Newbern weekly progress., 1860-11-27
IFrom the Home Journal.l
AN AMERICAN IN THE HOLY LAND

IFrom the Home Journal
AN AMERICAN IN THE HOLY LAND.
1t was at Bethel where abraham, his re-
turn from Egypt, parted, on friendly terms,
with Lot. The lattef Iourneyed to the plans
ofJordan. while Abraham dwelt IN the land o:
C3naan. 1t was here where Jacob had his me
n!brable dream, whcri he said, " Ihis IS no
| othfr but the house of God, and this is the
| gaze Of heaven" At the time we VISITED 1t, Its
inhabitants were engaged in the midst Of t!1e,r
harvest; some were reating the gram, while
Others were threshing it out. ihls process IL
the same as it was thousands OF years ago.
Their threshng floors are Usually fiat rock
or ground prepared expressly for the purpose,
and the grain is thrcshcd with GSen, cows, or
horses tied together and dtiych around the
floor, in some instances drawing rude slea,
made Tough on the bottom, with the drive
seated upon it. Tie grain Is freed from the dust
| and clidF by lahofers, who with shovcls AS
it into the air vixen the wind is blowing irtSu
which carries away the light ehat while tiao
full grain falls on the threshng floor, All th.3
work is necessarily pcrfcrmed out Ut doors,
| they have no barns stables in the country !;
and, as no rains or storms occur during the
summer months, there is no apprehension felt
that the grain will be damaged by exposure t.
the weather The wind was favorable fol'
threshing the dag we were there, and We could
see from our elevated position, the chatt flying
in every direction as far as the eye could reach,
reminding us by its appearance OF the hurr!ed
of snow which We were not unaccostomed To
behold in the winter season from our nome III
the Highlands of the Hudson. Everywhere
about US the farmers were industrlously en-
gagged in the labors of the season. No Mechan-
ical coritrivance like the reaper, the threshng-
machine, or the tanning mill, have as yet bectl
introduced into this country; and, as the peo-
pie are greatly attached to their ancient haD-
its and customs, there is little probability that
these or, similar labbr-savins articles will De-
employed in this country for centuries to
come The reaper could be used to advantage
in the numerous and extensive valleys and
plains.
On DUR journey VIC passed through the beau
tiful valleys Of ST. John and I.abona, or Leban.
These valleys were covered with fields ofwheat,
ripe for the harvest and Judging from what
we could scej they promised to yield an abun-
dant and excellent crop to repay the husband
men for their labors:
We halted for our lunch, under the shadow
of fine old olve-tfec, in the latter valley,
which marks the boundary line between Sama-
ria and Judea. Beneath the wide spreading
branches of this nbblG tree, protected from the
heat of midday sun, our dtagoman had spread
his mating, carpetting, and cushions, thus en-
abling us to rest in comfort and at our
Our tent had been sent forward in the morning
to the spot selected for the nights campaign
groutid, SO that we could not, even had we de-
sired it. hare obtained better accommodations,
since, there are no public houses On the route,
nor are the private dwellings spread over the face
of the country as in out own fair land, but are
confined to rural towns built upon the SUBMITS
of the mountains. and hence; oftentimes most
difficult of access; besides, the dwellings
not such as could afford the traveller any COM
forts, for they rarely contain more than one
room, and that poorly furnished and indiffer-
emily protected from the scorching sun Of
summer-time or the heavy rains of the winter
season.
The travellers In Palestine must for these
and similar reasbns, dwell in tents, did the
patriarchs of old; and must select pleasant
weather for their journeyings; since it is not an
Agreeable task to travel during the day in the
drenching rain Of when night comes, to pitch
your tent and spread your bed in the yielding
mud, The rainy season; which commences hi
October and ends in March, and the burning
and unclouded summer sun, should alike be
avoided: During the summer months the land
scape assumes An aspect of barfenness, the re-
suit of drought, cheerlesS to look upon. The
Scriptures express it perfectly and forcibly
when they say the heavans become brass
ard the earth from: The spring and part of
the autumn alone retiiaih in which the traveller
may pursue With pleasure his journeyirgS i'll
the holy land: The Halminess of the air at
these seasons is unsurpassed; and seldom does
anything ariee to Inaf the enjoyment of tho
tourist;
We have not been detained q single moment
on account of unpleasant weather. Tho ther-
lno1iieter seldom rises over sixty-fivc degrees,
except during the midday, in these noun
tait regi6ns, and then t1ever higher than seven
ty-five or eighty degrees. The sirocco winds,
so aestrdctise to the constitutions Of the unac-
cIimated, cease about the twentieth of May,
from which time to the beginning of July, the
prevailing s1ind is fr6in the north, and Common
o'clock; thereby rendering the air refreshing
aud agreeable, ard adding to the comfort of
travellers; 1t was at tfis hour, after resting
and refre$hing ourselves uuder the olive-tree,
we left the valley of Leban and descended into
the paih Of M6reh.