Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1861-03-21
,TFRUS SALFM.
From the San Jose tCal.l tribune !

From the San Jose tCal.l Tribune
The Holy City contains two hotels, where
the weary traveller may halt-not to rest on
downy beds, nor to feast at luxurIant boards
but to be tolerably well cared for, at an ex-
pense of about three dollars per day. Al one
of them our party quartered. The vast mum
Der of tired and hungered pilgrims, that w-nd
their way from every part of earth TO this
holy ground, ask no favors of inn-keepers.
The Greeks, Latins, COpts and Arnenlan~.
have their respective converts, where enter
tainment is given without charge but it is
expected that those who are able will pres
rnt in return a fair value therefor in good
currency.
Here | will remark that English and
French money passes anywhere in the Fast.
How chan.ed the scene How gloomy,
what once was msntled with glory What
rude and time worn houses crowd the site.
where once stood the gorgrously deck-d
apartments of solomon o, Jerusalem Ike
a mourning widow, thou sitest dreary a d
oitary amid sea of confused craggy hills
and peaks
"Wherr now thy po mp which kings with envy
Where now thy might, which all those kings
subdurd 2"
fine has stained thy walls, thy towers, with
an antique tint Nature lavished not her
eautirs on this hallowed spot. The blue
vault of heaven is seen above, and the gol-
len sunshine fints arross this scene Of desc
alton : as bright as ever II cast It's dazzling
eans on the proudest city built by man :
hut no widespread forest grrets the eye, no
verhant lawn for morn to deck with orient
pearl no green bowers, where lovers like 10
Iwell, no romantic views, such as delight the
,ainter and nerve him to his uttermost TO
match and place them upon his canvass :;
he moon-beams may glance adown the bal
lements, bur dance not on the ripples of
luck-crownrd lakes.
TOPOGRAPHY. The whole country ap-
pears like lime quarry. Here and there,
m a scanty soil, the tender -rnaa ePsinu~
orth here a vine cretps upward, and there
. dusky olive rears It's h"ad.
TIE holy city is situated no. far from the
umnit # mount in rrlge, which is irregu-
,r, extending length wise from the desert Of
l} .rrshrba 20 the PLAN of Esdrarlon ; al d
the breadth touching on the one side the val
ley of The jordan, and on the other the plains
OF Sharon. There are two main valleys by
The city; the one commencing on the north
allied the Valley of Jrhoshaphat, or Brook
K dron, and runninL eastward nearly two
niles, when it sweeps boldly round TO the
south with rapid descent, becoming deep
md narrow. The other, the Valley Of Hin
nom, runs nearly mile east by south, then
urns abruptly sou Inward, proceeding nearly
\ mile further, meets a rocky hill. which
drives it again easterly ; now descending be-
tween cliffs and -heIvIng banks, one half OF
\ mile farther, to its junction with the former
valley.
On the east is the triple-toped Mount
Olive, RISING stenpiy up from the valley OF
J-hoshaphat. The Hill of Evil Counsel, or
h. south, overhangs the wild ravine OF
Hinnom The bill on the north, extending
rom the ride of Mount Olive, is called
Scopus The distance from the Mediterra-
mean is about thirty miles by the travelled
road, fully thirty-eight. The elevation OF
the Holy City above the level of thr sea has
been varlously estimated from 2200 feet to
26O0. Mount Olive rises not far from 200
feet above the city. The latitude is 81 dec
46 min. 43 sec. north, and longitude east, 35
deg. 13 min.
CLIMATE. The seasons are two, wet and
dry. The temperature and transparency OF
atmosphere, and the periodical seasons o
rain, throughout Palestine, bear great simil
arity to those of California. Perhaps no two
distant countries resemble each other, in this
as early as October but our-ffths of the
rain is showared forth during the months of
December, January, February and March
According to pluviometrical table made
from careful observation, the average annual
fall of rain is 56.5 inches. In California it is
not considered much over 20 inches More
! rain fell in 1850 81 in Palestine, than ever
before, so far as ob >ervation shows and which
| then amounted TO S5 inches. The thermOm-
erer seldom goes over SO leg. in summer Ill
| the shade sometimes IN the winter, TWO or
three degrees below the freezing point. The
mean annual average of Temperature is 66
| deg 5 min; while that of S Francisco l.
| So deg Flowing and sowing, generally
comnenc IN November; some earl ly seasons
| IN October. | think, it may be considered
| that, generally, the seasons there are little
earlier than in California
| POPULATION. A correct census OF the
population OF this city has never been taken
| But it appears to me, that from the best estI
/ mate it contains about fourteen thousand
4 b ing composed OF nearly 1000 Muslems
| s 600 Jews, Greeks and Latins each about
| 1900, Armenians 800, Syrians, Copts anc
| Abvssinians $50, and not far from hundred
! Protestants.
The Jews are divided into two sects ol
classes. Those of Spanish origin, wert
driven from Spain, in the latter part of th'
fifteenth century, and are called the S"phar
Inn; they speak a corrupt Spanish. Al
though they are subjects of the grand Sui
tan, VT they have been permitted to hav'
their own Rabbinnical laws. About two
thirds of the Jews in the city are OF this class
rhe othrr class is known by the name OF As
kenazin. ard are of German and Poi'sh orr
gin, the number OF whom is occasionally IN
creased by new corners. They are support
ed by contributions from Europe, hut tn
scanty sum received by each. which is nc
j more than eight dollars per annum, Is lnsu
fcient to sustain life and being very iaz
withal, the consequence is they lead mlsri
+ able life, begging when and where they car
According to my best recollection | nevs
e sa = jews beg outside the Holy Land. Anon
the inhabitants-I must not forget to mer
ton the Lepers. Unfortunate and sufferln
beings they are. Their number has oecom
- nearly extinct probably thirty or forty no
remain. They live IN wre'ched huts, tha
a cling to the interior side of the city wall, nj
t far from the Zion Gate, Their sores are u
y uaIlv covered with ointment to protect thel