Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-12-06
travelling ~ Palestine.

"nlcb are often rs Wen WORM sftibg ifoth
picturesque as from an archaeological point
81 view. They make an effort 10 go 10
Nazareth, which differs 10 no respect from
an ordinary Syrian town. and which does
not boast single object OF an
uq,larian interest, while they omit from
their programme, because II IL not included
In The books, ruin like Casirea, city
once unsurpassed for grandeur and mag
nibeence by anything In Palestine when
Eerod raised Il TO The dignity OF me
tropolis, and the scene OF many important
events, both Biblical and historical. Here
Peter baptized the first Gentle convert
to Christianity; here Philip lived with
his four daughters, engaged in mis-
siohary WORK; nere Paul preached
before Felix, aud .samost persuaded"
Agrippa 10 become a Christian. 1t
was In the theatre, the remains OF which
ale still to be seen. that Herod made HE
Grafton TO the multitude when g the angel
Of the Lord smote him, and he was eaten
CT worms and gave up the ghost" II was
In tie streets Of CRsarea that on the occa-
sion Of q quarrel between the Greek and
Jewish population, 10000 Jews were mas
sacred. Here the celebrated historiins
Eusebips aud Procopius were born. and
here was found, when the city was taken
by the crusaders. the hexagonal vase OF
green crystal which was supposed to con-
tain the Holy Grail.
The old Roman wall can be traced for
mile and a half. inclosing an area strewn
with The remains Of theatre, hippodrome,
temple, aqueduc.s, and mole, while
second line OF fortifcation, still IN admira-
bic preservation, and over half a mile in
extent. marks the enceinte OF the old cru
sading fortress. with ITS castle and donjon
keep, its cathedral, its northern church
and Dor. This tendency on the part OF
travellers u the more to be regretted "a the
opportunity % examining these extensive
rulrs is now about to pass away, never
again TO return.
The slav colonists, whose immigration
described In my last letter, are laying out
broad streets right across the most interest
ing ruins, using the old foundations, APP
propriating the beautiful masonry, the
white stones which formed the temple
built by Herod, and the brown limestone
blocks OF the cathedral OF the crusaders.
quarryIng into ancient buildings beneath
the surface Of the grount, dwelling down
the ruins at one place, dwelling them up
in another, and 40 utterly Transforming the
whole picturesque area that il will soon be
no longer recognizable.
1t Is worthy OF the notice Of intending
travellers in Palestine next season that they
can now drive the whole way II they wish
in wagons belonging TO the German colo
nists from Jerusalem to Nazareth In four
easy days, instead OF having 10 ride and
camp IN tents a. heretofore. There are ex-
cellent hotels at Jafia. The next stopping
place would, now that accommodation II
promised there, be C1sarea, the next
dsy to IIaita, where the hotel Is
being enlarged and put on thoroughly
comfortable and European basis, and
the next day 10 Nazareth. where
good quarters can be obtained at the con-
vent, but where, II this route comes TO be
adopted, hotel will doubtless shortly be
built. As soon a. travellers give up their
present expensive habit OF travelling
through Palestine with tents the hotel ac-
commodations Will he increased, and the
| existing carriage-roads as well as the yeh-
| cles which traverse them be improved.
| The Government has recently determined
| to construct carriage-road, along the coast
from Acre to Beyrout and Tripoli. which,
II IT is carried out. will alter all the exist
ing conditions OF travel.
The most striking features OF the ruins OF
| Casarea are the crusading castle and the
| old Roman mole. The former Is built upon
| q long, narrow reef or breakwater, partly
artificial, which runs out into the sea for
100 wards. forming the southern side OF the
| harbor, while the northern side is formed
| by a sort OF mole or ietty more than
| 200 feet long. which is composed OF
some sixty or seventy PROSTATE columns
| living side by side in the water like
| rows OF stranded logs. They are from
| five TO twenty feet in length and average
| about eighteen inches I'm diameter. Ineyer
| in nv life before saw such an array OF
| granite pillars so closely piled together OF
| used for such purpose. Indeed. TO Judge
! by those that remain. C1sarea must have
| been city OF columns. The crusaders
used them to Thoroughbred their walls,
from which the butts project like rows OF
| cannon from the side OF man-Of-war
| They must have built many hundreds OF
old Roman columns thus into their fortlti.
| cation.
| The crusading wall inclosing the town
| rises from a moat which is about 40 feet
| wide. but. being much filed in with rubbish,
Is not more than 5 or feet deep. The
| wall itself is about feet thick, with but
| tresses at intervals which are from 30 to 30
feet long and project from 20 10 20 feet
but II il especially in the castle and dom
len. which is built out into the sea on
| The projecting reef. that the columns are
used as thorough-bondS. Some OF these are
| of red granite; others OF gray. The Bos'
MAN colonists are perching cafe on the
ruins OF the old donion, Immediately above
two magnificent PROSTATE columns OF red
granite nine feet long and four In diameter
/ observed here also Il finely-polished block
OF red granite over six feet square and
three feet six inches thick. There Il also
a curious double tesselated pavement
evidently Of two periods, a. the upper
tessera are at least SIX inches above
| the lower ones. | am afraid. a-
the masons are working immediate
| w above them. they will soon dis
aprear, as will also a beautiful carved cap
| itai IN white marble. Iscrambed upt0 the
ton OF this picturesque ruin, where the rit
OF the groined roof OF the upper chamber
still remains supported on corbcl In the
form Of a human head, and looked out OF
the pointed arched window sheer down
20 feet on the sea, beating againss the bast
OF the sea-wall. The mouth OF the small
artificial harboI Is about 200 yards acros,
but the latter is too much exposed and toe
small ever to be OF much value.
Among the Roman remains the hippo
drome. the theatre, and the aqueduct are
the most interesting. The first j. a sunker
level space about 800 yards long by lOl
wide. surrounded by mound, aud in the
middle are three truncated blocks OF RED
granite. which. when standing on eact
other, must have formed conical pillll
about nine feet high and seven feet diane
ter at the base. There is also another finI
block Of red granite, nearly 40 feet long and
four feet in diameter, which has been
broken. The theatre Is semi-circulir build
ing of masonry IN an immense artificial
mound, surrounded by trench near the
sea. II is mentioned by Josephus as capa
bic Of containing large number OF per
sons. Indeed, ~ account by this histO
ran Of the building OF this city by Herod
the Great, which have just been reading
Is most interesting. IL occupied twelve
wears, and was finished thirteen years before
| Christ. He says that the stones OF whict
the sea-wal was built were 50feet In length
Is in breadth, and 0 in depth.
For nearly 600 years 1t was Christian
city and the seat OF an archbishop. theI
for 800 years It fell under Moslem rule, and
en- ARAB traveller in A. ID. 1885 describes
if:as an agreeable city irrigated with run
ming water and planted with date-palm'
and oranges. surrounded by strong wal
pierced by IN iron gate, and containing
fine mosque" Then for $50 years 1t re
manned a crusadiDg stronghold. while IL
final and complete destruction by the Sui
fan Bibars took place In 1868 A. d., since