Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1849-02-16
NGegegUgIMp.
THE DEAD SEA EXPEDITION
INTERESTING LETTER.

To the Editors efthe Union.
With the consent CO the Hon. Secretary OF
the Navy, beg leave. through your columns,
10 redeem promise have made.
When the small purity. just returned from
the Dead Sea, first entered upon its waters,
its members came, one and all, to the conclu-
sion, that having Undertaken to do what 9TH
ers failed to accomplish; the honor of the A
merican name was at stake, and that it were
better to die like them than return unsuccess-
/ full.
On the evelaingz of the 9th day. however, on
| the southern sea, we were FRUSTRATED by the
hot blasts Of tie simeon, sweeping from the
desert of Arabia, which was followed by five
days of intense ahd sitting heat. On the af
| ternoon fthe 9TH day, on the coast Of Moab,
| TO our surprise we were greeted by deputs-
ton Of Christians Kerak, the Keiiath Moab of
| the Bible.
| The JOY ofthIs people Mt meeting Us was
unbounded. They caressed US. brought US
water and lebau.. (sour miIk.) all they had
/ and some of them spent nearly the whole
night hunting a syild boar, wherewith to re
| gale US. When told chat our forms Of wor-
/ ship in America were different from theirs
| they replied; What matters it Christ
died for all. Doy you not believe in him -
When told that we aid, they said : Then
what are forms Before. God7 lie looks TO the
hearth We are brothers." And brothers
they continued 20 cali us TO the last.
We could not trnce their origin, but
cluded that they,are either the descendants of
one of the last tribes Converted TO Christiani-
ty, who in the fnstnets OF the mountains. had
escaped the Mehome,ian alternative of the
e" Korhan OIL sword or the crusaders under
the Christian Lord ofKerak. They number
about $50 farniies aud live in the town-the
only one now lefl, in the once populous coun-
try of Moab. Wi,hit, the walls are also the
huts of 100 Muslin families. and outside are
the black tents OF the fierce tribe Kera Keyeh
numbering $50 ighting men.
The Christians gave invitation to Wis
it their town, about II miles distant in the
mountains; but, while Hospitality urging US
to go, they did not conceal the perils of the
visit, for they confessed that they were out
numbered and overa@ed. and in emergency
would not dare openly assist US.
determined, however. TO accept their in
vitation at all hazards for it was evident
that, unless recruited by a more bracing at
mo.phere, we must Inevitably perish. In this
opinion the iamentea Mr.. Dale coucurred
with me.
| will not try you with an account OF the
visit--of the treachery with which were
with the hostile Sheikh a prisoner-but
simply express my conviction, that, but for
! the timely infortnatioa given by the Christians
we should nevea have seen our boats again.
These poor Christians are much tyranzed
over by their Muslins neighbors. Their only
! place OF retreat, when threatened with VIC
euce, is their little cell of a church, which
/ can scarcely hold twenty families. Their
account which IN its marathon bore the i'm
| press OF truth, seems confirmed by the cir
cumstatces that in their little church there is
a well, which supplies them with water until
their provisions are exhausted, or the rest
! less 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 MuslImes respect the house
| of Him whom they call Issa Prophet of
the Christians.
The foundation end part OF the walls of n
| church have been briIt, but the work is dis
continued fer the want of means-the sirocco
and the locust have swept their harvests for
several years. They gave me appeal TO
their Christian brethren in America, Which
promised 60 selivtr. With many appolo-
ogies for its phsaseo'ogy, they begged me to
write it out more fully for them; but prefer
sending it forth in its own simple and touch
ing brevity IAvill enly add, that little should
be given, and that discretely, at different times
so as not to excite the cupidity of the Mus
lines The Board of Foreign Missions al
New York will doubtless receive what may
be given, and farwatd it to their brethren in
Beirut or to the Anglecian bishop at Jerusa
lem, for distribution. One cent from each
humane persots in this land Of charity will be
more than sufc ient.
! APPEAL,.
By Gods favor: May it, God willing, reach
America: AMI be presented to our Chris
| tian brothers. whose happiness may the Al
mighty Sod preserve: Amen.
S64o BEDUAH.
We are In Eerak. few very poor Chris
tians. and are Building church.
We beg our. excellency to help US in thu
undertaking, far we are very weak.
The land has been unproductlve, and visit
ed BY the iocusts for the last seven years.
The churcb is delayed in not being accom-
u plshed, for want of funds; for we are few
lie Christians. surrounded by MusIms.
This being all THAT is necessary to write {
you, Christina brothers in America, we nee