Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-03-03
From the New York Observer.1
GALILEE TO DAMASCUS.
BY SAMUEL g DENNIS.

ChriSt's own city. A'e shall not soon
forget that bright, moonlight evening"
April 27th,-when We strolled along the
beach, far into the uight, looking out upon
the lake aud tue surrounding hills that are
associated with SO many tender aud holy
memories. We were on hallowed ground,
for here our Saviour had tarried here be
had spoken words Of wisdom and love, here
no had msoifested his miraculous
power, aod here too, after bis resurreotions
lie uet with his beloved followers.
Early next morning party Of four
horsemen might have been seen wandering
along that Northern shore, visiting with
much interest the ruins of Chorazin aud
Kethsaida-the latter tho hoae Of Andrew
aud Potter. Nothing now remains to mark
the site of these cities. busy and prosperous
IN New Testament tunes, save few bespa
Of rubbish, quite overgrown with weeds and
tbiatles.
AS we turned away from tho lake, and
mouoted tho steep aud rugged hills to the
North, on our way to "the coasts of C@sarea
Phillppi," we thought of Him who lived
and suffered aud died f,s US, aud to whoo,
this very route, over which we wero jour
neying. was sadly familiar. All day We
travelled over rolling country, ip parts
uuder good cultivation. At night We eus
camped by the waters of Merom, on the
borders Of that plain where Joshua over
threw the Csnaanites The following day
we Iunched at Dan--the Northern, as
Eeersheeba is the Southern, boundary of
Palestine. Hero Is beautiful spring of
pure water, flowing into tho Jordan, and
near here, ot Tell cl Kady, Jerebcam erect
cd temple in whirh he pla' ed one of the
golden calves. BY three iu the afternoon
wo c"tercd valley and began to ascend
u gently rising slope, abounding 10 running
wster and luxuri;:ipg 10 fields of wheat
md barley. This is ono OF the loveIiest
recions in Palestine; the fora is varicgutod
and beautiful The soeuery is exceedingly
Rrsnd, aud tho woods are vocal with the
music Of The tirds
Roaohing Cmsarea Phillippi-the home
Of Philip the Tetrnrch-!ate 10 the after
noon, we cuoamped Cor the night 10 grove
of afurdy oaks, Within sound of = p,ighty
spring, the priucipul source of the Jordan
and beneath the very brow of old uermon.
After dinner We rode to the top Of hill
neat by 10 obtain more comprehensive
view of the country. Directly below US
wss spread out vide cxpapae of table
land, fertile md well wstered but sadly
neglected Off to our left, 10 the distance,
could be seen the Gaiilcean hills, while to
our right rose tho lofty mountain forms of
Lebanon. Beyond, across tho plain, was
the country of the Ptnoioisns, against
whose Western boundaries dashed tho blue
Mediterranean, claiming, az it wcro, rco-
oeti'on for its service to the great Mother
OF Comm merce." Behind, towering to the
height of nearly 10000 feet, iu bold relief
s'ood out clear md distinct ut. Hsrmon,
its summit, with a dadem of snow"
cleaning in tho setting euu. But far moro
interesting to US than suy vicH, however
beautiful, were tho sscred thoughts sup
gestcd by this region. On yondcr spur of
Her'non, TO our right, Us many believe,
'Jesus Christ took Peter aud james and
John, his brother, apart" and gave to their
wonderiog eyes a passing view of his glory,
when, ibis face did shine az the sun aod
l'is ra'mcpt vas white as the light" and
behold voice out of the cloud was heard
raying, "This is my beloved soa in whom
am we'll plessed: hear ye him" We felt
&C once INC spell OF the place.
"Mesntimo the suu descended from the
sklos,
And the bright evening star began to
rise"
There is figure Of the TRANSPORTATION
adorning the walls of the vatican in Rome,
considered by many in point of merit, the
first oil painting in the world. We do moi.
know. DOR oan We sscertain, what mountain
Rnphscl had in view, when he paiuted that
crcwuing work Of hs genius; but assuredly
no height in tho Holy Land presentsa more
oppsopriate claim than tho wild and ma
jesic sides Of Hcrmon.
From Casprea PhilIipi to Damascus ia a
two duy's journey with nothing of special
note by the way AS you ascend from
Baniss. the ruined battIements of Phe.
nician fortress meet tho view This ia the
castle of Shubeibeh, equal in extent to that
Of Heidelberg and by for the most noted ia
Syrin. 1t figured largely in the wars be-
tween tue Saracons of Damascus and tho
Tcmplsrs of Jerusalem.
About five in the afternoon Of Saturday
We came 10 sight Of Damaecus--"the eye
Of the East" The view Of tho oity from
disth OF emnonoo IL wonderfully beauti.
ful Located on the Western aide OF an
extensive plain, 2,237 feet abovo tho Med
iteranrap. surrounded by tho desert, en-
bowercd by greco shrubbory, and sparkling
with all the beauties Of on oasis, it presents
a most inviting end fascinating appearance.
The city is oval 10 shape; about four miles
in circumference, aud contains 10000 iu-
habitants. Tho country lying further to the
Fast is "thc cradle of tho human raoo,"
aud Damascus /! without doubt tho oldest