The native American. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1840, 1839-08-03

THg TOMB OF Aaron We cxtrac
from Stephens Incidents Of Travels through
the Holy Land the following interesting
description of the tomb of Aaron:
On the very top of the Mount, (Hor, re.
ve,enced alike by Mussuiiaan and Chris
tians, is The tomb of Aaron. I,.he building
is about thirty feet square, containing sin.
gle chamber; in front of the door is a tomb
stone, in form like the oblong slabs in oul
chnrch-yards, but larger and higher; the
top rather larger than the bottom, and COW
cred with ragged pail Of faded red cotton
in shreds and patches. AT its head stood
a high round stone, on which the Mussul-
man offers his sacrifices. The stone was
blackeaed with smoke; stains Of blood and
| fragments Of burnt brush were still about
it; all was ready but the victim; and when
| saw the reality Of the preparations, was
very well satisfied to have avoided the ne
cesslty OF conforming to the Mussulman
custom. A few ostrich eggs, the usual
ornaments of mosque, were suspended
from the ceiling and the rest of the cham
Der was perfectly bare.
After going out, and from the very top
of the tomb, and surveying again and again
the desolate and dreary scene that present
ed itself on every side, always terminating
with the distant view of the Dead Sea,
returned within: and examining once more
the tomb and til altar, walked carefully
around the chamber. There was no light
except what came in from the door; and,
cropping in the extreme corner of one side,
my foot descended in an aperture in the
floor. put it down carefully, and found
step, then another, evidently a staircase
leading 10 chamber below, | went down
Till my head was OH the level of the floor,
but could see nothing; all was dark, and |
called to Paul to strike light. Most pro-
vollngly he had no materials with him
He generally carried flint and steel for
lighting his pipe with; but now when most
wanted it, he bad none. | went back to
the staircase, and descended 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. | came out and made
Paal search in all his pockets for the steel
and flint.
My curiosity increasing with the difficult
ty OF gratifying it; and in little while
when the thing seemed to be utterly i'm
possible, with this hole unexplorcd, Pera,
Mount fIor, and the Dead Sea, appeared to
lose halt their interest. lranup and down
tie steps, inside and out, abused Paul, and
struck stones together in the hope Of elici-
ting spark-but all to no purpose. |
was in an agony ofdespair, W hen found
myself grasping convulsivcly the handle of
my pistol. "A light broke suddenly upon
NE. A pile Of dry brush and cotton rags
lay at the foot of the sacl;icial altar fired
a pistol into it,gave one puff and the W hole
mass was in blaze. Each seized burn
ing brand, and we descended. AT the foot
of the steps was narrow chamber at the
otherend an iron grating, opening in the
middle, and behind the grating tomb cut
in the naked rock, guarded and reverenced
as a tomb of Aaron. I tore asunder the
rusty grating, and thrusing in my arm to
the shoulder, touched the halIowed spot.
The rocks and mountains were echoing
the discharge Of my pistol, like peals oil
crashing thunder; and while with the
burning brand in one hand, was thrusting
the other through the grating, the deafening
rever5erations seemed to rebuke me for
an act Of sacriIege, and rushed up the
steps like guilty and fear struck criminal.
Suddenly | heard from the foot of the
mountain, quick and irregular discharge
of firearms, which again resounded in loud
echoes through the mountains. 1t was far
from my desire that the bigoted Mussulman
should come upon me, and find me with
my pistol still smoking in my hand, and the
brush still burning in the tomb Of the
,,..~t, and tearing q. 2 piece Of the rag
ged pail, we hurried from the place and
dashed down the mountain on the opposite
side, with speed and recklessnesS that
only fear could give.
The GRAVE OF THE YoUNG.-There is !