Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1843-09-14
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BY THE REY. THOMAS srwAtr
tfeo. ist.l country around nc III this
..ns = Truly sunline i the subiimi,s Oh ssiiu
Inc uetp Yslteys through witch Is ! Y,sss, bound
ea on ellnef hand py tosering monntsins, have
been cut down by repeated rains, aud y III 1he;s
rugged walls are as desolaie OF vegetation. Win
the exception Of d few hardy weeds. AZ iI-exer,
spark q vegetable life was, extinct II loekx
iikeF.a dead world Hpw sitfereat from lhe
green shores-of I'M Nile IFeb. adll Nj isst
/ ihe camels to-day and made an excursion ma
NE mo'5ntains on fooisto see soma fnxcr,ptsons.
nsafes &c on lhH rocks, Of which lie Arabs
,ela esse4sA ley toi the characters appeared
sssf'.an' ana othfrs IatfieailvAAf facts II lew
lSh history but their meaning al walksas ear-
tain origin. arc both NIX stefv tho,tsh thevIase
supposed tohe he work of ctrisiianpiierias. h,
", seroal 9then thought 10 be S.fal 10 sthe ]
rs. cenl.sries' The figures arc generally ID.
stuuea "lthin SPACES hse feet long lana .iifeh ]
leel wide, Ahovcs was p row Of stats, twentY-
shfee IN nnmber-1he Sides resembged Nm exg.
cuiloner axe Of Efizabelh's tinie sxithin thct.,
was small serPe4t, Two qusils. an aEimal ref /
semoing ascorPion, atax, and four sriaed ucr1,
tiiree oil whom we've alltes, and one Of lhcm hela
aoose TIE head OF the fourth, who was PROSTATE.
war club There were multitudes Of ipufes
smaller 10 size. One was like a triangI Il ,-aylth
asnoft ongneprojs ctslg upward from tie centre
81 inc baseball, AND sevefal fesemble thelo s Ill
shalfof stocks for The fsei of ctfnl a&ls. Ehet,E
we're excavations u the vicinity that seemed to he
Of more modern date than Ats Oh lSsra,ars n,.,l,k
pefhans ny some Arab afvcptufer.| who hoped
70 md treasure eohcealeGl in what he ihoaghtia
DC lomos Tor, as apeonle, they entettsinl suciI
views ol antique Sopnlchfes 9ad ruins and ard
exceeding jealous be The attentions which
strangers pay 10 tllcm After resuming out
Journey we passed o5her Ennumerabel names up4
on the rocks One subject of surprise eonpect4 /.
ed win these msffiptpps III this, that the ele1
ments have not etaced them, the effects oil
winch IN OTTER respects are 20 apparent Per4
ha2> The valleys Nave moi been formed BY her
acton, a. %. the country through which epassi
Ell few days since perhaps the conimonaeseI
o. the earth was never higher than atsprGseni,
because. the whole region IS rock, thought soft
and desintegratidg stid Che elements have
worked striking results, scoring lbe sides Of the
mountains, tumblilg vast masses 10 their tases.
and giving 70 all tbe appearance Of the grandest
desolaton-as. If this portion Of old Asis had
acted IFS part Of the worlds drama, was MORN s
out, and awaited in decay tie 6res OF lhe last
Judgment. Yet here stand these carvipgs ,there
they would least be expected To- survive, nhhult
amid the wreck ormaiter So
lFeb. 4ih have allowed myself to he
good deal annoyed hitherto, b1 the countless little
veSations Which traveller is doomed locneoun-
ter IN the Desert: But sweet Wadds Ferrau,
through which we passed to-day. with It's run-
ming =strepm, its grove OF psfins, and is Bedoutfs
tents, has quite changed my mood, and repaia
me for the past. No one can at all appreci
The music of cumming water and the Tuxurg OF.
ent upon his parsimonious goat skfns. '
L am sure that these circumstances do not strike
as SO orcibly they would have done If our journey
had heeu taafts Tho nj Gnu
there is fn9ee and beauty in these passages oil the
Bible which refer to natural obi cts that meyer
saw befores Theasy pressions. s'As the hNart pan
lteth after The water brooks 'sAs the shallow o.
Egreatrocktd weary Iands y ereenpas,upes and
beside still waters,s aud others simi no then, have
neanlpg that in the COLD erlate and fertile sail
of DIR own country cs#seyer pc understood. bat
to lie s.W addy " or Valley
Il Is ReHlas three miles in iengilT, and two hun
ar4 wards IN wdf, enclosed Gu both sides by tow
erIfg mouiitafs of rGek. ,.ss
a brook of excellent water runs through il il IL
shadedfrom one end to the other BY agrove OF luxa
RANT palms; and around many of their trunks stand
palm leaftents, with ptons al this season
Fol the year unoecupied These tree are the proc
tpcrty Of different Arabs: soma owning ten some
Btwenty, some an hptdred, and; in date time they all
assemble with their Families 10 gather aud preserve
the uIt. SpFhe families were there at the time OF
ourvisit, and Twas curious 10 the wives and mo-
theirs of this strange race, Once caught sight OF
dark maiden rambling about with her pet goats bur
the-moment She perceived me appreaehicg she syall
| ashed among the trees -
This excited my curiosity still more: sd taking
| one Of the Arabs With mel went toward one IL the
! tents IA venerable old man came OFT 20 meet me.
j He cordially extended his haatl 10 me-, and as corr
.4,lias received IL | enpted some poor tobacco
from his pipe and filled it With my own, aud having
thus, supposed, paid my entrance fee ard Sc.
Z cured the privilege Of Visiting his household
passed on. At the mouth Of ths; hut Woman met
aal welcomed me without an. Of that extreme IL
iifaity which usually Characteristics Mahomedan o.
men Sue filed my hands wiz, their littlelapples,
and when TURNED away I'd II join the caravan She
stilislfained me, anil filled them agan with dates
We shook hands once more and parted, hui
shall long remember that desert home aud its warm
hearted oeclfpants told one Of our Arabs, aftsr+
+ wApd, whose ElmiIy LIES in the AVaddy, thst il
pleased me very much thai had been kfdly treat
ed lhere ami asked him sit cane~to lfsr- sbohg
them should be received. and epnis he FIND for NE
an Arab wiief'' The generous fellow, (1oF withalt
beiIb bad traits they have many noble cnes, repiei,
sCome my dates shall be- your slases sanfP addict
he without any proper motvel sttoH -siaH hare
my 1pife.'. should have SAID that there afe the
elearest eyiGences at the western end Of heAN addy
tlist t was once quite populous.
Il There are tht: Eutps OF atawn there witht wells
Of The houses siil standing there are rninY nuiit-
lnes on The SUBMITS oFt the MOUNTAINS; small btok en
enlumus Of reddish stone plenty; and &c thu
head OF modern grave stand two small rnarlIle ca.
lurnifs;fthe work eyidently Of / Former People h
The vast qantiiyof ruins could be laid open and elk.
aisned interesting discoveries doubtless could Be
aGes 1t supposed to have keen the christian Cd
81 Ferran Of the ,hirdand fourth centurissf