Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1848-12-21
TIVE DEADsRA KxpEDITIoS-lNTER-

TIVE DEAD SRA BGPEDITloN-lNrBR-
ESTlNG LETTER.
The Washington Union contains the fol-
loving very interesting letter from Lieut..
WIN. Lynch, under whose command The
priiIeu. eSseditioa to the Dead Sea was so
.ocee.sfalie &sNed:
10 The Editor Of iG Uaion:
with the conseNl Of ,hcyoS. Seere,sr, Of
III. Navy. beg leaSSshrcCsoH Numns.
10 redeem promise Ytavessde.
When the small party, jus, returned from
the Dead Sea, entered upon its waters, its
members came, one anil oil, To the conclusion.
That hsvingvpndertasen what Others siied TO
accomplish, rhe hogor u the American name
was al stake,sand thst II wfTe better 10 die
like them than return unsuccessiul.
Ga the evening OF the 9th dsy. however.
on the southern sra, we were pIostrated oy
the hot bi.st Of a simeon, sweeping from the
desert Of Arabia, which wa followed BY i've
day. Of intense and sitting heat. On the az
trrno N Of the fourteenth dsy, on the coast q
Moab. ~ our surprise we were greeted by u
deputation Ct Christians from kersk, the Ne
ijsth Moab Of the Bible.
The joy Of this people at meeting US ives
uubnuuded. They ceressed us, brought us
water ami lebsn (sour muk) al, they had,
oni some Of them spent NEARLY the whole
night hunting a Wild bo,r. wherewith 10 re-
gale US. When told that our forms OF wor-
/ ship IN America were different from theirs,
/ they replied: "Whst matters it7 Christ di
ed for ALL Do YOU not believe in him''--
| W ben told that we did. they SAT: Then
ma, are forms before God7 He looks to the
heart We are brothers" And brothers they
continued 10 call us To the last.
We could not trace their origin, but conclu
ded that they are either the desce adants OF
one OF the last tribes converted 10 Christiani-
! ", who in the Businesses Of the mountains
/ had escaped the mohammedan alternative OF
1.-THE Koran or the su ord" or the crusaders
under the Christian Lord Of Kerak. They
nuinber about $50 families, and live in the
town-the only one now left, in he once
populous country OF Moab. Within the
walls are also the huts OF loo Moslin families,
aud outside are he black tents Of the fierce
tribe Kers Keyeh, numbering $50 fighting
men.
The Christians gave us an invitation TO
I visit their town, about seventeen miles dis
lant in the mountains; but. while Hospitality
urging us 10 go. they did no. conceal the PER-
lis OF the visit; for they confessed that they
were outnumbered and ovsrawed. and in an
emergency would not dare openly TO ASSET
| US.
determined, however to accept their invi.
tatlon al all hazards; for it was evident that,
unless. recruited by q more brscing stinos.
| phere. we must inevitably perish In this
opinion the iamented Mr.. Dale concurred
with me.
| will not tire YOU with an account of the
visit--of the treachery with which we were
al rmas al md hiatt
! with the hostile Shekh as pGisoner-but sim
ply express my conviction, that, but for the
| timely information given BY the Christians,
we should never have seen our bosts again.
Those poor Christians are much tyrannized
over by their Moslim neighbors. Their only
| place OF retreat. when threatened with vio-
ience, is their little cell Of church. which
can scarcely hold twenty families. Their &C.
count, which in its nerration bor' the impress
OF truth, seems confirmed by the circum.
/ stance that in the centre OF their little church
there is well, which supplies them with wa
ter until their provisions are exhausted, or
the restless nature Of their prosecutors tskes
them elsewhere. The object Of oil their
hopes is TO build church sufficiently larg. 10
hold all their wives and children; for, with
all their intolerance, the Mo.lins respect the
house Of Him whom they call "lssas. the
Prophet OF the Christian"
The foundation and part OF the walls Of
q church have been built, but the work is dis
continued from the want Of means--,he ii
rocco and the locust having swept their her.
vests Tor several years. They gave me an sp-
| peal TO their Christian brethren in America,
which ! promised 10 deliver. With many a.
pologies Tor liz phrsseology, they begged me
| TO write II out more fully Tor them; but pre-
/ arl
| touching brevity. ] will only add. thu, little
should be given, and that dlscreiely, at differ.
ent times 80 % not to excite the cupidity OF
the Moslims. The Board Of Foreign Missioa
al New York will doubtless receive what may
be given. and forward i, either to their breth.
ern IN Beirut or 10 the Anglican bishop 81
Jeru.alum, TOR distribution. One cent from
| each humane person in this land OF charity
will be more than sufficient.
APPEAL.
By Gods favor: May it. God willing, reach
America aud be presented TO our Christian
brothers, whose happiness may the Al.
mighty God preserve; Amen.
S642. BEDUAH.
We are in kersk, few very poor Chris
tians, and are bull ling church.
Webeg your exceliency to help us ia this
undertaking, for we are very weak.
ssThe land has been unproductivc and Waited
by the locust for the last ssven yeas.
The church is delayed in not being accom-.
piished, for want Of funds. for we are few
Christians. surround BY Maslims.
This being ell that is necessary to write TO
you, Christian brothers in America, we need
say no more.
The irusters TO ycur bounty.
ABDALLAH Es NAHAs, (Sheikh.)
YAxoB Els NAnAs.
herak, rs Jamsd Awak, 1851.