The Portland daily press., 1879-05-15
Yankee Tars in Jerusalem.

A correspondent of the New York Sun re-
cites the following:-
Among the throng but not of the deyout
who visited Jerusalem this last Holy Week
were sixty seamen of the United States man-of-
war Wyoming, which lay off Jaffa; the Joppa
from which Jonah sailed when he was swal-
lowed by whale. Jerusalem is back ON the
mountains, about forty miles. Captain Wat
son, who came ashore with his officers and
went on to the Holy City day in advance of
his crew, contracted with Mr.. Alexander How
ard OF Jatfa to supply his men with conveyan-
ces, dragomen, ETC.; in short, to put and pro-
tect them through, and fetch them back from
four days sightseeing trip in the Holy Land.
When the sixty seamen of the Wyoming came
from the difficult debarkation OF Jaffa along
the populous way to Howard's Hotel, in front
of which was their starting point, with their
white covered sailor caps, their neat navy cos
tune of blue, and inextinguishable general
reckless and let loose air of sailors with S25
each in their pockets, the Mohammedans
stared. A minority only could be seated in the
jew wagons that Jaffa possesses and as the
major number mounted the sorry looking nags
and the unpretentiouS donkeys which alone
Palestine can furnish on the pressing occasion
OF Holy Week, some of the men demonstrated
at these mules" and called for horses, but
were snubbed with: "The contract says horses
donkeys, and wagons; read it if you like, but
never mind, you'll change with each other ON
the road" They were also babe to keep to-
horn, which at that moment was sounded by
an advance mounted guide as a signal of start
ing. From Jaffa to Jerusalem is interesting at
every step. Here are Beth-dagon of the Phil
istines, Kiriath-jearim, and the Valley of Ala
lon, where Joshua called ON the sun and moon
to stand still and keep shining until he finished
victorious battle. On arriving in the Holy
City the party were quartered i'll the Damus-
Gus hotel. Jerualem locks up anybody who is
found in her streets after p. m, unless he
lights his way with lantern, the supposition
being that he who walks in darkness intends
crime. This of course, favors early rising; and
with view of carrying out the contract and
keeping sixty men out of mischief, Mr.. Howard
had them routed betimes the next morning, and
started off to make the round of the sacred
spots which every pilgrim is bound to see But
on the second day at a. m. he found bar
room open belonging to Greek, and several
of his sailor tourists there fortifying themselves
in view of the days exercises; whereupon he
sent the men to their hotel, scolded and thrashed
the proprietor, locked the barroom door, and
put the key into his pocket. At later hour,
he sent back the key, having meantime started
the sailors off to the Pool of Sloan, and the
Valley of the Sons of Hinnom. The next day
was devoted to Bethlehem, which is an excur-
sion OF several miles, and for which the sixty
were all carefully collected, except six, who
were, i'll spite of all efforts, scattered At the
luncheon, which, in Palestine, is always taken
along, the hfty-four ate 200 eggs, 25 chickens,
8 legs of mutton, 16 boxes of sardines, $50
oranges, and 30 large loaves. On the fourth
day this interesting party of tourists in the Ho-
ly Land struggled into Jaffa in squads of a few,
in satisfied and semi-intellectual state re-
peating the name of one of the guides, "in win
ter my name is Cognac, in summer my name is
Beer, which was their only item of acquired
information, as many of them knew not wheth-
er it was Jerulalem or Hong Kong they had