Morning journal and courier., 1882-07-07

side, at that village. descends the | declivity in torrent receives the flow of the l great spring of Dan three or four miles be l low, then joins the west branch and the l river parsues its course, widening into Mer- l mon, and resting again in the sea of Galllee. The sun hour above the western hills. I So took out light rod and book of flies and small splnners, and went up to the spring where the waters began their course
 What fish might be in the river and what flies to use knew not. But it is very certain that if there be any game fish in any river or lake a judicious use of flies or spinner will
 bring them to hand. The cavernous open-
 ing in the preoipitous rock of the hill, out of
 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 we'll as their Greek and Phce-
 nlclan predecessors in power, had cult1vat- ed here the reverence and worship of the I gods of the water, the woods and the lower | regions.
 | Turning my back on the old myths, I began | to whip the stream where the various oozings ] of the fountains gathered in a somewhat 1 smooth flow for little. There were host | of small fish not three inches long, and at | every cast would take one or two. But
 these young descendants of the sacred fish of
 olden times were entitled to respect, and were
 carefully restored. I have always regretted
 that made no careful notes of the charac- | l lee and in various parts of the Jordan. then
 supposed that they were known to the books
 and cataIogued. I have since found that no
 one has described the various families, and it
 is subject of manifest interest. then only
 said to myself: ''These seem to be some of
 the small fry of the perch family" and
 to follow down the stream seeking larg-
 CT fish. From the very start the river began
 began @ series of white plunges, winding on
 its course, flashing itself into millions of spark , ling bubbles, too gay and evanescent to
 called foam, pitching, tossing, furious There were no places for use of spinners fly ol
 bait. Never 8 more noble torrent,
 Crossing it was impossible Down, down, down, followed, and followed content, fol l the glory of such cataract was worth on
 over Lebanon, and the night coming Close by the bank of the stream I came on z | group of Arabs, SIX naen, surrounding smal fire of few stalks of grass and weeds. They | welcomed stranger with frank cordiality . and pressed me to share their evening meal which they were then and there about tt eat It consisted of tough flat cakes O. ) bread, roasted snails and Jordan water Th' E snails roasting in the ashes, big, fat fellows , the shell nearly two inches in diameter Roast snails not at all to be despised. had eaten them before I ate them with thu 3 Arabs now, and somewhere I have two O. :, three of these giant shells, kept as 8 memoria , of the hospitality of Lebanon Arabs to strolling angler. High overhead the snoV : clad summit of the Sheik mountains, Her 2 mon of old was glowing in the light of tn sun, which had gone down beyond Sidon o1 t the waters of the great sea- deep gloon seemed to be pouring into the southern view @ where, away between the ranges of hills, tn l gorge deepened downward beyond Cape1 7 naum and Chorazin and Bethsaida, towar d | the sea of death. A cold wind swept down y making the Hermon dews seem icelike instaa of soft Slowly rod in hand, without fish,
 l climbed the hill toward the tents among tn l. olive trees at Banias. The red light fade
 | on Hermon It was dark before I reache J. home; for tents are homes, and all ou y homes are at best but camping places.