Weekly national intelligencer., 1850-11-09
THE DEAD SEA AND THE JORDAN.

We descended by steep path into the plain, and, passing
pool Of soenant water surrounded by Of long dank
weeds rode through low thorny bushes, and reached
the margin of the lake. There was hard pebby strand
sewed here and there with drift wood bare trunks OF trees
wtbered and dry covered with coating OF salt small
umps Of some substance scattered the
beach we afterwards found several other pieces floating on
the The water itself was clear and mpd and the
sun was reflected from its surface with dazzling glare
viewed from this point the Bahr Lutho, as the Arabs call IT,
il lost nothing of its gloomy aspect Girt left hand,
by the dark range of Moab, continuation OF the craggy
heights had Just quilted formed the barrier on the rgh
their black biumnous cliffs rising abruptly from the lake.
which stretched before into the distance I'LL lis eaden
hues were blent with the hazy blue Of the hozonwaste
water crag blue sky the sole componens OF the
cheeress landscape.
Heated and faigued, prepared for general battle at
least our private party for the pilgrims determined to reserve
their energies the sacred Jodanthe Lake OF Sodom be-
ing held by them in horror and abominaion utterly unadaP
ed the ends of cleanliness comfort as we afterwards
ascertained 10 our cost The bad odor in which the lake
was held did not, however, deter US, and having called
halt plunged like young ducks into the liquid clement
Paulo cluckiag like old hen on the bank We plunged
Disastrous the plunge Rapidly enough head after head
popped up from the execrabe waehar matted eyes smart
ing and tongues burning from the intense suphurous bitter
satness of the deestabe liquid in which we were immersed
it not, btumen, nor salt nor sulphur but
disgusting compound Of all foura hogshead OF would
serve as an emetic all Asia Minor end leave gal
Ions spare against the next epidemic You could neither
sink in it nor swim in it. Talk Of fly in moasses
wasp in barrel of tar-I find parallel for bath in
the Dead Sea- brought home bottle OF it. and sickened
some scores of my acquaintance But the suerings Of my
companions were he what felt cut and MANNED in
consequence of my superior horsemanshp jumped into the
beefsteak and jumped out of 1t if were
ayed alive however let me be just to this abomnabe mix
ture smarted for it, my wounds efectualy cauer
zed and completely skinned the perfect to
miracle We dressed with the comfortable sensation Of men
had been well coated with ton suet-s, greasy
and extremely of sorts, with tingfng creeping feel
tn
Of the Jordan Crossing the plain towards the right, we
reached the banks of the which burrows in its snuous
course far below the level Of the Painhe dense thcket of
bushes, shrubs and trees that grow out Of its waters in
many places scarcely topping the bank. The stream is
very rapid and the water muddy Leaving the to fol-
low its meanderngs arrived by shorter path the cee
bated ords, where idion tells the host Of Israel rod
dyshod through the depths the od retired before the
ark Of God is it improbable that here John the Baptist
bapsing, and that here blessed Lord he came
Of the waters received the public seal Of his ministry
when " Holy Ghost in bodily shape like dove came
upon him, and voice from heaven which sad Thou my
beloved Son ; in thee am well pleased"
At this part Of the river the banks low, and nearly
level with the stream here also. the river is comparatively
broad and shaded by trees which grow great abundance
along its margin near the bank shallow but the
exceedingly rapid both sides the bor
dered by dense thcke with few open intervals the Jor
dan willow is found in great luxurance The fods of the
Jordan being the grand termination Of expedition
pilgrims, who had taken only devotional whet at Mar Saba
prepared with infinite eusto, for solemn abluon in
the sacred river The Arabs had driven our horses into the
WATER and swimming with them 10 great gee we, too
got ready for BATH anxious to wash of the naness of the
Dead Sea- Scarcely denuded Of scanty cloth
ing when TO dismay found ourselves surrounded by
the tody Of pilgrims who had Unexpectedly debouhed from
the bushes, uniformly arrayed in white Not having any
idea that customary dress for the OCCASION and
prey forbddng ntrude in state Of
shpfu company, retired, with small precipitation, to
secluded but less favorable spot up the banks The
scene highly anusng-horses foundeng and snorng
limbs they disported themselves amongst the tiny
pilgrims, in bridal array, duckng and diving grubbing for
snail shells and green pebbles the bottom Of the
handkerchie caps and unknown articles Of apparel male
and female washed in the holy river ali consecraed
hsbimens from that day forth. Some long sighted devo
had brought beads and ssss ares from Jerusalem to
be transformed into amulets and relics by immersion in the
Jordan bottled the in large tin TASKS others
plucked willows from the river side and few took subsa
al logs to be manufactured into nkets of divers Sorts con-
secrated all by with the In fact pleasure
profit, and devotion curiousy blended tosether-the
maxim that "no masters" being care.
| fully kept out Of sight.
Propiety think said, compelled patty 10 retire TO
little distance from the place where the have been
deavorDg describe enacted but proprey ayed one
least of her votaes unworthy trick was following
companion the river he had gained the opposite
sde when the caught suddenly, and giving up
glory of the enterprise, might and main obliged to
strike for the bank had just left However, the
god being unpropitous hurried ncontinently down
the stream and finally deposited hingly bank Il blush
record IT'D nearly s the feet Of the fair pilgrim who repre-
sented the gente amongst body Here the
shallow swim, and the current too rapid to permit
coming anchor by any other expeden than that Of
holding by the bottom with both hands My feet
pointed the lady, and my neither humping unessy
against the stony shelf which deIoraby stranded
added bodily torment to mental anguish What to be
done Deceucy, Of course forbade my getting my legs
and retiring like Christian biped, whilst necessity forced
hold hard meander downwards 10 the Of Sodom
might be attended with very serious consequences il
escaped shipwreck my involuntary voyage. So there
covered well adverse circumstances would admit Of la
the muddy water my face corched by blazing sun, and my
anipodes threatening momentay to asunder from the
incesan jerking Of the nexoabe stream The fact is
in the centre hobbe And how did the fair lady take
it, This the uDkindes cut Of ALL % for the popey,
the delcacy, nay the sympathy Of woman She positively
looked nothing extraordinary the matter might
we'll been log Of wood she neither regarded my
helpless condition. expressed commerston for my per-
pleIy perhaps she thought poor simple woman, il
Europeans had, and that, after the custom Of my
country, paying my respects the venersted object Of
mutual pilgrimage Be that as il may there lay unhap
py martyr my modesty while She for whose sake
suffered calmly contemplated my burning countenance and
fast they handed her. immersed after gar
en In the water consecrang, very believe the wardobes
OF every female friend knswoman, acquaintance she pos
sessed IN the wide wod-and these had
member were any thing but few. At last her task fin
hed and taking extra duck for her especial benefit
the ruthless woman be,ook her the bushes whilst teorch
cd scahed ard parboed. dripping from the river, for
u swearing pilgrims and plgmages from that day forth
on [DubGn Unipersfy Magazine.
NJ
n II AW OFFICE In CALIFORHIA.-WM CARE,
f IL JONES practices in the different Courfs o California
and WI attend promptly to eusiness forwarded him. Ad