Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1847-10-07
NUMBER 80.
THE DEPTH or JACOBS WELL.

The Rev. DR. Wmsos. Of England
has recently travelled through the Holy Land
and published the results of his travel under
tina tile of '.The Land OF the Bible visited and
described" presents the following relation of
his visit to Jacobs Well:
At Shechem DR.. Wilson found remnant
Of the Samaritans still, and had some interest
ing conversation with one OF their priests. In
the immediate neighborhood is Jacobs Well
where our Lord encountered the woman of
Samaria, and with simplest images instructed
her IN the sublime mysteries ofsprilual ruth.
The well is situated amid the ruins Of a church
which once surrounded il. The mouth was
covered with two large stones. Rolling away
these. the travellers. with their attendants,
swung themselves down to kind oil platform,
where they kindled a light, and commenced
preparations for ascertaining The depth Of ia
cob's W ell al was now time TO disclose our
plan OF operation 10 our native attendants
Jacob said we, "a friend of ours. an English
traveller, and minister fthe Rev DIR. Andrew
Bonar, Of Collaoe.) dropped the FIVE books of
Moses and the other inspired records into this
well, about three years ago, and il YOU will
descend and bring them up we shall give a
handsome bakSsish' 'Bakshsh n SAID the
Arabs. kindling at the sound; ii there is 10 be
a bakshish in the case, we must have il, for
we are lords of the land We'll. down YOU
CO. said we, throwing the rope over their
shoulders, 'and you shall have the bakshlsh.'
/ NAY, verify said they, you mean 10 hang
US let Jacob do what he pleases.' Jacob was
ready at our command and, when he had
tied the rope round his body below his shout
ders, he received our parting Instructions
| We asked him 10 call out to us the moment
that he might arrive at the surface of the wa.
\ ter, and told him that we should so hold the
rope as TO prevent him from sinking, If there
was any considerable depth of the clement
We told him also 10 pull out one Of the can
dies with which he lad stored his breast, and
TO ignite it when he might get below As he
/ looked into the fearful pit on the brink Of which
he stood, terror took hold Of him; and he be.
took himself 20 prayer in the Hebrew tongue.
We of course, gave hun no interruption in
his solemn exercise, as, in the circumstances
of the case. we could not but admire the spirit
of devotion which he eyinced. On signal
given, we lei him 60. The Arabs held with
us the rope, and we took care that he should
descend as gently as possible.
! When our material was nearly exhausted.
he called out Il have reached the bottom; and
il is at present scarcely covered with water
Forthwith he kindled his light; and, thai he
might have every advantage, we threw him
down quantity of dry sticks, with which he
made a blaze. which distinctly showed us the
whole OF the well, from the top to the bottom.
We saw the end of the rope at its lower
part; and we put knot upon ii al the margin
above, that we might have the exact measure
ment when Jacob might come up. After
searching for about five minutes for the Bible
among the stones and mud at the bottom. our
\ friend ioyfully cried out--"It is found il is
found it is lonndo We were not slow, 1t
NAV be supposed, in giving him our congrat-
ulatons. The prize he carefully put into his
breast and then he declared his readiness,
with our aid, 10 make the ascent
We found ii no easy matter to get him pulled
up, as we had 10 keep the rope from the edge
ofthe well lest II should snap asunder. When
he came into our hands, he was unable to
speak, and we laid him down on the margin
of the well, that he might collect his breath
"Where is the bakshish 2" were the first words
which he uttered, on rcgaining his faculty Of
speech. II was Immediately forthcoming, 10
the extent ofabout sovereign, and to his full
est satisfaction. A similar sum we divided a.
mong our Arab assistants. The book, from
having been so long stepped in the water aud
mud below, was, with the exception Of the
boards, reduced TO mass fpulp. In our ef-
fort to recover il, we had ascertancd the depth
of the well, which is exactly seventy five feet
It's diameter is about nine feet. Ii is entirely
hewn out Of the solid rock. and is a work Of
great labor. II bears marks about il of great
antiquity. "The well is deep" was the de-
scription gwen of il by the woman Of Samarla
TO our Lord. II STILL as now noticed. has the
same character, although TO an extent il is
| perhaps filed with the stones which are
thrown into il, TO sound it, by travellers and
pilgrims.
1.-The adventure which have now noticed
being over, we emerged from the well and
sitting down at its mouth, we'could not but
think Of the scenes and event Of other days
We were near TO the very parcel of ground
that Jacob gave Joseph Jacobs well was
here! Here Jesus, the Saviour, sat, weared
with his Journey, suffering from the inlirmi-
tiles OF that lowly human nature he had as
sumed, when he came from heaven to accom-
plish the work OF our redemption, which his
Father bad given him 10 do. Here he spake
with nimitable simplicity and majesty, as
never man spake, setting himself forth as the
Source and Giyer OF the copious and satisfy
I iprr ofE a \ T..