The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1872-01-20
A Sunday on the Dead Sea.

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4 light cir fron, tie annth induced
me to abandon the awning and set the
sail, to spare the men from Iaboring at
the oars. A light tapping of the ripples
at the bow aud faint line Of foam and
bubbles at her side, where the only indi.
cations that the boat vas in motion.
The Fanny Skinnefswas mile astcrn,
and all around partools of the stiffness
of death The wea,sscr was intensely
hot, and even the light air that urged
us almost intensely Onward, had some.
thing oppressive in its DAVIS of heat. The
sky WIS uncloudcd, save by tew ia Int
el' uds in the North,ssweeping plume.
like, as if the sun bad consumed the
clouds, aud the light, wiud had drifted
their ashes. The glitter from the water
with its multitude otsteaeetors, for each
ripple like mirror, Contributed much
to our discomfort, YET the water was
transparent, but of the colo of diluted
absinthe, or Of the pSevailing tint of
Persian opal. The sun, VIC felt, was
Eiaring upon us, Gut the eye dared not
to take eognizance, for the fierce balze
would have Slighted the powers of vision,
as Semale was consumed by the Unveiled
divinity Of Jove.
The black chasing aud rough peaks,
embossed with grinlness, were around
and above US, yelled in transparent
mist, like visible air, tn, made them
seem unreul-anl 1900 .eer below. our
sounding had had struck upon the
buried plain of Sidhim, shrouded in
slime and salt
While busted with such thoughts, my
companions had yieldsato the oppressive
drowsiness, and now my betorc me in
every altitude OF sleep that had more of
s'upor in it than reFosc In the awfal
aspect which this rcFresen:cd. when we
first bcheid it. seemed to read the
description over t'ishaates Of Dsates
Efnfcrho :~''Ye who enter here, leave
hope 6ehihd." Stree thcn, habtuutcd
To mysterious appearance, in Il journey
so rcrlctc with them, and accustomed to
scenes OF deep and thrilling interest at
every step of our progress, those feel
ings ct awe had been inscnsibIe lesscaed
or hushed 10y deep interest in the inves-
legations we had pursued
Bat, now, as | sat alone in my wake
:uncss, tie feeling Of awe returned; and
as | looked upon the sleepers, iclt the
hair OF my flesh stand mp" rs Jobs did
whca spirit passed before his face, for,
To my disturbed Imagination. there was
stHneti ms teart'u, in the expression of
their iufianel swollen visayes The
frrcc angel of disc. sc seemed hovcrin.
over then, aud | read the tureruntser Of
his presence in their flushed and fever
Isl sleep. SIme with their bodies bent
and dansing over the abandoned oars.
their hands excorated with the acid
water slept profoundly, others, with
heads thrown back aud lips cracked and
sore. with scarlet flush on their check,
seemed overpowcred by WEAKNESS even
IN sleep; while some, upon whose faces
Nhon2 the reflected light from the water,
looked yh"si y. nl doz.d with a n.rv-
GUS twitching OF the limbs, aud now aud
! then starring from their sleep, drank
,!tcpy !rem Il bcakcr and Their saak
BACK again to lcthargy The solitude.
the scene. my own thoughts was too
mach: felt rs ] sat TINS stanrinu tho
drowsily moving boat, as if | were "A
i'hron, terryiug, not the souls, but the
bod'"s .! the departed and the damned,
over some Internal luke, aud confd err
dure 1t no longer but breaking from my
ll>tessncss; ordered the SAIL, to be .url,l
and the oaTs yealNned action seemed
Letter than such unnatural >leep.
y story is told of man and his wife