Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-11-06
NOTES OF TRAVEL IN PALESTINE.
Written for Ae National Intelliyeacer bya Citizen
Of Washington.
EsDRAELoN.

The great plain of Esdraeon is Of the finest tract
Of country in the East In its general aspect 1t remnde
me Of Of the vast plains in California, after tn
summer heats have withered up the grass. Some POI
tions of the land to be rich and arabic We saw
few fields covered with stalks of Indian corn, from whc
we inferred that this grain maght be produced here
large quantities by proper cultivation Nopart OF Pales
tine that we had yet appeared so well calculated
sustain large population. Railroads might be ru
through it at very rifng cost, and easy communi
cation opened with the seaboard In some places notices
wild cotton which naturally suggested thoughts of cottoI
mills. Tunnels might be cut through the nountainst
Jerusalem and profitable trade thus opened with thu
inhabitants of Judea and by removing the sands from
the Desert the line Of communication might be carried
Cairo Suez, the East Indies China, and California The
of Gaee would be pleasant place ct retreat
in the summers and good hotels would spring up
throughout the country as the blessings of civilization
progressed sounded the Inhabitants the subject OF
annexation but they did not seem disposed to discuss
the question: in fact the only they gave me was
backshish There seemed to be hope at all Of re-
claiming the poor creatures
Passed during the afternoon the villages of Gaia and
I'll Mazraah gatherings of novels like beehves stu
ated mounds elevations, resembling islands in the
plain also, Ell Fuleh, pretty looking village pictur-
esquey situated in sort of oasis the LETT Stopped
refresh ourselves Mukeberteh filthy and miserable
village inhabited by the ragged and scowlng set of
vagabonds had yet Saw in the distance beyond
little Hermoa the ruined castle Of Bizan 1t stands upon
elevation in the valley Of Jczre which is part Of the
great plain Of Esdraelon This is celebrated in scrip
tural history the spot where Sauls body placed
after he slaughtered by Gideon Saw Mount Carmel
the left also Jboa, noted in scrptura history the
place where the great battle Of the Israees took place
in which Gideon conquered Saul This spot also famous
the of sanguinary battle between Saadin and
the Crusaders.
Late in the afternoon after ride of six hours from
Nazareth, we arrived at Djeuin, the ancient Ginea
town considerable sze handsomely situated the base
of range of mountains the south side of the plain
We found it somewhat difficult to obtain lodgings here
in consequence Of the hostile feeling of the inhabitants
towards Christian travellers. Dieuin is of those
places occasionally found in Palestine where this religious
intolerance has been in full force for centuries and still
mains unchanged Notwithstanding the progress Of
liberal and enlightened of feeling throughout Syria
and the East. few days before arrival two English
travellers who had encamped outside the town in their
tent beset during the night by heavy Storm which
blew down their tent 1t dark and cold, and the
rain poured down heavily that they obliged to
give up all hope of erecting again. and they proceeded
to the with their dragoman, to try and find shelters
till morning. For time they walked about through
the dark and filthy Streets applying for lodgings at every
door, but it found that they Franks
they driven away with abusive and insulting Ian
guage and sometimes threatened with violence if they
did not at get away out of the town. Wet and cold
they forced to return their wreck of tent
pack up their baggage well they coudn the dark
proceed their journey in the midst of the storm.
Our experience in Djeuin was quite so bad as
this, though bad enough Upon entering the town we
rode up to fountain where we waited nearly hour
while dragoman went in search Of lodging place
He had niece here whose husband Christian; but
he feared they at home having heard that they
were visit to Jerusalem. While waiting at
the fountain great many ragged children and
to get water and stare us and before long
number of caaaverous and hievishlookng began
gather around u.s. smoking their pipes, and remarking
upon all our peculartes Of costume and 1t
was great comfort to think that we had the
Of striking into the hearts Of these lazy
gabonds in they should undertake treat with
any Of dsrespect In all truthfuness they the
most squalid, miserable, scowng set Of villains 1t
my fortune to behold ragged to the very extremity
of raggedness; dirty to the foundation Of drtiness
smoked and smoky to the essence of smokiness and
beasty in all respects the lowest pitch of beastness
Yusef returned in due time bringing dings that his
niece had really gone to Jeruseem but that he had a
ter great difficulty obtained lodgings for the house
of Christian Arab from Nazareth
In the morning, after hurried breakfast went to
take another look at the town The weather and
gloomy and nothing could exceed the comfortless and
melancholy aspect Of the whole place the streets,
half filed with ruins and piles Of filth; dead
sopping in green pools of mud the dark alleys reeking
with sickening stencil the walls Of the houses black
enod with smoke and lettering to ruin few halfn
wretches, bearing the semblance of human
tures waowing about the doorways amid the foul abo
limitations; stagnation, decay, ruin every where-the
earth polluted the air accursed the very dogs sneakng
into darkness, as II to hide their degradation.
We were glad enough to take leave Of unplea-
SAINT and inhosptable place. 1t rsned hard all the
forenoon, and our ride was uncommony dreary.
RELICS IN JERUSALEM
We not long installed in quarters at Signor
Stephanos hotel when we were bese by dealers in all
sorts of relics Of pearl and olivewood fruit
beads from Mecca earrings Of asphaltum from the Dead
Sea- polished flint and petr6ed olives from the Mount Of
Olives and the Garden Of Gehsemane, and small rinkets
manufactured Of lead from the Convent Of St. Seba.
These relics which purchased in great quantities by
the pilgrims form important Of revenue to the
Converts of Jerusalem considerable portion Of the
population also obtain living by making and vending
them. The most skful Of pearl said to be
the inhabitants of Bethlehem Some very beautiful spe-
cmens carried about by the Jewish pedars who fire.
quent the Frank quarters The pearl is imported the
backs of cames from Cairo and the Ishmus Of Suer In
general the designs taken from the pictures in the
rous converts, and considering the rude instruments
used in executing them and the prevailing Ignorance of