New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-12-25
The Holy Land....EY sAERiET NsKrIsEAr.
From the Peoples fLordoul Journal
yI...THE JORDAN AID DEAD SEA.

behind the Moab Mountains The strip Of wood
lsnd Ia the middle Of plain looked black IN coli
irast with the frightening yellow precip'ces %
Quarantania on the West Southwark, the Dead
sea stretched into the land gray and clear Be
low me, orr tents and horses and the moving
figures Of the Arabs enliyened the shadoTy banks
Of the stream
We were of soon after six and were % reach
the banks Of the Jordan M about two and q halI
hours. Our way lay through the same sort oi
forest land as We had encamped in- 10 ~as very
wild and almost the only tokens o. hebItaton thtt
We met With were about Rihhah-by some suppos-
ed 10 be the exact size Of the ancient Jericho lnis
Is now as miserable village as any ~ Palestine
and rs inhabitants are as loT % character ~ ln
wealth. No stranger thinks OF gong near % VITO
is not well armed. Yet there Is no need = resort
70 any means but honest and very moderate ird1i
try to obtain a comfortable subsistence heIe-h
only honesty were encouraged, aud industry pro-
tected bv a good social state. The hne hg trees
that are scattered around ard the abundant prom Sc
of the few crops that are sOwl. show that the sch
and climate are not % blame At TINS place there
is a square tower conspicuous aiar above he
trees which some suppose % be the sole remnant
Of the great city bat il can hardly be ancleut
enough 20 have belonged % the old Jericho.
On n Ml1ck ia the midst Of the hrusn1oOt We
saw afcvy birds of such SIZE tlatcn OF the party
ia moment OF .or-etiliness. cried cot Ost1ohesl
There are DO ostriches in tfis c0untry 70 these
cranes looked very Ike them, while ON their feet
One ty one they rose, stretching out their .o'
ls-s behind them-ceriainly the largest bFis !
ever saw iy-or probably shall ever see.
Though we had been It'd. and had read thar fne
river could not be seen tai the tray eier re'ch-o ~
very banks, We could not help looking iof DO inree
broad terraces have 20 be traversed anl inen u
D., sunk IN n deep bed. where lt rushes hidden
among the woodland It's depth Of water var.eS
much Mt different seasons though less DOW man
formerly. The Scriptures speak 50 much OF the
overflow q Jordan; and Of the lion coming up ~
the swell ing Of Jordan, that . IS supposed thit
formerly the river was subject % lnuu1l'lois
which NAV have formed the three terraces above
mentioned aud caused the extraordinary i.rtiiiiy
Of tue plain 10 old times aud that the "ue beas.s
which thea harnorcd 10 tie brakes, came up 10
terrifv the dVellers IN the d ids. However THIS
may have been 10 Is not co now. The channel :
20 doubt decpened ani the uFer no" in tae fullest
season orrv bdms over Is banks INTO the brakes
so as to stand among . the caues' ana never
reaches the terraces.
THOUGH we were all on the look ont AMI though
we reached the river at the spot which is cieared
for the appOach OF the Easter pilgrims. we cou
not see the water till we could simost touch IT, Ire
FIRST notice 20 me OF where 10 was was from some
of the party dismouuting on the Pilgrim beach
When / came up-O how beautiful 70 was -
how much more beautiful than all pictures aud al
dissertations had led me 20 expect! The cny
drawback was that the stream was turbld nv
only whItish. from a sulphurious admlxture' DIX
muddy Bot it swept Dobiy along. with strong
and rapid current. and many eddies, gusnlis
through the thick woodland and flowing ia among
the tai reeds now shifting the white rocks OF lh,
onnosite shore aud now winding away out OF
ain behind the poplars and acacias and tall reeds
which crowd It's banks 1t IS not a broad rFefi
but II is foil Of majesty from IT'S iorce apd io'enes'
The vigorous up springing character OF the Wooa
along It's margin struck me mucn ana We 81" "
nov in its vivid Spring green.
The pilgrims rush into the sacred river IN su,h
numbers and with little precaution as % me
strength of the current, that no year passes " Jul"
ont some oss OF life and usually several perish
This wear only one was drowned Wna'e'er sH'
,erst,tion there might have been among our CON
napy it was not Of tins wild sort and we hatned
In soietv The ladies' went north the gentlemen
south | made a way through the thlcHel WIN
difficulty, tll found little cJ'e when me cur eA'
did not enter. aud over which hung sycAn "r-
whose lower branches were washed ~ the ilpl'e
which the current sent 10 ss IL passed. On these
branches the ba,her might stand Or SIT ~lth"u'
touching the mud which lay soft and deep below
The limestone precipice aud wooded promon'ory
opposite made the river particularly oeautiiui mere
AID sorry was 10 leave IL at last
IL is useless to attempt 70 make out where me
BAPTISM OF Jesus took place or where his oi'cipes
and john administered the rite. And on thr sp' J.
one has no dressing wish % know. The "ho't OF
this river is 80 sacred and 50 sweet that 10 s enough
TO have saluted it IN any part Of ITS course.
One thing more we did We remembered ifltN"s
| FAR away and carried away some water Tor tnrnl'
| having provided tin cases for the purpose Inc
! Queens children are baptised IN Jordan water ,
! and | brought away casoul for the bsptism Oh
! the child OF q friend who lives farther away from
/ tho Jordan than our Queen does. TINS business
/ done. we were summoned 10 morse ahu ilNe a"'
! southwark 20 the Dead sea.
! Tine helt Of wood aud soon turned away east
/ ward and We found ourselves exposed 70 extreme
! heat ON desOlate plain crusted with SAT- and
cracked with drought There had been n c0seness
and muskiness in the air. all the morning. "hicn
was very oppressve aud n1w II was, az our usuai
slow mace almost int1lerable. ] put my horse 70 4
! fest caUter aud crossed the plain % quickly 70
psssibe finding this pace a relief % my morse IS
| well rs myself The drift ON the beach OF the sea
look dreGry enough ridges oi broken canes niiI
willow twgs ashed up. aud j ing among ile s'4s
| and the liti'e unwhOlesome swamps Oh ue shoic
but the water looked bright aud clcer and So
tempting that our horses put their noses down re.
ucatedv. always turning away 10 disgust tasted
/ the water-ab0ut O. 40 drops-and almost thous ht
should never get the taste out OF my mouth a. IN.
And this IS the water that poor Cosiigans c'Hee
! was made o.
Costigsn was young lrshman, whose mira as
I possessed with the idea OF exploring the Dead
/ Sea. and giving the world the benefit oil MS Gs'
coveries. Ii would have been useful ssr' Ice
and he had zeal and dcvoteduess enough Tor IT,
But he vented either knowledge or prudence
/ end he lost bis life n toe adventure without haF'
! ING let Us any additional Information whsie' err
| He had a small boat carried overland by camels
and m this he set forth I'm an open boat ie the
month a. July with only one attendant, Nal.
tese servant They reached the southern end OF
the lake-not without hardship and difficulty but
the fetal struggle was IN getting back again. Inc
wind did not favor them, and c"ee bicT sucn a
soual that they had TO tighten the boat, when ihe
servant stupidity threw overheard the only casA oil
fresh water that they had They were now com
oeUed 70 row for their lives. 70 reach the JORDAN
before they persisted with thirst but tho sua
scor.hed them from a coniless SKY, ard the 81
.s<Hke q furnace when Cosugan coad ro~ Ac
loorer. his servant made some coffee from Gu,
,sster OF the lake ard then they lay do"n ID ine
boat 10 die Bat the man once more reused MN
self and by many ei1fis brought the oost 70 lns
head of the lase They lay helpless ior d "no.e
day on the burning shore. unable 70 DO more tnai
throw the salt water over each other from tune 3.
time The next morning. the servant era"
aNay. in hopes of reaching RIhhsh, which be d''
with extreme difficulty H. sent Costs an horse
down TO the shore with sspy Of water. he rs