The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-11-06

ofthe Arabs lost their hold and carried far below
but were rescued with slight injury TO Of them
The scenery along the river is so variable scarcely
to admit Of general description, and have space
70 extract those passages which are requisite to salts
factory illustration OF It. Except when disturbed by
rapids the waters OF the jordan are clear and
and there patches OF cultivation Sometimes they present
plains OF dreaIy waste broken into ridges resembling
waves, the mountains Of cacaerous limestone rising up
in the distance like islands from the Occasionally
hcket OF lofty cane, and tangled OF shrubs and
creeping plants gave the appearance Of JUNGLE Once
they saw the track OF leopard, who had guenched his
thirst in the stream Once they startled wild boar from
his lair The thickets were vocal with the songs Of
birds The commander dwell. with delight on the beau
ties Of "the sacred riye lts banks fringed with per-
petual verdure winding in thousand graceful mazes
the pathway cbeered with songs Of birds, and its
clear voice OF gushing minstrelsy its bright line
in this cheerless waste" And again;
"For hours in their swift descent the boats foaed down
In slencethe silence Of the wilderness Here and there
were spots Of solemn beauty The numerous birds
were spread upon the stream like uesses. and creeping
moses and clamberng weeds. with multitude OF white
and the cliff swallow wheeled over the falls or went At his
own will darling through the arched vstas Swallowed and
yet atuned ALL was the music Of the river gushing with
sound like thai OF shawms and cymbals" n
The great achievement OF the expedition is the thorough
survey and ample description OF the river Jordan The
sketch map Of its course from the lake Of Tberas to
the Dead Sea is masterpiece OF minute delineation
and although we may regret in behalf OF literature and
not spared to WELD the il is but fair to pronounce the
narrative emnently interesting, and in high degree
credtable to the industry and ability Of the writer All,
that relates TO the river and adjacent country except in
the immediate vicinity OF the two seas is an addition to the
stock OF human knowledge, as valuable and important
as is interesting and novels and viewed the result OF
the enterprise, il merits the cornat
opus"
A week was spent upon the river and its banks The
navigation Of the Dead Sea, or, al il classcaly termed
was attended with less difficulty, and its results are 81
less importance in scientific point of view, tending
they do rather to confirm dsprove the statements Of
Ssn = ssvsa
satisfy the curiosity Of the Christian world which, ever
anxious to penetrate the mystery that wells the sen OF
Sodom was stimulated to eager expectation BY the prom
OF exploration to be prosecuted under auspices that
seemed so favorable TO its success.
Twenty-Five days were employed in making the circuit
Of the lake and crossings requisite 10 determine its depth
During this period very minute observations record
ed respecting all the atmospheric phenomena The exact
topography of its shores also asceained and define
a;ed is forty miles long with an average breadth Of
commander, ''that this entire chasm was plain sunk
and overwhelmed by the wrath Of God, to be
tanned by the extraordinary character OF soundngs
The bottom OF this consists OF two submerged plains,
elevated and depressed onethe last averaging hr-
teen hundred feet below the surface The prejudice
which gave to this sheet Of water the name OF Dead
Sea- grounded doubtless the belief that its waters held
in solution ingredients, and emitted eluva, destructive
OF animal life is so far confirmed that il may be regarded
as an eetaOlSned TACT naf no form OF life exists therein
could any animalcule vestge of animal matter be
detected in when subjected to powerful microscope
salt it is, Dense bitter But the bahed it
without peril to life, though with sufficiently dsagreea-
bic consequences; for was found oily and acrd in the
extreme, peang the skin from the body and producing
prckly smarting sensation, and and curious
birds found upon the borders lake. and seemed
to fly il, and TO skim its surface and wild ducks
seemed to float upon il at their ease.
The buoyancy of the water is such that the boats with
the load drew inch less upon the lake than in
the river Its action powerful the copper boat,
that while exposed to its immediate friction, the metal
bright as FURNISHED gold, but corroded mmedi-
ately on coming in contact with the air.
The commander describes the water nodorous, and
contends that its saline exhaatons not only nnocu.
Gus, but that they positively salubous II is to the
climate, the intense heat thai he ascrbes the dangerous
and depressing influence that began impair alike
the physical health and mortal vgor OF the party,
ing the figure Of each to leap and dropsical ap
pearance the lean become Stout and the stout copu.
len the pale faces become ford and the ford ruddy
the slightest scratch to eser and the bodies of many TO
be covered with small pustules Happily the work was
accomplished before worse symptoms appeared; and in
few days after their return 10 Beirut they all recovered
save the lamented Dale --Neu York Jour of Com