Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1848-12-08
VOLUME I5--XUMBER Q.

ing for. The Teacher stepped lorlI, and eXchan-
ged il in the village iOI measure Of cherries.
These cherries he carried (as eastern men now
carry such Ihings) in the bosom folds Of his
dress. When they had to ascend the ridge,
and the road lay between heated rocks, and over
rugged stones, and among glaring white dust,
Peter became tormenIsd with heat and thirst,
and fell behind. Then the Teacher dropped a
ripe cherry at every few steps; and Peter eager
y stopped for them. When all were done, Je-
sus turned TO him, and said with a smile, "de
who is above STOPPING 10 small thing, will
have TO bend his back to many lesser things"
From The ridge we had a splendid view Of the
plain Of Jordan-apparently as fiat as table to
the very foot Of the Moab mountains, while the
Dead sea lay, blue and motionless sxpanse, 10
the rght-(lhe southland barren mountains
enclosed the whole. The nearer mountains
were rocky, brown, and desolate, with here and
there the remains Of an acqueduct, or other an
cent buildings marking the sites of settlements
which have passed away. The distant noun
tains were clothed in the soft aud lovely hues
which can be seen only through a southern at
mosphere. The plain was once as delicious a
region as ever men lived in. Josephus calls il
''diyine region;" and tells Of its miles Of gar
dens and palm.groves: and here grew the balsam
which was worth more than its weight in silver,
and was treasure for which the kings Of the
, East made war. Jericho is called in the Scrip
lures the city of palm-trees; and Jericho was
! but one Of hundred towns which peopled the
| plain. Now, all near was barren; and equally
bare was the dstanltractat the foot Of the noun
lains; but in the midst was strip Of yerdure,
broad, sinuous, and lhickly wooded, where we
| knew that the Jordan flowed. The palms are
gone; the sycamores, and the honey which the
wild bees made in the hollows of their STEMS
! The balsam which Queen Cleopatra so coveted
as to send messengers from Egypt for plants TO
grow at Heopols, has disappeared from the face
of the earth; and, instead Of these, and the fruits
and sugar-canes which were renowned in far
countries, we find now little but tall reeds, thor
ny acaeias, and trees barren of blossom or fruit.
The verdant strip, however, looks beautiful from
alar, and shows that the fertility of the plain
has not departed. There is enough for the sup
port and luxury Of man, were man but there
10 wish for and enjoy them.
Wsdescended by a road like an irregular stair
case, the steepest hill | ever rode down. The
gentlemen dsmounted; but the heat was so ex-
cessive that ventHred to keep my seat. When
! glanced up from the bottom, and saw the last
Of the party beginning the descent, it looked so
fearful that | was glad 10 turn away. We were
now at the foot Of the mountain called Quaran-
tHnia, supposed by the monks to be the scene oi
the Temptation. A few pilgrims come from
aiar, every year, to spend forty days on this
mountain, barely supporting life during the time
by the herbs they frd there. need hardly say
that there can be no good reason for fixing on
this mountain as the place, and that the choice
of it is probably owing TO its commanding the
plain Of the Jordan and its cities-once so un-
fair specimen of the "kingdoms Of the earth,
andtheglory Of them." Thecaverns nthe face
of this mountain, once used as dwellingso or tombs
are now the abodes of robbers. When some ol
our party showed a desire 10 reach thelower ones
the Arab sheikh who was responsible for the
sufety of our party, drew his sword across hi.
throat, to show the danger and barred the way,
1t may be remembered that the men Of Jeri
cho complained 10 Elisha the prophet, that the
water Of their spring good, etherto drink
or 10 water their land for tillage 2 Kings; ii. l9,
and that though their city was pleasant, they
could not enjoy it for this reason; and that Eli
shS purified the spring, $50 that the waters we've
healed unto this day." Beside this spring, nov
called Ain Sultan, we eHcampedin the afternoon
and found its waters truly delicious. Nothing
could be preltier than this encampment, ina spo
SO forest-ke as 10 contrast strongly with all We
had seon for many weeks past. Our tent wa:
; close upon the brink of the clear rushing brook
but the heat was so excessive that we could no
endure the tent, and had our dinner table placed
under a treo, whose roots were washed by lhC
stream. Broad lights glanced upon the ripping
waters, and deep green shadows lay upon it'
pools. Our horses were feeding in the thicke
beyond: and the Arabs sat in groups near The
tents. Other parties Of our company were dl
ming or lying on the brink of the stream. Eve
ry encampment Of travellers in these places il
beautiful; but | never but once saw one so beau
tful as this After walk to the remains Of al
) aqueduct, and other traces (mere trsces) Of for
mer habitation in the days when Jericho was
, great city, went, with enc companion, to see tn
spring, which was but shsrt way from our tents
The water bubbled up from under some bushes
and spread itself clear and shallow, among som,
squared stones, which seemed to show that thu
source had once been enclosed. By this tint
it was dusk: the evening star hung above tn
nearest hill. All was silent about US, except th
rustic and dip of the boughs which hung abov
the water. My companion and | found tn
temptation to bathe quite irresistible. Unde
the shadow Of large everhanging tree ther
. was pool deep enough for the purpose, an
there we bathed, rejoicing with the people of Jer
icho in the sweetness of the water.
- The eastern traveller feels strong inclina
tonto bathe in every sacred sea, river and spring
= : How great the interest is, and how like that
a a new baptism, those at home may not be abl
to imagine; and such may despise the superst
lion which leads hundreds Of pilgrims ever
" year to rush into the Jordan. But, among a
. the travellers who visit the Jordan is there on,
I however far removed from superstition, who
+. willing to turn away without having bowed h
u head in its sacred waters!
n There was no moonto-night: but the stars we
!. glorious when came out of our tent T. take OF