The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-08-17
OUR YANKEE AT JERUSALEM AND
THE DEAD SEA.
BEIRUT, Syria, July 9Th, 1871.

j |
by engaging a dragoman who
furnishes horses, and every thing necessa-
ry and pays all the bills, for a stipulated
price per day, or trip. We engaged ours
for twenty francs per day for each per-
son. The method Of travelling is on
horseback, and we set off at five, p. m.
Let no one imagine that our horses were
tfractious-such characteristics are not
usual for horses furnished to travellers in
this latitude. For half an hour our ride
was through groves of orange, lemons
olive, fig, pomegranate and palm trees
when we suddenly emerged upon the
plains of Sharon, which, in surface, much
resemble our western prairies. A few
miles out, short distance to the north
we pass Sydda, the place from which Pc
ter was sent for by the captain Of the Ital-
ian band, when praying upon the house
top at Joppa. Farther on is small
Arab village, said to be the scene of
Simpsons exploit of burning the foxes
tails and the Philistines' corn. In three
hours we reach Ramleh, the ancient
Arimathea, and where, our dragoman in
formed us Nicodemus came to Jesus by
night. Here we stopped for the night at
a Latin convent. Our sleeping was con-
siderably disturbed by strange sounds of
screeching and screaming, which we
heard were the usual wailings for the
dead among MohamedaRs, young man
having just died At two, a. M, we re-
sumed our journey, in order to avoid the
excessive heat Of the day. AS we travel
ed on we passed Latroun, said to be
the birthplace Of the penitent thief, and
just as the sun was rising over the hills
of Judea, little to the north, we pass the
valley of Ajalon, where Joshua command
ed the sun and moon to stand still. At
six, q. H., we entered among the hills of
Judea, wild. rocky mountains, and follow
ed winding, billy road till we arrived
at Jerusalem, passing the village of ia
EUR, where the ark of the covenant once
rested several months, also crossing the
brook--now dry-from which David Sc
.ccted the pebble with which he killed
Goliath At twelve o'clock we reached
the gates of Jerusalem, where our pass
ports were demanded. Having been in
formed that none would be required we
had left ours in our valise at Jaffa How
ever, we bad little difficulty in passing
in, after stating the facts, but during the
day we were waited upon by an official
again demanding our passport. We
knew this meant 6ackshesh, and instructed
our dragoman to state the facts to him
again, and farther, that as he had already
admitted us, we did not propose to be
annoyed, if he wished to arrest us for
no crime, he could do so, and we would
apply to the American consul. We
heard no more from him Dna eE.t"d
4. Wewere all somewhat .fatigued after a
ride of eight hours, but we began at once
to visit places of interest, taking first the
Church Of the Holy Sepulchre, contain.
ing the tomb of Christ, the rack on
which his body was laid for annointment );
the spot where Mary stood during the
process ); the rock which was rent at the
time ofthe .crucifxion the spot on which
the cross was erected, &C. We do not
vouch for the correctness of these local.
ties and pretensions, but as long as we
cannot deny them, we must take them for
what they are worth. z The Via Dolorosa,
up which Christ passed bearing the cross,
is also pointed out, and the corner of a
stone building against which he leaned
when faint and weary, and an inpressson
an tie stone made at the same time The
pr liabilities Of the localities may be con-
ceived when it is conceded that the orig
inal streets of Jerusalem lie thirty to for
ty feet below the present surface, the city
having been several times destroyed, the
rubbish being le7eled down and built
upon again. The gate at which Peter
cured allamel man is. shown. The pillar
Of 1f1agellatlon is exhibited in the Church
Of the Holy Sepurchre- that which p1r-
ported to belthe same, we saw in a congent
at Rome 1.-THE hill ofziontis rundoubt7
edly what it .rurports to be, now occu1
pied by "a convent and various other