Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-03-29
Alexandria Gazette

BATHING IN TIE DEAD SEA.---A recent
traveller in Palestine thus describes an expcr-
ience which those who have shared 1t are IN
little danger of forgetting.
Bathing in the Dead Sea produces IL novel
sensation az if you found yourself suddenly
endowed with wings and emulatlng the teats
of q tumbler pigeon in mid air. You become
a clumsy float, tor-heavy buoy, swollen
cork the instant you are in its waters, and arms
legs, and body are apparently endowed with
the strangest qualities. 1t is rs ifheavy weights
were affixed to each directly YOU attempt to
move, and experienced swimmers iail in their
best strokes, by reason Of the unnatural buoy
ancy with which they have to contand. Your
limbs are on the surface, and you ctavc the
air with your hands the moment you try to
swim, and the man who would be drowned as
soon as he was out of his depth in any other
sheet of water in the world is the one best
fitted for bathing in the Dead Sea. He can
not sink in it, let him do what he will. 1t is as
if he were increased in liic-belts or sprawllng
on feather bed If he lean back anu throw
his feet up it is exactly as if he We're resting IN
a peculiarly wel-stuffed easy chair with Il leg
rest to match He may fold his arms, turn on
one side. lie fiat upon his stomach or back.
clasp his knees with both hands, or draw toes
and head together, in the shape the human
body would assume if crammed hastily into Il
jar with its extremities left out, and with no
more possibility of sinking than if he were in
20 much soft sand Woe to him if he be
tempted by these unusual facilities to stay
long in the water with his head uncovered
The bare and rocky walls OF the low-lylng
cauldron which holds the Sea of Death reflect
back the burning sun and concentrate Its rays,
and coup de soleil will be the all but inevita
Bile consequence Of his imprudence. Two OF
our party entered the water and remained in 1t
tor some seconds before they recovered their
heads, and the result was severe shooting pains,
sickness and dizziness, which lasted until their
immersion, an hour later, in the refreshing WI
ters of the Jordan Woe too, to the inexpe-
rienced stranger, who, following his rule in
other bathing dips his head aswe as his body
iuto the Dead Sea Inaamed eyes and notrs,
together with hair and beard laden with acrld
salts, are among the penalties Of his rashncss
while if he taste its waters, he becomes acquain-
ted with greater concentration of nastncss
than had entered into his imagination before.
In buoyancy and btterne IS the Sea OF Sodom
exceeded all We had heard Or read respecting
it; but in some other particulars our antlclpa-
tions were falsi6cd surprisingly. We looked
for gloom and we found brightness; we had
imagined turbid waters, and we found lake ex-
quisite!y clear and delicately blue we expect,
ed perfect silence and an unbroken waste, and
tamarisks and oleanders, which spring up
wherever stream finds its way from the noun
tains to mingle with the mysterious inland sea.
HAwTHoRNEs IDEA OF HIMSELF From
advance sheets Of the Atlantic Monthly tor
April we CLEAN some interesting extracts from
Mr. Fields second article on Hawthorne. The
great novelist once wrote:
'sMy own opinion is that am not really
hot rhuf ri
have gained is chiefly accidental, and owing to
other causes than my own kind or degree OF
merit. Possibly | may or may not deserve
something better than popularity; but looking
at all my productions, and especially this latter
one with cold or critical eye, can sec that
they do not make their appeal to the popular
mind 1t is odd enough moreover, that my
own individual taste is for quite another, class
of works than those which | myself am able to
write fl were to meet with such books as
mine by another writer don't believe should
be able to get through them.
Later he says:
1.-THE Marble Faun' has done better than |
thought it would; for you will have discovered
by this time that it is IN audiclous attempt to
impose tissue of absurditics upon the public
by the mere art of style and narrative. hard
ly hoped that it would go down with } Ohm Bull
but then it is always my best point of writing
to undertake such a task, and | really put what
strength have into many parts OF this book.
A MURDER TRIAL WAS concluded in San
Francisco on Friday, and from the manner in
which the result was received would seem to lay
down somewhat of 4 precedent. The trial was
Of one Dennis Gunn for the murder OF Edward
j. Murphy. 1t appears that Murphy has Sc
duced Gunn sister, a girl fifteen years OF age,
Of which fact he had received information
through an anonymous letter. lie, therefore,
taxed his sister with the fact and she confess
ed that Murphy had done So under l promise
Of marriage. Gunn having armed himself with
pistol went out to meet Murphy, anu nav
ing found him., shot and killed him. Or course
this was premeditated slaughter and was un-
doubtedly murder But the jury took into CON
sideration two things-thc enormity OF the crime
of which the deceased had been guilty,and his
diabolical character, which was proved on the
trial He was notorious hbcrtinc and had
three wives living Gunn character was shown
to be good. The jury acquitted Gum and the
verdict was received with applause. We notice
of late years that jurles. even in Eng land where
they hold more to the technicalities Of the law
than they do in this country have taken SIM
liar view to that adopted by the California jury
DEATH OF JOIN TAprAN --Johu Tappan of
Boston died on Saturday at his residence on
Beacon street. He was widely known both in
this country and in Europe: Mr. Tappan was
the first organizer of the old Abolition party
upon whom it depended for many years 1or It's
chief support not only with his sympathies, but
bountifuliy from his large fortune. Mr.. Tappan
was born in Northampton, Mass, in August,
ISL, and at the time of his death was in his
10th year. The Tappau family were all re-
markable for their energy, eccentrictiSs and
longevity The late Judge Benjamin Iappan
of Ohio, and once U. S. Senator wasa! brother
His surviving brothers arc Charles Iappan OF
Boston, in his Saith year, and Lewis Iappan OF
Brooklyn, in bis Saith year. ~.
For many years he was 4 merchant. Ills
sons-in-law are Thomas Denny, Esq, and eN-
Ghiaf .luSticn ln1.inc Of Nnn York