The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-12-09
o. wanaerIng corr-.pon,len..
JERUSALEM. SYRIA, Oct. so. 1880.
In a day or so wn bid aiien To- this

among s--f BeNuullS
through Samaria and Gaiilce 10 Da-
mascus. The pleasant rccollvciions
and "reminiscences attrnoiug.our visit
To these sacred and LaliowCd places
will live in memory Ion" after the
dangers aud Inconvenience that
have been endured ia visiting them
shall have beeufOrgotten. The mail
facilities in his country are very un-
certain. and IL may Be some time be-
fore YOU aga!n hear from me. and -
there NAV he some Of our Austin
friends who may wish 10 travel in
this foreign land viii give you 4
sketch OF my IosJse for their benefit.
After leaving Paris 10y rail we passed
through Il rich country 10 Marscilles.
Southern France 70 one OF tho most
beautiful of all European countries.
The land Is rolling and the soil is
very productive. Leaving Marseiiles
in one of the steamships Of the Mes
sageries' line. we passed the Islands
of Corsica tthe birthplace Of Napo-
leon) and Sardinia TO Naples, where
we east anchor for II few hours TO TN
load freight and take on some 0ricn-
tal passengers. We then continued
our voyage through the Straits of
Messina. in view of Mount Ena
and the coast Of Sicily. arriving at
Alexandria on the evening of The
sixth day from MarseiileS. Egypt.
as YOU know, has been from time
immemorial the object of great in
terest TO the rest OF the world.
There Abraham sOjourned as strain
ger. and for over tour hundred yeaTs
the children of Israel served the
Pharaoh's. and from the banks ofthe
Nile they set out on their pilgrimage
to this Holy Land. But that which
most endears Egypt TO us is the fact
that her soil received the impress of
the foot of Christ, who was carried
thither 10 escape the cruelty of Her
cd. Alexandria is chiefly built on
the isthmus that connects the main
land with the old Island Of PharOs.
The principal sights are Pompey's
Pillar and the Catacombs. From
to Cairo is about 100
miles. The country through which
we passed is very fertile. Cotton
sugar fields and grain of
almost all kinds abound plentiinlly;
everything that we raise in
Texas can be produced in Egypt
The soil is the rich deposits of the
Nile. and the divisions of the land
are made by small canals. We were
very much interested in watching
the various employmentsiuof the
people. Watering the land seems
TO be one of the chiefTpursuits, and
this is done by the most old-tash-
toned manner. either by the bucket
and pole or the waterWheel turned
by the COW or. camel. Gairo has a
of about half n million.
The Pyramids of Gizeh, are some
seven or eight miles from that city
on an elevated plateau some fOrtyG
fifty feet above the surrounding
The assent to-the top OF
the largest pyramid begins at the
northeast corner, and the descent at
the southwest. IL is possible for Il
good climber TO go up alone. but rath-
er dangerous; SO, before starting it Is
necessary TO select two or three Ofthe
BcdouiDs who crowd
around yOu so closeh"tbat' all valu-
ibles worn about the person had
better be left at Cairo. When the
ascent begins, the pulling and push.
ing commences, and nGVer flags un-
til wearied and tatigued YOU ar
rive at the top-thc Bedouin feels
4 delicacy in giving you little time
TO rest. II you insist on stopping
for Il moment, then the never ceas-
inc demand for Bucksheesh is made.
few hundred yards from the great
Pyramid stands the Sphinx. Its
body is hewn out OF the solid rock,
and its face is very much mutilated,
said to have been done by the
who used it as a target.
In the center of the Nile is the island
Of RhOda. the reputed locality of
finding of Moses by PharaOh's |
laughter. Nothing remains of Hell
oPolis except tlao-naoHnds-a and an
Obelisk. 1t was from this ancient |
;ity that Joseph married his wife |
Asenath, the daughter of .Potipher,
priest of On. While in Egypt L |
listed across the desert the brick |
pyramids ofSakara. and the ruins of |
.neient Memphis These pyramids
ire said to have been built by the |
children of Israel during their cap
ivity. Leaving Cairo, after a week
If interesting sightseeing, we came
o ZakaZik. situated OH the border
If the Nile valley, and which city
cceiyes more cotton than probably
my other interior town in Egypt.
from ZakaZik we crossed the desert.
nee the fruitful land of Goshen, by |
he ruins of POthom and Rameses,
o Ismailia, which city issituated on
he shore of lake Timsah. This
axe forms part of the Suez canal.
We left Ismailia by steamer, and
up this canal TO Portsaid,
It the Mediterranean mouth of the
anal. Portsaid is place of no
,reat importance, except as coal
NC station for vessels. Passing
here we took passage for Jaffa.
OUR entrace into the holy land was
accompanied with heavy ram, but
ust before landing the storm ceased
nd we safely made the shore. The
of Jaffa from the sea is
picturesque, but there is nothing
bout it sufficiently striking to make
n impression. Its situation is on
'luH much higher than the country
Immediately aronnd it. There is no
arbor. and reef of rocks runs par
llel with the shore but there is no
inside for vessels, and no
hannel by which they could enter.
'alestine is usually approached
ither from the sea at Jafla or Bey-
out or b. way of. the desert. In
ither case the principal object is 70
btain safe aud easy route to this
oily city, which even at the present
ime can not he reached without +
ONE danger. At q short distance
rom Jaffa we entered the plain of
haron, celebrated in Scripture for
IS beautiful, roses. This plain
tretches along the coast from, G aza
4 the south to Mount CARMEL ON
ne north, being bound towards the
asst by the hills uf India and .Sa-
laria. About four hours ride |
rought Us TO TO ,Ramleh, which l.
own was the ancient ,Arimafhea Oft
ne New Testament, and must have |
cen of some , Importance when
oseph lived there, as the, remains
f ruined towers, dungeons and |
aulted reservoirs show, From |
alta to Ramleh the county presents
favorable impression, and must
ave been. ut one, lime, perfectly II
and would be now If /:
cultivated batas-~e APP
what is known as the hill
,untry of India, the country be- I
nmns rnnoh and rnonnd Onr