New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-05-09


"R;bleaI Researches" was undertaken just t"enl!
,ears AGO. The author sailed from New-lorA IN
,he mon,b Of July. 1887, and after temporary So
;ourn in England and Germany, s'af'cu HUM Def-
lin for Trieste in the month Of Novenoer Oh tno
srst of December, be embarked az trieste lot
Patrss. proceeded by land to Athens and after de-
voting a fortnight to exploring the antiquities OF
that cty took ship at the Preus on the evening OF
Cb,;stmas arrived at Alexandria en- the Both, and
after a visit of about week, embarked on tho
Nile for Cairo. Leaving Cairo on the 18th OF jan
nary, be made an interesting voyage up the Me-
visited the ancient ruins the route, and return
ing to Cairo, took his departure from that CITY on
the 10Th of March, and travelling BY short stages,
arrived a. Jerusalem on the evening before Easter
Sunday. April H. The results OF that journey are
wen known TO the scientific world. WIN spirit
Of religious reverence, combined with sagacious
canton DR. Robinson engaged in exploring the ro-
mains of antiquity in the Holy Land and from the
accuracy of his researches and the zeal Of his en-
tetprise has been enabled to furnish contributions
to Biblical history, geography, aud archaeology, of
which few, il any, previous travellers could boast
Upon publishing the first volumes of his Re
searches in Palestine" Dr. Robinson expresses the
wish that his work may be regarded merely as the
commencement of an attempt to lay open the anti
quarisn treasures Of the Holy Land, and remarks
that If he should again be able to travel through
the country, the experience acquired during the
former Journey and in the preparation of his work
would enable him 10 lay before the world far moro
important and satisfactory results. At the same
time no observes that he can never hope to enjoy
this high privilege. But an unloOked-fOr good for
tune awaited him. After vsiniy cherishing the
idea Of such journey, with the enthusiastic long
mgs of traveller and an antiquary, in the Summer
Of 1861, be fonnd . prospect Of their realization.
Obtaining leave of absence from the Directors of
the Theological Seminary in which be is PrOfes
sOr he embarked for Europe the 10th of De-
eember, 1851, and soon after the LIST of February
was again at Trieste on his way to The Promised
Land After spending several weeks with the
American missionaries at Beirut, he left that city
on the 9Th of April with the Rev. Eli Smith as tho
companion of his tour, and on the twenty fourth
day after their departure, arrived at Jerusalem,
having explored the middle portions of Gaee and
some parts of Samaria which Ut that time were
little known.
The sight of the Holy City, after an interval of
fourteen years, presented the marks Of change and
general improvement. The whole country had re-
yerted to the direct sway of the Sultan, and many
of the Ottoman reforms had been introduced. A
powerful foreign influence had given great stimu-
lus to the activity of the people; schools had been
establishes hospitals erected new houses were
rapidly going up; and the streets generally showed
tl.I- u
influx Of foreigners, especially of Germans, En-
glish and Americans. Still, Jerusalem exhibited
all the features of an oriental city, with the coseness
and filth of its Streets and the tOrpidty and moral
aebasement of itspOpuatiOn.
Devoting twelve days, not without casual inter-
ruptons. to a Typographical examination of the
holy City, DR.. Robinson gave his attention chiefly
TO those points concerning which there had boeu
more or less discussion since the publication of his
former volumes. The result was that he found
nothing to alter or retract in his original state
ments. Many of the objects of his research were
localities of familiar interest to the student Of the
Bible. The portion of his narrative devoted to
the "Waters Of Jerusalem" contains many curious
details in addition to the information brought to
Eight in his previous work. An immense conduit
has been discovered beneath the ground Zion, in
digging the foundations of the Anglican Church.
On sinking a shaft, the workmen at the depth
. of more than twenty feet came upon the roof of
yaulted chamber of fine masonry and in perfect re-
pair. Under this the conduit found, partly
hewn out of the solid rock. This is supposed to
have been the aqueduct which existed in connection
with the royal palace on Zion.
On the west side of the valley of Jehoshaphat is
She Fountain of the Virgin Mary which, al
though not alluded to by any historian from the
time Of Josephus down to the latter part of the ff
teenth century, is unquestonably an ancient work,
and indeed, bears the distinct marks Of high an
tiquity. tbs characterized by an irregular flow of
water, which is spoken of by early writer's, but
which since the fourteenth century has been almost,
If not entirely overlooked by travellers OF this phe
nomenon, Dr. Robinson was himself an eyewitness
Gas We were preparing says he "to measure the
basin of the upper fountain, and explore the passage
Leading from il, my companion was standing on the
lower step, near the water, with one foot on the
step and the ether on the loose stone lying IN the
basin. All at once, he perceived the water coming
into his shoe and, supposing the stone had rolled,
be withdrew his foot to the step which also was
now covered with water This instantly excited
eur curiosity, and we now perceived the water
sapidly bubbing up from under the lower step. In
less than FIVE minutes, il had risen in the basin
nearly or quite foot, and We could hear 1t
gurgIng of through the interior passage. In Zen
,ninutes mora IL had eeasnd 10 Aoyy and tha