The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-05-12
A Memorable Sabbath.

A Memorable Sabbath
ship remained on deck all of Saturday
night, the sea being very calm and SPLEEN
didly illuminated by bright MOON
Others of us rose very early, in our eager
ness to catch the first sight of the strange
and sorrowful land which we were APP
proaching-a land which arrests the re-
gard of the world, not because of its great
rivers, or thrifty agriculture, or prosper
Gus commerce, or fourishing cities, for it
has none of these, but because of its as
sociations with names and events to the
Christian of all others the most dear-a
land where interest lies in the past, and
to which pilgrims have been focking for
a thousand years, attracted by desolate
capital and an empty sepulchre Be
tween day-break and sunrise there came
into view the dim outline of Mt Carmel,
and the blue hills of Judea, in the far
distance; then the promontory on which
Jaffa stands; then the low-lying coast,
fringed with yellow sand-and there, at
last was PALESTINE. Our ship came to
anchor half mile from Jaffa as near as
it was safe to approach the shore. The
harbor is an exceedingly dangerous one
and difficult to enter Indeed when the
weather is rough it cannot be entered at
all; and steamers sometimes lie two or
three days in sight of port without being
able to land their passengers and some
times, to avoid the delay, they keep on
to Beirut We might have made the
voyage hundred times from Port Said
to Jaffa without finding a more favorable
morning for disembarking. As soon as
the Turkish health officer came on board
we were permitted to land, which we did
in boats manned by half naked Arabs
who rowed us through the narrow chan
mel between black, jagged rocks, upon
which tremendous surf is always break
ing when the sea is rough Stepping on
shore in advance of nay friends | well
coined them to Palestine, and our drago-
man conducted US to the plateau on which
we found our tents pitched and every
thing comfortably arranged for our com.
ing. In few minutes all was quiet, and
opening my Bible [ read first the account
Of Peters visit to Jafa (Joppa) and his
vision on the housetop, from which he
looked out upon the great sea LAYING the
shores of three continents, so soon to be
reached by the gospel no longer to be
confined to the narrow limits of Palestine
By some means the Episcopal rector of
Jaffa, the Rev Mr. Hull, heard Of my
arrival, and after breakfast he came to
my tent and gave me a kind invitation
to preach for him, assigning reason
which led me to accept it at once. The
congregation was an interesting one, made
up as it was of people from all parts OF
the world. After the sermon the sacra-
ment of the Lords Supper was admins
tered, and thus our first Sabbath in the
Holy Land was hallowed by happy
season of worship and fraternal com
munion
In the evening was favored by visit
from Mrs. Hay and her son, who have
charge of a mission school for boys, which
has been in successful operation since
1868. Mrs Hay is a Virginian, and had
many questions to ask about her kindred
from whom she had been so long sepa-
rated, and with most of whom I was ac-
quainted
Our little party, originally consisting
of three persons, is now increased by the
addition of three others, a lady from New
York, and the Rev Mr. Holcomb and his
wife, missionaries from Allahabad, India
now on their way to the United States
Uja Jerusalem, Damascus, and Beirut
Our dragoman cook, two servants, and
six muleteers, all Syrians or Arabs, make
up the rest of our little caravan, sixteen
persons in al.
Jaffa to Latrun.
On Monday morning our tents and
luggage were sent on early, and by nine
o'clock we were mounted, and on the Jaffa
road to Jerusalem. This is the only road
in Palestine, and one of modern construc-
ton. 1t is passable by wheeled vehicles
and there are actually two which during
the season of travel make regular trips
between the two cities 1t would deeply
grieve our dear old friend, DR.. Balch
were he alive, to know that Palestine was
thus invaded, for he would insist that
the camel to one who had proper regard
for the proprieties and for the picturesque.
was the only legitimate conveyance
through eastern lands and I am very
much of his opinion. We met one Of
these jangling, rickety vehicles, with
three horses abreast, returning from Je-
rusalem to Joppa, and it looked as much