The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-12-13

| To The Editor Of The Union:
With the consent OF the Hon Secretary of the Navy,
beg leave through your columns, 10 redeem promise
have made
When the small party just returned from the Dead
Sea- st entered upon ITS waters, It's members came, one
and ALL to the conclusion, that having undertaken what
others failed 10 accomplish, the honor of the American
name was al stake, and that it better 10 die like
| them than return unsuccessful
On the evening OF the 9Th day. however on the south
ern sea- we were prostraed by the hot blasts OF smoom
sweeping from the desert of Arabia, which followed
By i've days OF intense and sitting heat On the after
noon OF the l4h day, on the coast of Moab, 10
prise were greeted by depuation OF Christians from
Kenk, the keijath Moab OF the Bible
I The Joy OF this people at meeting unbounded
they caresSed US, brought water and leban, (sour
mllk,) all they had and some OF them spent nearly
the whole night hunting wild boar, wherewh 10 regae
US When told thai our forms OF worship in America
were different from theirs, they replied 'What matters
In! Christ died for all Do you not believe in Hun 2"
When told that did they said: "Then what forms
before God He looks TO the heart We are brothers %
And brothers they continued to call US to the last
we could not trace their origin, but concluded that
they are either the descendants of Of the last tribes
mountains, had escaped the Mohammedan alternative of
he Koran or the sword, or of the crusaders under the
Christian Lord of kerak. They number about $50 fam
lies, and live in the town-the only one now left in the
once populous country of Moab Within the walls are
also the nuts OF 100 Muslin families and outside the
black tents OF the fierce tribe kera Keyeh numbering $50
fighting men
The Christians gave an invitation 10 visit their town.
about seventeen miles distant in the mountains but,
while Hospitality urging us to go, they did not conceal
the pers of the vsit for they confessed that they
outnumbered and overawed and in emergency would
not dare openly to assist
determined however, TO accept their invitation at all
hazards for II evident that, unless recruited by
more braeIng atmosphere we must inevitably perish In
this opinion the anentei Mr.. Dale concurred with me
will not tire You with an account of the vist-of the
reachey with which we were threatened and our re-
uTn, in battle array with the hostile Shekh prisoner
but simply express my conviction that but for the timely
information given by the Christians, we should never
! hl,typ uazn rtr HflHf
These poor CHRISTIE are much tyrannzed over by
their Muslin nrEhbs ~ Their only place OF retreat
when threatene Ne v.Dence IL their little cell of 4
church, which car r..ly hold twenty families. Their
account, which narration bore the impress Of
truth, seems conh ~ by the circumstances that in the
centre OF their Little church there is well, which sup
Plies them with water until their provisions are exhaust
ed the restless nature OF their prosecutors takes them
elsewhere The object OF all their hopes is to build
church sufficiently large to hold all their wives and child
rem for, with all their intolerance, the Musms respect
the house OF Him whom they call ELSA, the Prophet OF
the Christians"
The foundation and part of the walls of church
have been built but the work is discontinued from
the want OF means-the sirocco and the locust hav-
ing swept their harvests for several years They gave
me appeal 10 their Christian brethren in Amer
lea, which | promised 10 deliver. With many apollo
gies for s phraseology, they begged me TO write it
out more fully for them but prefer sending It forth
in It's simple and touching brevty. | will only
add that little should be given, and that disereeay al
different times, not TO excite the cupidity OF the
Maslims The Board Of Foreign Missions at New York
VIII doubtless receive WUdt gwen, IOTWdfu
it either their brethren in Beirut to the Anglican
bishop jerusalem for distribution. One cent from each
humane person in this land of charity will be than
sufficient.
APPEAL
By Gods favor May it, God willing reach America,
and be presented 10 our Christian brothers, whose hap
piness may the Almighty God preserve: Amen
S6i2. BEDUAH.
We in Kerak, few very poor Christians, and are
building church.
We beg your exceency to help in this undertaking,
for very weak.
The land has been unpoductve and visited by the To-
Gusts for the last seven years.
The church delayed in not being accomplished, for
want of funds for few Christians, surrounded
by Muslims
This being all that is necessary 10 write to you, Christ
ian brothers in America we need say no more.
The rusers in your bounty,
ABD'ALLAH EN- NAHAS, (Sheikh)
YAKOB EN- NAHAS.
kERAk. Is Jauad AWak 1914