The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-08-08

a manager 10 avery convenient place in
which to cradle an infa1t, Snd people
here tell me that it is quite common
things to see infants thus Graded.
At regular intervals on either side of
the road, perhaps three or five miles
apart, were barracks where Turkish SOL
diers were stationed to guard the high
way. Palestine is full of robbers. The
Bedouins, or wandering Arabs, are pro-
fessionals. The Turkish soldiers and
officials are worst of all.
We rode on through country bar
rem of everything except scriptural as
sociations, though rich indeed in them.
Our last halt for resting the horses was
made in valley at tile foot of the last
mountains prior to reaching Jerusalem.
The remaining distance was about five
miles, but the climb was a severe one,
and it is always thought best to rest.
On all sides We could see historical spots
of which I shall have occasion to speak
again. Away to the right, was Ain Kar-
i'm, the home of Zacharius and Eliza
beth, and consequently the birth place
Of John the Baptist. The village was
quite decent one from the point where
We surveyed it, but perhaps it was the
distance that lent the enchantment to
the view. Two birthplaces are shown,
one under the rich altar of convent,
and the other in grotto fully quar-
ter of mile away. The only satisfac-
tory theory which has been advocated
for counteractipg this discrepancy ia
chat Elizabeth divide the time between
the two places, in ord to multiply the
number of sacred sitas and thereby ins
crease the piety' of future generations
We toiled slowly up the long zig-zag
ascent and were at length at the sum-
NIT. Surely now the Holy City would
loom up grandly, for had an idea that
Jerusalem was built in the crater of
some extinct volcano, and that when
perched on any side of the basins rim I
could see every pinnacle, dome and
pavement stone. Alas for the fraility
of human anticipations! The Mount Of
Olives could be seen on the east, with
6copus as tie northern terminus 6f;the
range; but Jerusalem itself kept persis.
tently out of sight. And SO it did until
we were almost under its very walls.
The truth is that the elevation of the
hills about tho Holy City is SO slight.
and SO many objects intervene, that the
view is altogether obstructed.
As the mountains are round about
Jerusalem" The comparison is not
founded upon any very striking SEM
blance, and yet it II a. faet that the
ground is elevated;a ittleson ALL sides
of Jerusalem. Even the summit ofsthe
Mount of Oises1is only about twenty.
feet higher than the highest point Of
Zion.
To the right we saw tho convent of
the Cross, substantial establishment
down in the valley, kept by some we'll
fed Greek priests. Here is pointed out
the exact site where grew the tree from
which the cross was made! Maundfel
rather fippantly sums up the claims
Of this tradition bY o. p4roay ont the
story Of the house that Jack. builS !
Here is the earth that nourishcd the
root that bore the tree that yielded the
timber that made the cross. Under
the high altar you are shown an actual
hole in the ground where the stump of
the tree stood, aud it meets with not q
few visitants, SO much verier stocks than
itself as TO fall down and worship it.
3ssRel2em is b1gllks disappointment,
bs1aHe 4hadx 4 saa rather Ion down
AanEbf tho kest IN gsmots aaesa
Y sgsssxe ~ s Il ~ ,.sN