Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1848-03-16
VII.-JACOB'S WELL AND THE SAMA-
RITANS.

Our last view Of Jerusalem was very fine
We looked back from ridge on the northern
road, and saw it lying bright and stately, on its
everlasting hills but it looked lower than from
most other points Of view, from the Moab noun
talns forming its lofty background. We descend
ed the slope before us, and lost sight of the Holy
City forever.
Again we were struck with the vivid coloring
of the scenery. All this day, the hills were
dressed in brilliant hues-the soil, red grey and
brown; the titled portions of the brightest green,
and the shadows purple or lilac. All The hills
show traces of having been once terraced; and
they were still completely so in the neighborhood
of our encampment this evening-the terraces
following the strata of the stone, which all Law
sIantng. This gives singular air of wildness
to the most cultivated spots. Here and there
were basins among the hills, the red soil dropped
all over with fig and olive trees, or full of corn;
and the upland tracks winding among slopes all
strewn with cistus, iris, cycamen, and anemones,
and brstllng with tall Towering holIyhocks On
we went, past deep old wells yawning in the hol-
lows, or stone cisterns where the cattle were
crowding to drink; past few camels here and
there, browsing in the des; past groups of Arabs
with their asses, carrying corn to the city; past
stone villages GROWING the sleeps, till, at P.
NJ, we encamped beside beautiful old pool
We were under the shelter of rock, whose
moist crevces were frnged with delicate ferns.
While dinner was preparing, went back on our
road-the narrow, stony road which wound
round the verdant promontory opposite to our
rock-to find honeysuckIe which had seen
climbing and poisoning to great height; and
| brought back a charming handful Of flowers.
While we were at dinner in the tent, a sound
Of scuiling was heard outside; and when our
dragoman next entered, he was out of breath
We afterwards heard the whole story, and were
amused to find how jealous our Mohammedan
servants could be in the cause of Christians -
Some Arabs, with their loaded mules had come
with the intention of encamping beside the pool;
and Oh finding the ground partly occupied
though there was plenty of room left, they be-
came abusive, and wondered aloud what bust
ness these accursed, Christians had in their coun
try. Our dragoman resented this, and threw the
speaker down over the tent-ropes There was
then stout scullle, and our cook cominr to helm
and the Arabs falling one upon another over the
tentpegs in the dark, they had the worst of it,
and went off vowlng vengeance. We heard NO
more Of them, however.
The next morning we saw the Mediterranean,
like basin ofdeep blue water between two hills.
4 We were not going towards it, however, but to
Nablons, the ancient Sychar, where lies that Ja-
cob's Well at which the woman of Samaria was
wont to draw water.
Our road lay through a most fertile valley, now
called Hawarrah, where the crops were splendid
for miles, and the villages were thickly planted
on the hills. The ground rose in series of Ia
Bile lands, of which there was a succession OF
three, when we were leaving the rich Hawarrah
valley. The roads in this part of the Holy Land
were mere lanes, full of stones, between walls.
or tracks through olive grounds and meadows, or
paths running along shelves of the rocks, with a
bit OF rocky staircase at each end about ascen-
ding or descending which our good horses made
no difficulty.
Before entering the valley where old Sychar
lay between the mountains Ebal and Gerzim, we
came to the fine fertile parcel of ground which
Jacob bought. The valley opens out into this
wide basin and near the junction of the valley
and the basin is the old well which is the suppo-
+ sed scene Of the conversation of Jesus with the
} Samaritan woman. Some of our party wound
round the base of the hill to the well; and some
land for one) rode by the upper path over the
Snouluel vi tle mn, anu came uoWn Oh the Otner
: side | had thus fine view of the whole local.
ty; Of the valley where the city lies-a narrow
valley, rich with fig and olive groves, and over.
} hung by the rocky bases of Ebal and Gerizim,
where the square black entrances Of tombs dotted
the strata of the rocks. From this height, Ja-
cob's land looked beautiful expanse The we'll
is mere rough heap of stones with hole in
} the middle, nearly closed up. What there is be.