The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-07-19
Ghe Graueler.
THE HOLY LAND.

FROM THE SEA or GALILEE TO BEYRocT, BY
HENRY DAY, ESQ.,, OF THE NEW YesE BAR.
A short ride from Tabor will bring US
to the Sea of Galilee. We see nothing Of
it till we come suddenly to deep basin,
and there, one thousand feet below us, lies
the little lake like jewel of crystal You
see it all at one glance, from its northern
to its southern limit, and on every side.
You are surprised to see how small it ap-
pears. 1t is thirteen miles long and six
broad, and yet It looks not more than FIVE
miles long, so clear is the atmosphere.
The hills of Bashan, on the opposite shore,
rise abruptly two thousand feet high, and
to the north the land rises gradually to the
foot Of Hermon.
We descend and encamp on the beach.
The waters are as clear as crystal A wild
gorge on the shore just opposite us marks
the place called Gergesa, where the demo-
MAC was healed. While we were there
tempest Of wind came down on the lake,
and in an hour lashed it into fnry. We
could well understand the terror of the
disciples in one Of these storms at mid
night. The only town of any kind on the
shores to be seen is Tiberias, once proud
city, now dilapidated residence Of Arabs.
North Of Tiberias is the site Of Magdala,
Capernaum and Chorazin; but no man can
tell where the two last named were situa-
ted. The woe pronounced against these
places which rejected the Lord, is 10 liter
ally fulfilled, that even their ruins lie hid
den from the gaze Of man. 1t is one of
the saddest pictures in the Holy Land TO
stand on the shores of this beautiful lake,
once teeming with life and commerce, once
blessed with the presence, preaching and
miracles of our Divine Lord, and to see
the utter desolation which hovers over it.
Not man, not boat, not moving thing
to be seen on 1t, or on its shores. Atsun-
set it CLEANED like a most beautiful jewel,
set around by the hills of Bashan, Hermon
and Tabor, whose tops were tinged with
the soft glow of golden light; but there
was death-like stiffness reigning over the
whole which one could feel, and which
was almost appalling
Nazareth is one Of the prettiest towns
in Palestine. 1t Is built Of white stone,
and rises on the side of high hill which |
slopes into a wide and fruitful valley. |
From the top of this hill where the Saviour |
in his youth must often have wandered,
the view is grand Here you see the Med
iterranean; Mount Carmel across the |
plain of Esdraelon, which is at your feet;
the mountains Of Gilboa and Tabor, and
scores Of places memorable in Scripture
history. Ifyou choose to be credulous,
you may see the house Of Mary where she |
received the wondrous annunciation of the |
angel Gabriel-her kitchen and cooking |
utensils; also the house Of Joseph and his |
workshop, and even the chair he made and |
sat in.
1t was enough for me to know that here |
the child Jesus lived, that he walked these |
streets, roamed over these hills and val
leys, that he here developed his true hui |
manity, and "increased in wisdom and |
stature and in favor with God and man.
We also visited Mount Carmel, the |
home Of that stern old prophet, Elijah, and
on our way we crossed the Kishon at the |
ford where he slew the prophets Of Baal
1t is beautiful route, from Carmel to
Acre, Tyre and Sidon, along the sea-
Our way lay over the high hesdlands near
the sea, which separate Syria from Pales-
tine. Here the whole country is most
picturesque The high range Of Lebanon
comes within two or three miles Of the sea.
Upon the intervening strip lay ancient
Tyre and Sidon, the latter the mother Of
the former Our Lord himself once passed
over this same route when he visited the
coasts ofTyre and Sidon and met the Syro-
pbenician woman. We mass a little chanel