The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1882-07-06
Fishing in the Rlyer Jordan.

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A Correspondent travelling in Pales-
tine writes My tents were pitched
among the olive trees on the bank of
the east branch Of the upper Jordan,
only few rods below the mighty
spring at Banias, the ancient Cesarea
Philippi. TheJoNdan risesf from various
great sprir gs in the west and southwest
sides Of Mount Hermop. The western
branch, which comes down the gorge
between Hermon and the Lebanon
range, flows practically southwark from
its source till it comes out on the plain
above the waters of Merom. The Ba-
MAS branch springs out Of the rocky
mountain side, at that village, descends
the declivity in a torrent, receives the
flow of the great spring Of Dan three
or four miles below, then joins the west
branch and the river pursues it's course:
widening into Merom, and resting again
in the Sea of Gslilee. 81
The sun was an hour above the Yves.
tern hills. So I took out a Light rod and
a book Of flies and small spinnefs, and
went up to the spring where the waters
began their course. What>hsh might
be in the river and whstrAies TO use /
knew not. But it isTery Certain that il
there be any game fish IN any
river or laksra iudicious useSof flies
or spinnefs will bring them 70 hand.
Tbs cavernous opening in the pre-.
/ 1&pitous rock Of the hill, out 81 which
the spring once flowed, has crumbled,
and the clear water gushes and bubbles
out IN countless little springs among.
the debris. Remains Of pagan worship
are numerous, for the Romans, as well
as their Greek and Phenician prede-
cessors in power, had cultivated here
the reverence and worship Of thegods
of the water, the woods and the lower
regions,
Turning my fsok on the old myths, I
began to whip the stream where the
various ooIngs Of the fountain gathered
in somewhat smooth flow for q little.
There were host, Of small fish not
three inches long, ard at every cast I
would take .one or two. But these
young descendants Of the sacred fish Of
olden times were entitled to respect, and
were carefully restoredEH n hszeallwsg5Te.
gretted thatI madeno caaeful notes Of the
characteristics of the fish I took in the
Sea of Galilee and in vSious parts OF
4 the Jordan. I then supposed that they
were known to the bodes and cata-
logued. I have since found that no one
has described the various families, and
}, it is subject Of manifest interest. !
then only said to myself, aF3hese seem
to be some small fry Of tie perch
family" and I began to tollsW down
the stream, seeking larger fish.
From the very start the river hogan q
series of white p1unges, winding on its
course, lashipg itself into millions ol
sparkling bubbles too gay and eyanes.
cent to be called foam, pitchinga toss.
ing, furious. There was no place for
use of spinner, fly or bait. Never WI
ba more noble torrent. Grasia.-siEsal
Z Impossible. Down, down, down
-tIe#ed,-a1d followed content for Sh'
glory Of such cataract was worth an
joying. Still the sun went downwsf'
also over Lebanon, and the night VI
coming.
Close by the bank of the stream
came on group of Arabs, six men, sur
rounding small fire Of O few stalks ol
grass and weeds. They welcomed (
stranger with frank cordiality, an
pressed me to share their evening mes
which they were then about to eat. q
consisted Of tough, flat cakes OF breaa
roasted snails and Jordan watei]
The snails were roasting in the
', ashes, big fat fellows, the shells nearly
', two inches in diameter. Roast snaili
, are not at all to be despised. I had
eaten them before. I ate them with the
Arabs now; and somewhere I have two
or three of those giant shells, kept as
memorial of the hospitality of Lebanon
Arabs to strolling angler.
High overhead the snow clad summit
l of the Sheik of mountains, Hermon O.
old, was glowing in the light OF the sun
8 which had gone down beyond Sidon OF
3 the waters of the great sea. A deel
: gloom seemed to be pouring into tn
southern view, where, away between tn
ranges of hills, the gorge deepenet
downward, beyond Capernaum ant
Chorazin and Bethsaida, toward the sci
of death. A cold wind swept down
8 making the Hermon dews to seem ice
4 like instead Of soft.
Slowly, rod in hand, without fish,
t climbed the hill toward the tents amonl
8 the olive trees at Banias. The red igh
l faded on Hermon. It was dark befor
? I reached home; for tents are homes
though thew be movable homes, and al