Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-09-08

strength and courage, and delighted our eyes. W.
| stood upon part of the Mount Ebal range OF noun
tains and opposite us the Mount GeraZim range.
Between them was broad, pleasant valley, stretch
ing off the right in green pastures and groves OF
! trees. On the left, and spreading up the foot OF
| Gerazln, was the walled city of Nablous, which
| looked larger and more imposing than we had e4-
pected and is indeed of the principal cities OF
SYRIA Ebal and Gerazim still reared their tall heads
as firm and proud when the children OF lsrael
all collected in the plain below, and the
and Levites stood each of them to give 1orth the
| blessings and the curses which Moses hao before
| commanded should be DONE
| Our descent was over a rough, rocky road, when
was not very expeditions affair, and tw'hsnt al,
read beoan to deepen as we rode up the gates of
| the city. Elias had gone on before to make some
! preparations, leaving US to come along with the
| mules AS entered we found ourselves almost
! Immediately enveoped in darkness, the narrow,
close streets shutting out what little light remained
| Very soon we thought torrent had broken loose,
for our horses knee deep in water the noise OF
whose rapid rushing alarmed the gentlemen, ana
quite terrified me must say. / heard the animals
in front of me stumbling along and sometimes ao-
solutely refusing to proceed and dreaded lest NINE
! should give out. There was nobody to read MIN
now but although evidently he liked the state OF
things no better than did, he carried me faithfully
! and safely along. After proceeding some distance
in this manner we turned into another street and
supposed our troubles ended. Alas, we found we
had been on the wrong track altogether, and must
retrace our steps. This dscouraging but there
was no help, so back we went through the splash
ing water and the rough stones, until making
another turn, heard the welcome sound OF Ellas
voice. and before long safely housed. He had
sent messenger to meet us at the gate, VINO missed
us by arriving too late. We were rather tired,
woe-begone looking set this night, and as soon as
we had eaten betook ourselves to bed, our accom-
modations being great improvement on those we
had at Jenin We were to rise at o'clock, too,
the next morning, our longest days ride OF all
lay before US twelve fourteen hours at least
But then Jerusalem at the end of it, and that
thought would give strength, and shorten the
long road
We were ready, therefore, for an early start, but
not so our mules and baggage. While, therefore,
they were getting ready, went to see the Sauna
ritan Chapel, where, it being Saturday and their
Sabbath the small remnant of this ancient people
were gathered for their early morning service. The
five books of Moses alone constitute their Bible,
and they strive in all respects to walk in the way of
their fathers 1t is said these all that are left of
that people on the face of the whole earth. They
have no longer any temple on Gerazim, although
they sometimes make pilgrimages to it. We were
told the night before the meaning of the water we
passed through. mountain stream is conducted
through some of the streets of the city down into
the valley below, where it is turned into raceway
to serve the purposes of a mill. At this season,
when the springs full it has all the velocity of
torrent. In morning walk what had
seemed so strange to u.s. and really it was quite
respectable river. Raised footpaths about eighteen
inches in height each side the narrow streets
serve for pedestrians and large rock here and
there answers for stepping stone from side to side
This stream directly through of the bazaars,
and it not unfequently happens that it rises high
to the walks, and the floors of the
shops. In summer, however, i: dries entirely away
like all the other streams
1t was nearly seven o'clock before we left Nab
lous. The weather still delicious, and GeraZim
and Ebal, the city and the valley, looked bright and
pleasant in the morning We did not fail to
visit Jacobs well, short distance from the city,
near which is the tomb of Joseph, whose bones the
Israeites brought with them from the land of Egypt.
The mouth of the well is nearly covered up
with loose stones, but water is still in it, although
larger reservoir by has superseded mostly its
former usefulness. Always, however, the presence
of Him who once rested its border, and taught
the astonshed woman Of Samaria, will sanctify the
spot, and myriads of pilgrim feet will visit it, and
remember, as they look towards Gerazim, that
neither in this mountain yet at Jerusalem shall
men worship the Father; for they that worship
Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth"
Our way to- day lay through rather desoate
tract of country; occasionally we passed through
pleasant looking valleys, where the vine, the fig,
and the olive, spread their luxuriance around in
summer, but in most places the road was very bad,
and fatguing for man and beast AS the gates of
Jerusalem are always closed at sunset, and only
opened afterwards by an order from some consul,
two Of our party. Mr.. B. and the French gentleman,
left us and fastened with guide, in order to
rive in time to admitance at later hour.
We made what speed we could, but the roads in
many places were truly terrific. Night came upon
US, notwithstanding all efforts, at miserable
little village called Beer, and we were still three
hours distant. Here Mr. F., who had complained
much Of fatigne gave out entirely and declared he
could go no further. T. and myself weary
too, but knew not how to give up reaching Jerusa-
lem if possible We knew friends there would
be anxious about US, and the good beds aud good
fare which we knew awaited US looked tempting
Still humanity whispered that ought to stop, and
so we did. Shall we ever forget that night in the
mud dwelling, which an Arab family vacated that
we might occupy it? Our worn out fellow traveller
threw himself at full length his mattress soon
as he had swallowed the cup of tea which Elias
hastily prepared, and in a moment was in n sound
sleep. For US, tired were, sleep impossi-
BILE. Mgriads of heas assaled of enormous size
and strength.
We bore the torture until about o'clock in the
when, rousing Elias, made ready with !
the moon shining brightly us, to proceed on |
our way, dispensing with breakfast and only anxious
to be off. AS we drew near Jerusalem the rose
in all his splendor We had been climbing, climb |
ing, long time, when suddenly between two hills !
we saw the holy city with its minarets and its !
mosques, looming up in the distance, welcome and |
must say thrilling sight; not so much for what |
itself was in that moment, but for the thoughts, |
teachings and lifelong associations which clustered
and crowded around that consecrated spot. long, |
weary way we had yet to go before should see it |
At length on the brow of the last hill it
lay clearly spread out before us. We had heard 50
much of the present leanness and desolaton of this
once glorious city, that disappointed, most
agrceably So at the picture it presented Welooked
at it the valley of jeremiah it stretched up
gradually from Mount Moriah to Mount Zion, and
with its minarets and domed houses its strong walls
and back ground of mountains we felt no wise in