Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-09-08
Correspondence of the Boston Post.
IMPRESSIONS.

NazGreth-I rGditaOnS-ELGsn OF ESoTUe|oIs-oce"e-
rp-Bsdouins- rareJIng-Na6lOus-1h SG"sa-
ritans-Jaco6's WeLL-A Night ut Beer-AppeGr-
ancs of JtrusaLens-JorCtan.
PLAINS OF JERICHO ON THE BoRDERs
OF THE DEAD SEA, FEB. II, 1855.
We were all stirring in good season the next
morning and while the mules were packing, arer
onr breakfast we went to visit what is called the
dwelling place of Mary, and the place where the an
gel appeared to her. A Latin chapel IS built over
the spots, which we were shown with the usual ue
finite relation Of circumstances Ihey are GAcaV"
tons in the rock as is also the OF JosePh'
a little distance off which is also shown, and over
which formerly stood another chapel feel that
shall care little about settling whether these traul
tions are true false, even for my own NINA. Inc
Impressions receive, and which are deeper and
stronger even than anticipated come to me through
the thoughts of being the same land OF breathing
the same air, of looking upon the same MIS- ana
treading among the same flowers "nere ne "aIS
cd who lived as never lived before, and taught
as one having authority. whose presence sanctlhed
all nature here, and whose revelation ana gospel
shall sanctify all humanity hereafter In these con-
vents, where the mode of life seems to me SO dlfer-
ent from what Jesus would dictate-ln these chap-
els with their gaudy decorations and trappngs 10 me
so different from what He must have approved VINO
condemned outward show, and required only the
simple worship of the heart in purity and holiness
of purpose, feel trammelled, confined and must
confess disturbed but in the free ar on tne noun
tain and hillside in the valley and PLAIN, the tenn
pies where He loved most to teach, feel his pres
heard before So came out of the stone walled
convent and away from the flower decked affairs
of the chapels, out of Mary's lonely abode, and
Joseph's rude workshop, and looked around on the
stony hills which surround and enclose the little
groy village of Nazareth thinking how often His
feet must have climbed their steep sdes remember
ing how once his enemies, ungratetul toWnspeopie'
led him to the brow of one OF them, intending 10
cast him down headlong, and how " lie, passing
through the midst of them, went his way" stroVe
to impress the whole landscape upon my memory,
and then joining our cavalcade which was waiting
for us, we started on our way to Jenn, the end OF
our second days journey.
The going out of Nazareth was nearly rough
and rugged and difficult the coming in had been.
For some distance the path formed just at this sea-
son the bed of swift torrent, down which we had
to pick cautiously our way. AFTER some tn1e now
lon famous as the great battle field of the Israeltes
On our left were the mountains OF G1lead; father
on and more to the east, the bowlshapei, pretty
mountain of Tabor said to be scene OF Chrsts trans
feuraon rose full into view, and still farther on,
south and east Gilboa's mount could be seen.-
Through openings in the range we could occasion
ally get views of the snow-coVered top OF Mount
Hermon; while on our right, stretching IN from the
sea, rose, the eastern extremity OF Mount Carmel
MANY a victory has been lost and won, on and IN
the vicinity of, this plain, but none came to my
mind with such cearness as that IN which Saul, the
unhappy king of Israel, with his sons, was defeated
and slain before the victorious host of the Phiis-
tines remembered his interview with the witch
of Endor, and how, with determined but hopeless
heart, he had gone out to meet his toe and now
Dasid's heart had mourned over his fate, and that
of Jonathan his faithful deeply loved friend when
news of the disastrous battle brought to him.
We lunched that day under hedge OF the Prlckly
pear cactus, which is very common IN TINS country
and grows from eight to twelve feet high, With
trunk and leaves in proportion 1t is much used
for hedges and fences being entirely impenetrable
through its long sharp thorns for man or beast.
Our route continued through pleasant scenes, and
voted this days ride decidedly agreeable. The
road not very difficult the weather perfect and
we quite ready to grant, in favor of the Syrian
atmosphere, all that had ever been claimed for it.
Beautiful wild flowers blossomed in profusion where
the ground had not been prepared for the more
useful grain, and many times we exclaimed, surely
Solomon in all his glory not arrayed like one
of these" We met several times small groups of
wild looking Arabs, bad people" our muleteers
called them, but they neither molested US or made
afraid" At about P. NJ we reached our des-
tinaton, and entered the rather suspicious looking
village of Jenin. This was the ancient city of Jez-
reel, the capital of the Israetsh kingdom; where
wicked Ahab had his palace, where the more wick
ed Jezebel persuaded him to evil, and where for her
punishment, after meeting a violent death, she
thrown from the walls to be eaten by the dogs. 1t
was near this place, also, that long before, Saul
gathered his army together previous to his last fatal
battle, and there ruins which prove that even in
later times it place of some consequence; but
now, like nearly all the towns in Syria, it bears the
mark of the curse upon it.
We lodged in a mud house, consisting of three
rude rooms without any furniture. One was for
T and myself a low bank serving bed
the next one for Elias to carry on his cooking oper
atoms; and the third furnished dining room,
and afterwards, as usual, the bedroom of three
gentlemen. l cannot say the place at all in
wing but fatigue and good humor together will sea-
son many bad dish; ate good dinner
which Elias gave us, not only thankfullYrbut
rlly, and bctook ourselves to rest having guard
of Arabs at each door, which our dragoman had
procured in tho town, not deeming it exactly pru-
dent to be without additional force among peo
pie in bad odor throughout the country Once only
were disturbed through the night when, as |
some marauders were seen stealing upon us, a gun
was fired by the guard, and noise enough made to
brighten all the thieves in Chrstendom. AS we |;
were obliged topay for their watchfulness they pro-
badly wished to make their zeal as prominent as |
possible. We wished to be very early on our way |
the following morning, we had long ride before |
us, if we would reach Nabous the ancient Shechem,
and the Sychar of the New Testament which was |
the next desirable place to stop at. The getting of
breakfast and the packing of mules were rather !
slow operations, however, that it was after eight
o'clock before we were fairly on the road. The !
weather was still beautiful, and our courage and |
strength still held out we'll was surprised at my
self with great deal of resolution to meet these ia
tigues and discomforts of Syrian travel expecting
to suffer much and find little present and pleas
ure during this pilgrimage to Jerusalem which |
| was very DESTROYS of ACCOMPLISHING
To my very agreeable disappointment, however. |
not only have not the WORKOUT wearied feeling |
expected to experience but have actually enioyed
this horseback gpsy sort of life; and in the con-
slant excitement find both health and strength I
attribute this, in great measure, to the excellent