The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-07-26

ioHS )laiiS sI[elCuliIS ouI;iioiu GAo ioo1 VI
mountain, and where millions Of people col,l
readily encamp, all ID full view Of the mountain
and ofits summit -.
= From Sinai, passed among the wonderful de
files of these mountain masses, down to the coast
of the eastern arm Of the Red Sea; reached Aka
/ ba, at its northern extremity, and there saw and
conversed in my tent with the renowned Arat
Sheikh,, Hassien, who was polite and attentive
and%hoseson, Mehemet magniicently attired il
scarlet silks, head our Arab escort to Petra and
to Hebron. He left us only two days since. Fol
two or three years past, as it was formerly, but
few have been able to penetrate to Petra. Year
before last Rev. Dr.. Scott, Of New Orleans, at
tempted it, but did not succeed. Our party this
year was numerous, and2we met with no diffcul.
ty, and truIyit is wonderful place; avast am
phitheatre of; sandstone, rocks, most beautifully
coored and veined like "a mixture: of rosewood
and curled maple, with veins Of ivory white. =
!. These mountains are everywhere he%n out, and
excavated; exhibiting hugehas for apartments,
for tombs, or for temples In some places, fora
long distance, the'whole face.of the mountain is
so hewn and scuIptured as to present the front Of
a temple, strongly resembling the Grecian archi-
lecture, with its columns. its ornamentede capi-
tails, its cornices, &c. &c. The temple called El
Derri, plainly discernable from the summit of
Mount Hor, and especially another temple called
the Changa or the. treasure hewn in a rocky
mountain defIe, to the north east of the anphi:
theatre, are peculiarly beautiful. The last named
is one of the most exquisitely finished pieces of
architecture l. ever bebeld. Beyond Petra on
tie east rises the lofty range of Mount SER, while
TO the west is Mount Hor, with its vast base and
its numerous Spires some of granite, some of
limestone, separate the mountains Of Petra from
the great great valley of Arabah. For fuller
particulars, as to Petra and Sinai both, must
refer to Stephens Arabia Petre (by the way,
Stephens sdragornan Paulo Nutzio, is one: Of the
| dragomen attending our caravan, and talks much
and well about Stephens and his adventures in
these regions and in Syria.) I refer you, also,
further to Wilson'S Lands of the Bible, and to
Robnson's Biblical Researcher, but especially to
the Bible itself. - - - ..
This whole region is well described in the sa-
cred narrative; and the appearance of Petra, at
this day, accessible only by passing through a
long succession. of mourning defles, very steep,
very dangerous, ard capable Of being defended
by small force of resolute men against large ar
mics; all agree well with. the representations
given in the Jewish history, and in the Jewish
prophets of the stronghold of Edom, who made
his hsbitation among the rocks, and sat himself
high as the stars. am glad and thankful, that
/ have been permitted to visit and explore these
wilnernesses so full of interest to every believer
in revelation. Many passages Of holy writ |.
shall be able now to undcrstandSand to appreci-
ate in 4 WaN that, otherwise Il could not have
4 have borne this fatigueng journey ven, and
am at present in good health and fine spirits
In Syria we may expect bad roads, and occa-
sionally bad weather. but hope that lie who
has so signalIy prospered our journey thus far
will still Inercfully guide our footsteps.
We hear this morning that fresh disturbances
have broken out in Syria. Should this prove
true, it may deprive us ofthe pleasure of seeing
Damascus and Balbeck, and render it difficult
for us to reach even Beyrout- we hope for
the best. q
Please to assure all kind Mobile friends of my
frequent remembrance of them, and OF my de-
sire, now growing daily stronger to return, and
to find myself once more among them:
sJERusALEM, March 81.
Arrived safe in Jerusalem to-day. spent
three days at Hebron visited the oak of Abra-
ham OH the plains of Mamre; visited Bethlehem,
the city of our Lords nativity. This morning l
attended to see high mass in the Latin Church
Of the Holy Sepulchre, the Bishop Of Jerusalem
officiating in person. He is fine looking man,
about 40, and wears one of the finest boards
ever saw. The ceremy was one of the most splen-
did characters the costumes and sacred vessels
were gorgeous to excess. .or
This evening I.asccnded the Mount of Olives,
west of Jerusalem, and from its summit had Je-
rusalem in full view on the east, and the Dead
Sea and the River Jordan, for vast extent, full
before me-. The mountains east of the Dead
Sea rise abruptly from the waters edge, and are
very high. The same runs down east of Wady
Arabah all the way to Akaba on the Arabian
Gulf of the Red Sea. Adicu.
- w. 7. HAMILTON.