The sun., 1884-05-04
kxPLORA T7oNs IN P/LKSTIxA

been exploring some now and interesting
country. Instead OF following tho usunl road
TO tho eastward by way Of tho valley Of Esdrae-
lon. struck In q northcastcrly direction
across the fortile plain Of Acre. fording the
Klshon at the ront Of It's d"bouchure into the
sea. whore. after the winter rains. We are gem
orally obliged to swim tho horsos crossing
ourselves In u ferrvboat. In two hours from
this point we strike the first low ranga of the
Oglilee hills at n d prnssion from which, in
tho times OF the Crusaders. the armies OF
baladn used to issue forth to give them but
TO- Indeed. the whole ground over which we
ride has been from timn immeinorial tho scene
OF bloody warfare. and II IL not Impossible.
considering how events are Shaping Themselves
In the East. that IL may becom. 40 again Rising
gently by grassy wales rartoied with wild flowers
TO height Of about live huniroi feet. we
shortly reach the picturesuuoly situated town
OF Shefr Amr. dominated by the extensive walls
OF its ruined castle.
This has been a place OF considerable I'm
portance ever since. sh,r rtly after the destruc-
tion of Jerusalem. 1t was the seat Of the Jewish
sAnhsdrlm. 1t was then called Shefurnin and
y probably identical with the k.lraiin which
Euseblus says WAS six miles north uf Lego.
Sna Mss %srn %ih hapr ~ ,h% whm we RAJ "a the Gs
then Its nanie has beon changed to Shefr Ainr.
or the healing Of Omar" from u tradition that
recovered hero from u severe illness. Tho
Gilman In l76l. and 1t does not appear to 10
older though probably 1t occupies the site Of a
more scSn ~ rnsi ysy
battlements and contains stalls for 4UU horses
It is now partly ruined. but PORTION OF 1t is
dence OF tho Mldir. or local uovernor.
lscrambled by most dilapiduted stone stair
view over the surrounding country. Tue posi-.
tion is so commanding that could well under
which he could narass tho Franks VINO were
besiesine Aero. which town was plainly visible
oi ths Extensive fortress ws o.rsd by the
Government for sale Tor 81 500. Tho stones
alone would be worth more than this amount.
II 1t were not for tho cost OF transport. 10 say
nothins OF tho area of land which lhey cover.
But. ~ q matter OF sprculation. Bnrnums pink
i no x"nisr thu, THAI Goea for so,ns TIME IN
the MAJ kot. or that the town itself. when capl-
tai is 30 scarce. should bs sleepy looking. stag
nunt place. Stu, 1t is better built than the nv:
stone, many OF them arc OF two stories. there
Is y fair bnhnr. and population OF about 25OO
innnban,s I'M OF which S SoI rs nrs arssk Gnrs
mntndrr jaws. Some thirty iamilies OF Mproc-
co Jows settled here rs nKricuituri,tS about tho
ment oxtorion for twenty years. they had to
give 1t up. and the colony ia now extinct. tho
Jews now here being natives OF the country
Tho Druse population is also rnnidiy diminsil.
ing from the suin, cause IA slow but steady mi
n"ina afss to- , cast o S urn ia .mE war
they are practically indrpcndent OF Govern
Inent control: there arc also iew Protestants
here. with n SchoDi house. bosides convent
and church OF tho Rnman Catholic nuns Danes
dc NAZARETH butt In 1866. with Glr.s school.
Amr is the Greek church. when ha, heon rebuilt
on old foundations. The remains were evidently
or sixth century. Many interesting tonlbs are
to be found b 9TH north and south OF the town.
Tho most noteworthy has han 'some facade.
cOyprnl with IL design pf II vino With
bold relief. and with small ig urcs OF birds iLtro-
duSSl Easn yns a raIt grow St 9 ON
scripton. with ro'cttcs in lozenyes below and
birds above Here. aso, arc fragments Of Greek
vestibule ls n bas relief OF II lion and small
animal ,perhnpsn a cub: on tho right lion.
cub. and bird. The drawing ~ very primitive.
and hns B,zant,ne appearance. Inside this
tomb. which contains three loculi. there Aro
mouldings round TN. principal arch. with trac-
cry OF vines and carvings of blrds. Thes" tombs
are interesting BECAUSE both the INSCRIPTIONS
and ornamonlation loong to the byzantine
date wHs continued BY the Christians up to tho
Our way from shrir An,r led through tho
beautiful oak woods whicn belong to that town.
Observed that many OF tho handsomest trees
were grdied near the base. while numerous
stuinps bore Testimony to This lament"b work
OF denudHtion. In u country wnro wood Is bn-
comnG; SO rare 1t was henrthrraklng to r.d4
through this beautiful lArk like scenery and
apitC OF the Government prohibition against
telling timhe" Emcrgins from these grassy
Of the Buttnuf. now y sheet OF emerald groen.
as Thy, young crops ox!cnd before US rs TAR IS
hs syS ca" r"ash ths esS w,S
the incorrectncss of the Judgment of the or
dlnary tourist, VIII" conlin'nT Nh, himss,t To- ,hs h
barren hills Of Jud"n, and to ono or two holy
places in tialiee. and then goes home and III ks
about the waste ANA desc alton OF Palestine.
The triis sayint. r..nrred to my min! us,
looked on this wealth 2i grain; PITY thn
aay Snt Tn9 ali s is sf to as y
companion. who was an American. mors forci.
Ss + Syss IS barrsn I~tf es m %n" tells
was not till we rea.hed riberlas thnt we found
their remarks to give my friend nn opportunity
Of expressing his views in the manner con;
the lake. wanted to investigate THO present
fishing OF the but
" T%e nntVss @ sither 1.-THE sh vii With % circSar hand nets
which they throw with Grnat d9xterity; or with
Has asaa sh and fHs fih s vim Tn
way They hlvo no idea Of fishing with rod.
na MIR but haf d
likely. from Ss ths way say saw the he sh jumpny @
tnwari ev"nin9 that they would rise to Il.
water with pinches OF q powder which they throw
in near the margin; Ina fsw moments the min.
,y.azty aons @ l the Surface Completely stunsiisi.
and one has only to nut ono's hand In and take
them out The fish Wa caught were principally
OF the bass or perch specles. averaging half
pound or more each Ono OF the boatmen
caught q dozen with two or throo casts Of the
hand net. but it WAS useless to try with rod
without proper tackle. lam convinced that u
spinning artificial minnow. or n copper snoon
would be very killing; SO. OF course. would be
trawling line bait. but tho nGt,es know only
their own primitive style of fishing. and the
idea OF n rod and line, even with the common
angle worm at ono End and fool at the other.
was entirely new to them. Indeed. scarcely
any A.h nro taken from tho lake. There nro
only four boats on it, hut these urn used more
for transport than fishing purposes. and the
population is SO Sparse on tho shores that there
Is no demand. We were assured by our boat
men. however. that they occasionally took llsh
over nye frot In length. ana have seen enough
OF what nny bo done to docid. mo to 20 there
again some dav properly provided. instead OF
reiving on native upplHncoB. .
The spot at which we were mOOrad on tho
eas..,rn shore OF tho lake was Immediately
under Il prrc pitoMs con cnl nped hill which
rose abruptly to II height OF twelve hundred feet
from the waters. Its summit WAS crowned with
the ruins Of the ancient city OF GamalR. Tho
modern name for IL IL Kalat ei liosn. hut It
owes Its ancient npprlntion to its shape. which
il exactly that Of II camers hump. II is inter-
esting al having been IL ruroly Jewish tortillcu.
ton tho Inst TINT was sacked 10y Vnsinsin inn and
Titus before tho siege Of Jerusalem. and It has
Iamanod to this day exacliy as lhey lett IT.