The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-05-10
New Publications.

fGeonye p Putnam, OF New York Ii is, "Wonasteries
If the LevInt:" by the Hon. Robert Carxon, lr.
The hasy glance given TO this agreeable work, leads
ne 10 recommend it to those who fond of cheerful in
ent of travel through lands possessing the greatest in.
,srest MIR Curzon seems to have been free from the
hook making propensites of modern tourists He is
devoted admirer of old veum manuscripts of the elder
world, lover of gold and azure illumination, and the
ouaint characters traced in their wide antique pages
MANY a weary chase for these he appears to have had
through desert places in the sandy and rock sewn will
deness the wandering places of the Bedoun children
Of The DESERT in localities but seldom visited in modern
times.
In making his valuable collections he visited the old
rnonasees OF the Levant, which celebrated for
their antiquity and architectural interest," SINCE after dis
inferred Pompeii and Hereulaneum, they the most
ancient specimens exnn o domestic architecture Their
secluded position, and the mildness of climate to which
thew have been subjected have preserved them against
the ravagcs both OF man and time and many of Them
dating as far back the fifth and sixth centuries remain
with all their ornaments IN almost perfect preservation
Mr. c. seems to have been very successful in his bib-
onauic researches good fortune (good luck" as our
wing friends would call it which, in a great measure
appears have been due to the ignorance of the oriental
Monks His first researches directed to the uonas
eres OF the Copts who represent the ancient Egyp
ans and whose patarchs descend unnerruptedly from
St Mark buried at Alexandria but now the patron saint
pepued tomb, but damp and age had almost destroyed
the relic Mr. c. is the fortunate possessor OF the fac
smile made before il destroyed. From Cairo he
iourneyed TO the Patron lakes and visited the Inonas-
ees Of st. Macarius and that OF Sourian Here the u-
dous administration OF few glasses OF rosoglio opened
the hear, of IFS blind abbot; and in the abandoned oil
cellar he found treasures more than he could bear away
Among those left bulky for his transportation, is
the famous one now in the British Museum bearing date
D, All, and containing LOST epsles of st. lgna-
tius The account OF the worship and library of the
Abyssnlan monks, well the Abyssnian mode of
illumination and execution of manuscripts will be found
extremely interesting. Whilst at the celebrated island of
Phia. Mr.. c. witnessed circumstance which has been
disputed by various writers natural history He saw
crocodile Is feet long, lying asleep the bank of the
river After circuit, he within ten feet of the huge
ANIMAL and, imagination, the happy possessor of It's
head:
was the point Of firing, when observed ,hat he
attended by bird called zc OF the plover species, of
gayish color and as large as small pigeon The bird
was walking up end down close to the cIocodile's
as any respectable bird would have done, he jumped up
foot from the ground. screamed zezac zc.zac! with all
crockodles face three The great beast started
and spying his danger dashed into the waer covering
proud having saved his friend remained walking up and
down. usrns his cry and standing every nov and then
justly angry with his impertinence
Whilst in this region, Mr.. c. witnessed curious in.
stance of retbutve justice, following the old law of
blood for blood, eye for eye, tooth for tooth
p. 40.
The account of his soiourn in Jerusalem, although
brief extremely interesting being entirely free of the
usual hackneyed descriptions A, the time of his visit
1850 pilgrims were in the Holy City, having assembled
TO witness the appearance of the "sacred fire."
AT its distribution by the patriarch, great the
concourse, that many sufocated in the upright
POSTURE and in the press for escape the guards outside,
frightened at the rush, thought the Christians wished to
attack them, and the confusion soon became battle.
Mr. c. thus concludes his graphic description OF this
frghtful scene
The soldiers with their bayones slew numbers of the
faintng wreohes aud the waits spatiercd with the
brains and blood OF those ieed like with the buttcnds
oil their musseus.
The celebrated lbrahim Pasha, well Mr.. c., mar
rowly escaped with their lives; three hundred car
red to their buriapaces next morning, and two hundred
wounded probably to death, as surgical aid
Mr. C., in speaking of the Holy Sepulchre, mentions
singular belief of the Turks which is not generally ap
peclaed:
consecraed the memory of Christ and the Virgin except
the tomb OF the Holy Sepuchrc the sancy of which they
do not acknowledges for they believe that Jesus Cist dd
not die, but that he assembled heaven alive, leaving the
likeness of his face to Judas, who condemned to die
and tina: OF Jesus, which placed in the sepuchre
1t is for this that the Mussumans 10 not perform
From the days of SGabo and Pny the existence Of the
famed apple of Sodom has been doubted and canvassed
and many productions have been described by travellers
the true fruit The celebrated Chaeaubriand, in his
Hlneraire de Paris Jerusalem, speaks of the dis
covery OF this long sought fruit by HIMSELF about two
or three leagues from the mouth of the Jordan MIR.
Curzon, however, seems to have been fortunate
than any of his predecessors:
We made somewhat singular discovery when travel
ling tue of the Dead Sea,
where the ruins of Amnon, Jerash, and Adeloun well
repay the labor and fatigue encountered in visiting them
II was remarkably hot and suty day; scram-
bling the mountain through thick jungle OF bushes aud
low trees, when before fine plum tree, loaded
with blooming pums. lcred out TO my companions snow,
then, who viii arrive first at the plum g On snalchng
me ripe plum they put II at once IN their mouths On
biting II, Instead OF the cool, delicious juicy fruit which
we expected mouths We're filed with dry bitter dust
and under the horses, sptutteriug and
hemming, and doing oil could to be relieved of the
scous taste OF this strange fruit.
Mr. c. believes tIis--and with great reason TOTO be
the famous fruit described by Pliny He says il is kind
of gal-nu and that he found others upon the plains of
Troy. Drawings made from those taken to Eng
land by the Lnn@an Society. and account of their
vegetable pecuarities published in their Transac-
lions.
The itinerary to the monaseries of st. Labba Meieora,
and Mount Athos, is rich in incident and in the cheer
fu spirit OF the reminds of the wanderings
of counryman Stephens through Idumea and the
Holy Land.
The descriptions of the simple and hospltabe manners