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

phat; passed the spot where Stephen, the
Martyr was stoned to death crossed the dry
bed Ot the brook Ce,lron. and dislnountcd By
the Tomb Of the Virgin Mary. 4 flight Of
steps led us down 10 an area in front of it.
We descended into the tomb by broad, white
marble steps, terminating in dark chapel.
dimly lighted by lamps Behind the altar of
tho chapel, reached by short passage, n
small chamber contained n SarcophagiS, said
to hc the Tomb Of the Virgin. An altar is
placed over il, aud lamps continually burn |
should say the chapel is at least fifty feet un-
tier ground, and wSS erected by the Empress
Helena. \ icw hundred yards further on. at
the foot Of the Mount Of Olives, high stone
wall cncloScS the Garden Of Gcthsmanr, spot
halow,d aS the iavMie retreat of our Lord,
and where Judas lsCaiiot BETRAYED him with
n Kiss, \ low iron door was ~ cned t0 us by
n franciscan monk. The garden is rather
rrctty lald out in owCr-hcdS and shrubbrrv.
In the centre oI each bed stands n venerable
eNNr'cd old olive tree, (cight in all. declared
to hc the VCritallr branches under which our
Savior was Wo;t to retire. They look old
enough tu have StpNd in Tic times pf Noah. -
They are strictly g,Aldtd, though small
brihc to the Padre got me Smrll tNi- and
>omr flowers from the cav,cn. just outside
the walls ot the rar,'cr, places are pointed
ONt where cur Savior retired from his disciples
and prayed, SAYING" Father, if thou be will
iog to remove this cGp. etc, amt when, in
thc agony ot his Sphii hc ",wcal. great drops
Of blood ialliug TO the ground" when he re.
turned and found til" disciple asleep. Ii was
Il short ride M to the top of the Mount -
halfway up an old ruinc,i convent covers the
spot where our Saviour sat down aud wcpt
over the city, and made the prediction 80 fear
mlly aud completely fulfilled ~ years after.
From the gallery ot II minarct on top Of the
Mouat we had u >plcudd view in every dir,c
tim. The rEinS of J,richo and the Dead
Sea, iiytvrn mi,cS oil in a straight line, spread
out its broad sheet, covering the oucc fertile
plains where guilty cities of Sodom and Go.
mor,ah stnod. The mountains Of Moab, on
the further shore, marking the limits cast Of
ju3Ca, afforded fine background The pillar
oC salt, Lots Wiio, | dW D0t SC: my eyes
&rcnNt as keen and >n>rcptihIeaS Mir I.ynch'S
The Jnrdon we could only make out hy the
fringe vt green along its haHllS; hut the Dead
SEA, owing to the C!yarnrSS of the atmosphere,
was aS plainly in sight aS Chester river is
from the to? Of B,a&rsioyd house. Our time
was too limited 10 Makc the trip to the Jor
don and nral Sea, without : Saci icc Of 9th.
cr places. SO had tN he content with this fine
view, Aftrr tIa>iing our eyes with this
view, we descended and entered walled en-.
closure Surrou,ulng a small circular building,
cnvtrcd the spot Of the Ascension. \ foot
print, Of TIE right iOnt in the rock. is shown
aS the last touch ON earth of our Saviour
The impression of the lof foat has been taken
Ia RImr was crI,ulnTS, for it is very
pleasant to believe all these things. If they
had told me in .l,ruSa)rm that the moon was
made Of green chcC>c, | do believe ! would
have swallowed H. Thc Mount oi Olives is
douht,, 81 the sacred mount where our Saviour
"wGSNartcd from th,m aud went up to lleav-
cN, GA the way down, by torchight, We
explored the TombS of the Prophets, most
extensive excavations in galleries after CALLER
les, and countless nitchcs for the dead. Down
IN the valley of JchoNhaphat again, we re-
moSSctl the brook Of Ccdron and arrived at
the Pool Of Sloan. Down n dark flight oI
steps lIaChcd the bottom and washed my
face in lis watcrS--"GO, " said our Saviour
la the hind -man, ai4l-lra+A- IN the raal-al
Siloam, also visited the tom6S "f AbSa-
, lom, JChoShaphat and others. They are GU.
riouS as cut out from the So'il rock. and arc
IN excellent preservation. Ascending ion oul
return to the city, We passed by the field
bought with the thirty pieces ot b,oad-moncy
and 20 this iav the rottcr'S field for the poor
On Mt Zion we rode up To- a mosque erected
On the ruins Of King David'> Tomh, and close
to 1t building, or part Of it, memorable as
tho scene of tac Last Supper.
Entering the .laih gate again we had made
the cirCuitof the city wal in one of the most
interesting visits n man could make. On the
Spot-0ud such Srot-cvrrytliug had an in.
trrcSt, difficult il not impossible to convey TO
others, confess am not equal Ia the task
Our hotel, rs usual, was hcStt with Arabs,
pressing their wares upon us in the shape of
beads, carved Shrll-work, etc. ! never met
with such Importantly before, or such raS,
callv set OF cNtor,ioaerS. They asked five to
ten times the value Of an article | got lot
vt thagS and laid them with my own hands
~ the Holy Srpuchre the morning we start
cd on our return. would have dispensed
with the blessing, hut the priest, bucksheesh
Umonry) in view, insisted upon SpYinkling ho-
" water out Of small silver vessel he held in
his hand, and muitcring n bcncdictinn ont of
a book, Thus ended Friday, our second day
in the Holy City.
have forgotten to mention in its place a
scene Witnessed in the morning, extremely
Interesting because relating to the Jews. On
our way to the l.cpcrS we passed by aportion
cf the outer wall Of Solomon's Tcmplc-a
portion Of the wall enclosing the Mosque of
Omar The upper structure is modern the
lower, Of huge blocks ten or fifteen feet in
length, is the work of the wiScSt man, King
solomon And here, standing before these
blocks Of stone, some forty " fifty Jews, of
both sexes, old and young, with faith MS strong
as ever, were Scndmg forth their prayers and
songs 10 the God Of their fathers. Dressed in
flowing robes, and some of them venerable as
the patriarchS Of old must have looked, this
Oncr'choScn pcople-with upliftcd voice, thro'
cracks and corners Of their once proud ten.
plc-wcrc singing the psalms and songs Of
David and Solomon. II is called tho waling
o( the Jews, and most sad and piteous sight
il was, Their effort and aim is to send their
VNiccS to reach where the temple stood, and
where the Mosque Of Omar, in its place, now
proudly hits its noble dome. To be heard
there they believe will find grace before the
Lord .lst alone a jew, it is as much as q
Christians life is worth to attempt to enter
the precincts of this mosque. 1t occupies the
sight Of the Holy Temple, and TO the Turk is
sacred next TO the mosque Of Mecca. They
believe the Prophet took his flight to Heaven
from a rock in the loor Of the building o
The town Of Bethlehem is seven miles from
4 ~ Al