The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-01-06
Dead Sea RxpediaIon

the following very interesting letter from Lieut.
WIN. e. Lynch, under whose command the pei
{ Hons expedition to the Deed Sea was so sue
eessfully prosecuted:
E To the Editor Of the Union:
E With the consent Of the Hon. Secretar,
: oil the Navy. beg leave, through your col
; umns, TO redeem promise have made.
When the small party, Just returned from
! The Dead Sea, first entered upon its waters
It's members came. one and all, to the con
cltlslon, that having undertaken what other:
had Jailed to accomplish, the honor Of the
American name was at stake, and that il
were better TO die like men than to return
unsuccessful.
! On the evening Of the 9th day, howev-
eT, on the southern sea, we were Frustrated
by the hot blasts OF Simeon, sweeping
rom the deserts Of Arabia, which was
followed by five days OF intense and sitting
heat, Ga the afternoon of the l4lh day.
On the coast e. Noah, "a a,lr snrpriss we
were greeted by deputation OF Christians
from Kerak. the Kerl ath Moab Of the Bible.
The Joy Of this people at meeting us was
unbOunded. They caressed US, brought up
wafer and leban, (sOur milk all they had,
and some Of them spent nearly the whole
night hunting a wild boar wherewilh to re-
gale us. When told that our forms Of wor-
ship in America were different from theirs,
they replied "What matters it! Christ died
for all! Do you not believe in him!"-
When told that we did, they said Then
what are forms before Cod He looks TO
the heart We are brothers," And broth
ers they continued to call US 10 the last
We could not trace their origin. but con-
cluded that they are either the descendants
of one Of the lost tribes converted 10 Chris
tisnity, who. in the Businesses Of the noun
taims, had escaped the Mohammedan alter
native of "lhe Koran or the sword, or the
crusaders under the Christian Lord of Ke-
rak They number about one hundred and
fifty families, and live in the town-the on
ly one now lelI-in the once populous coun
Try OF Moab. Within the walls are also
huts of one hundred Moslem families, and
outside are the black tents OF the fierce tribe
Kera keyeh, numbering $50 fighting men.
The Christians gave US an invitation to
visit their town, about seventeen miles dis
tant, in the mountains; but while Hospitality
urging us to go they did not conceal the per-
lis of the VISIT for they confessed that they
were outnumbeTed and overawed, and in an
emergency would not dare openly to assist
u.s.
| determined, however to accept their in
vitation at all hazards; for it was evident
ths,, unless recruited by more bracing at. |
mosphere, We must inevitably perish. In |
this opinion the lamented Mr. Dale concur
red with me.
| will not tire you with an account of the
visit-of the treachery with which We were
threatened, and our return ia battle array
with the hostile Seikh as prisoneT-but SIM
ply express my conviction. that but for The |
timely information given by the Christians,
We should never have seen our boats again. |
These poor Christians are much tyranni-
sed over by their Moslem neighbors. Their
only place Of retreat, when threatened with
violence is their little cell of a church, |
which can scarcely hold twenty families |
Their account, which in its narration bore |
the impress of truth, seems confirmed by |
the circumstance, that in the centre of the |
little church there is we'll, which supplies
them with water until their provisions are
exhausted; or 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 |
children; for, with all their intolerance, the |
Moslems respect the house Of Him whom
they call "lsa, the Prophet Of the Chris
tians."
The foundation and q part Of the walls
Of church have been built. bat the work
is discontinued from the want of means
the sirocco and the locust having swept
their harvests for several years. They gave
me an appeal to their Christian brethren in
America, which promised to deliver II
With many apologies for its phraseology.
they begged me to write it out more fully
for them; but prefer sending it forth in its
own simple and touching brevity. will
only add that little should be given; and
that dEScreeily, at different times, so as not
to excite the cupidity of the Moslems.-
The Board Of Foreign Missions at New
York will doubtless receive what may be
given, and forward it either to their breth-
rem in Beyroot, or to the Anglican bishop
of Jerusalem, for 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 and be presented to our