Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1849-06-06
Nj | sc X l. l. A N Y.
a szRocoo ON TEE DEAD SEA

The following interesting sketch is from Lieut..
Lynch's forthcoming ''Narrative of the u. S. Elk.
petition to the Dead Sea and the River .Jordan'
AT 235 L. NJ, close in with the eastern shore,
but unable to land from the soft bottom and shoaI-
ness OF the water. At $50, light breeze from
w. N. W., hauled TO the north tow ard the base of
the peninsula A long, narrow dry marsh, with a
few scrubby bushes, separated the water from a
range o. stupendous hills, 1000 feet high The
cliff of En- Nuweireh (Litte Tiger,) lofty and
grand lowered above in horizontal strata of bro
limestone, and beautiful rose coored sandstone be-
meath. Clouds in the east, (nimbus,) seemed to
be threatening gust. AT $50 steered n N. E..
along low marshy fiat, in shallow water. The
light wind had subsidized, and ii was oppressively
hot; air ~ deg; water twelve inches below the
surface w deg. thin purple haze over the noun
tains increasing every moment, and presenting a
most singular and awful appearance; the haze so
thln mat 1t was transparent, and rather blush
than distinct color. | apprehended thunder
gust or an earthquake, and took in the SAIL At
o.oO hot, blisterlng hurricane struck us from the
south east, and for some moments we feared beinU
driven out TO sea- The thermometer rose immedi-
ately to w deg. The men closing their ewes To
shield them from the fiery blast, obliged to pull
with all their might 10 stem the rising waves, and
at 4.3O, physically exhausted, but with grateful
hearts, we gained the shore. My own eye-lids
were blstered by the hot wind being unable to pro-
49, eAch, ioh VIC HeCeSSIly OI steering the boat
We landed on the south side of the peninsula,
near Wady Humeir, the most desoIate spot upon
which we had yet encamped. Some went up the
ravine TO escape from the sitting wind others,
driven back by the are returned 10 The boats and
crouched under the awnings. One mounted spec
taces to project his eyes, but the metal become so
heated that he was obliged to remove them Our
arms and the buttons on coats became almost
burning to the touch and the inner folds of our gar
mens were cooler than those exposed to the imme-
date contact Of the wind. We bivouacked without
tents, on dry marsh, few dead bushes around u.s.
and some of the thorny nubil, and tree bearing a
red berry short distance inland, with low canes on
the margin of the sea. At short distance to the
N. e., on the peninsula, we found fragments of an
immense and very old mills The mill had
doubtless been turned by canal from the ravine,
down which the water must have flown copiously
in the rainy season.
AT finding the heat intoerable, wo walked M
the dry torrent bed in search of water Found two
successive pools, rather than stream. with some
mInnows in them the water, not yet stagnant.
flowing from the upper TO the lower pool. There
were some succulent plants on their margins, and
fern roots, and few bushes around them. There
were huge boulders Of sandstone in the bed of the
ravlne; dead palm tree near the largest pool
living in the cleft of the rock at the head Of the
gorge and high up, to the submits of the beetlinp
cliffs, the sandstone lay in horizontal Strata with
perpendicular cleavage, and limestone above, its
light brown color richly contrasting with the deep
red below.
The sandstone below limestone here, and lime
stone without sandstone the opposite shote would
seem TO indicate geological fault
Washed and bahed in one of the pools but the
relief was only momentary. In one instant after
leaving the water, the moisture on the surface e.
vaporated, and left the skin dry, parched and stiff
Except the mnnOws in the pool, and there was
cttr h,,ft bat,
moaning through the branches of the withered palm
tree, and every bird and insect, if any there were
had sought shelter under the rocks.
Coming out from the Tavlne, the sight was sin
gular one. The wind had increased TO tempest :
the two eXremites and the western shore of the
sea were-curtained by mist on this side of a pur-
pie hue, on the other yellow tinUe and the red
and rayess sun, in the bronzcd clouds had TIE ao-
pearance il presents when looked upon through
smoked glass. Thus may the heavens have ap-
peared Just before the Almighty in lis wrath rained
down fire upon the cities of the plain Behind were
the rugged crags Of the mountains of Moab, the
land Of incest, developed in cloud of dust, swept
| by the simeon from the great desert Of Arabia.
| There was smoke on the peninsula, a little tc
the north Of us. We knew not whether those who
made it might prove friends or foes, and therefore
| that little smoke was not to he disregarded. We
! had brought one the Iaamirah with u.s. for the
express purpose communicating with the natives
but he was 50 fearful Of their hostility that could
| not prevail on him 10 bear message 10 them
! With his back to the wind and his eyes fixed or
the streaming smoke, he had squatted himselfdowr
a short distance from us. He thought that we
would be attacked in the night fet sure that wt
would not, if we were vgiant. These people new
er attack each other but at advantage, and flteer
wclarmed Franks can, in that region bid defiaucr
TO anything but surprise.
We have not seen an instance ofdelormity among
the Arab tribes. This man was magnllicently form
ed, and when he walked it was with the port anc
presence Of a king. II has been remarked tina, "a