The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-09 00:00:00

The Palestine Exploration Fund.

TO THE EDITOR or THE SUN.
SIR,--I received a fifth report from Capt. C. W. Wilson,
Royal Engineers, in charge of the first expedition of the as-
sociation, dated Nablus (Shechem), March 17th, 1866, of
which the following is the substance.

Topography—The positions of Nazareth, Zerin, Lejjun,
Beisan,•Jenin, and Nablus, have been fixed astronomically
and a one-inch sketch made of the eastern portion of the
Plain of Esdraelon and Valley of Jezreel down to Beisan ;
a reconnaissance sketch of the road from Jenin to Nablus;
sketches of Beisan and Sdbustiyeh on a scale of six inches to
a mile ; a chain survey of the summit of Gerizim, on the
1-500th scale ; and a sketch of Ebal and Gerizim, with the
valley between, which is now in progress. A base line has
been chained for this, so that the distance between the two
mountains will be obtained with the greatest accuracy.
Archa3ology, Excavations, &c.—At Zerin (Jezreel) some
small excavations were made near the large square building
in tie village, but without result. In and around the village
are more than 300 cisterns or subterranean granaries for
corn ; a number of these were visited at various points in
the hope that some remainsof the old town mightbe found
in them, but neither there nor in the large accumulation of
rubbish round thevillage could any foundationsor remains
be seen of sufficient importance to justify the commence-
ment of excavations on a large scale. The examination of
the mound is quite practicable, but would require much

time and money. Lejjun, Taanuk, and other places around,
were visited, and notes made on their ruins. At Beisan
plan was made of the Theatre; two rock-hewn tombs and
several sarcophagi were found Whilst there a visit was
made to Sukkat—the name seems to be applied to the dis-
trict as well as to a small Tell, on which are some incon-
siderable ruins—there is no very marked feature, such as
would answer to the expression " Valley of Succoth ;" the
district is rich and well watered, and was, when visited,
occupied by over 200 tents of Sukr Bedouin, who are now
at war with the Adouan. The river being unfordable, the
fighting was confined to an exchange of Arab abuse and a
few long shots across the river ; some four or five being
been killed. Excavations were carried on simultaneously
at Sebustiyeh and Gerizim ; at the ;former some excava-
tions were made at the Church of St. John and two of the

temples. A plan was made of the church, and of the
grotto, which seems to be of masonry of a much older date

than the church. There are six loculi iu two tiers of three
each, and small pigeon holes are left at the ends for visi-
tors to look in—the loculi are wholly of masonry. The
northern side and N.W. tower are of older date than the
Crusades ; possibly early Saracenic ; in the latter there is a
peculiarly arched passage. The church is on the cite of an old
city gate, from which the " street columns" started and
ran round the hill eastwards. The old city was easily
traced ; plans were made of the temples, they are covered
with rubbish from ten to twelve feet deep, to remove which
with Arab labour would take some three or four months.
On Gerizim the foundations of Justinian Church within the
castle were opened out ; in many places but one or two
courses of stone are left ; the church is octagonal, on eastern
side an apse, on five sides small chapels, on one a door, the
eighth side too much destroyed to make out, probably
sixth chapel ; there was an inner octagon, and the buildings
without the chapels must have been a miniature " dome of
the rock." A few Roman coins were found. The southern
portion of the crest has been excavated in several places, but
no trace of any largo foundations found. In an enclosure
about four feet from the Holy Rock of the Samaritans a great
number of human remains were dug up, but nothing to tell
their age or nationality, and the place was immediately filled
in and covered up again; the Amran says they are the bodies
of priests anointed with consecrated oil, but they more pro-
bably have been bodies purposely buried there to defile the
temple, or rudely thrown in and covered up in time of war.
An excavation was made at the " twelve stones," which
appear to form a portion of a massive foundation of unhewn
stone. Mr. De Saulcy is quite right about the name of
Luzah being applied to the ruins near the place where the
Samaritans camp for the Passover, they are not of any
great extent. By far the most important remains are on
the southern slope of the peak, where a portion of the city
wall can still be seen and the divisions of many of the houses.
Whatever its name or date, there was certainly at one time
a large town surrounding the platform on which the Well
and castle now stand.
Photographs had been taken as follows :
View of Fountain and two views of Town of Nazareth.
Cliff behind Maronite Convent.
View of Zerain, with Mount Gilboa.
Two general views of ruins at Beisan.
Old Roman bridge and Theatre, Beisan.
The views of Church of St. John, Sebustiyeh.
General view and Street of the Columns, Sebustiyeh.
Ruins on Mount Gerizim from south.
Sacred Rock of the Samaritans.
Interior of Castle, with Ebal in the distance.
The twelve stones aad west wall of castle.
View of ruins of Mount Ebal.
Supposed scene of assembly of twelve tribes under Joshua.
Geology.—The only peculiarity noticed was the con-
struction of Jebel Duhy (Little Hermon), which is com-
posed of a conglomerate of trap fragments, flints, and por-
tions of hard limestone, the highest point where the well

stands is entirely of basalt, as it is also an isolated conical-
shaped hill. Tel Ajal, lying between Endur ad Nein, and
these appear to have been the centres of eruption for the
basalt which covers the country as far as Beisan.
It was proposed to leave Nablus on the 10th, unless pre-
vented by the rainy weather, as Captain Wilson was
anxious to get plans of those mosques in the town which
have been Christian churches. Some trouble had been
experienced from incivility and attempts to rob on the
part of the people. The governor of the city had, how-
ever, been very civil and given every assistance. On
leaving Nablus it was intended to go to Tubas, and thence,
if matters could be arranged with the Bedouin, by Wady
Ferrah to Jisr Damieh, with a view to check Lynch's
astronomical observations, and sketch a portion of the
Jordan, at the same time fixing the positionof Wady Zerka;
then return by Yaun to Awertab, where tradition places
Awertah to Seilun and Bethel, thence by Tibneh to Kefr
Saba, and probably to Cesarea and Athilt. Wages of exca-
vators are high, from 2s. to 2s. 6d. per day, and it takes at
least five men to do the work of an English navy. * *
I am, Sir, yours, &c.,
GEORGE GROVE, Hon. Secretary.
Sydenham, April 7, 1866.

THE PRINCE OF WALES shook hands the other
day most cordially with M. Guizot and several other dis-
tinguished French gentlemen at the French Queen's fune-
ral.

COUNT DE MONTALEMBERT, M. Cochin, M. Vitel,
and the Abbe Deguerry, have written to the journals to
declare that they do not belong to the society lately formed
to produce a new translation of the Bible.
THE NORTHUMBERLAND.—A large number of
shipwrights were employed at Woolwich Dockyard during
the whole of yesterday in the construction of several large
camels, or pontoons, to be used for another attempt to
launch the iron-clad steamship Northumerland, at Mill-
wall, on Monday next. About 300 workmen are now con-
stantly employed in making preparations at the building
slip for the renewed attempt. The midship logs on the
building slip have been taken out, and the ways greased.
and certain alterations have been determined on, which, it
is hoped, will, with the assistance of the very high tide
expected, result in success.

With regard to metals, the Mining Journal states
as follows :—" Although there has not been any
great amount of activity in the metal market during
the past week, yet the prospects for the future ap-
pear to be much brighter, and there may be now rea-
sonably entertained anticipations of a more satisfac-
tory state of the metal trade arising erelong. The state
of political affairs between Prussia and Austria seems
now to hold out some hopes of a peaceful settlement,
and this is much to be desired, as, notwithstand-
ing that we bould not sympathise much with either
of the contending parties, all such contests must
necessarily interfere considerably with the progress
of commercial operations in the direction of those
countries which might be engaged in war ; besides
the uncertainty as to how such a war might termi-
nate, and what changes might result therefrom-
Orders from America are coming in more freely,
and there is now good gronnd to hope that our com-
mercial relations with the United States will soon
be much more active than they have been of late.
It was hoped that ere this we should have seen an-
other decline in the Bank rate of discount, and we
trust that this will be realised at no distant date, as
an easy money market is of considerable importance
to the metal trade, being the means of rendering
great facilities in the carrying out of many impor-
taut transactions in metals.