Du Buque visitor. [volume] (Dubuque, Lead Mines, Wisconsin Territory) 1836-1837, 1837-01-18
DU BUQE dead TERRITORY WEDNEspAY JANAry

iventy-three persons-n the gates Q
the Holy City, without thl occurrence
of any accident circutssance fol
which, considering the thklL foublei
state of the country, we ll bd rea.
son to be grateful.
Divers vexatious cerem4 Of adj.
mittance served to detain ukl6s two o,
three hours, & when we werl engtf
within the gates, the narrot hee.sof the
streets, and their thousand ssaps
prevented our progress We iinafffy
found our way to an old convent, part.
~ in ruins-and despairing Of bette,
quarters, we came to the determine.
ton to make it a rendezvous during
our stay. We were compelled to pro.
cure and cook all our own necessaries
as for the superfuities or even comforts
of life, we soon found them entirely
out of the question. slept little dur
ing the night. Fatigued as was,
could not think ofrepose: my thoughts
were otherwhere;' and early in the
morning I arose and commenced a pill
|grimage Determination over this inter-
esting spot.
The scene of the sufferings & death
OF our saviour was primary object
of attraction. The spot is now enclos-
ed by the church built by the empress
Helena, the mother Of Constantine, o.
yer the Holy Sepulchre, the walls of
which are in state Of perfect preser.
vation. 1t is built in the Gothic style,
of yariegated marble, and has very
venerable appearance. The prominent
object of interest that arrests the at
tention ofthe visitor upontirs entering
the church, is long marble slab, upon
which the body of Christ was washed
after being taken down from the cross.
AT either end are massive brass CANDLE
sticks, six feet in length, with waxcn
candles of proportionate size. A flight
steps leads to Mount Calvary
the scene of the divine interposition
nfamercu toward tha Anman rae .AaL
stood upon the spot, iouid notSavofu
exclaiming, with deep sense Of awe
almost overwhelming ~mc, 'How aw-
full is this placer AfeYhundred years
age, and the meek redeener stood where
| now stand, reviled, fccurged, spit
upon, crucified! Herdarose the roar
Of the maddening multi ude; there flow
ed the crimson streamfI om his pierced
side-here oozed the drA ps Of tortured
agony from his thorn pr4sed brow;up
this steep toiled the saviour, followed
by few weeping daughters Of Jerusa-
lem, bearing the cross tpon which he
was 10 yield up his sinl{ss life! The
limits Of this sacred slot are now so
circumscribcd, that there is little more
than room enough for one large cross
to stand. The situation Of the cross
on which the redcemer 4 offered, is in
dictated by large partiIcolored mar
BILE platform: no one is permitted TO
profanc it with unhallowed feet. A.
bout fourteen feet to the left, is point
ed out to the visitor the spot where
the cross was taken down; and near by,
you see the rent rock where an altar
is raised, and the two holes occupied
by the crosses Of the two thieves who
were crucified with Christ. From the
above mentioned slab, there is piece
cut out, and the cavity filled by three
bars Of silver. On removing these,
you perceive, by the aid Of a taper, the
chasms in the rock, caused by the earth
quake whichrcnt tii55 veil oE.4i,e seiii-
pie in twain from the top to the bot
tom, when the messiah gave up the
ghost. ! passed two hours upon Cal
vary, without speaking solitory word;
and the thoughts which passed through
my mind during this period, were Of
such deep intensity, that their impress
will accompany me to the grave. !
cannot, however, adequately define
them,, and will not essay the task.
After obtaining some relics OF the
sacred spot, we descendeddhe fight OF
steps by which we had arisen to the
mount. We passed through semi
circular area, composed of marble slabs,
and large pillars which support the
roof, and arrived at kind Of ante-cha-
pei, containing the Holy Sepulchre.
Before the entrance to this ctapel, is
raised square piece Of lime-stone, =
part Of the one which wasrolled against
the door Of the sepulchre; itis inserted
in another block on which, according
to authentic tradition, thd angel sat.
The entrance to the HolHSepulchre,
as well as the sepulchre itself, to which
we next proceeded, is composed Of
beautiful polished verdantique. We
were sipgularly fortunate ID being per-
mitted to visit the sacred tomb, since
it i rarely shown to strangers. The
tomb which 10 bnilt over the place
where the Lord lay.' i Of the pursst