Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-12-05

Gov. SEWARD IN THE Holy CITY.-Hon.
VIM. H. Seward having extended his tours far
to the east as the Holy city, writes to his
friends the following agreeable description of
Mount of Olives and the other places of in
interest in the vicinity of Jeruralem;
The ride of the Mount of Olives is an easy
grade and it borders so high as to overlook
Mount Moriah and most of the city. Olive
trees grace the declivity, and "the sight of the
TRANSPORTATION" is now covered by a monas
try. The features of the country round the
Holy City are bold and distinct. | wondered
as l looked down into the vale of Gehenna or
Tophet, that had not recognized these scenes
without a guide. The hisides are covered
with tombs of every age and every nation,
from those closed yesterday until you get back
to the period Of early antiquity. Indeed, those
who lived atJerusalem speak as ifantiquty was
only of yesterday. Centuries of history are
brought into near review by the habitof study
ing antiquities with the aid of tradition. was
reused from meditations on the perverseness of
man, which always rejects instructions the
most benevolent, and persecutes most bitterly
those who come to avert its evils, by finding
that L had quite lost sight of the Holy CITY
and was pursuing my way about rough road
towards Bethany, the village of Mary and
Martha and Lazarus. An hour and half
brought us to that interesting place, which
is situated in the eastern declivity of
Mount Olivet, looking down into a dark
deep ravine. | had already seen in the dis.
lance the Dead Sea, which was twenty-seven
miles distaut-now the intervening Mountains
closed the prospect suddenly. Bethany is a
ruin. Some twenty dilapidated houses were
occupied by Bedouin Arabs. Nothing of cul-
ture or comfort was seen-only tomb and a
burying ground around it showed any accord
with the existing habits of society. Here the
Sheik, or chief of the tribe of Bedouns who
possess the land below Jerusalem and the
Dead Sea, joined us on horseback, with five of
his mounted and armed men, and with this
force we proceeded down one mountain, up
another, by the most intoerabe road ever
mortal travelled, all day long-seeing no fields,
no houses, no man, no trees, nothing but bar
rem rocks with dried tufts of grass and shrubs,
until, at depth of 2500 feet below the level of
Jerusalem, stood on the beach of the Dead
Sea, near to where it receives the waters of
Jordan. On its eastern side the mountain
rises as abruptly as on its western shore. The
western shore was Judea, the eastern the land
of Moab The western shore the land of Ca
naan, the eastern the land always of savage
enemies.
The sun was shining brightly upon the
mysterious lake, but wholesome and genial
breeze came off from its surface, and it looked
for all the world like Cayuga or Seneca Lake.
But its waters were acrd and bitter to the
taste, and painful to the touch. Two absolute
ly naked Arabs were carrying skins of the
Dead Sea water to some cabins of theirs in
the rocks, and they were the only human be-
ings whom | saw during the whole day, from
Bethany to the Dead Sea.
The sailors bathed in the lake and found its
waters buoyant. The land of Moab was as
10 Inn Of Tu6a re Of
even higher. We gathered our party together
after an hours rest and rode across the
dry, sandy desolate white plain, two hours,
until we found ourselves in front of long rows
of trees and shrubbery refreshing to the sight,
and heard the rushing of waters beneath them
Following the path along this pleasant shade,
we came to place where the banks were low,
and we all rushed incontinently in the River
Jordan. 1t was the only running stream we
had seen in Judea, and it was the second place
where we found water for our animals in our
whole march. 1 thought it both natural and
inevitable that the inhabitants of Syria should
deem their only river a sacred one. We drank
of its waters-we bathed in them-we felt that
they were not only refreshing, but healing.
But the Jordan, like Jerusalem is a mourner
We could see the valley through which it flow
ed for many miles-flat intervale land cover
ed with white sands. We could see the
steep mountains OH elIler size IOr the
fifty miles in length, but there is not one plan
tation or habtation there. Tearing ourselves
away reluctantly from the fellowship Of the
river, we FASTENED over the sands, seeing no
living being on our way but wild boar
ascending the mountain side on the west until
we attained a plain at 10 O'Clock at night,
where we found some half dozen cottages
with fires outside the doors. Passing thence,
we arrived at the banks of spring, from
which flowed small rivulet. On one side of
this stream, upon the dry sand without pro-
lection of tree or leaf or shrub, having dis
mounted our horses we spread our blankets
and laid down under bright starry sky to
sleep, in what once was and what yet bears the
name of Jericho.
Our Arab guides had determined to beg of
us sheep as backsbish we resisted. We
ate our simple supper while they, improvident
and avaricious hungered, said their prayers,
and then rallied at us in Arabic, because, after
paying them the tribute for permission to go
through their country and compensation for
protection and defence which they had asked
us, we would not give them as a douceW a
sheep for their supper.
AT 2 O'Clock in the morning the Sheik called
us up, we mounted and proceeded on our way
backward toward Jerusalem by starlight, up
and down all kinds of staircases The sun
rose and the days heat began before we reach
ed the Mount of Olives. AT IL we entered
Jerusalem, after ride of twenty-one hours out
of twenty eight in the saddle.
A RUSSIAN oT-1ousE.-Bayard Taylor
Tins describes the magnificent greer. house