Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1858-03-20

fellcS, as the opportunity may OHeT. Inc
Grotto of the Nativity is Immediately under
the large altar of the Greek Church. a few
steps down to a door in the side of the altar
led us into the Grotto, long, archcd, irrcgu.
lar chamber, perhaps twenty feet by ten.-
At one end il forms a half circle in which
stands an altar, and under the alter, a rich
piece of black marble, cncirclcd by a silver
star, points out the spot where the Saviour Of
the World was born-thc spot where the mi
raculOus star became stationary, which guided
the three Kings out Of the East a Latin
inscription around the ring of the star
tells us that" Here Christ was born of
the Virgin. \ little off on one side, down
Two steps n very small place. half circular,
contains on one side the manger, block OF
marble slightly rounded out in which on
straw the child was laid opposite to it a
small very rich altar dcSignates the place
where Mary sat when she rccI ivcd the hdora-
ton Of the Maei Exquisite pictures in min
aturc over the altar and the mangcr COM
mcmoratc events. The ignorant monks
could tell us nothing Of the history Of the
paintings, only that they had been there
great many years. The Gr0ttO Of the Nativi.
ty of our Lord is an excavation, (stab!cs in
the Fast arc often under ground.) Its oTigi-
nal character, olconSc is completely destroyed,
and in my humble judgment, the rich marbles,
rich han2ihgs and ri'.h lamps, aud all that
sort Of lincrv, which is not without effect up
on the SupcrStiiOuS masses, takcSaWay half
the Sanctity Of the associations. Ii is enough,
however, to know that here our Saviour was
barn, and no one huta brute could stand Oh
such n spot inS' psiblr TO 80 solemn and holy
a reality. { All unite in fixing this as the
birth place Ot Christ. | confess it called up
emotions and feelings new IL my soul touch
cd a chord 10 other passage in my life, or
sight of monuments Of antiquity ever touch
cd before. 1t was with profound devotion,
more easily conceived than expressed, that
looked upon the vCnCratcd spot. 4 narrow
passage conducted to small chambcrs,-al
chapels--onc where Joseph watched during
the birth Of the infant Saviour; one the tomb
Of two Ronan ladies, mother and daughter,
high in the calender of Saints at Rome. The
tomb Of St. Jerome is in the same chapel, as
also an adjoining chamber in which he lived
and wrote his commentaries on the Bible
Another chapel, with a black yawning pit un-
der the altar, was where the lnnoccnts, muir
lcrcd by the command Of Ilcrod, were thrown.
This finished the Su6tcrinnean part 0f my
journey, So that you will be spared further
mention Of grottos, caves, tOmbS--in short,
all such dark places under ground. Climbing
to the roof Of the convent, VIC looked d down
upon the Valley of the Shepherds, where
the Angel of the Lord came down aud an
nouuccd the birth Of the Saviour. This val
ley, like the whole country, from valley to
meuntain.top, presents to the eye. with some
few exceptions, one painfully barren appear.
ancc--nothing of the promised land n land
flowing with milk and honey, Nboutit. In the
/ =, M. az
what there is is Of the rudcst sort. Plumber
ing Arabs and rapacious seizures for the SUI.
tan $ Golfers give but little encouragement to
ill the soil. In the spring of the year, before
the drouth sets in, they say the valleys and
hill-silcS are covered with II carpet Of the
brightest vCrdurc. The rains end in March,
and until October there is not another drop
to feed the parched earth But where there
is soil and water, nothing can exceed the fer.
tilty. For my part, where l saw off the
plains of Sharon one foot Of soil, saw acres
= Of Stpncs Hnt rocks; urTi uJIr puth WIS 50 Ell:
numbered with them that It was difficult to
pick our way. But saw spots like the oasis
in the desert, of exceeding richncsS-gardcns
IN small valley. We passed this on the Jaf
IA road, breaking down with grapes, figs,
pomcgranitcs, oranges, dates cite. .; and scat
tered about over the face Of the country, tho
olive tree was the largest and grccnrst have
ever seen. Honey, though we did not SEC il
gTo"i"g, is an article Of large consumption,
and found in great abundance. We saw the
country at great disadvantage, being the las
Of the dry season.
feel now, and it is time, am getting to thu
end Of my story. \ stroll in the ria do!0r0
Sa, the street through which our Saviour pass
e from the house of Plate to Calvary, ant
the tragic and closing scene Of his life, WI
finish my sketch. Mount Calvary, now in
side the city walls, was outside the ancient
Jerusalem, and therefore the rio dol0ro%
only formed part of the way, and that part
is modern, with the exception Of the fiag
mcnt Of an arch and column here and there
II Is very dirty street We passed under
the arch where our Savior. after he had been
scourgcd, crowned and dressed in a purple
robe, was presented by the Roman Governor
who exclaimed, in handing him over to tho
Jews, "Bchold the man." 1t is called the
Arch "Eccc Home" to this day. Broken,
PROSTATE columns mark several memorable
spots where our Lord, fainting, sat down Ia
rest; where Simon, the Cyrenean, assisted ia
bear the cross, etc. From the top Of barrack
next to the PaSha's house. the very site occu.
pied by Pilates house, We got tine view oI
the Mosque of Omar and the large court OF
some fifteen acres surrounding il. Thence
and lastly We visited the Pool of Bcthcsada,
a large dry reservoir, half filed with rubbish
1t was here King David from the housc-top
first saw Bathshcba in the bath.
Next day, by noon, we were we'll on the
road, homcward bound. was glad enough
to find myself on board the frigatc again.
Jaiia merely passed through going and re
turning. 1t is the Joppa Of the Bible, one o
the most ancient seapOrts in the world, where
Noah built his ark and Jonah embarked fol
TarShSh, when he was thrown overheard, etc
An hour after our party was back, the frgate
was under wVigh.
TmNGs HAVE SEEX.-I have seen the most
worthless and lazy fellows dress tho most fash