New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-16

following excellent description:
II is no minor event in ones life to visit ruined
and deserted city, where over three hundred COL
umns are still standing amid fallen temples ana
other splendid monuments OF former prosperous
age Ii is difficult to decide which is the most al
tractve feature of Gerash, Its forest oil columns os
ruined buildings, its beautiful situation. ~ es
both sides OF a stream which flows thronen Tue
city from north to south aud which is llned WIN
thick growth of oleanders These bushes grow TAI, Tan
and rank and when in bloom they present oiaze
OF beauty such as is seldom Deheld' IN SYRIA d.
least The main street, which is paved runs aLons
tho west bank of the stream, ana, at q polhU leai
the middle of the city, is crossed by another run
ming east and west. The first is mile or more III
length. and was originally lined on DOth sizes Nun Nun
columns Ii came from the south, and on II, ABOUT
half a mile before reaching the cty $1,000 Il
triumpha arch. about forty feet high, WlIn d
small passage on each side of the main entrance
and inches for statues. The carving ana oIhIn1n,
tai work upsn it were rich and beautiful. Near o%
is "A structure which has been called " nauHacnIl.
1t has seats or steps, and there appear to nave Deen
means for filling or flooding the place WIN water
from the stream already mentioned. =, ....,o1
We enter the city by gate. A wal encl I ~
the town, portions of when are still perfect. III
displays superior engineering skill and was WORK
of great strength. On our left, as we enter the
place stood temple, aid close beside II theatrS
which would seat six thousand pecPie; IN rom "a
these is a round open space, surrounded by Columns
and from this point begins the street running h9Ith
through the city, "a already described Cnurcues'
caIhcdrals baths, temples, stall another thealIe'
and the remains of elegant structures OF when me
purpose is not KNOWN make up the variety Oh aLchi
one meets viii in traversing this City of Columns.
At some points along the paved road appear th' ruiz
which were worn by chariot wheels. Inc wall
about the city must have been three or more miles III
length The material of which the columns anu
buildings were made Is cmehy llnles.1nc' ]
in the immediate region. OccasOhaIiS; hoHcNcI'
some basalt appeals and also Syenlte ne columns
which lined the street were twelve To nIteeh IeeC
apart and supported an entablature AMOR vi,
rims DOric Ionic and Corin,hian capitals are
seen From either the temple Ot the lhealit
situated near the southern gate oGc can oNrIIOuh
IL. ,iIV Igh
DAYS must have presented sight OF unusual mag
nihcpnce. Perhaps its grandtSt OBJECT was lnc
Temple of the sun, situated III thc western lilI VI
the town and somewhat to the horth o! tle cth'it
IFS llposing columns forty feet high, and SIX
feet IN diameter. They are the largest III the
place, | collected a number OF inscriptions holc
| which were not previously known. Gera>h is al
most unknown to history; II belonged TO the 'ecaP
Oils was taken by Alexander Jann%us, ana even
| i'm The meagre notices which We have oil II, lew
| names of its eminent men nave becl ptcSerEcu'
such as AristO the rhcoriclan. CerycuS he SGphlNt
Plato the advocate and Ncomachus the NeoplatonIc
philosopher, who iiCurshed "a the tlne Oh 'He I'm
| rrror Traian and left works on "PylhdeoTeah
| Aritlmetlc' and on " Harmony" For these an
Gent aut hors see Ritter ETdkunde, XIV; D. !'V''I
| At present there are one or two mills on the
| stream but except when these are IN OprTatl9n'
| the place has inhabitants. Walking ABOUT thls
ancient city 10y day, and especially by niEht, thS
| silence the desOlaliOn, the mystery cohheesen
! with its origin, ana ITS past MI me mlnd WIN
sensations which cannot he impaired 10 d,i"'Ho'
This has recn an important citN, anu, III n,t
| Judgment there are good reasons Tor considering u
as identical with RamOth Gllead.
We must refer reader, to the book itself Tor the
reasoning by which Mr. Merrill supports this view, "a
we'll rs for his interesting remarks on the site of
Capernam and other sacred places about the sea
Of (aliec the relics of Gadara and the striking and
beautiful architectural remains at NJ Slnta which lac
regards as Christian church and convent, not, as
others have supposed palace of ChoSro's ii. The
scientific results of his explorations Will
he discussed more fuly hereafter in work yet To
he published We may fifty close this notice OF hIs
preliminary and popular volume with few para
graphs illustrating his narrative powers Ills style
has the merit Of simplicity II is never elegant
hut then il is never prcentouS. The following ac-
count of Journey with sick companion is a IA
vorabe example of it:
From Bozrah. through Dra'a, Remtheh. Gerash
10 rs Salt, the heat was very oppressive, tho
thermometer showing different days as high as
$50 So SOC and J3o IN the .slade ne hlght''
however have been quite cool. ONing TO Tue UNI
wise arran gerent of member of the party, who
ohstnatelV insisted that we ourselves should guard
our camp ut night when could have been done i0r
n few dimes Ivy the Arabs. one gentleman, MI L.;
while performing this duty, took a severe cold
which produced serious and almost fatal results .
The water at Remtheh was very poor, ahH had IL
moi been for some friendly Turkish soldiers, VINO
aided us i'll obtaining H. we SloulI nav nat nT I
at all. The morning OF the DAY Whch we ieIt lhi9
place for Gcrash, our animals had 10 wafer, nor
did they, ourselves, have any untIl near
sunset although our march was about e!eht hours
for ourselves aud about ten for our mules anu the
thermometer was SO in the shade. w ''n AT laSI
we fonnd water it was a dirty, sta ant pool,
hardly eight feet IN diameter deg Jack
| plunged in and vas the first to h. drahght oi
| II Orr animals were frantic ant entirely uninan-
apeabIe until having crowded and almost tunbed
| over each other their efforts to reach the water,
thcyi had quenched what must have been theiT
| burning thirst Then came our turn. We All
| drank freely | ianced never before was so
heartily thankful for any blessing as for the two or
! three glasses of the muddy dirty stun Whlrh
| drank here But half an hour beyond tins place.
| anu only few minutes from Gcrash, we ionnd n
small spring of cool, fresh, delicious wafer Wherei
| of course we drank again. That night our mend
could not sleep on account OF the pam in his body
| and limbs aud the next day he was down with
| fever Then came delinuIn, which lasted Two
weeks. The fever ragged with great violence. The
| tongue and throat became 20 swollen ana paIchcd
| that we cOuld not understand what the suHeIer
| said. As Gerash was unlnhapited ana our camp
supplies were very limited and not at all suited 10
the wants OF sick person, we must push ON or our
| friend would die. BY slow marches, with long
Intervals of rest we reached rs Salt thankful That
| our friend had survived the fatlgl ing journey. go
| Although Is Salt is quite n large place. with
Turkish garrison, it affords, after all, but lew com
| forts such as very sick person needs. MIX was
| almost the only thing that we could get Tor our
| friend and sometimes our mueteers nag 10 take ~
| from the shepherGs by force because they would
neither give nor sell any. claiming hat as they
| were keeping the fast of Ramadan, they needed 1t
all for themselves BESIDES DeGalho necessary sss
soIne way be conveyed to Jerusalem, where he conid
| have proper treatment and care; we sent 10 Jcfh
| salem for a palanquln, III when ne might Oe car
| ried. The one we hoped TO get was in Jaifa and q
| new one had to be constructed Those IN charge OF
If left on Saturday and by travelling all the time
including the night reached Is salt at o'clock on
Sunday evening, October ~ AS soon as the g. men
| and animals had rested n little we put our lrlehd
| into his box, on rs comfortable bed as We could
make. and at o'clock started on our long. tedious
| Journey for Jerusalem For two days ana nlgh's
nrevionsiv we had had terrible sToccO, and on the
Gay we left rs Salt the thermometer was $50 ~ the
| shade and that night, as we passed down Wady
Sh'sib, the air was like that from heated furnace
| Besides the sick man and myself, had sheikh OF
The Adwan tribe as guide muleteer, one servant
| and tle three men who came with the paianquln.
| A palanauin for a sick person is box IN which
| n he'd can be made. One side is opened when tho
person is laid H. ard is closed again and fastened
| The box has a roof and window, sometimes one
| at each end, for light and ventilation 1t is fas,
tened TO two poles. which project both III front ana
| IL, Of the hnX and hetMeGn those prOleot-