The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-08-23
BATHING an GALILlsE.
The Experience Of a Party Of Yankees ON
the shores of tho Historic sea,
Jerusalem Letter in Rew Haven Journal and

The ExpeFisnce of Party Of Yankees on
the shores of tho Historic sea.
Jerusalem Letter in Gew Haven journal and
Courier.
Bathing in the muddy Jordan is merely nolni-
nal enjoyment and never cleansed anybody yet
that know OF except Captain Naanaan. Bath
ing in the Dead Sea is dangerous to the ewes
and mouth; if you have any cuts or sores OH
your body, exceedingly unpleasant But bath
ing in Galilee by moonlight / am prepared to
vote a snecess. The convent where we stopped
at Tiberias, nbuts upon the lake near one of
the beaches most freqnented by modern Rebek
abs. On hath of the nights which We passed
on the lake shore we took occasion to prove
this Only one thing marred the perfect
enjoyment and that was the nature Of the
beach, Whieh-was pebbly instead Of sandy 1t
was evidently rare treat for the Rehekahs to
witness our ab3utions as they increased rapidly
in numbers when it became noised about town
that real white men were in the water and
they tarried obviously longer than was necessary
in order to fill their Jars. They would come
close to us, remark ''Marhabar' THE universal
Arabic salutatian, signifying swelcomer) and
then litter as we answered back courteously
''Marhabar teens i'tWelcome to YOU alsosj As
have intimated, we only held the boards there
for two nights; but am confident that our audi
ences would have comprehended all the people
in the region round about if we had remained a
week The second night an incident occurred
which serves admirably to Illustrate Arab mot
Bedouinl character. A man threw q stone at Us
from the beach after our audience OF maidens
had reluctantly retired. Dent mind it, said
Mr.. Floyd hes trying to pick fuss with as
after characteristic fashion Let him go the
end of his rope Pretty soon another stone fol-
lowed, then another, and another, the last in
rather dangerous proximity to US. At this Mfr.
Floyd said the time was ripe and going up out
Of the water, stood on the beach facing the
missile thrower and tho crowd of allies which
had by this time gathered around the latter
Advancing brusquely he then demanded in
Arabic, "Impudent brute, who are Won. ia like
to knowP He's great aheik,p ehorused the
crowd sand you don't want to touch him. or
we'll make You sorryp sVery well. = said
Mr. Floyd, I'm ready to fight the
whole crowd Of you, though naked and
unarmed- Many time I've annihllated a dozen
men at once, all stronger than any OF you, and
Tm just itching to make mineemeat out Of Won
babies. Look" and with stick he rapidly drew
circle around the spot whore he stood eThe
first man who crosses that line I'll grind Ia
poWder1 a moments silence followed and then
the leader skunk Off followed by his brave
cohorts One or two remained behind to tty
and patch up truce by pretending that the
s.g-re-a- tsheikn was only mad1nan. but Ifr
Floyd was too familiaR with Arab tricks to sval-
low that, and told than he'd rather they'd throw
stones than make him out fool by passing or
such himsy explanation upon hin or course
itwas all done by means Of bluff. and we had a
hearty laugh afteFward to think how ridicu-
lously absurd 1t was for one naked man TO face a
semiaFm crowd in this way Mr. FioydNs last
words were. TGreat heavensl Why, your Sultan
would not dare to treat me ia this wayfr