The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-02-17


in her mountain Businesses; the Promised
Land was yet occupied by its original IN
habitants, linked by a common danger to
resist the invasion Of the wanderers from
Egypt, and 10 drive them back into the in
hospitable desert; the lsraelites had assem-
bed at Kadesh, and, with their courage
quailed by the discouraging reports OF the
spies. had been doomed to expiate their
want of faith, and to wander forty years
through the wilderness. These forty years
had now done their work-that generation
had passed away-and their descendants,
children Of the desert, assembled at the
base of the mount, and fill the broad plain
with their tents: their passage through these
mountain deiles is refused by the Edomites,
and again we see them, in idea, departing
southwark, down the Arabah to the Red |
Sea, to turn the region that they might not
penetrate. But short time before, the |
great lawgiver had buried at Kadesh. his |
sister Miriam, whose triumphant song had
COMMUNICATED their first deliverance; and
now, Aaron, too, was called to his rest
the prophet brothers ascend the lonely
mount, and on its summit take the long
and last farwell. Aaron is buried, and the
aged Moses descends alone, and desolate in
heart, to the tents of the mourning Israel
ties. So strongly marked are the features
of this region. and so preserved by their
, sublime, unehanging barrenness, that when
, we behold at once the defles OF Edom,
} the frontier hills OF Palestine, the Arabah,
and, far outstretched to the westward, the
, great sepulchral wilderness, the lapse OF
. ages is forgotten, and these touching and
: solemn events rise up before the mind with
an almost startling reality.
= From solitary group OF tombs, the out
skirts OF its vast metropolis, | obtained my
+ first view Of the rock bound city. A bro
e ken-down camel, one Of passing caravan,
!. protesting against an insupportable load,
II which, al the expense of his last remaining
II strength, he had dragged up the long as
s cent, was characteristic object in the fore
Y ground. This narrow pass was probably
e guarded in the palmy days Of Petra, ant
: blocked up when an attack was expected
Hence begins long descent by the side o
'r ravine, leading to the vacant side Of tn,
70 old city, Of which one solitary column ap
-e pears like the ghost Of its past splendor
E. girdled round by rocks Of the most rugged
], and fantastic outline, and pierced with in
r Vulnerable excavations, their coloring, as i
y were, run mad with blending Of all hues
y No idea can be given of the first impress
N sion Of such Place-its strangeness an,
5, remoteness--:he utter desolation-the 81
lence, broken only by the deep groans Q
E. the distressed. overburdened camels, an
AZ the fierce yells Of their savage conductors
lie My plan had perfectly succeeded, the shell
IN and his retainers had not appeared; Their
to was nothing to mar the glorious satisfaction
If OF wandering alone and uninterrupted abou
a this unparalleled place; my old ciceront
or as | merely named the principal objects c
Sc interest, conducted me TO them in silence
e. and spent some hours in exploring tn
over part Of the city.
:" The upper part Of the approach alon
o. the course Of the stream, which did nc
n. see, is bordered by tombs, some Of yer
no singular character. The valley is rattle
,ir open, but soon the brook descends anon
lie huge blocks Of stone, overgrown with will
re oleanders, almost blocking up the passag
he into the deep ravine, which, piercing ihrous
re the chain Of rocks, forms the only entranc
Id to the city on this side. But few pace
,ir beyond its entry, ruined yet bold arch
d springing from rock to rock, creates astor
in ishment that it can maintain its position
At. The sides are adorned with inches and D
,st lasters. This arch was perhaps erected
ur commemorate some victory, or may hay
an served merely an ornamental purpose.
as The sandstone formations which hem in n
ravine at this arch, are Of no great heigh
se. probably about 100 feet; but at every ste
ELF they rise higher and higher, while the br
ed ken path beneath descends rapidly anon
he fragments and wild plants, which hard
ers leave roadway, and when unencumbere,
nd could never have admitted more than tw
he or three camels abreast. 1t is impossib
by to convey an idea Of the feeling with whic
he we penetrate further into the heart of III
,pt extraordinary de6le; the cliffs become mo-
cir Jagged and awful, nearly meeting overhead
sic and the windings Of the chasm seem
to close up at every turn Of the almost SUI
ed terranean passage. Looking up from tn
cir deep abyss are seen, through occasions
re- openings, the higher precipices Of the gorg
la. their peaks, ragged and fantastic, tinie
on with the most fanci(ul variety Of colorin
err. in pink, yellow, and blue veins, and bur
I'D with wild oleander, tamarisl, and climbir
air plants, are glittering several hundreds
for feet above us, in the brilliant sunlight.
Awful as is this gorge, it is yet still mo-
romantically beauliful-the forms OF Il
Precipices varying at every turn, the wol
OF derful contrasts Of the coloring, the varie
lie Of the overhanging foliage Of the wild f
lg- the crimson-6owered oleander. and Ii
m trailing bright green plants, with the pls
IDS of light and shade among the rocks, for
Oh such striking succession of pictures tn
ne the wanderer fingers delighted among Il
ci- thousand charms which nature unfolds
I'm this singular recess, and almost projects.
er- he forces his difficult way among faIle
INT rocks, and tangled shrubs and flowers, tn
he is traversing the principal highway I'M
what was heretofore one Of the richest con
mercial cities in the East.
On close examination, however, this pa
hin sage. though now half choked up, show
l,,o.,.oo, .c H. ,oro ,....L ..l:.L