Constantine republican. [volume] (Constantine, Mich.) 1836-1838, 1837-06-21

dome that covered the tomb of the first high
priest of Israel. Again with stout hearts
we resumed our ascent but as we might
reasonably have supposed, that which we
had passed was not the only chasm in the
mountains. What had appeared to us
slight inequalities ofsuI face, we found great
assures and openings, presenting themselves
before US in quick succession, not indeed
as absolute and insurmountable barriers to
further progress, but afording us only the
encouragement of bare possibility of cros-
sing them. The whole mountain from the
base to its summit was rocky and naked, af-
fording not tree or bush to assist us and
all that we had to hold on by, were the rough
and broken corners of the porous sandstone
rocks, which crumbled in our hands and
under our feet, and more than once put us
in danger of our lives. Several times, at.
ter desperate exertion, we sat down perfect
ly discouraged at seeing another and anoth-
err chasm before us, and more than once,
we were on the point of giving up the at
tempt, thinking it almost impossible 70 adj
vance any further; but we had come so
far, and taken so little notice of our road, that
twas impossible to return; and distant and
accidental glimpse of the whitened dome
would revive our courage, and stimulate us
to another effort.
Several times mounted on Paul's shout.
ders, and with his helping reached the top
of precipitous or overhanging rock, where
lying down with my face over the brink, l
took up the pistols, swords, &C., and then
helped him up in turn sometimes, again, he
was the climber, and my shoulders were the
stepping stone; and, in the rough grasps that
we gave each other, neither thought of the
relation ofmaster and servant. On the sides
ofthat rugged mountain,so desolate,so CON-
pletely removed from the world, whose diff.
ficult ascent had been attempted by few hu-
man footsteps since the days when "Moses
and Aaron wentup in the sight all the con.
gregation," the master and man lay on the
same rock, encountering the same fatigues
and dangers, and inspired by the same
hopes and fears. My dress was particularly
bad for the occasions; for, beside the encum-
brance of pistols and sword, my long silb
gown and large sleeves were great annoy.
ance, as ] wanted every moment long
reach of the arm and full play of the legs !;
even our light Turkish slippers were I'M
pediments in our desperate scramble, and
we were obligedto pull them of, for the bet
ter hold that could be taken with the naked
feet.
But as yet we had work enough before
us. Disencumbering ourselves of all our
useless trappings, shoes, pistols, swords, to-
acco-pouch, and water sack, which we tied
together in sash and the roll of turban,
by dint of climbing, pushing, and lifting
each other, after the most arduous upward
scramble ever accomplished, we attained
the bald and hoary summit of the mountain,
and before we had time to look around, at
the extreme end of the valley of Ell Ghor,
our attention was instantly attracted and
engrossed by one of the most interesting
objects of the world, and Paul and ex.
claimed at the same moment, "The Dead
Sea !"
On the very stop of the mount" rever-
enced alike by Mussulmans and Christians,
is the tomb of Aaron. The building is a
bout thirty feet square, containing single
chamber; in front Of the door is tomb
s,one, in form like the oblong slabs in our
church yards, but larger and higher the
top rather larger than the bottom, and COW
cred with a ragged pail of faded red cot
ton in shreds and patches. At its head
stood high round stone, on which the
Mussulman offers his sacrifices. The
blood and fragments of burnt brush were
still about it; all was ready but the victim;
and when | saw the realities of the prepara-
tons, was very well satisfied to have a.
voided the necessity of conforming to the
Mussulman custom. A few ostrich eggs,
the usual ornaments of a mosque, were sus-
pended from the ceiling, and the rest of the
chamber was perfectly bare. After going
out, and from the very top of the tomb sur.
veying again and again the desolate and
dreary scene that presented itself on every
side, always terminating with the distant
view of the Dead Sea, returned within |;
and examining once more the tomb and the
altar, walked carefully around the cham.
Der.
There was no light except what came
from the door; and, in cropping to the OK.
IRENE corner on one side, my foot descend
ed into an aperture in the floor. put it
down carefully, and found step, then an
other, and another, evidently staircase
leading to q chamber below. | went down
till my head was on level with the floor,
but could see nothing all was dark, and
called to Paul to strike light. Most pro-
vokingly he had no materials with him.
He generally carried flint and steel for
lighting his pipe'with but now, when | most
wanted it, he had none. went back to
the staircase, and descending to the bottom
of the steps, attempted to make out what
the place might be; but it was utterly i'm.
possible. | could not see even the steps
on which stood. Iagain came out & made
Paul.search in all his pockets for the steel
and flint. My curiosity increased with the
difficulty Of gratifying it; and in little
while, when the thing seemed to be utterly
impossible, with this hole UNEMPLOYED, Petra,
Mount Hor, and the Dead Sea, appeared to
; lose half their interest. | ran up and down
the steps, inside and out, abused Paul, and
, struck stones together in the hope of elicit
ing spark, but all TO no purpose. wa:
in an agony of despair, when suddenly
: found myself grasping my pistol. A ligh
broke suddenly upon me. A pile OF dry
brush and cotton rags lay at the foot OF the
sacrifcal altar. fired my pistol into it
} gave one puff, and the whole mass was in
/ i