The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1840-02-04
"DEAD SEA-" OR "LAKE OF sODOM."

we hhd narrative of Journey 10 the Dca,
sea- Which we have read with great Interest,"
We subjoin brief extract:
! What a rush Of recollectons come across tho
'h'ha, ms we survey the surrounding solitude
when We cast our eyes over the solitary wa.
'ers, beneath whose CLASSY surface lie buried the
ruins OF Sodom and GomornlI-on thes desert
cheerless plain, where once stood Jericho,-
and ON the silent banks of yoH small river, "the
river Jordan, where once the Israees passed
over on dry ground, preceded by the priests
bearing the ark OF the covenant Of the Lori,'-
when the waters which came down from above
$1,000 anu rose up upon heap, very far from
the city Adana, that is beside Zarelon /: and
those TINT came towards the sea Sf the plain,ev-
Ell the salt sea, failed, and The people passed ov-
er right against Jericho.' From those opposite
mountains, too, whose lofty SUBMITS gcan 50
brightly IN the pure sunshine, the Lord God
himself hath spoken, and we may say, in the
words of Chateaubrand, lie desert paroit encore
auet de terre,tr, ct Ton diriot quiz oSe ron,pre
te silence depuis gu a entendu le Uoir de PEter-
neL.'*
We halted to refresh our horses under some
shrubs close to the lake, and we attempted To
kindle fire Of the driftwood, bur it was SO sat
urated with SALT that our attempts were ineffec.
tual, and no other fuel could he found. The
sun, notwithstanding that the winter season had
now commenced, shone out with great warmth
and brlllinncy upon the sandy soil, and we were
glad to reach the shade of some mimosa bushes,
from whence we enjoyed an extensive and
beautiful view over the wide eXpanse Of water
1T is strange that this magnificent inland sea,
more Than four ii mes the size Of the Lake of
Tiberias should have remained n all ages SO
neglected and deserted. Frequent mention is
made in history of the fleets which sailed on
the senof liberals Of The bloody naval com
bats which were fought upon It's waters: and of
the number of ships ihat could be equipped by
the respective towns situate on its shore /; but
of the Dead Sea we have no account which
even leads us to suppose TINT it has ever been
navigatcd.
1t was received tradition among the ancients
that no living thing could cross the waters, and
the present inhabitants supersitiously believe
that any attempt to nav gate the lake will he at
tended with certain destruction. This notion
has been greatly strengthened by the meluncho'
~ death of an enerprsing young Irish traveller,
who fell victim this last summer 10 his curios'
ity in exploring these mysterious waters. He
procured boat at Jaffil, had it transported on
camels 10 the shores Of The Dead Sea, and then
furnishing himself with provisions and water
he embarked on the lake with the intention of
making n voyage round it. short time after.
wards he was found by some Arabs on the north
ern shore, nsensle, and suffering under most
alarming fever aud dysentery. lie was imme.
dia,ely carried to ltihhnh, and from thence trans
ported on litter 10 the christian convent nj Je.
rnsaem where lie shortly died, Notwithstanding
The greatest care and all the exerions of the
European officers attached to ibrah inn Pasha S
regiment,
Along the whole extern, OF the shores OF the
Dead Sea, n circuit of between two and three
hundred miles, there does not appear single
village, or one solitary human habilation. The
eastern shore has scarcely ever been visited it
is very mountainous and rugged, and the want
of food and water renders II almost mpassa BILE.
traveller for the hardshil's and privations of the
journey.
We learn from the Mosaic account that the
waters of the Dead Sea cover the ancient vale
of Sddim, in which STOOD the cities of Sodom
and Gomorrah. Before the destruction of those
two places, the vale OF Siddi II is spoken of in
the bible as :he theatre of the great battle between
Chedorlaomer and the kings Of Sodom and Go
morrah, Of Atmah ard Zebolin, and the king
of Bella. 'All these were Joined together in the
vale ofSddim, which is the salt sen--And the
vala ofSlddm was full Of slime pits &c.
The same vale was destroyed and the lake
formed when the Lord 'overlhr.w those cites
(Sodom and GouIorrah,) and all the plain, aad
all the inhabitants, and that which grew upon
the ground The ruins Of these cities nre said
TO he still visible beneath the waters. The an
clients had an idea that they were Distinguished
BILE and some Of their writers speak positive
ly on the subject Strabo gives circumference
of sixty s,adia to the ruins of Sodom. Tacitus
also speaks of them, and Josephus, employing
poetic xIression, says, that he perceived on
the banks of the lake, the shades OF the over
whelmed Cities The same notion hns been l.
dopted by tho christians and there is tradi.
ton among the Arab population of some great
catastrophe, and of the destruction of several
cities. But all these Iegons appear to he based
on no good foundation; and must be considered
the dreams of imagination. My Arab guide,
who is well acquainted with most Of the coup.
try on tile south, west, and north of The Deat.
Sea, and is very intelligent man, fanries thar
the wrecks OF the guilty cities visible under
water, but has never seen them himself, and
has only heard that they have been seen by
numbers of persons.
The desert appears yet mute with terror
and we may say, that it has dared 10 break 81
lence since it heard the voice Of the Eternal
EFFECTs OF NApoLEoN's AMBITIoN.-A
French paper, speaking of the destruction OF
human life accustomed by the late enperor's lust