Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1850-11-13
THE DEAD SEA AND THE JORDAN.

strand strewed here and there with drift wood bare trunks
of trees w,hered and dry covered with coating Of SALT
small Jumps of some btumnous substance were scattered
over the beach, we afterwards found several other pieces
floating on the The water itself was clear and lin
pd and the sun reflected from its surface with daz
zling glare viewed from this point the Bahr Lutho as
the Arabs cal it, it lost nothing Of its gloomy aspect Gr
on our left hand by the dark range of Moab continuation
of the craggy heights had just quilted formed the bar
rie on the right their black bituminous cliffs rising abrupt
" from the lake. which stretched far before into the dis
tance till its leaden hues bent with the hazy blue of
the horzon-wase water crag, monotonous blue sky 1.-The
sole componens of the chcerless landscape.
Heated and fatgued we prepared for general bathe at
leas, our private party, for the pilgrims determined to re-
serve their ges for the sacred Jordanhe Lake OF Sod
ON being held by them in horror and abominaton. utterly
unadapted the ends of cleanliness comfoas we after
wards ascertaned 10 cost The bad odor IN when he
lake was held did not however deter US and having call
ed halt we plunged like young ducks INTO The quld ele-
ment-Paulo cucking like and old hen on The bank we
plunged Disastrous the pung. Rapidly enough head
after head popped up from the execrabe wateshalr mat
ted eyes smang and tongues burning from the intense
suphurous bitter saness of the detesabe liquid in which
we were immersed; water it not, nor btumen, not
SALT nor sulphur but disgusting compound of all four
a hopshead Of it would emetic for all Asia Mi
nor and leave some gallons spare against the next cpl
demic You could neither sink in it nor swim in it, Talk
of y in moasses, wasp ina barrel orar-l can lnd
no parallel for bath in the Dead Sea- brought home
bottle Of it, and sckened scores OF my acquaintance
But the suferngs OF my companions were e TO what
felt cut and manned in consequence of my superior horse
manship jumped into the water as raw as beatsteak,
and Jumped out of if ayed alive however, let
me be just this abomnabe mixtueif smarted tor 1t,
my wounds efectually cauerized and completely
skinned over the perfect to miracle We dress
ed with the comfortable sensation of men who had been
we'll coated with mutton suet-stlt greasy and eX-
tremely out Of sorts, with ngng creeping feeling over
the sku-and remounng turned steps To The tords OF
the Jordan Crossing the plain towards the right we reach
ed the banks of the ver which burrows, in its snuous
course far below the level of the panhe dense thcket
of bushes shrubs and that grow out Of It's waters, In
many places scarcely topping the bank The stream ls
very rapid, and the muddy Leaving the river to
follow its meandengs arrived by shorter path at the
celebrated fords where tradition tells the host Of Israel
trod dyshod through the Depths the flood retired before
the ark of God nor improbable that here John the
Baptist was baptsug and that here blessed Lord as
ministry, when 'the Holy Ghost in bodily shape like
dove came upon him. and voice from heaven which said,
Thou art my beloved Son in thee Lam welIpleased
AT this part of the river the banks low apdneary on
level with the stream here, also the river is COMPARE
lively broad and shaded by Trees which grow in great
bundance along its magn the bank the water shall
low but the current exceedingly rapid on both sides the
stream is bordered by dense thcket with few open in
;e E,,nd in nrre,t
The fods of the Jordan being the grand termination oour
expedition our pilgrims who had taken only devotional
whet at Mar Saba now prepared, with infinite gusio tor
solemn abuon the sacred river The Arabs had driven
our horses into the water, and swimming with them
in great gee too got ready for baIh anxious to WASH
off the nasness of the Dead Sea. Scarcely we de-
nuded of our scanty clothing, when, to dsmay, we
found ourselves surrounded by the body of pilgrims, who
had Unexpectedly debouched from the bushes. uniformly ar
rayed in white Not having any idea that it was cus,oma-
ry to dress for the OCCASION and pprIety orbddng us 10
ntrude in state of nature woshpiu company, we
retired with small precipitation, TO more secluded but
less favorable spot up the banks. The scene was highly
amusnp-horses laundering and snorng midway In the
stream Arabs displaying their copper coored limbs as they
dspored themselves amongst the Tiny waves; pilgrims In
bridal array ducking and diving, gubbing for small shells
and green pebbles in the bottom of the stream handker
chiefs cans and unknown articles of apparel, male and fe
male were washed in the holy river all conSecated habl
iments from that dav forth Some long sighted devotees
had brought beads and glass alets from Jerusalem be
transformed into amues and relies by immersion in the
Jordan more bo,led the water in large Tin TASKS others
pucked willows from the river side and few took sub
stanta logs be manufactured into rnkels of divers sors
consecred all by contact with the waters In act pleas
ure profit and devotion curiousy blended together
the maxim that "no man can serve two masters" being
carefully kept ont of sight.
| Proprety think said compelled our party 10 retire 10
little distance from the place where the scene have oeen
endeavong describe was enacted; but popey played
one at least of her vOares an unworthy trick was ol
lowing companion the rver he had ganed Tue oP
pose sde when the current caught me suddenly and CIV
ino up the glory of the enterprise might and main was
OBLIGED to strike out for the bank had just lett However,
the river god being unpropous was hurried monument
" down the stream and finally depnsltedon shln9y oahN,
Il blush to record it. nearly the feet Of the fair pilgrim
who the gener amongst our body Here the
water was too shallow to SWIM and the current too rapid
to permit nv coming to an anchor by any other expedlent
than that of holding on by the bottom with both hands,
My feet were pointed at the lady, and my neither man
humping uneasv against the stony shelf on which was
so depOraby stranded, added bodily torment TO mental an
guiSh What be done? Decency, OF course, for
bade my getting on my legs and retfng like Christian
biPed whilst necessity forced to hold hard. as mean
der downwads to the Of Sodom might be attended with
very serious consequences if escaped shpwreck in
my involuntary voyage So there lay covered, well
as adverse circumstances would admit Of, in the mud
dy water, my ace scorched by blazing sun, and my an
pods threatening momenariy to asunder, from the
ncessant jerking of the inexOrable stream The fact is
was in the ..cene Of hobbe." And how did the fair la
dy take it? This was the unkindest cut of ALL Oh! for
the poprety the decacy, nay, the sympathy OF woman