The Sun.
London, England, 1866-01-17 00:00:00

Sir,—As numerous persons have expressed a
desire for more detailed information on the route
and objects of the first expedition of this association,
a short report of which you were kind enough to in-
sert in the Times of the 6th inst., I now take leave
to make the following statement on the subject :
The expedition is under the charge of Capt. C. IV.
Wilson, Royal Engineers, who conducted with so
much ability and tact the Ordnance survey of Jeru-
salem in 1863 and 1864. Capt. Wilson has under
his orders Lieutenant Anderson, R.E., an officer,
like himself, of much experience in surveying and
observing, and a corporal of En,: ineers, who is afirst-
rate photographer. They are well provided with
chronometers, barometers, and other meteorological
and surveying instruments, in regard to which the
fund is indebted to the kind offices of General
Sabine, President of the Royal Society ; mr.
Glaisher, F.R.S.; Rev. Charles Pritchard, P.R.A.S.;
Mr. Gassiot, F.R.S. ; Mr. Charles Frodsham, and
others. They are also furnished with every re-
quisite for making and preserving collections in
botany, natural history, geology, &c. Few private
expeditions have probably gone out to any country
better provided. At the request of Earl Russell
(one of the committee of the fund) the Sultan has
issued a firman to the authorities of Syria empower-
ing Captain Wilson to make all necessary explora-
tions and excavations.
The object of the expedition is in the main ten-
tative, to ascertain what special lines of explora-
tion may be followed out in a more detailed and
leisurely manner by future parties. At the
same time there are many things which this party will
be able to effect with certainty. They will ascer-
tain with precision the position of many places not
yet ascertained, and the uncertainty of which keeps
the maps of the Holy Land in constant incorrect-
ness. They will endeavour to record correctly the
main features of some districts which up to this time
are in confusion on the maps. They will make di-
rect explorations of many spots important in their
bearing on the historical geography of the country,
but which have not yet been explored by parties
possessing the leisure or special knowledge possessed
by Captain Wilson and his associates. This will
become more evident as I enumerate the more
prominent points of the route generally laid down
for the party. At Beyrout they are instructed
to examine the sculptures of Sennacherib, Rameses,
&c., at the Dog River. Near Damascus is an arti-
ficial mound of considerable size, which is reported
by Porter and others to be of Assyrian character.
This will be excavated, and the cylinders, slabs, or
other objects (should such be found) will be pre-
served. Harran el-Awamid, a village east of
Damascus, has been lately brought into sudden
prominence as a representative of the Haran of the
Scriptures, in place of the Harran in Mesopotamia,
hitherto believed to be that spot. This will be
examined and excavated if necessary, and plans and
photographs taken. At Banias the sources of the
Jordan will be investigated, and an attempt made
to discover the Lake Phiala of Josephus, the pre-
sent identification of which (Birketzer-Ram) is more
than doubtful. Descending the Jordan, Kedes—
the Kedesh of the story of Sisera—will be explored,
an attempt made to discover the site of Hazor,
which played so important a part in the troubles at
the time of the conquest.
The first serious halt of the party will be at the
upper end of the Lake of Galilee, where an endea-
vour will be made by careful examination of the ruins
at Tell Hain, and by exploration and excavation at
Khan-Minyeh and at Ain-el-Maawara (the round
fountain) to elucidate the situati2nsi„cogyiet. It
seems more than possible that among the extensive
remains of architectural fragments which strew the
ground at Tell Ham, some inscriptions may be found
to throw a new light on this vexed and hitherto
hopeless question, of such deep interest to all readers
of the Gospel narrative. While here explorations
will be made on the eastern side of the lake, with
the view of reconciling the curious discrepancies
pointed out by the Dean of "Westminster (Sinai and
Palestine, chap. 10), and thus throwing light on the
spot where the healing of the domoniacs and the
destruction of the swine took place.
The level of the lake above the Mediterranean will
also be taken, the existing observations on which
vary no less than 300 ft. South of the lake Beisan
will be visited. This is the ancient Bethshean, one
of the oldest Canaanite towns in the country, and
for long the seat of a peculiar idolatry. It contains
also very extensive and interesting Roman remains.
At Zerin, the ancient Jezreel, explorations will be
made in the hope—faint, it must be allowed—of
finding some traces of the city of Ahab and Jezebel.
Nablus (the ancient Shechem) will be the second
halting place. Here the ruins on Mount Gerizim,
both those already known and those which are
either little known or only as yet suspected, the
reported existence of Luz, or Luzah, on the moun-
tain Mount Ebol, the Samaritan Pentateuch, &c.,
will give ample opportunity for exploration and
record. Not far from Nablus is Sebastiyeh
(Sebaste, Samaria), which as the capital of the
northern kingdom of Israel, the favourite
residence of Herod, and the site of a remarkable
Christian church, built over the presumed tomb
of John the Baptist, is full of promise. From this
point excursions will be made to Kefr Saba (Anti-
patris), an Herodian city, described by Josephus as
abounding in fine buildings, with streams and trees,
but which now exhibits not a vestige of either above
the sand, and to Cesarea Athlit, Tantura (ancient
Dor), and other places on the coast. While at
Nablus a reconnoissance will be made of the coun-
try lying between it and the Jordan, the structure
of which is very complicated, and cannot be recon-
ciled on the present maps ; Salim, east of Nablus,
said to contain great springs of water, and Ain-Un
near it, candidates for the Salem and 2lnon of S

John the Baptist, will be visited, and an attempt
made to fix the exact latitude of the embouchure of
the Wady Zerka (Jabbok) and Wady Obeideh on
the further side of Jordan, hitherto the despair of
the map-makers.
Proceeding southward from Nablus several places
of promise will be explored. Seiluun (Shiloh), so

long a sanctuary and a seat of the Tabernacle;
Tibneh, probably Timnath-Serah, the burial-place
of Joshua, containing extensive and elaborate tombs,

hitherto only cursorily examined by M. de Sanley,
but promising to be both interesting and important,
Beitin (Bethel), abounding in ruins. In the neigh-
bourhood of Jerusalem Wady Bittir (possibly the

ancient Bether), and the Frank Mountain, the

Herodium, or fortress of Herod, will be explored

At Jerusalem itself what can be done will depend
much on circumstances, and must be left mainly to

the judgment of Captain Wilson, even if it can be

touched at all on the present occasion.

It is estimated that the route just described, if
properly carried out, will occupy the party till
_ _ _

April, when it will become too hot to work with

safety, and when it is intended that they shall re

I must not forget to say that regular meteorolo-
gical observations will be taken throughout, and
that specimens of natural history, botany, &c., will

be collected, and photographs and sketches made
with care, and in large numbers.

Whether the object of the next expedition will
be something arising out of the present preliminary

party, or be devoted to a thorough examination

of the geology of the country, must depend on
circumstances. Meantimo funds are urgently re-

.., ..
quired. The subscriptions hitherto promised amount

to over £3,000, of which £5OO has been already
expended in the survey of Jerusalem ; £2,000

was voted for the present expedition, but, owing to
the cattle plague still raging in Syria, and the recent
visitation of locusts, the price of all requisites for
travelling has so much increased that it is not im-
possible that that sum may have to be exceeded.
The names of the committee and officers of the
fund will be found in your advertising columns of
this day, and I shall be happy to forward a detailed
statement of the objects of the association, and a
full report of the meeting at Willis's Rooms, with
a list of subscriptions to the present time, to any one
interested in the object who will communicate with
ine.—l am, sir, your obedient servant,
G. GROVE? Hon. Secretary.
Sydenham, S,E., Jan. 16.