Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-12-25
NATIONAL MTELLlGENCER.
NOTES OF TRAVEL IN PALESTINE.
Writea for the National hteRyeacer Jya Cutse
Of Washington
THE pEsoLATE CITY.

The DEsOLAIE CHI.
This was dreary day; from the rising Of the sun
nothing in sight but waste of waters on the left desert
plain on the right and the blanched and rugged heights
OF Carmel dim in the distance Our road lay along the
coast Of Phenica over barren rocks and beds of sand
all parched and shadowless.
Evening came and thick clouds covered the sky the
sun was hid in the gloom; there neither heat nor
cold nor glare nor darkness but dim, death-ike pan
outspread upon the earth No bird of the air or beast
of the field in sight sound broke upon the still
but the sad moaning of the surf sign OF life or
hope or promise was within the sweep Of desoaton
around
We rode silently our way; and about the seventh
hour of our journey from Ell Mukhad beheld afar up
on the shore ruined city, Fragments of walls and tow
ers rent asunder and of rampars, shattered by
earthquakes and the oemed darky through
the haze The Arabs stopped and pointing TO the ruins
said that there lay all that was left of Cesdred
We rode on and drawing that the ghosty city
was walled around with ramparts, and masses Of ruin
were scattered round about the plain few sicky
weeds grew among the banks Of broken columns and
shattered walls but there neither shrub nor eahe
nor green sod there; all withered and lifeess.
stopped awhile to sketch the ruins, while my comrades
passed through and their way towards Tantura.
When had finished entered through crumbling arch
way and wandered about lost in wonder at the utter de-
ISOLATION of the place. Not living soul was there not
living thing that could ee not SIGH OF whisper, or
sound of life from Of the ruins The silence Of
death every where the low wall Of the surf
reached through the masses Of shattered walls
and thought how terrible the wrath that had thus
snirtzn the abode destruction how the
naKeh the earth empty, and makeh it waste, and
turneth upside down. and scatrereh abroad the inhab
tants thereof"
There nothing but ruin every where high walls
gaping ssures towers shyered asunder to their
bases; great archways down in rugged masses ;
streets coked and filed with shattered columns
ed with blasted EARTH all and sodless. Not
bird Of good evil sat upon the fragments
beast haunted the ruins it all STILL all silent and
without life.
Ruined cities there are scattered broadcast through
out this land Of desolation yet all that had had
remnant of vitality within their walls. Dark and
squald men and masked women haunted them dogs and
wild beasts of prey and birds of evil fed upon the
dead things that out from the doors but here
there nothing of the presents all SILENT all dead
all of the past.
No foul odors from dark and streets; no beard
ed men with downeast faces stalking sadly through the
fallen city; dark eyed to steal flashing look
at the stranger; human voice utter word Of well
come, say depart in peace moody follower of the
Prophet to scowl his hatred pass unheeding by al
was dead all Of the past
sat upon broken column, and looking with sadden
ed heart upon this scehe of desoaon wondered what had
become of all that had lived here the good the wicked
the brave the beautiful and the gay how lived they
how died they were all the records Of their deeds for CEN
turiespast buried with Them and nothing left but the
brief records of others happiness within these
walls; did they feel as we who looked upon these ruins
felt did they look back the past and forward to the
future, and in their ambition encrcle the wide world
and dust last to feed the Of the earth
and nourish the weeds and this Of ruins all
they had left to mark the spot?
There was not breath to answer not leaf TO whis
per Of the past; all dead al gone, to walk
through the desoats city ponder the wreck that
time had wrought not soul but myself was there
stranger from distant land the only nhabitant now
In the graveyard, where the dead rest there is only
the gloom Of death silence is all look for there but
here in the abiding place Of men, where there
the din Of fe there the silence Of death and more
than its gloom for these walls built for the living
yet no living soul dwet within them had wandered
through ruins in other Chimes where thousand years
ago city was buried and all buried within it in the
midst Of life yet saw their homes unchanged; the fres
Goes upon the walls the marks idly made by the soldiers
the bedrooms the wine cellars the signs upon the DOORS
the tracks Of the carragewhees in the Streets they
buried two thousand years ago. sofresh solfeke
that would scarcely be startled the dead arise
and their avocatons. But here nothing but the
bare and ruined walls left to tell Of past there
connecting link to unite it with the present moth
ing within the shattered gate-ways abroad the
desert around but fragments Of columns and massive
stones-a Of ruins; oil dreary and voiceless-a
Wrapt in desolation.
The silence of ship upon the at hight when oil are
buried in Sleep and the waters have ceased their dre
is without gloom for the in the heavens are worlds
where thought may wander where the soul may drink in
the beauties Of the armament and II darness be upon
the Deep then its mysteries eloquent Ia It's unfahom
ed lie wonders that cease to inspire strange
and pleasant fancies.
Not such is the desOlate cy the city Of the silent dead
All is Of the past there is voice OF man to tell Of them
that dwet there The land l. mid waste and the earth
mourneth and adeth away i.The Lord hath done that
which ne had devsed ne hath fulfilled his word that he
had commanded in tie days Of old be hath thrown down
and hath not pity.dn
such y hosariyeh-once proud city Of the Pheni-
clans; now S.ll that remains Of CESAR Palestina.
A SERIOUS CHARGE
Al Tantura incident occurred which any gentleman
Of respectable standing in society might well be excused
for passing over in silence | do not believe similar
case is TO be found in all the records Of Syrian travel
though doubtless many traveller has had personal expe
riences Of the same kind II unpleasant charge,
TO cay the least Of provoking and unmerted charge
one that touches the very soul Of honorable in the
enderest part Fain would proceed the journey and
l,,to faar 90 -,