The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-06-09

sea-beach, famed by the fresh wind to
the PtoLensais Of Acts xxi: 7, and the ST.
Jean, d Acre, of the knights of st. John
This town has figured greatly in naval
annals. 1t was the chief port and land
ing place of the Crusaders. 1t was bonn
barded by Napoleon and would have
been captured by him but for the gallant
resistance of Sir Sidney Smith, with a
handful of English sailors. 1t was at
tackled again by the fleets of Admiral
Stopford and Sir Charles Napier, who
were the principal means of the expulsion
of Ibrahim Pasha from Syria and of the
restoration of the country to Turkish rule.
We rode through the gate of the eastern
wall into the town, and inspected the
market place, the mosque, and the citadel,
which was swarming with soldiers. The
people had an unfriendly look, and seemed
to resent our riding about in this way to
crafty our curiosity in this good Moslem
community. Not liking our welcome, we
did not remain long, but hastened for
ward to our MONDAY resting place, which
was so charming that must give you a
little account of it, After passing the
chateau of Abdallah Pasha and the ruins
of one of the castles of the Crusaders, we
halted at an orange grove of vast extent,
on one side of which was the longest and
finest belt of cypress trees | ever saw.
They were thick enough to afford dense
and most grateful shade. They had been
planted on an elevated ridge of earth
(artifcial) several hundred yards long,
and the ridge being covered with grass as
well as with shade, we spread our carpets
there, and as we partook of our MONDAY
meal we experienced to the full the charm
of this outdoor and tent life Git is long
time now since we entered house)-
air redolent with the fragrance of orange
blossoms, and the grove itself filled with
singing birds of gayest plumage On the
ground lay great piles of oranges; Just
behind us was the splendid remains of
Roman aqueduct, ninety arches of which
were still standing, and along the narrow
road long lines of slow-paced camels were
noiselessl ly swinging along, bearing their
great packages of produce or merchan-
disc, such as in other countries would be
sent by steamer or by rail.
Was not this nice spot for a lunch
and a siesta?
On Saturday night of this week our
tents were pitched near
Achzib,
where we were to spend the Sabbath, and
as, it may be, no one ever encamped be-
fore in that strange, wild spot, may as
well tell you something of that place also.
Our dragoman found little fat, shelf
! cred by hill on one side, and skirted by
palms on the other, about fifty yards from
the sea, where he esected our tents. Be-
tween our tents and the water was mar
row sloping beach, covered, not with
shells, but with pebbles, the smoothest
and most beautiful I ever saw. All night
long | could hear the sea raspioaq this
gravel, with strange saOishirlg sound,
varied by the sullen plunge of the break
ers as they rolled in and fell heavily on
the shore. We sat together that night
outside the tents, watching the effect of
the moonlight through the solemn and
stately palms, talking of country, church,
and home, and gratefully anticipating the
rest of the Sabbath on this lonely shore.
Achz16 is mentioned but once in the
Bible (Joshua xix: 29) and then in defin-
ing the boundaries of the tribe of Asher.
1t was only nominally theirs, however,
and never actually ceased to be a Phoni-
clan town. 1t is about seven miles from
Acre, and twenty from Cabul, which Sol
onion gave to Hiram, King of Tyre. for
services rendered, but which Hiram did
not value, though he was too courteous
to say much about it.
Sunday was day of novel experiences
to us, as it was the first time any of us
had ever spent one in tent on a lonely
shore by the seaside. Under such cir
cumstances the Bible seems invested with
new charm, especially the historical
portions Of it which refer to the cities ON
this coast and the prophecies concerning
them, which have found such startlin9
fulflment. Our little evening service
was especially pleasant, and perhaps we
made the more of it because of our isola-
ted position and separation from SO much
which makes the day delightful in Chris
tian lands. -
In the evening, while walking down
the shore little way from our camp. I
climbed up on cliff overlooking the
sea, and Immediately below me on a flat
rock on the waters edge, was Moham-
medan who had sought that lonely and
solitary place in which to perform his
devotlons. He first washed his hands
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