Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-03-25

built as a sort of lookout tower in
connection with military affairs is not
improbable. II is square In form meas
arng ap1o1 ny Ieea sasn way
the four corners. Its present height is some
where near ninety feet, although portion of
he upper part mas esdeny & thrown
ten wen worn and crumbling stone steps, wind
ing around square inner tower, built OF solid
masonry. The view from the TOP is. as have
said, one OF remarkable beauty and interest.
surrounding the tower on every side lies the
Plain of Sharon. To the west its undulating
surface stretches to the Mediterranean, which
is Of course, plainly In sight. In the northeast
the large white Greek Church and tall Muslin
minaret OF modern Lud mark the site Of scrip.
tural LYDIA OR Diospolis. Eastward, on the
summit OF small hill, stands Gimz0h, with tn
grain vaults OF scripJural times still In good
preservation and yet used for the same pur-
poses as then. A little farther to the right,
crowning the summit Of another hill, is I.atrun.
believed by tradition to have been the home of
the penitent thief who was crucifed, and said
to be still occupied by his lfneaI descendants,
Dut without the saving quality OF penttence. Ia
the southeast, not very far away, may be seen
what is left OF ancient Gezer, once captured
from the Cananites and destroyed by Pharaoh,
who subsequently gave the land upon which 1t
stood to his daughter as her wedding doyry,
While to the south the great Arabian desert
stretches its desoate wastes to the shores Of the
Red sea. Near TO the tower, and originally
doubtiess belonging to Or connected with it,
STAND The ruins OF some fine arches, and under
CnSSe IunS VAST Vaulled chafn0ef, the columns
ano alcheS OF Which are still well preserved
the crumbing tops Of the old walls and arches
above ground are over grown with bushes and
picturesque air to the scene, admirably in Keen
Ing with the spirit OF the place
THE VALLEY OF AJALON.
Leaving Ramieh In the rear and climbing a
hin which forms the eastern boundary OF the
Plains of Sharon the Valley OF Ajalon comes in
10 view, directly ahead. This celebrated battle
Held, over which Joshua commanded the sun
and moon to stand still, is small and rather
handsome basin, some six or eight miles wide
by ten or twelve in length, shut fn by circle
OF hills, barren and stony, which rise to con.
! siderable height on the north, east and south
sides. A number of minor elevations break the
level OF the plain, and the dry bed Of stream
which must run with considerable force after
heavy rains winds It's crooked way through the
ofeeiess a valley, icy which, by the way: would make
armies even OF the present day.
JOBS VALLEY AND WELL
Crossing the spur of the high hill on which
stands Latrun, the traveller next enters into
Jobs Valley, which contains also spring bear
ing the name Of Jobs Well, but how wen their
connection is established with the job OF the
Bible is rather hard to find out. The spring or
well is round walled pool. from twelve to fif-
teen feet in diameter, filled to the brim with
water, which is said to be both unfailing and
valley is only SO called, suspect, because It is
not Itself a mountain. 1t consists, in fact of
number number Of small bills literally covered with
large loose stones, which give the land a far
would solid masses OF stone. they would seem.
indeed, to preclude any idea that the neighbor-
1aS o so W e gss1ng 4 aa
locusts, which we were told had been blown In
from from ne desert country east OF Jerusalem by a
few days before. They are larger and seemed
to fly with better sustained flight than the
locustS OF America. That they are still used for
food by the natives OF the country is attested
py lne lacC tnat at this point we met an Arab
boy carrying home basket full OF them which
he had caught for that purpose.
THE HALFWAY INN.
just oesyr. r.ru Jobs Well, and about twenty
hSe miles from jana by the road, stands an un-
pretending but not unprepossesstng waysfde
Inn, kept by an Algerian Jew. Here a cup OF
turkish a,an e9fiee may be obtained. There are
also Clearly and not uncomfortable looking
! oeds htted up for the accommodation OF trav-
elers who wish to break the journey as nearly
IN the middle as possible in regard to time. At
the site OF the inn the road commences to climb
the 50 Mountains Of Judea" proper, and the way
henceforward is both steep and rough The
land Is rocky and barren, and, with the excer-
lion OF nttie groups OF gnarled and twisted
olive trees here and there, few signs OF cultfva-
! ton are to be seen. We reached the summit of
the first @ OF the three high ridges lying between
set, and, looking backward, the eye fell on a
| most beautiful panoramic view which included
the, the whole tract OF country through which we
had passed all day and the blue Mediterranean
1ar beyond as the vision reached.
MOONLIGHT JOURNEY.
| FROM this point onward the journey was
made in the night, but not in darkness. The
sky was clear, the air pure and transparent,
and the moon. nearly at her full, shone with
snen nan an en1lgent light that as we passed along
tire distfnctneSs, most OF the celebrated places
in view; First came Baalah or Kirjath-Baal,
for many years before being taken @ to % Jera-
salem and placed In the temple built by Solo
mon. we Also passed through one OF the two
yeritable place in which David slew Goliath
This particular one is overlooked by the site Of
ancient Emmaus, on the one side, and the mod
the birthplace Of John the Baptis9, some dis s.
tance away on the other. It is narrow rocky
valley, from the two sides OF which the con-
tend'ng uana al armies might easily have challenged
brook from which David took the pebble for his
sling Is dry at this season of the year, though
at s tlmes II must carry Off large and swift vol
uMe OF water, as Is shown by the deep channel
cut along its course and also by the necessity
ior wooden bridge which connects its banks
r1f 1he ast elght or ten miles or perhaps more
1'a ln1einglDiy speaking for the last four hours,
our road was rough and winding, and SO steep
! 10 places that we had to pick our Way ALONG on
@ aoot; ana II was after ten O'Clock when. tired
ana hungry, we at last entered, close bv the
IoWer OF David, the gates of the CITY so many
millions OF eyes have longed to see. and for
,niii, m,iGa SO many thousands OF lives have been
'e' .a.u uo"h. X.
important Nominations.
Ihe PRESIDENT sent the following nominations
TO the Senate to-day:-Henry s. White. to he
assistant collector Of customs for the port OF
! Jersey City, n: j; To be members OF the na-
New Orleans; Henry j. Bowditch OF Boston.
Mass; Stephen Smith, of New York City; Henry
A. johnson, OF Chicago, H.; James L. Cabell. OF
Charlottesville, Va; 7. S. Verdi. OF Washington.
d. C., and Robert w. Mitchell, OF Memphis,
Ienn Also number Of poStmasters Also
VIM. j. Pollock, OF Illinois, 10 be an Indian in
spector, and Louis A. Barnes, register land Of
| flee, Gainesville, Fla.
SUBSCRIPTIONS to the four per cent. loan to.
| day amounted to 81, 800
| THE NoMINATIoN OF Clarence King to be d.
! rector of the geological surveys was to -day
| referred TO sub b-committee by the Senate com.