Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1847-11-12
The Depth Of Jacobs Well.


The Rev. DR.. wILsoN. of England, who
has recently travelled through the Holy
Land and published the result Of his travels
under the title Of "The Land Of the Bible
Visited and Described" presents the follow
ing relation Of his visit TO Jacobs Well:
"At Sheehem DR.. Wilson found a rem
nant Of the Samaritans still and had some
interesting conversation with one Of their
priests. In the immediate neighbourhood
is Jacobs Well, where our Lord encoun-
tered the woman or Samsria, ana win stun
pie images instructed her in the sublime
myseries Of spiritual truth The well Is
situated amid the ruins Of a church which
once surrounded it. The mouth was COW
cred with two large stones. Rolling away
these. the travellers. with their attendants,
swang themselves down TO a kind Of plat
form, where they kindled light, and COM
menced preparations for ascertaining the
depth OF Jacobs Well.
at was now time TO disclose our plan Of
operation to our native attendants. "Ja-
cob" said we, "a friend Of ours, an En-
glish traveller and minister, (the Rev. An
drew Bonar, Of COLLAGE dropped the FIVE
books Of Moses and the other inspired re-
cords into this well about three years ago,
and if you will descend and bring them up
we shall give you handsome bakshish."-
"Bakshish r. said the Arabs, kindIing at the
sound "f there is to be bakshish in the
case, we must have il, for we are the lords
Of the land" "Well. down you CO." said
we, throwing the rope over their Shout
ders. "and you shall have the bakshish."-
NAY, verify" said they. you mean 10 hang
US; let Jacob do what he plsases." Jacob
was ready at our command; and, when he
had tied the rope round his body below the
shoulders, he received our parting instruc-
tons. We asked him to call out TO US the
moment that he might arrive Al tho surface
OF the water, and told him that we should
SO hold the rope as 10 prevent him from
sinking, il there was any considerable depth
Of the element We told him also to pull
out one Of the candles with which he had
stored his breast, and to ignite il when he
might get below. As be looked into the
fearful pit on the brink Of which he stood,
terror took hold OF him, and he beiook him
self to prayer in the Hebrew tongue. We
of course gave him no interruption in his
solemn exercise. as, in the circumstances Of
the case, we could not but admire the spirit
OF devotion which he evidenced On n
signal given we let 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 exhaust
ed. he called out, II have reached the bot
tom, and il is at present scarcely covered
with water" Forthwith he kindled his
| light; and, tina; he might have every ad-
vantage, we threw him down a quantity Of
dry sticks. with which he made blaze.
which distinctly showed us the whole Of the
well, from the top to the bottom.
1--WE saw the end OF the rope at its lower
part and we put knot upon il at the
margin above. that we might have the exact
measurement when Jacob might come up
After searching for about Eve minutes for
the Bible among the stones and mud at the
bottom, our friend joyfully cried out at
is found il is found il is found !" We
were not slow, it may be supposed, in Civ
ing him our congratulations The prize he
carefully put into his breast, and then he
declared his readiness, with our aid, to make
the ascent.
eve found il no easy matter 10 get him
pulled up. as we had 10 keep the rope from
the edge Of the wall lest il 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 coll
leci his breath. "Where is the bakshishf"
we're the first words which he uttered on
regaining bis faculty Of speech. 1t was
Immediately forthcoming. TO the extent of
about sovereign, and to his fullest satisfac-
ton. A similar sum we divided among our
Arab assistants. The book. from having
been so long stepped in the water and mud
below, was, with the exception of the
boards, reduced to mass Of pulp. In our
effort 10 recover Il we had ascertained the
depth of the we'll, which is exactly seventy
Eve feet Itsdiameter is about nine feet
II is entirely hewn out Of the solid rock.
and is work of great labour. Il bears
marks about il Of great antiquity. "The
well is Deep was the description given Of
il by the woman of Samaria 70 our Lord
II still, as now noticed, has the same char
acter, although to an extent it is perhaps
filed with stones which are thrown into il
TO sound by travellers and pilgrims.
"The adventure which have now noiic-
ed being over, we emerge from the well.
and, sitting down at is mouth. we could
not but think Of the scenes aud events Of
other days. We were near to the very
parcel Of ground that Jacob gave Joseph"
Jacobs Well was hele Hero Jesus, the
Saviour. sat, wearied with his journey, snf-
fering from the inhrmiiies Of that lowly
human nature he had assumed, when he
came from heaven 10 accomplish the work
of our redemption, which his Father had
given him TO do. Here hespake with inim-
table simplicity and majesty as never man
spake. setting himself forth as the Source
and Giver Of The copious and satisfying wa.
lers Of Eternal Life"