Southern telegraph., 1838-08-29
A DESERTED CITY.

We take the following description Of the
wonderful and long deserted CRY OF Pc
IRA, from our countryman Stevens's Trav-
els in the East. 1t is in the valley of
Edom (of the lsraeltes,) near the Dead
Sea, and was visited by Mr. s. in 1885.
This ancient and extraordinary city is
situated within neutral amphithcatre of
two or three miles in circumference, en-
compassed on all sides by rugged mountains
FIVE or six hundred feet in height. The
whole Of this area is now a waste of ruins,
dwelling houses, palaces, temples, and tri-
umphal arches, all PROSTATE together in un-
distinguishable confusion. The sides OF
the mountain are cut smooth, in perpen-
dcular direction, and filled with long and
continued ranges of dwelling houses, tenn
Piles, tombs, excavated with vast labor out Of
solid rock; and while their submits present
nature in her widest and most savage
form, their bases are adorned with all the
beauty Of architecture and art, with columns,
and Porticoes, and pediments, and ranges
of corridors, enduring as the mountains out
Of which they are hewn, and fresh, as ifthe
work. generation not yet gone by.
Nothing can be finer than the immense
" rampant which encloses the city,
Strong, firm and immovable asanature itself,
it seems to deride the walls of cities, and
the puny Notifications of skilful engineers.
The only access is by clambering over
this wall of stone, practicable only in one
place, and by an entrance the most extra
ordinary that nature, in her widest freaks
has ever framed. The Hottest portals ever
raised by the hands Of man, the proudest
monuments of architectural skill and daring,
sink into insigni6cahce by the comparison.
1t is perhaps, the most wonderful object in
the ruins Of the city to which it forms the
entrance.-Burkhard had been accosted i,
Immediately upon his entry, by large
party of Bedouin's, and had been suffered
to remaia but very short time. expect
ed a see of some kind; but at the entrance
of the city there was not creature to dis
pute our passage; its portals were wide
open, and we passed along the stream down
into the area, and still no man came to op-
pose Us. We moved to the extreme end Of
the area; and when in the act of dismount-
ing at the foot Of the rock on which stood the
temple that had constantly faced US, we
saw one solitary Arab struggling along
without any apparent object, mere won
deFeriamong the ruins; and it is not an un-
interesting fact that this poor Bedouin was
the only living being we saw in the desolate
city of Petra. After gazing at US for a few
moments from distance, he came towards
US, and in few moments was sitting down
to pipes and coffee with my companions.
Among the ruins is circular theatre, cut
Of the solid rock, containing 33 rows Of
seats, and capable Of holding 5000 people.
Although the front pillars have fallen, YET
heWhOle theatre, says Mr. Stevens,s in sdch
state of preservation that "if the tenants Of
The tombs around could once moro rise into
they might take their places on the
"Where," he excIaims, ssare ye, in
its Of this desOlate cityi ye, who once
seats ofthis theatre, the young
Drn, the beautiful and brave; who
eed in your riches and power, anC
there was no grave where are "