New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-09-09
vol. VII. NO. 100.
FROM tie People. Journal
The Holy Land. ...gY HAEEiEI NtEIiSEAu.

l--ENINANfE.
IT was on Sunday March =, thst We were %
enter the Holy Land had been too much en-
crossed by the objects which Interested Us at every
step 10 Egypt and Arabia to think much OF this be-
iorehsnd bat when came forth from our tent IN
the dawn Of that morning. there was enough Of
novelty Ia the scene around me 70 make me feel
that We were about 70 enter upon n new c0Untry.
aud A new set Of interests aud became eager -
know at what hour were 10 pass the boundary
which separated the Desert from the Holy Land
the home Of the old Faith from that Of the new.
We bad followed the track Of Moses from the spot
where his mother placed his bulrUsh cradle % that
on which he died for - the East We shOnld his
morning see the mountains overhauging the Dead
Sea and among them the summit Of Nebo whence
be looked abroad over the Land VI Promise and
now We were 10 enter upon the country Of Jesus
certain 70 walk N Hisvery footsteps and see what
He saw-perhsps this very day. never remem-
Der feeling such interest IN every wild flower, IN
the outlines OF all the hills and the track Of all the
water courses.
We bad lett the stony Desert behind US. and
were eGcamped In q nook OF the bills where the
ground was green. aud weeds grew thick. There
was grass under my bed 10 the tent and when
came out this morning, the dew was heavy on the
daisies and buttercups aud Towering mall0ws
which grew abundantly on the turf After break
fast while the camels were loading, ! walked IN
the early sunshine on strip OF sand overlooking
the valley, impressing on my memory every feature
of the landscape aud impatient Of the rising ground
% the north, which prevented my seeing where
we were going. II was about ten O'Clock when
we passed the boundary. IL was impOzsbe 10 tell
the exact moment but within n mile or two we
felt that were, indeed, in the native land OF
Christ and probably on His very track h e might
have been here. His relations lived AZ Hebron 3
aud during the first thirty years Of HIS lie he had
probably visited them, alter meeting them at The
ieasts OF Jerusalem. He might have walked over
the hills which sWelled higher and higher as We
advanced and rested beside some OF the wells
which yawncd beside our track. AT any rate, the
trees and flowers which we saw must have been
familiar 10 His eyes the tbOrny acacia which
began here to rise and spread from the stunted
shrub OF the desert TO the dimensions OF tree the
scarlet anemOne-with us precious garden Hover
which here strewed the ground for acres around
the cyclamen which pushed forth It's TUFTS oi white
and lilac blossoms from under many stone and
push and the poppy mallo~' hemlock and wa
oats which grew as thickly as In any English
hedge | did not know before that these weeds
were as common here as with US and never be
fore did the sight of them give me so much pleas
ure. Ii would have been pleasant any where to
meet these familiar weeds so far from home but
the delight to day was 10 think that He and His
disciples were as much accustomed TO them as
ourselves aud that a walk IN the early Spring was,
in the pure country, much the same tking TO them
as 10 u.s.
But we soon came upon traces which showed
that the expanse of pure country here was small
in those days compared with what it is now The
towns must have been more thicky set here than
in any country ! ever was ia. Patches and masses
of ruins show ed themselves on every hand, so near
each other rs to Indicate that the land must have
been peOpled 10 a degree now nowhere known.
The first blowing we had seen for many weeks
was a striking sight to US mere scratching Of
the soil at the foot OF the hills but close by lay
heap of building stones the remains OF town or
village Presently We saw rude pillow, with
single camel at work and at hand was long
foundation wall, laid IN a far distant century. Tn
n hight farther ON were the remains OF a large an
Gent building, with two broken pillars standing
marking the sight OF the Aroer OF Scripture. Then,
though there were water courses about every hill,
wells beganto abound, substantial deep wells, built
with run with holes in 1t, % receive the covering
stone such wells as tell OF a settlement beside
them. W stopped early this day-partly because
it was Sunday, and partly because our Ara0
guards who know nothing Of our Sunday. found
convenient place among the hills, somewhat shell
tered from the cold wind and here, very lew
miles from the boundary, the gentlemen of the
party discovered that we had sat down IN the
midst OF what was once a large town. though tue
place appeared mere stony tract like many
that We had passed. In the morning early went
out to see for myself and was astOnished at the
extent of the ruins which should not have ob
served while merely riding by. could trace the
lines of foundation walls for half n mile and
building stones OycrgrOwn with grass, lay IN
hillocks for a considerable distance round. The
many caverns in the limestone rocks, now used as
beds for the goats. were found 10 be the vaults oil
large buildings now gone 10 ruin. In few
minutes we traced three temples. or other such
buildings by their overthrown pillars. Our eyes
being now opened we this day saw more and more
remains till we were convinced that all the way
from the boundary to Hebron, the land was thick
set with towns, and swarming with inhabitants IN
the days of its glory-the days when the Teacher
went up and down in II. medItating the changes
which must make 1t what have seen it now. Its
hills and streams, its skies and flowers are 10 day
what they were before His eyes: but where lie saw
towns ON every hight, aud villages IN every nook
there is now hardly lett one stone upon another.
A group OF black Bedoain tents on a hill side a
camel or two browsing here and flock OF goats
there are all that relieve the utter solitude where
there was then an innumerable throng OF men.
As we advanced on the Monday. the soil became
richer and field was Joined 10 field 50 that we be
gan to look for the landmarks which are here used,
instead OF fences, 10 bound field property. w en-
tered upon thickets and strawberries where white
roses the cyclamen convOlvulus, aud fragrant
herbs abounded. Soon after noon scene
opened upon Ga our left hand lay a wide,
deep basin among the hills, iull OF vineyards and
olive grounds where the stones from the soil were
built up into fences, and IN almost every plot roe
a garden house This was sure sign that we
were near town and rounded the hill on
our right we came in sight Of the two eminences
on which Hebron is built. There stood the town
where John the Baptist was born and here were
the scenes which he must many time have talked
of with his cousin, In their boylsh meetings at Je
rusaem for the ieasts. Hebron. too, is only TWEEN
~ miles from Bethlehem; ouly twenty-sIx from
Jerusalem and In those days when large amount
of yearly travelling was a solemn religious duty IL
cumbent upon every family. 1t is scarcely possible
but that relatives have often visited each 9th
err and that Jesus and his parents must have come
to Hebron.
The Cave of Mschpelah is there and the burial
place of Abraham and his family was sacred 10
cality, and an object OF pilgrimage 70 Jews OF a.!
ans Aswe inquired for 1t. and walked round the
inclosure. which the Mohammedans now permit no
Christian TO enter could not but think who might
have been before us IN the same quest
DETERMINATIONS SALEM
AS sat a tomb in the Turkish cemetery the
next morning March 30) watching the preparations
for our departure. | almost dreaded the interest
which every day would now bring, after the calm
and quiet weeks we bad spent in the Desert Our
H....l Il -. 81. - k.1s a.