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


81
Of ths UnStsd E.plor,ns ExPsdis'ea %
she River Jordan and ths Dead Sea-
The contributions to knowledge obtained through the
instrumepialiy OF United States naval forces are highly
appreciated and warmly acknowledged by the Sapdns
of Europe A writer In the last number Of the North
British Review expresses the opinion that Lieut. Lynch
%sa and ns nG gsya nc @ Society
discoveries in the Holy Land, while conducting the exc
petition despatched 10 Palestine IN the Supply. The
same writer characterizes the enterprise
and liberal, in every way most credable TO the United
States government, and contrasting adyaniageously with
lhe .anuitebe meanness Of the British government, in
similar matters This seems harsh stigma on his own
ton but candid and sensible especially when we bear
in mind the sacrifice q life and property heretofore in
Cured, and witness the undimnished energy and perse
verng toll still exhibited in attempts to discover north
passage to the Indies Nor in this should
o the
whose results accurately and maulely presented well
engraved charts, accessible to navgators OF every coun
the refuge to be sought and develop information which
multipies wealth, and dminshes The hazard attendant
on Its pursuit
chief value and importance, relates to the river Jordan,
between the lake of Tiberias and the Dead Sea- Only
one European had ever the passage down the
river from TO before was explored by the Ameri
can, and he, Lieut. Moyneux OF the British ship Spartan,
lkeour amented Dale, unhappy fell victim the
e &c Se Ss TTSea o
sight evinced by Lieutenant Lynch in the equipment OF
his expedition, was sgnally vndicated by the perfect
These, two in number, had been constructed at home,
OF copper and the other Of galvanized iron. They
were built 10 sections SO as 70 pc taken to pieces neces
ever, OF transporting them entire practicable boat
iiagcs were provided with, as was supposed the requi
site harness for horses IN other respects the exped
ton admirably arranged Its safety and
assured by every provision that intelligent and pru-
dent circnmspecon and prescence could suggest The
O.
eating liquors To their sober habits the commander
cbes the hardhood which sustained them under seyere
privatons and great exposure" The second in command
Lieut. Dale. truly "a skilfu draughtsman" as his
map OF the river Jordan and OF the Dead Sea- and his
various sketches and drawings Of the naval scenes and
prove As an explorer, he possessed other eminent
while serving with Capt Wilkes in The Antar.ic espe.
diton. and being scientific and practical engineer
which capacity he attached the survey, and
afterwards acted in Florida His premature death, at
the Of 80 was greatly depored not only because his
contributions to the report under consideration might have
secured more satisfactory exposition OF the results OF
the expedition but BY the navy OF which he the
deared by his admirable social qualities and accomplish.
men's, and generally BY the country which has need Of
bis services Midshipman Aulick was also attached to
the expedition. and MI. f. Lynch Of the command
er, to whom assigned the herbarium. So that at
its emb arcaon, the party consisted Of IA persons But
:, 70 ~ MT Bea nS having
derson at Beirut where also the commander employed
as interpreter Mr. Ameuny. native Syrian, intelligent
and accomplished, whose education was perfected at
The expedition disembarked in the bay Of Acre. under
Mount Carmel March 2sh. ls4s and formed eacamp-
the boats mounted on the trucks, and laden with
the stores and luggage. The harness proved too large
for the small Syrian horses but to obviate this difficulty
would have been work of supererogaon; for the ami
mails not having been trained the operation of pulling
absolutely refused to draw. In this dilemma the
msnder fertile ]. expedients, resolved on trying cameIs
any other than that Of carrying burdens his back
truck with perfect ease OF further preparation there
only remained to make provision against hostile attack
iron rowing parties Of Arabs and this was effected BY
douin sheik named Akil, with ten wel.amed followers
The influence Of Sheriff Haxza, of Mecca, Arab noble
man. much yeneIated BY his race ihe thirty third nea
avail their security He was accordingly induced to
join the party. Thus reinforced. the expedition mum
the boats decorated with sgs and drawn BY eames the
Arabs in their native garb, bearing long tufted spears
and mPerbly mounted, our own gallant tars sustaining
miniature squadron Of cavalry it not naptly kened
by ia proud commander to a triumphal procession.
They left the coast on the Attn Of April traversed the
in the sea Of GsIcethe first vessel Of any size, and
indeed the only vessels, with the exception OF solitary
little boat which commander Lynch purchased for thirty
ouiafb totesitt UokBobe, ua'
turbed the waters since the time Of Josephus and the Ro
mans On the 10th of April the party embarked, and
pushed of from the shelving beach for the outlet OF the
river Jordan Here commenced the observations and dis
covees which abundanty crowned the labors Of the
plorera 4
The investigations Of science claimed 10 have estab
lshed the fact of difference OF 9S4 feet between the
levels Of the lake OF Tibeas and the Dead Sea- Our
learned counyman, Dr. Robinson, doubted the accuracy
OF this estimate. because the distance between the
lakes being only so geographical miles, the average
fall Of the river would be l64 feet per mile "Bu the
Jordan far known, has neither cataracts RAPIDS
and its fow, though swift is silent Yet, of the 9s4 feet
Of lis descent in 90 geographical miles, there Is room 10,
there would still be left to the river an average fall
equal to the swfes portion OF the Rhne including the
cataract of Schsihausen" The Prussan geographer
Carl Ritter, affirmed like doubt. But the observa-
tons Of the expedition established the accuracy oil
the rclentc deduction, and removed entirely the ba-
ss which supported the sklfully constructed fabric
OF dissent BY the toruous course OF the Jordan, the
distance between the found TO be at least 200
miles and in is there many rapids, pre-
sentng distractions navigation that might well shake
the purpose of the bodest adventuer Of this latter ~
were encountered and those Of minor importance
very numerous, One OF the most formidable OF these
cally described in the following extract from the
mandefs narrative - Trf
At 10I5 M, cast of and shot down the FIRST rapid
and stopped to examine closely desperate looking
cascade eleven feet In middle OF the channel was
shoot ~ angle OF about sixty degrees with bold,
bluff, threatening rock at It's loot exactly In the passage
Il would, therefore, be 10 almost sharp
rock the edge Of the whirlpool, which cal
dron Of foam round and round In circling eddes