New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-08-31
FROM NETWORK TO NINEVEH.

THE COUNTRY OF GALILEE-A FORCED MARCH
OVER THE ANTI-LEBANON.
tOfs' Sof'e1po ~ " -
DAMASCUS, Syria, Wednesday, May IL, 1852.

Z
OVER THE ANTI-LEBANON
Editorial Corresponds nes % the \. 1. GrIonne
DAMASCUS, Syria, "Wednesday, May Il, 1852.
We left Nazareth on the morning of the
9Th inst. My companion bad done SO well under
the care of Fra JOachimo that he was able to ride,
and our Journey was not delayed by his accident.
The benedctions of the good Franciscan accom-
panied US as we rode away from the Convent past
the Fountain of the Vrgin and out Of the pie lsant
little valley where the boy Jesus wandered for
many peaceful years. The Christian guide we
engaged for Mount Tabor had gone ahead, and we
did not find him Till we had travelled for more than
two hours among the hills. AS we approached
the sacred mountain we came upon the region OF
oaks-the first ,ak had seen since leaving + lrope
last autumn. There three or four varieties,
some with evergreen foliage, and in their wild lux
uIance and the picturesaueness of their forms and
groupings they resemble those of California. The
sea of grass and flowers in which they stood was
sprinkled with thick tufts of wild oats-another
point of re resemblance to the latter country.
Mount TABOR stands little in advance of the
hill country, with which it is connected only by a
low spur or shoulder its base being the Plain of Es
been fixed upon as the place Of the Transigura-
ton, though it is not mentioned by name in the
New Testament. The words are ian high
mountain apart" which some suppose to refer to
the position Of the mountain, and not to the re-
moteness of Christ and the three Disciples from
men. The sides of the mountain are covered
with clumps OF oak, hawthorn and other trees, in
many places Overrun with the white honey suckle,
its fingers dropping with odor Of nutmeg and
cloves. The ascent, by steep and winding path,
occupied an hour. The summit is nearly level
aud resembles some oyergrown American field, or
"osk Opt ming" The grass il more than knee-
deep; the trees grow high md strong, and there
are tangled thckets and bowers Of vines without
end. The eastern and ighest end Of rhe mount
ain is covered with the rem aims OF an Old fortress.
convent, once place Of great strength, rom the
thickness of its walls. In sort of cell formed
among the ruins we found two monk hefmits. |
addressed them in all languages of which know
a salutatiOn, without effect, but at last made out
that they we're WaIlachiaDs. They were men of
thirty five, with stupid faces, dirty garments,
boards run to waste, and fur caps. Their cell was
c mere howell, without furniture, except horrid
caricature of the Virgin and Child, and four bOoss
of prayers in the old Byzantine character. One
Of them walked about Knitting a stocking, and
paid no attention to us; but the other, after CIV.
ing Us some deliciously cold water, got upon
pile ofrubblsh, and stood regarding US with open
month while We took breakfast. SO far from this
being cause of annoyance, felt really glai that
our presence had agtated the stagnant waters OF
his mind.
The day was hazy and sutry, but the pano
rsniic view from Mount Tabor was still very nhe.
The great Plain of Esd aeon lay under us IKE d
vast mosaic OF green and bro vn-Jasper ana vera
aDtime. On the west, Mount Carmel lifted its
head above the blue horizon line oI the hed'tef-
rsnesn. Turning to the other side, strip OF the
Sea of Gall,e glmmered deep dow n among the
hills. ard the Ghor. or the Valley OF the jordan,
stretched Ike broad cash through them Be-
yond them. the country Of Djebel A'jloun, the
ancient Decspols, which still, holds the walls OF
Gadara and the temples and theaters OF Djsrash,
;Idsd away into vapor. Mount Hermon is visible
when the atmosp sphere is clear, but We were not
able to zee It.
From the top Of Noun Tabor 70 Tberas, on
tie Sea OF Galilee, is q journey of i've hours,
through wild country, with but one singh mi'er'
a6e village on the road. At first we rode through
lonely dells, grown with OAK and brilliant with
flowers, espCc ially the large purple mallow, and
then over broad treeless tracts OF rolling land, but
partially cultivated. The heat VAS very great;
had no thermometer, but should judge the temper
ature 70 haze been at least 950 in the shade.
From the edge Of the upland tract, We looked
DOWN on the Sea OF GaIilee-a beautiful sheet OF
water sunk among the mountains, and more than
800 feet below the level Of the Mediterranean. 1t
Law unrofled in the bottom OF the basin, rejecting
the uesks of the bare red mountains b'y9n3i.