The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1878-10-31
Tho Deod Sea-SinguIar Facts.

The Dead Sea Is about forty miles
long, and about eight in width. On It's
north and west shores is a pebbly and
muddy beach without shell or trace of
living creature, 50 far as have observed;
no vegetation surrounds it, and for our
usual MONDAY lunch we could obtain no
shade from the sun. had to use my
umbrella, and can now better under
stand JONAH complaint over his with
cred gourd, and the beauty Of the
prophets fgure--"The shadow of a
great rock in a weary landW On its
banks, near its junction with the Jor"
dan, are number Of reeds, but they
were perfectly withered and brittle,
probably irrigated, however, by some
stray streams from that river at the
period of its annual overflow, Altogether
the scene was the widest and most
deahlike Of any have ever seen, and
had an extremely depressing effect on
the spirits, for which, no doubt, an I'M
wonted atmosphere was also to blame.
So intense was the heat at this level
lowest spot on the earth's surface, being
thirteen hundred feet under the level
of the Mediterranean Sea, and more
than three thousand under that OF
Jcrusaem-that three of our party who
made tour of the world said that they
had never experienced heat 50 intolera'
BILE, not under the equator, nor yet on
the Red Sea voyage.
It seems obvious that the Dead Sea
water surface was, at ns very distant
era, several hundred feet higher in level.
This fact, think incidentally indicates
the former fertility of Palestine, because
II luxurious vegetation would produce
more rain, and consequently Il larger
volume of water supply by the Jordan
and its tributaries than in modern times.
Some say miasma arises from the
slime beds of the Dead Sea, which in
ducc5 depression of spirits and excessive
fatigue. This is possible, but probably
imagination has something to do with
the feeling. True it is, however that
neither man or living thing tarricsmany
hours in its vicinity, nor is about seen
on its solitary waters, although from
their high specific gravity everything
HOuJdDlt 1WlUS on us Surface Will "
markable buoyancy. Even the naval
officer who undertook to survey its
boundaries and sound it, depths has
done 50 very impcrlectIy, driven of, if |
remember Alright, by sickness.
The waters of the Dead Sea contain a
fourth part Of solid matter, OF which
one-half is common salt. 1t is said the
bottom or bed of the sea is asphalt, and
Jumps of bitumen are frequently seen
on its shores, AS are also flakes OF sui
phur. The scene of solitude is awful,
nor can imagine any punishment more
severe than to be left here alone even
for single week. The valley of the
Dead Sea is surely the most extraordi-
nary feat of geography. Its waters
have been sounded, and found thirteen
hundred feet deep, so that its bottom is
nearly mile lower than Jerusalem
Ever filling and without egress, yet it is
never Enthusiastically no unfit type of
The " valley of the shadow of death "
Bathing our hands in its waters, a dis
agreeable feeling remained until we had
afterwards washed them in the Jordan
further on in the afternoon.
CHAs. ORDwAY, lad Of twelve, COM
mitted suicide at Poland, Me-, recently,
by hanging. He had lost his father,
mother. two sisters and a brother within