Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1849-01-03
THE DEAD SEA EXPEDITION.
INTERESTING LETTER.


contains the following very interesting z g
| letter from Lieut.. VIM. F. Lynch. under
whose command the perilous expedition os
the Dead Sea was so successfully prosecp-
ted:
To The Editors of the Umion:
With the cons enl Of the Hon. Secretary,
OF the Navy, beg leave, through your
columns. TO redeem promise have made.
When the small party, gust returned.
from The Dead Sea, first entered upon lis
! waters. its members, one and all, came 10
the couclusion. that having undertaken
what oahefe faded to. accomplish, the honor
Eof The Hfnerican Eanle was ot stakexanti
that We're bettef 10 die ike Il etB ffiaufl
return unsuccessful. ssa
On the evening Of the 9Th day, hcwev-
er, on the southern sea. we were prostrated
by the hot blasts of simoom. sweeping
| from the desert of Arabia, which was fol.
lowed by five days Of intense and sitting
heat. On the afternoon of the 18th day,
on The coas: of Moab, to our surprise. we
were greeted by deputation Of Christians
from Kerak, the keijalh Moab of the BIZ
Tie,
|. The 10y Of this people at meeting US
was unbounded. They caressed u.s. bro'r
US water and eban, (sour milk all thew
had, and some of them spent nearly the
whole night hunting wilG boar, where
with TO regale Us. When told that our
Iorms of-worship in America were differt Mt
from theirs. they replied: s'What matters
it? Christ died for all. Do you not be-
lieve in Him?" When told Il at we did,
they said: "Then what are forms before.
God? He looks TO the heari! We are.
broihersE" And brothers they continued
10 call US 10 The Inst.
We could not trace their origin, buf
concluded that they are either the descen-.
| dants of one Of the last tribes converted to
Christianity, who in the Businesses of the
mountains, had escaped The MohammedaR
alternative Of '.the Koran or the sword"
or the crusaders under the Christian Lord
Of Kerak. They number about $50 fami-
lies, and live in the town-lhe only one
| now left in the once populous country Of
Moab. Within the walls are also the huts
of 100 Muslim families, and outside are the
black tents Of the fierce tribe Kera- Keyeh,
numbering $50 fighting men.
The Christians gave us an invitation TO
visit their town. about seventeen miles dis
tant in The mountain; but, while hospita--
bly, inviting us To go, they did not conceal
the perils Of the visit, for They confessed
f that they were oulnumbered and oyerawed
and in emergency would not dare openly
to assist US.
determined, however, to accept their
invitation at all hazards; for it was evident
that unless recruited by more bracing at
mosphere, we must inevitably perish. In
this opinion the lamenled Mr.. Dale con-
Cured with me.
will not tire you with an account Of the
visit--of the treachery with which we
were Threatened. and our return, in battle
array; with the hostile Sheikh as prisoner
but simply express nv conviction, that,
bat for the timely informniion given by
the Christians, we should never have seen
our boats again.
These poor Christians are much tyran-
lied over by their Muslin neighbors.-
Their only place Of retreat, when threat,
ened with violence, is their little cell Of q
church, which can scarcely hold twenty
families. Their account, which in lis mar
ration bore the impress Of truth, seems con-
firmed by the circumstance that in the GEN.
ter of their little church there Is u well,
which supplies them with water until their
provisions are exhausted, or the restless
i nature Of their prosecutors takes them else
where. The object of all their hopes is
to build church sufficiently large TO hold
oil their wives and children; for, with all
their intolerance, the Muslims respect the
Il r H.
Prophet of the Christians"
The foundation and part Of the walls
Of church have been built, but The work
is discontinued from the want Of means
the sirocco and the locust having swept
their harvest for several years. They
gave me an appeal TO their Christian breih-
. rem in America, which promised to de-
liver. With many apologies for its phra-
seology, they begged me 10 write it out
more fully for them; but prefer sending
it forth in itsown simple and touching brew
/ ity. will only add, that little should be
given, and :hat discretely ,at different times.
SO as not to excite the cupidity of The Mus
Inns. The Board of Foreign Missions at
New York will doubtless receive what may
be given, and forward it either 10 their
brethren in Beirut or TO the Anglican bish-
op at Jerusalem. for distribution. One
cent from each humane person in this land
of charity, will be more than sufficient.
APPEAL,
By Gods favor: May it, God willing.
reach America, and be presented to our
Christian brothers, whose happiness may
the Almighty God preserve: Amen.
s642. BEDUAH,
We are in Kerak, a few very poor
Christians, and are building church.
We beg your excellency 10 help US in
$ this undertaking, for we are very weak.
The land has been upproductye, and
visited by the locust for the last years.
| The church is delayed in not being ac'
complisi,ed, for want of funds; for we are
S few Christians, surrounded by Muslms'
d This being all that is necessary TO write
= to you. Christian brothers in America, we
d need say no more. ......-
= The trustees in your bounty.
:, ~ARnAJJAA EN NAHAS, (Shelkh.