Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1851-01-03
'Eie Bead Sea- and the Jerdan.

PLAIN. and passing a pool of s;agnant
water, surrounded by a mass of long
dark weeds, rode through few low
'hnrnv bushes, and reached the margin
~ the lake. There was a hard pebbly
strand, strewed here and there with drift
wood; bare trunks of trees, wi,hered and
dry, covered with coating of salt small
nnps Of some bitnnlinons substance
were scattered over the beach; we after.
wards found several other pieces float
lng on the water. The water itself was
clear and lmpid. and The sun was reflec.
ted from lis surface with dazzlino
glare; viewed from This point the Bahr
i.nIho, as the Arabs call it. lost nothing
o. us gloomy aspect. Girt, on our lett
hand. BY the dark range Of Moab, cor
IInnaiion of the craggy heights we had
lust quilted formed the barrier on the
rigat, their black bituminous cliffs rising
abruptly from the lake, which stretched
far before us into the distance, till its
'eaden hucs were blent with the hazy
blue OF the horizon--waste, water, crag.
monotonons blue sky, the sole compo-
nen's of the cheerless landscape. '.@
Heated and laligued we prepared for
Il general battle; al least our private par
", for the pilgrims determined 10 reserve
'heir energies for The sacred Jordan-,he
Lake Of Sodom being held by them in
horror and Inflammation, utterly unadap.
ted 10 the ends Of cleanliness or comfort.
as we afterward ascer,ained TO our cost.
The bad odor in which the lake was
held did not, however, deter us. and.
having called a halt, we plunged like
young due Ks into the liquid clement
Paulo cIuckiog like an old hen on the
bank. We plunged. Disastrous was
the plunge. Rapidly enough head after
head popped up from the execrable wa
ieIs--hair matted. eyes smarting, and
Tongues burning from The intense suiphu-
raus hitler sadness of the detestable liq
MD in which we were immersed; water
i: was no. nor biumcn, nor salt, nor
sulphur, but Disgusting compound of
all tnur--a hogshead of it would serve
as, m emeiic for all Asia Minor, and
leave some gallons to spare against The
next epidemic. You could neither sink
in ii nor swim in it. Tulk Of ny in
moasses, or a wasp in a barrel of tar
can find na parallel for bath IN the
Dead Sea. .-...,s-
brought home bottle of il, and sick
ened some scores of my acqraintances.
Bqt he suiierings of my companions
were a. rifle to what | felt; cut and
ma,med in consequence of my superior
horacmanship, jumped into the wafer
az rp}wa as a beeisteak. and jumped out
of itas ii | were hayed alive; however,
let me be jus, to this abominable mixture:
# ! smarted fer il. my wounds were veil
canteflzed and completely skinned over
The cuEe was perfect to Il miracle
We dressed with the comfortable sensa-
uon Of men who had been well coated
over with mutton suet-stiff, greasy, and
extremely out of sorts, with ,ingling.
creeping feeling over the skin, and re-
mourning turned our steps to the fords Of
lhe Jordan. Crossing the plains toward
the right, we reached The banks OF The
river, which burrows in its sinuous course.
FAR below the level OF, the plain-- the
dense thlcket of bushes, shrubs, and
trees that grow out of its waters in ma,
ny places scarcely out-topping the bank.
The stream is very rapid and the water
muddy. Leaving the river TO follow lis
meanderIngs, we arrived by shorter
path At the celebrated fards, where tradi-
lon tells US the host Of Israel trod dry
shod through the depths, as the flood re-
tired before the ark of God: nor is il i'm
probable that here John the Baptist was
baptizihg, and ,ha, here our blessed Lord,
as he came out of the waters, received
The public seal of his ministry, owhen
the Holy Ghost in a bodily shape like
dove, came upon him, and voice from
heaven WHICH said, Thou art my below
ed Son, in thee am well pleased"
.9 Al this part of the river the banks are
low, and nearly on a level with the
stream; here, also. the river is compar
l'eiy broad, and shaded by trees which
grow in greatabundance along its margin;
near ihe bank the wa:eris shallow, but
The cnrren, is exceedingly rapid; on both
sides the streau is bordered by dense
'hlckel, with a few open intervals; the
Jor'an Willow is fol.nd in great luxuri-
ance. The fords of the Jordan being
the r. -. v