to see, but only one need be described. To reach the first we had to pass throiigh a very narrow, iilthy street of l.hS WALKS IN CANAAN'. I ' almost doiul walls, ciiUM'iiig liy ;i j)l:iin folding door, near wh it'll hiy lu'iips of otl'iil and mud. Tiio nioiiient tlie door was o))ened tlu' wliole scene was changed. A large s(iiiare court, surrounded by splendid rooms and alcoves, and the lloor of the court )>avi'd with tessehiled marble in various patterns, hut mostly white in colour. A large mai'ble fountain in the centre, with numerous jets, sending ^\nv;n their misty showers of the Abana waters; beautiful marble nymphs supporting the basin ranged roun-l the court at e(|ual distances; orange, lemon, and citron trees, in full fruit, tiie roots sur- I'ounded with marble, representing a large vase. On the lower part of the walls was trellis-work, with climb- ing llowers and jasmine. All the windows, doors, and apartments o})en into the court. We entered one room, the ceiling of which was thirty feet high, adorned with ji most costly and well-executed historical painting. J'illars of almost every tint of marble, with gilded base and cai)ital, ranged round the walls, in terraces, dimin- ishing in size as they neared the fretted cornice. Round the base, couches, about three feet high, also marble, covered with gtdd-embroidered satin, overlaid with down; stutfed (luilted silk cushions, on which the vis- itors are allowed to sfpuit. A fountain of gilded white marble and elaborate workmanshi]) was in the centre. Entering another room, dilferent in style, but also truly magnilicent, we beheld the lady of the house S(piatting on a crimson velvet ottoman, smoking her costly nar- gileh, who smilingly offered us a pulf of her liltered tobacco-smoke as a token of our welcome. iShe seemed about thirty ycjirs of age, small, but pretty, and grace- fully attired; her husband, much older, stood beside her, nodding his '(iood-day, gentlemen.' The whole scene reminded me of the Alhambru, in the Crystal Palace. The best view of Damascus is from a high mo'wl on the liarada road, and from this place the suburbs of Danuiscus are umhuibtetllv beautiful, but there is noth- mg to justify all the eulogies that have been written about the town itself. Writers say that when ^loham- I»AMA.S<;L'S AM) 15KY1U)L'I\ l.V.) in»(l, at tlu' linad of his roiKincrinir army, first saw tho city, lie rt'l'iised to let iiis soldit-rs ri'inain near it, sayinir, We look hut for one })arailise, and that not of thin W(»rld and the writer in Murray's (Juide could not .sav more of heaven than he says of J)anuiseuj W know its vast orchanls, thirty miles in circumference, of graceful ])o|»lars, walnut, ai)ricot, pomegranate, li olive, and damson trees, ahundantly watered with nat- ural and artificial streams from the Ahana and Pharpar, are line indeed; hut Damascus without these is a ])oor, lialf-ruini'd city. Six out of its nine gates are hlocked u}) with hroken columns, capitals, atid the remnants of its former graiuleur; several of the rapacious 4'urkisli governoi's have i)lundercd the decaying ])alaces ami homes of its former ptrinces, and they even take the hest stones out of its walls to huild themselves motley ]»atchwork houses. The street called Straight is the most res}iectahle ])art of the city; hut this reminds you of the worst and lowest j^arts of London, Liverj)ool, and Manchester. We took ])ossession of the only hotel, or hoarding house, in the city; a second one was recently tried, hut could not succeed. The new French road to Jieyrout seems to have opened out facilities for a more extended commerce with the Mediterranean traders, and has ])rohal)iy given Damascus a little vitality; hut how great is the contrast l)etwi.\t its ])resent condition and its foi'mer glory, when it could send :2(K),U()0 men to the rcdief of lladadezer, king of Zohah ; and the time when Klisha came to Danuiscus, when Ben-hadad was kingi But so the proplu'ts declared it should he. Jsaiah foretold that " Damascus is taken away from beimj a city, and it sliall be a ruin- ous licap. The cities of Aroer are forsaken; they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make thcni afraid. The fortress also shall cease from Ephraiui, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria." The i)r()plu't Amos, also speaking of the future of Danuiscus, savs : "But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devoui* the palaces of Ben-hadad. IS ^'■ •;(> WALKS IN ( ANAAN. N I will break nlso the In-ir of Dfiinnscns, ;ui(l cut ital. It is tliis connection with tlic Sc'V|i(uros tliat gave Damascus itscliicf intci't'st lo iis. Nearly lour thousand years a,i;o Abraham's steward, Mliezi-r, came from Damas- cus; and liere dwelt Naaman, tlic leper in whose house lived that well kiu)wn Jewish girl, I'or "The Syrians had tj;one out by eoniiiaiiies, uml had broiij^ht away captivt! out of the land (tf Israel a little maid ; and she waited on ^Jaanian's wife. .And she said unto her unstress, \Vould (Jod my lord ii-fn' with tho prophet that is in Samaria ! for he wouhl reeuver him of his leprosy." The child's story induced the alllicted general to go into l*alestine to see the prophet. " So Naaman cam(> with hishorses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Klisha. And Klisha sent a messenj;t'r unto him, sayinj^, (4o and wash in Jor- dan seven times, and thy tlesh shall come aj^ain to thee, and thou shalt In- clean. Hut Naaman was wroth, and wont oway, and said. Behold, Ithou^^ht, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of tho Loud, his (Jod, and stril^< his handover the place, and recover tl.e lepci. Are not Abana and I'harpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel ;' may 1 not wash in them, and be clean ? So he turned and went away in a ra;;e. And his servants came near, a?id spake unto him, and said. My father, // the projihet had bid thei' (/o sonw groiil thin;;, wouldst thou not have done it / how nuich rather then, when he saitli to thee. Wash, and b(> clean f Then wi-nt he down, anil dipped himself seven times in Jordan, nc- cordin;; to the siiyiiij; of the man of (iod: and his Hesh came again like unto the llesh of a little child, and he was clean.'' That little captive maid, in the house of Naainiin, has read the wlu)le world the useful lesson that there are no circumstances in life in which we may not do good. But what interested us the most in and about Damas- (!U3 was its scenes and associations connected with Paul's conversion. We sought and found the street called Straight, that extends across the whole city from the I>A.MA^( IS AND r.KYUorT. Kll and stood at rast lo the uc.-t ;4aU', al)oiit (iiic iniK' Ioii^lt. naiTnw, and as strai^lit as u line ; and wliile walkiii;,' alon;:" 1 tliiui^ilil of one who, trrinl)lin<( aiul blind, was \vd l»y tlit' hand iii this verv strcel to the liouso (d' a man named dndas. Tanl's own narrative ol' the cireunislunee to Kin;^ Agri|»pa is — As I wfnt to Daiiuiscus witli authority and connuissiuii from the •hii'f pl'IcstS, At midday. O kiii^;, I saw in Ilic way a li;;lit from li(a\»'ii, aliov*' tho t>ri^;litti('ss of tiuisuii, sliiiiiii;^ round altuut uit> and tlu-m wliicli jour- nt'vcil witli nic. And wlu-n we witc all falU-n to llio cai'tli. I lirnrd a voice s I II a \i uv. unto me, and sayinj; in tiif Hclircw ton^ui', Saul, Saul, why pcrst;- eutcst tliou MM' '. It is hard for flirt' to kick a^^ainst the pricks. And 1 said. Who art thou, Lord/ And ho said, 1 am Jesus whom thou pt'rsccutcst. Hut ristj, and sliind upon thy feet : for I have niipc-ircil milo thee for this purpose, to maku thee a minister and a witness lioih of tiieso things which thou hast seen, and of thoso things in the which 1 will appear unto thee : delivering theo from the people, and frotn tho CJentiles, unto whom now I send I lice. To open theii' eyes, (intl to turn tln'iti from darkness to light, and frnni the power of Satan unto (iod. that they may recei\-e forgi\eness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanetitied by faith that is in me." Luke, in the Acts of tlie Ai)ostles, givini; liis account of this occurrence, that became so great a blessing to tlie early Christian Ciiurch, says : — "And Saul arose from the earth ; ami when his eyes were opened, he Siiw no man ; but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. And ho was three days without sight, ami neither did eat nor drink. And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias : and to him sjiid the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, lielujld, I tun hen-, Lonl. And tho Lord said unto him, Ari.se, and go into the street which is called Straight, and incjuirt! in the house of Judas, for unc called Saul, of Tarsus; for, behold, he prayeth. And hath seen in a vision a man named Anai.'as coming in, und putting his hv.iul on him, that he might receive his si^dit. Then Ananias answered, ].,ord. 1 have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy sunts at Jerusalem : And hero he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. But the Lord said unto him, Tlo thy way : for ho is a chosen vessel unto nie, to beai' my name before the Gentiles, and kings, nd tho children of Lsi'ael. For i will shew him how great things lie iimst suffer for my name's sake. 11)2 WAI-KS 1\ (AN A AN. Ami Ananias \v»>nt his way. ninl <>ntfr- jM'ap'd unto thfi' in tlic way as thnii catnrst, hath sent \\m\ that thou ixiiiihU'st ruec'ivc Uiy sight, and l)i' lilli-d with llie iloly (diost." AVo wont lo tlic liotiso said to be tlic house of Jmlas, atwl into the small wliit washed nmm where Paul was hiiiul. and fasted three days : it is near the Kasteru (iult'. We also went to tho house iiiul tomb of Ananias, not far from the house of Judas. Saul, after receiving the llolv Ghost, immediately set about his great work, and (Jod was with him : and Sanl increased tli(« inorc in strcni^th, ami confoundod the Jews which dwelt at I )aiiiasciis, pniviii'^ that this is very ' 'hrisl. And aftci- that many days wti» tnllillcd, the Jew- loiik connsol to kdl him : Hut their layin;; await was known of Saul. And tliey watched tho j^at<>s day and night to kill him. 'J'hen the disciples to(.'k him by night, and let hitn u wii by tho wall in a h.asket. " Ijittle did I'aul think, when he sot out from Jor u- salem, with his warrants to brinfj bound to JorusaleM all that believed in Christ, that he should, forpreaehing Christ in that very city, have to osea})o death by beini,^ let down from the jiicrji wall in a basket. There is no greater ohange ean come to any man than being Serij)- lii rally converted : all things b.'come changed, and all things become new. lint the .lews, when beaten in ])roof or argument, had always their own mode of set- tling tiieir opponent, — '' Stone him to death '' ; " Crucify liiin Kill liim. some wav So it was at Damaseu; 'i'hey guardeil every gate to kill Paul, and the only way to escape their vengeance was to consent to be lowered from the high walls in the night. \\v found the place near the Kasteru (Jate, on the south side: it ii- a kind of window, or port-hole : and W(»uld retpiire a loug rope to let him safely to the ground. On from Damascus, Paul went through Arabia, Antioch, and Asia Minor ; ])ass- ing the Hellespont to (Jreece; back again, and again to .Judah.and then, at last, a ])risoner to Home. Knowing nothing amongst men but Christ .lesus and Ilim criici- lied, and in chains, in his last hours he still preached i> DA .M.\S( L.-- AM) iU.\ l;(»l T. ICIi ('liri-i. and, linisliiiinr lijj; course with iov, wi'iit lionu- i<» liis liord iiiui his (J<»(1. l^Vfi'V iiiiihl diiriii;:' our stay at Datuasciis nur lioti', and WIS th(iui,dit to he kilh'd ; and two of the ^imtlcman had hern carrii'd down a river they were tryini,^ to ford, hut all Were still alive and in lirst-i'at<' spirits. Lady truv- filris. like all the ladies in the Kast. ride /j^/xn^/.v ^/v'.s'.s^.v^* au'l their ;:arments are adapted lor the )»iirp()se. On any other plan, travelliuLT for hidies, es})ecially in Palestine, wouhl he impossihle. We left Damascus hv the ut-w Freiudi roatl, so called from havini; heen construt;ted hv a Freiu'jj Comuanv. It reaches fi'om Da na^cu- to !)» yrout, and is the hest iii^hway in all Syviu. * ny wa;^'ons. conv.'yinif nuM*- chandise \n ami fro... ?!'. port of IJeyrout, drawn hy mules, ti'a\('l in compai»y for mutual security, and irive to the road some little appearance of Mumpean eiitcr- pi'ise. JieaviuLT the city, it passes parallel with the hanks of the Ahaiia, tlK-ii enters the pass Wady-Kurn. (uie of tlie most j)ictures(pie and impressi\'e «^dens, the rocks and ciilTs towei'iuL^ to an anui/ing heii^ht, much resemhliui^ several scenes in Savoy ind on the J)aniil)e. It is the wildest ^J^orLje in .\nti-Li'han(Ui, ami has witnessed nniny Idoody tleeils. On emeriiin;^ from this delile, we entered th.' wiiulini; path of Wady Ilarir, and came iu si;^ht of ih' line ohl temple (d" Mejdtd, perched on the top of u cone-shaped hill. Wim dilViculty we (dimlied to those celel)rated ruins, wiiicli we found to consist of enormous n;i WALKS IN (AN A AN. f I Mocks of stonp, some of tliom twenty foot l>y J^ix. Tlio ]»Mrti<'o is ^•<»iH'. aiul liu^'c cdlinniis lie liall' Imricd ; thr iiiiissivf nioiiolilliic j.milis cf the doorwiiy are in good ])rt'servatioii ; the lliiled li;ilf-eoliiniiis of tlie Ionic order ioiin tlie interior ormiments. Tlie style ol" tlie whole is inijiosinff, yet .sini|)le. and said to ha of earlier date than the tenjples of I'alinyra or liaallx 1<. It in diflienlt to iinairine how the colossal hloeks and <,M;^Mntic ])illars found their way to the siiniinil of this ])r»ei|)iloiis inonnt. The view from these ruins is extensive, includ- ing: almost the entire of the line )»Iain ol" liukaa, with the two chains of mcmntains, lA'hanon and Anti-Ticha- non, stretching; out. to where they meet at the fjorge of the Litanv. The distance from one mountain to tl le other is ten miles ; the vallev called hv Joshua the Val- ley of LehaiKMi, heing as level as a lake, rich, hut only in part cultivated. Ahout two miles from the hase of the hill, on which stands the old tem})le of Mejdel, for- ]uerly the r(»yal city of Chalcis, given hy the Kmperor Claudius to ijerod, the grandson (d' Herod the (treat. 'l"he ruins are insignilicant, and little now renniina to tell of its foi-nu-r glory; prostrate walls, and a few hroken shafts, indicate its })i'ot)ahle importance in times long past. 'J'lie ride across the ))lain of liukaa is very deceptive ; Fiehanon, a])par(MUly ahout three miles distant, is ten ; the rivers Anjar and Litany hoth run on this plain, and sire crossed l»y good stone hridges. Leaving on our left the ruins of an old castle, said to have heen built hy a ])rince of tlie Druses of Lehanon, we encamped on the brow of a mount, a little helow large beds of perpetual snow. (Ml the east and west slopes of this mountain- range, much of the land is cultivatetl, jiroducing silk, corn, oil, and wine in abundance, for there is almost every variety of climate from the base to the summit, 'i'he inhabitants are a mixed race, but chielly Druses and Marouites, numliei'ing about X^'50,(M)0. The Druses are a line race, j>eculiai' in their worship and manners; they never allow strangers to enter their churches, nor do they imirry with strangers. The Maronites area peace- DAMA.SL'l'S AND in:\ Uol T K >•) fill, iinlustrioiis p(.'f)j»]e ; fconoiiiical inid doiiiostic in inountuin- 'riisc's am tlK'ii* lial»it: 'riit'i'c aiv a tV'W (Jn'«'k<. ami of laic vcar; the Cliiiiitiaii population !ia> rapidly infrca^cd, l»iit I iiopc the druiikt'Ji hahits of Christ iaii Kii,L;iaiid will tu'ver liiid thuir way to this soher pt'opk*. lA'haiion is thf lii,t;hest mountain in Syria. A haiv. rn;i-i,a'd pi-ak, tow- t'riii',' above every other roek, tin; lii^diesi jioinl is ahouL len, some say twelve, thousand fert ahovc the sea. The vie'.v from .lehtd, rmhracing elassic seas and sacred lands, will ivpay ii lowjr journey. We, though cuiisidorably below, had an enehantin;;' prospect. The Cedars of Lebanon are now confined to one somi- eircular ])lain. hundreds of I'eet below the suninii; ; these are about three or lour hundi'ed in number, lar^t.' and small. Others are found near Ti'ipoli, bur these are tin; l)rincipal ones. The hu;,'e trunks of the lari^^i'r trees tell of threat, anti(|uity. These old patriarchs, with their stroiiij^ <,niarleil arms, have weathei'ed many storms, and sheltered the sons and daui^hters from many climes, and many generations. The graceful pyramidal forms of the younger trees, with tluMr fan-shapetl branches, have a pleasing contrast with bare clilVs and fields of snow. The Almighty made all trees, but special reference is made to the ''Cedars of Lebanon, which lie hath plant- ed." The Assyrian kingdom, in its might, was, by the ])rophet Ezekiel, compared to a Cedar in Lebanon with I'iiir branches, and with a . \vith wider heds, and a little more time lor rest and nleej). We rose from our frail lahermudes at foui", ami l>y si I'f'nr)!! to jiseend hip;her and still hi;^her, ridin;.'' Ihroiigh (.'uttiuf^s in the snow ten or liftOLMi feet in hei<(lir. Avinding our /i<;-/ag course until we arrived at the sum- mit ; then deseendiiiLT for a few miles, we came to t he Wady Ilummoua, which all travellers ouirht to see, for on eom- in;:; down the Mount, the deejt ^den ]>resents so wide a contrast that it heeomes an ohjeei of deej) interest. Its extent is uhout ten miles, its l)readth ahout three. 'I'iie sides, or terraced sl(»ites, are clothed with countless vines and iiuilherry trees: the thin hlue smoke risin;^ from a small hamlet at the l)ottom, srave life to the scene, and the whole gave us ii stroni( conceplion of what I'alesliiic ami Syria mii^dit once iiave been. The road IVom this glen to Beyrouf is full of (juick windings and de(divities, hut the whole is pieturesipie and enchanting. I'alms, vines, olives, and mulherry trees, with a few orange groves, sliow its saliihrious cli- imite. and fre(|uent glim[)ses ohtained of the expansive sea and the distant city, and little whitewashed villas ])erched on the rocks, yet almost coveretl vith hdiage. enlivens the wlude |»ros})eet. ]»resenting ;\!i e:\panse of beauty scarcely exceede(l in this world. Une reason why this i.M ality so far snr))a>ses ;ill tie' })arls through which we had travelled is, the 'i'urki.-h (rovernment dare not oppress thecidtivators of the land. There have heen many hh-ody conllicts hetween the Moslems and tlu' mixed Lebanon races, but the ])ashas liave found their weaknes.<5. and under a mild, but lirni and good government, tens of thousands cd' acres (d' land over which we had travelled, might be made amazingly ]>ro(luctive. The vast ))lains of Akka, Ksdraelon, Sharon. JUikaa, Iluleh, and llauran, are capable of producing corn, cotton, silk, and every description of fruit. Ol" course I speak here of Palestine as of any other rich portion of the globe, aiii j-iiart from all projihecy rela- I li KAMAX r.S AND liKYHOlT. i<;; ii\t' loCjiiiMini: wlint llic Word of (iod s:iys i. lMtnl(] lie. it now i.s. Tlii' 'J'url< may hv tlic l)0.. and tlio scourge in (iod's liaiid I'or tlie chastisenK'iit o\' a i)rivilc'gu(l l)iit wifked ix'ojdc and I'or ;i time still to eoiue the nations may see. in deswljiie I'alcstine and lur scalterecl people, tliut when (iod speaks nations as well as individuals must, ohey or }terish. It is no douitt thoughts like tlu'se tiiat ]»erplex and cli! •; k the sjjirit of entei'prise. If Kgypt must never again have a king; if dei'ieho and Tyre must nevt-r he huilt again : if J)amas- eus is no more to he a capital or kingdom, liow does this alVect tlie I'cst of Hihle-lands? The scales lading from the eye of the Jew, the recognition of Jesus of \aza- retli as tlie true .Messiah will have to explain all this ; tlien, and then only\vill the prohlem ho solved; it is tht'ir land, ami will, I think, be restored to them, and then the raiisome(l shall return, and the land of Canaan he a land oi' fruit fulness and ]ieace. (.)n arriving at lieyront. we dismounted at the entrance of the Hotel trUrient, and bade farewell to our horses; and here 1 must confess my weakness, for when one of our >«'ul)ian servants came to lead Jerry away, I felt an all'ection for the brute I never thought i)ossible. 'He was a beautiful grey, with small head and ears, a short tiii(dv neck, and long tail. J'^)r nearly one month I had sat on his back, averaging eight or nine hours per day; for n})wards (d" live hnnilred ailes, over the worst roads in the world, he had carried me safe; he had fought many a battle with turbulent Aral) steeds, but never <|narrelled with me. In fording swam])s or climbing rocks 1 had often given way to ids choice of i)aths, and I'ound I had acted wisely ; and at piirting, he I'ubbed his head against my knee, to indicate old friendshij), which made me feel foolish. I patted his breast, bidding him julieu, regretting inat 1 could not bring him with me to England. Our intended visit to Beyront, from some cause, had hecome known, and several persons came to the Orient t-eeking an interview with one of our party, as at Da- KkS >N Al-KS IN CANAAN. ( 1 ll niiiseus; amoiifr.st llirm Di'. liliss, the- I'lV'siili'iif oi' tlio Syrian College, ami Mrs. 'rii')m[)Soii. the lar^e-liearled Christian hicly whose labours licro will hless many gene- rations. The Syrian College has twool)j^cts: iirst, to give the Oosjjel to tlie inhabitants of Beyrout, next to train native niinist'.'rs to carry that Gospel to the Lelia- nons and all [)arts of Syria. Talestine, and the bcjrder towns (»r the Mediterranean. Thev liave an excellent bnilding, in which we attended service. The Americans are the ])rincii)al }n'ojectors and sn}»porters of this excellent institution, and hitherto it has been a grent snccess. Mrs. 'i'lionipson's school at lieyrout, like Miss Whately's at Carlo, and the English school on Mount Zion, in Jerusalem, and the Protestant schools at Damascus, are the brightest spots in all the East. They are the })ioneers of liberty and brotherhood. Mrs. Thompson was drawn to Ik'vrout bv svmiiathy for the widows and children of the mui'dered Christians, nnissacred by the bi;joted ]\loslem and j(»alous Druse. The poor creatures have gathered rounil her in hundnds, and regard her as thtMr guardian angel ; the fat herless and the widow have found in her a friend, and for eight years she haj been their teacher and protector, and so pojtular ha^ become her school, that Turk, Jew. Armenian, all and every sect, seek admission, and she goes anjongst them all doing good. Heyrout is the I5erothah of Scripture, mentioned by Ezekiel.and now a very important sea])orL town. Many of the ancient vestiges remain. The facing of the ])ier consists princi}»ally of ancient columns. During liu time of the Greek emperors it was the great school ot' law, and then called IJei-ytus. Here one hundred judges sat in judgment over the two sons of Herod, who him- self was their accuser. Here Herod Agrip))a built a theatre, and com[)elle(l seven hundred malefactors to light to the death at the opening, or dedication; and near this place, George, the patron-saint of England, killed the dragon that never lived ; and here, the Hrst army of the Crusaders landed, led by Godfrey of Bouillon. Many of the houses in JU^yrout are new, and sonu' (tf DAMASri'S AND RKYKOt'T K,'.) ^■ni of tho ruc-lK'Hiicil uanv ^'^'110- Ls: tirst, to ut, next to I I ho \A'\n\.- order towns lit buiUliuL,', ans art' the is (.'xcellcnl su(U*ess. issWhately's lut Zion, in ainascurf, niv ' the pioneers .n was drawn d children (if the bigoted •t-atures Inivc I her as their w have found I )eeu their become her u every sect. eni all doing nention town. ed by Manv I*"" (»r the pier During tin 3at sclnxd ot mdred jnd ('('S |o« I, who liiin- npp built a ...lefactors to [lication ; und of Knghm^l. liere, the lirst f Bouillon. 1 (iouie of 'V o them graocfnl, substantial l)uildings; t]n)se <>n the ter- race?, near tlie coast, liave a ralhcr imposing appearance. 'I'lie production of silk seems to be tli<' jirincipal occu- l^ation of tho ]>eople in and around Beyrout, anl' lire. Many of the inhabitants, men, wumi'ii, and chil- dren, in various costumes, stood, sat, or lounged on tlxir house-tops, and on a calm summer's evening such a l)lace is delightful. Pluto, one of the Austrian Lloyd's steamers, liad arrived during the night, and being bound f >r Cyprus, lihodes, and Smyrna, we j)aid our fare for (Jreeee. in- tending to visit Athens, and so liad to say farew»dl to lsi the mighty ruins of Ancient (Jreece, Wni all lands in this wide W(n'ld. in iK'pth of interest, fall infinitely short of the land we had just left, the Sacked Land oi- Caxaa.v. 8 aiu