Du Buque visitor. [volume] (Dubuque, Lead Mines, Wisconsin Territory) 1836-1837, 1837-01-18
From. Me Kaickesboeke- for December.
A VISIT TO JERUSALEM.
AN OrrrcrR - -, ri

- II =, =
cannot hope to'convey 10 the read
Ter any thing like senseof the deepen-
FFIJoymeat which / experienced q few
years ago, in. visiting the Holy City,
and the scenes of kindred interest with
which it is surrounded: but the acci-
dental discovery Of few loose no;es
which were taken on the OCCASION
Though unnecessary to preserve recol-
lection Of what can never be cffaced
iron my mind-has prompted me 10
throw into readable form the follow
ing passages from my journal.
FRIDAY, Aug. 10th, 1884.
To-day I've left the ship on visit to
Jerusalem. The sensations with which
/ entered upon the almost sacred Jour-
ney, We're unlike those had ever be-
fore felt, when about to visit striking
scenes, Of which l had heard much, &
Of which my imagination was full
When, for the first time, my native
Land lay behind me like cloud in the
horizon, | was deeply affected; when,
for the first time foreign shore rose
to view, pencilled family against the
clear morning sky, l was still more
moved; and never shall forget the e.
motion with whichever after expe-
rience Of foreign sights had somewhat
bldhted. certain primeval freshness of
ieeling--1 first saw London, and Paris.
ant Rome. But as we journeyed slow
iy toward Jaffa, and saw, as we turned
occasionally to survey the way we had
|trayersed, the blue ocean lying, a
scarcely perceptible line, far behind
US, gave myself up to the contempla-
ton which our journey was we'll calcu-
lated to excite. I was soon to visit
scenes which had been far more deep
~ impressed upon my young imagin-
alton than any other; to gaze upon the
spot where the saviour Of men was born
3 -where he labored, and suffered, and
died. ! was soon TO walk over the We
is. essrnlnd- ,s.h;ah-had4h enn, pressed hp
his blessed feet more than eighteen
hundred years ago; to see with my
own eyes the hills, and streams, and
which he assembled, by the
sides Of which he taught, and along
which he walked, as he swent about
doing good,' healing the sick, binding
up the broken hearted, and comforting
the poor &nccdy. With these thoughts
came dimly up from the past 4the spot
where was born'-the familiar illus
trations by my departed mother of the
very events ! was now contemplating,
and upon the scenes of which was so
soon to enter-the country church in
the far western land which had left
behind me, where ! had SO often listen
ened, in the service of the sabbath, TO
descriptions Of the sacred land whittier
! was journeying, and the evening con-
ference at the village school-house,
where the topics Of the day were SIM
plified and enforced. Never before
were there linked with my reflections
50 many powerful associations.
1t was four O'Clock In the afternoon
when we arrived at Jaffa, where we OBJ
tanned horses and mules for our jour-
ney, and proceeded toward Ramah in
Gilead. The road, fornearly the whole
distance, is very narrow, and lined on
each side with prickly pears. AS you
near Ran,ah, however, the highway
becomes wide, and the sides destitute
Of every vestige Of shade or vegetation.
Nine miles from Jaifa, we supped and
lodged all night. Our accommodations
were Of the most miserable description;
The food was both scantity and dirty;
andAard, unclean mats, populous with
f1eas, were any thing but sbeds Of ease
to our weary bodies. Ramah--wherc
Rachael, true to the enduring tender
ness Of q mothers heart, n,ourned for
her children, and refused to be COM
forted--is dirty village; the streets
are very narrow; the houses, which are
usually from one to two stories high,
are full Of all manner Of uncleanness.
About four miles from Ramah, which
we left on the morning Of the 18th Of
August, we paused to lunch under
clump Of fg-trees, opposite to small
village called Likbab. When we had
finished, we pursued our journey, stop
ping at three o'clock, bya we'll Of wa
ter, and beneath the shade Of another,
cluster Of fg-trees, to dine. At four,
we started again on our journey, and
had travelled but littleway, when we
met several caravans, laden with am
munition and field pieces, and escorted
by 2 strong guard Of Egyptian soldiers.
As we pursued our way, we fell in with
five or six small companies Of lbrahim
Pacha's soldiers, who were returning
TO Jafta, from u, expedition against the
mountaineers. After passing several