Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1847-11-19

- ONSaiOA', LII W iASci iobho q iShi-
nant Of the Samarians still, and had
some interesting conversation with one
of their priests. In the immediate neigh
borhoodi is Jacobs Well, where our Lord
encountered the woman of Samaria, and
with simplest images instructed her in
the sublime mysteries Of spiritual truth.
/ The well is situated amid the ruins of a
church which once surrounded it. The
mouth was covered with two large stones
| Rolling away these, the travellers, with
their attendants. swung themselves down
to kind of platform, where they kindled
light, and commenced preparations for
ascertaining the depth of Jacobs Well.
/ 1t was now time to disclose our plan of
/ operation TO our native attendants. "Ja-
cob" said we, "a friend of ours, an Eng
lish traveller and minister (the Rev. An
drew Bonar, Of Collace,) dropped the five
books OF Moses, and the other inspired
records into this well about three years
| ago, and if you will descend and bring
them up, we shall give you handsome
| b0ksish." 'Backsish - said the Arabs,
ilinding at the sound ifthere is bakshish
IN the case, we must have ii, for we are
the lords of the land" well down ycu
go, said we, throwing the rope over their
! shoulders, ''and you shall have the bak-
shish.' ''Nay, verify" said they, you
mean to hang US; let Jacob do what he
pleases.' Jacob was ready at our COM
mand; and, when he had tied the rope
round his body below the shoulders, he re-
ceived our parting instructions.
We asked him to call out to us the
moment he might arrive at the sur
face Of the water, and told him that
we should SO hold the rope as to pre-
vent him from sinking, if th,re 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 olgnlte 1t 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
betook himselfto prayer in the Hebrew
tongue. We, of course, gave him no
interruption in his Solemn exercise, as,
IN the circumstance of the case, we
could not but admire the spirit OF de-
votlon which he evInced. On 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 ex-
hausted. he called out, Il have reach
ed the bottom, and it is at present
scarcely covered with water" Forth
with he kindled his light; and, that he
might have every advantage, we threw
HIM down quantity OF dry sticks, with
which he made 4 blaze, which dis
tinctly 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 a knot upon it
at the margin above, that we might
have the exact measurement when ia
cob might come up. After searching
for about five minutes for the Bible a.
mong the stones and mud at the bottom.
our friend joytully cried out: at is
found it is found it is found - We
were not slow, ii may be supposed in
giving him our congratulations. The
prize he carefully put into his breast,
and then he declared his readiness. with
our aid, to make the ascent. =
We found it no easy matter to get
him pulled up, as we had TO keep the
rope from the edge OF the well lest it
ehould snap asunder. When he came
into our hands he was unable TO speak,
and we laid him down on the margin of
the we'll that he might collect his broth.
= Where is the bakshlsh p were the
first words which he uttered on re-
gaining his faculty of speech. 1t was
Immediately forthcoming, to the ex-
tent OF about a sovereign, and 10 his
fullest satisfaction. \ similar sum we
divided among our Arab assistants.
The book, from having been so long
STEPPED III the water and mud below,
was, with the exception Of the boards,
reduced To u mass of pulp. In cur eff
4 fort to recover II, we had ascertained
! the depth of the well, which is exact
/ ~ seventv-five feet. Its diameter is
ab )uI nine feet. 1t is entirely hewn
out of the solid rock. and is a work of
great labor. 1t bears marks about it
of great antiquity. 4" The well Is Deep"
was the description given of it by the
/ woman OF SamarIa TO our Lord. 1t
still, as now noticed, has the same