The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1848-01-15


looked bright and clear,and so tempting that
our horses put their noses down repeatedly, !
always turning away again in disgust. / tast-
ed the wnter-about two drops-and al !
most thought should never get the taste out
of my mouth again. And this is the water
that poor Costigan's coffee was made of!
Costigan was young lrishman, whose
mind was possessed with the idea of eXplor-
ing the Dead Sea, and giving the world the
benefit ofhis discoveries. 1t would have been
II useful service; and he had zeal and devoted
ness enough for it. But he wanted either
knowledge or prudence, and he lost his life
in the adventure, without having left us any
additional information whatever. He had u
small boat carried overland by camels; and in
this he set forth, lin an open boat, in the
month of JulyD with only one attendant, a
Maltese servant. They reached the southern
end ofthe luke-not without hardship aud
difficulty; but the fatal struggle was in getting
hack again. The wind did not favor them,
and once blew s:ch squat that they had to
Tighten the boat, when the servant stupidity
threw overheard the only cask of fresh water
that they had. They were now compelled to
row for their lives, to french the Jordan be-
fore they persisted with thirst; but the sun
scorched them from cloudless sky, and the
air was like furnace. When Costigan could
row no longer, his servant made some coffee
from the water of the lake, and then they lay
down in the boat to die. But the man once
more reused himself aud by many efforts
brought the boat to the head of the lake.
T They lay helpless for whole day on the
shore, unable 10 do more than throw the salt
water over euch other from time to time. The
next morning, the servant crawled away, in
t hopes of reaching Rihhad, which he did with
; extreme difficulty. He sent Costgan's horse
, down to the shore, with Il supply of water.
t He was alive, and was carried to Jerusalem
t in the GOODNESS ofthe night. TTe was taken
care of in the Latin convent there; but he
died in two days. Not mote relating 10 his
enterprise was ever found; and during his ill
! ness he never spoke on the subject. Amy
! knowledge that he might have gained has
2 persisted with him, and no reliable iutorma-
Y lion could be obtained from ihis servant.
| Costlgnn'S grave is in the American burying
v ground; and there l saw the stone which tells
his melancholy story, He died in 1885.
!, There appears TO be no satisfactory evil
: dence as to whether any fish are to be found
p in the Dead Sea. Our guides said that some
o small black fish have been seen there; but
p others deny this. A dead fish has been found
! on the shore near the spot where the Jordan
+ enters the lake, but this might have been cast
: up by the overflow otthe river. Ii is said
= that small birds do not fly over this lake, on
p account the doleterous nature OF its at
d nlosphere. About small birds | cannot speak
= way down it obliquey. The curious lights
: which hung over the surface struck me as
:; showing an unusual state ofthe atmosphere
: the purple murky light resting one part
/ and the line of silvery retraction in another
c Though the sky was clear after the morning
o clouds had passed away, the sunshine appear.
c ed dim; and the heat was very oppressive
o The gentlemen of the party, who stayed be-
:, hind 20 battle, declared, on reioinng us al
lunch time, that they had found the common
d report of the buoyance of the water of this
IT sea not at all exaggerated, and that it wa.
3 indeed an easy matter to Goat in il, and very
Il difficult to sink. They also found their hail
o and skin powdered with salt when dry. Blu
e they could not admit the greasness or stick
!. mess which is said to adhere to the skin af
5! ter bathing in the Dead Sea. They were yer
IS y positive about this; and they certainly die
I! observe the fact very carefully. Yeti have
Is seen, since my return,a clergyman who bath
IS ed there, and who declared to me that Iii.
y skin was so sticky, for some days after, tina
d he could not get rid oft ,even from his hands
k And the trustworthy Dr. Robinson, late
II traveller there, says, 'After coming out.
J. perceived nothing, of the salt crust upon the
{ body, of which so many speak. There was
II slight pricking sensation, especially where
a the skin had been chafcd;and sort of greas
$ y feeling, rs of oil, upon the skin, which las
:, ted for several hours. The contrast of these
II testimonies, and the diversity which exists
S among the analyses ofthe waters which have
been made by chemists, seem to show that
n the quality otthe waters ofthe Dead Sea va
n ries. And it appears reasonable that il
I should; for it must make a great difference
y whether fresh waters have been pouring into
s the basin ofthe lake, after the winter rains,
t or great evaporation has been going on IN
f der the summers sun. In following the
e margin of the sea, we had to cross q creek,
/ where my skirt was splashed. These splash
: es turned presently TO thin crusts of salt; and
t the moisture and sickness were as great a
: week afterwards as at the moment.
/ We wound among salt marshes and brakes
t in and out, on the desolate shores of this sea;
t this sea which is not the less dead and drea-
b ry for being as clear and blue as fresh
e mountn in turn. AS we assembled the ranges
g of hills which lay between us and the con-
; vent where we were to rest the Jordan valley
opened northwards, and the Dead Sea south
e wards, till the extent traversed by the eve
s was really vast. How beautiful must it have
/. been once, when the Jordan valley, whose
J verdure was now shruDk into black line a.
midst the sands, was like an interminablc
, garden; and when then the cities OF the plain
stood bright and busy where the Dead Sea
| now lay blank and grey! As took my last
look back, from a great elevation, | thought
that so mourniul landscape, for one having
real beauty, had never seen.
REMEDY FOR Group. Seeing frequent
recipes in your valuable paper, for that fatal