The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1852-03-03
Jerusalem, Palestine, and Syria.
BY Or. j. V. SMITH.

wherever they are. Deep cisierns abound,
cut into the solid rock, in which rain water
is carefully collected, which is used Tor all
domestic purposes. Water carriers bring
some in skins on donkeys from ,he pool of
Sloan, only few are able or desirous Of
supply without the walls. A fine stream is
conducted TO the city from Bethlehem, wind
ing about the mountains, which is exclusive,
y devoted 10 the purposes of the celc>
braied mosque of Omar on The very plot
once occupied by the temple of Solomon.
Wood for fuel is always dear-beinr sold
by weight, and is principally roots of olive
trees. brought from distance on camels. If
trees were planted as suggested in this com
municaton. fuel would be abundant and rea
sonabe. No house has fireplace or chin,
ney. A little charcoal in copper dish
placed in the centre ofa room, is the extent
of an attempt at social fire. AT Bishop
GobaI's and one other house, stoves were
noticed. At DR.. Spaulding's missionary
room at Damascus. regular Boston stove
diffused a comfort that could no where else
be found in the town.
Old as Palestine is, as the residence of
civilized man, there is moi one decent read.
five rods long, in the whole territory. Paths
are struck out where there are the fewest
stones or the least mud, over any ones field.
and through any premises the rider chooses
lc 90. If IIerod the Great, whose passion
iof building magnificent cities was cqua; 20
Abba Pasha's in Egypt for creating palaces,
had made five miles of good road from Jeru
salem towards Jafla, he would have ccnfer,
red n blessing on his abused and DEGRADED
country. have roamed over the stupen-
dous ruins which mark the ambition of that
energetic but wicked wretch, with feelings
that were never called into activity in step>
ping from one fallen column 10 another in
any province. With all his determined am
bliion 10 leave enduring moments in granite
that would Withstand the assault of the ele-
ments or the destructive agencies Of con-
querors in after years, the bosom of destruc-
ton has swept them all, all away, and Cas-
area,the magnificent capital of Judca.has not
one human being wiIhinits boundaries. The
only living Thing in sgh' where there were
the finest specimens of archilccture-palaces
beyond palaces, and marble, and an exhibi-
ton of wealth and refinement, while lie was
in the meridian ol his glory-wa one solila-
ry horse, feeding among crushed fragments
sculptured stone, MS passed over the lonely
site Of once grand aud beautiful residence
or SPLENDID court.
From the days Of the Jebusies, whose
capital was the present rock on which ,Jeru
salem stands. every successive people who
have had possession of Palestine have fixed
their habi,aiions on the very pnnaclcs of the
mountains. Every Town and village, there
fore. is up somewhere. No one resides in
a valley. From some hill tops the speciaio
has an admirable view Of many distant pla.
ces that appear quite near but to reach any
OF them he must descend mile or 50, and
cross horrible ravine or yawning gorge and
subsequently wind up and onward like the
gyrations Of corkscrew, for Ten or twenty
hours, TO get at the proposed settlement.
Miles are unheard-of~ things in Palestine.
Everybody speaks Of hours who designs n
movement. 1t is seven hours TO one place,
for example, two to somewhere else, nd for.
ty TO another. The making OF .jauni through
the Holy Land Of Syra is an expensive af-
fair indeed. There must be pack mules for
carrying beds food, and all that may be re.
quired from day to day. Three persons
could not do well without two; and there
must be a cook a mulelcer, dragoman, who
does all the talking and answers all your
questions, for the Arabic is difficult 10 ac,
quire, anl,, without an interpreter, il is i'm
possible to know where you are, or what you
you see. Finally, each rider is mounted en-
horse, who is followed by groom, and no
must have mule 10 carry the provender
All this makes kind of caravan--a long
string of animals, slowly winding up and
down the horrible trails of the land, single
file, at the rate oftwo or three miles only an
hour.
IT. the course oflhe day. many places of
peculiar interest, mentioned in the Old Tes-
lament, are distinctly seen, which are NOT ap>
preached. When stood at Bethel Ramah
was in full sight. and the mosque over the
tomb of Samuel, The prophet. Both Iloran
the Upper, and Gideon also where Joshua
took position when he said, Sun, stand
thou still upon Gheon and thou Moon, 10
the valley Of Ajalon," and other localities Of
immense interest to The biblical scholar and
sacred geographer. At night, it is necessa-
ry to seek stopping place in a village for
security. Beyond town or hamlet, there
is not a single habitalor.
All lodge in the same apartment, on the
ground, on your own beds, surrounded by
armies ofinsects eager for your blood. Poor
things, il it were not for strangers, fleas
would soon be extinct, for they seem to de-
spise an Arab, who sleeps sound in defiance
Of their nippers. Horses, cows, camels goats,
dogs, and the family, are not unfrequenlly
congregaied in one room. The night before
reaching Damascus,we suffered exceedingly
on account of the multitude Of odgers in one
room-for the landlord had, in addition 10
all the beasts and creeping things Of Noah's
ark, three wives, with their restless chill.
dren.
The reason for taking hill tops for towns