New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-12-30
THE HOLY LAND.

GENT CHRISTIAN CHURCHES EXAMINED.
fypox An OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.
KERAK Dec. 1.-Traveng in an enemys country
is interesting if one is fortunate enough to come out
of il safely as our party have DONE Something de-
pends however on the season when this country IL
visited, for the Bedouins do not thrive mere III Tue
Summer months. In the Spring mouths during
which DR.. Thomson, author OF The LAM ana the
Book" passed through tho Hauran, Bedoulns ana
their 6ocks abound. This gentleman saw 1oooo
camels and the tribes 10 which they belonged IN q
single group or procession. We have not been 80
highly favored for such is sight worth seeing, ard
the largest oup OF camels that we have seen would
not number 400 nor the largest encampment OF
Bedouins above 1870 tents. Indeed outside the III
habited towns we have seen but very few Arabs,
and have received personal violence from none. we
have had several things stolen from us, but that
might happen to one in New-York or Boston, Be-
sdes it is so natural for BedOuins to
steal that ono living among them gets ac-
custOmed to il after a while, and does not
mind il much if loose rtcles happen TO be missing
These wild fellows do not Kill so much as formerly
They prefer stealing to killing, and TINS possibly
may be sign that they are improving III character.
We came across young man who had been sent
down TO Are, place south of the Lejah, as mis-
sonary teacher who had been robbed, AZ an IRISH
man might express it, Of lis money and clothing ana
left naked without dollar in his pocket. III IL
astonishing how few personal effects man mas
about Linn after he has been robbed by the Bedouin.
Travellers have been afraid to 60 far east OF the
Jordan, and consequently people in those regions
are not accustomed to foreigners, and have not
yet learned that it is for their interest to treat them
we'll Tho best way 10 render the people in these
regions orderly is for travellers 10 20 among them In
q few years they would be as friendly as those west
of the jordan. Those who visit Palestine proper lose
what is really themost interesting portion oil all inns
country. Six weeks &C two months additional tlic
wonld take the Traveller through all the region from
Kerak to Damascus from Salchad 20 Gerash
region the surface of which s fairly dotted with
ancient ruins Of unusual interest
During the past two months we have made a
reconnaissance survey which has taken us through
the aue cnt provinces of Basan and Gilead, OF
the rather more modern Of lurea, Irachonits.
Auranitis, a part of Batanea, aud Gaulaniis, to-
2 ther with Moab rs far south as Medeba and Main.
IL was not fear OF hostile Arabs but the sickness of
five of our men, which prevented our going to
Kerak At present. there is no danger incurred III
going there The Russians have school which Is
ilouri~hing and a priest has recently gone there
from the mission rs salt to open Catholic school
The Prote.,auts have tried to establish school, bat
AZ yet they have nos been successful.
All along the route passed over we have made
careful observations of the hghts If bills and noun
tlins of the situation Of cities and ruins, and Of the
direction of and hope to be able Wien
the results Of work Published to make yall-
able additions the maps OF this Region as well as
to make important corrections in them. We had
with ~ daring the whole reeonHoi-ance excellent
photographer. Mr.. Dumas of Beirut and have taken
nearly 100 photographs, chiefly of places wherea
,b.f. laau Vpt collection
are photographs of the famous temples about Mount
U,rmon as at Thellthathah and Ru<lch; panorama
view of Lake Pniala two OF the temple ut MismehIn
the north end OF the Lejah the Pcno of the Greeks;
the Phonician tower, the thcater and temples at
Kuuawat, supposed to be the Kenath of the Bible;
the naryclOusiy beautiful temple ut Sulem, the
ecclesiastical city OF Neapolis; the temples at htib
and I.uwoidoh; the splendid castle at Sachad, the
Salcah OF the Bible; the churches and columns and
theater at Bora, and the ruins Cf Beth Ganu. Be
sides the foregoing n number of views have been
taken of places in Gerath Ramoth Giead, and Rab-
hath Ammon that have been more frequently Wis
red and described. Our ordinary plates are oi2
by y inches, and our larger ones are ~ by rs
inches. The Importance and value ~ su&h CoIlec-
ton are apparent without comment.
The work of an archie llcgist III this country IL by
no means easy. In towns that are inhabited
must first be sure of projections and if the good
will of tie shrikh il obtained ut the outset there is
then but little danger. Yet in some places the peo-
pie are very fauat al and put all sorts ct obstacles
in ones way even if they do not use Violence Some
tmo4 as at MHsneh, the sheiich viii protect" the
explorer, aud aG the same tino lo0k on While his
people steal FROM Inn and hinder him III his work.
Usually however, after waiting day or two every
one il conciiiated aud the explorer is taken whcr
ever he wishes to 80. The altering aud rebuilding
in thaga olI sifIpG
have mixed ~ and scattered in tho strangcs way the
relics Of antiquity The abor OF the explorer il thus
greatly increased Still there is sufficient excitement
10 siuulate one to peTseveTc and gather as far rs
possible all facts and records which throw Light on
these ancient cites and the people who inhabited
them Besides, ore gets at the same time fair
notion of the domestic lie OF the Arabs.
A. regards inscriptions may say that, no matter
how thoroughly an explorer may examine, new ones
are likely 20 b. brought 20 light every yoag An old
rain may fall down, or fountain or house 10 re-
paired "a a mill be built, bringing To light stones
with inscriptions which had been met nowhere else.
In ali the places that VI Waddington visited, and
also visited, found from two 90 eight and ton in
scrptious which he hal not seen. AZ Gera,h on.
Waddington was not there, however, | copied and
took impressions of 40 inscriptions all OF which
were Greek except three or four Latin ones. This
was only surface cleaning, which | do not pretend
TO have been at all thorough. One long Greek IN
scrption of II lines, excellent preservation, was
dug out of the ground only last year by man who
WAS making "A raceway for his mill. copied it, and
took also good i'm preston Of it. Moreover, the
Aramaic inscriptions are far more numerous in por-
tons of tho Houran than sch0la have generally
supposed aud if they bc collected with care i'm
portant details may be brought to light relating to
the history of an interesting people In some cases,
a.. for instance, at Beth Gamu an exceed
| ;uo,y ;,ter,stinO Mace l8 miles south west