Morning journal and courier., 1884-07-26

to this point in the circumnavigation of the globe have not seen a score of frame dwell ings. Here in Jerusalem wood is enormously expensive and stone literally "dirt cheap"
 All the native houses are built of unshapely stones plastered together, the whole being rooted over with shallow circular dome of the same material. Not even beam enters into the building. I suppose it was so in Solomon's day; at least he had to import all the lumber for the Temple. Even an Eng lishman said to me the other day, ''Did un- derstand you to say that you lived in a wood en housea How queer it must be. Isn't it too cold in winter and too hot in summer?n My answer was, "Oh for glimpse of enc of our charming American cottages? What oasis it would be in this desert of ungainly stone structures. More picturesque by far than these barns are the huts of the Japa- nese."
 'Do you see this Bible?' inquired MT. Floyd the other day, selecting from his large collection one with covers of balsam, almond, oak and olive wood. 1 assented and he con 'tinued "A few years ago started through the country with a man and his wife, who boasted that they had not been inside of a church for over twenty years, and were man ifestly ready to scof and ridicule at every thing they saw I said little at first but gradually began to point out the hosts of in stances of prophecy fulfilled and indicated how the Bible proves itself thousand times simply by its accuracy in Incidental referen-. ces to the customs of the people. At the end of 0 week they had each bought Bibles They found that one was not enough for the two of them, and from that time on they studied the country with a zeal which I have rarely seen paralleled. Their long alienation from the contemplation of such themes seemed to give the whole matter freshness for them that the established Bi- ble student does not experience. At the end of the journey they presented me with this Bible. I have since heard from them several times, and they are most devoted Christian workers. Such was the effect of one tour through this barren land of Holy Writ"
 l notice on some of the city gates the mystic inscription, marked with paint 1866, Anno Domini 1SS1." As near as I can guess at the matter these daubs are the work of some one of the myriad religious cranks that inhabit this Holy City, and here ride their re- spective pet hobbies. Doubtless this indi- vidual had waded into that most dangerous of all quagmires, the study of numbers; and by some ingenious though illogical process, had reasoned it out, as did the alleged mother Shipton, that 1881 was to be the unlucky year. He then esteemed it his duty to inform
 a careless world of the fact, and what more
 conspicuous method could be devised than
 daubing the ominous prophecy upon the
 gates of Jerusalem. The il1-omened number
 OOO, Cdk0u 1TOln h6VelaUlOuS, l SIlOulU 1uQge,
 was employed to make the augury still more
 portentous. The inscriptions still remain to
 preach to coming generations the folly of
 'latter day prophesyings."
 1 had the good fortune to be in Jerusalem on Ascension day. Of course the Catholics had gorgeous processions, but the principal demonstration was in the evening. A torch light procession wended it's way over the
 Mount of Olives, visible from almost any part of the city, to the Church of the Ascen- sion, where Christ didn't leave this world
 The long wavering line of lights was a strange and memorable sight.
 { Last week I went to Hebron, where the spies, who were sent out from over Jordan,
 went to learn of the capabilities of the prom ised land. The famous Hebron grapes were not much out of the flower, and yet I saw many punches foot in length. A vivid i'm aGfnation was not needed to tell what those
 punches would be two or three months later
 If we could not eat the ripe grapes, we had plenty of them in the form of raisins, pre- serves and unfermented wine.
 One of the most interesting walks have taken about the Holy City was that of this morning. In company with MT. Floyd, l walked cver to the Tombs of the Kings, half a mile north of the Damascus Gate. Scarcely less grand are the Tombs of the Prophets and the Tombs of the Judges; but we felt that visiting one of the three similar subterranean cemeteries must suffice A wall now runs around the mouth of these tombs We were admitted to the enclosure by native, and descended a grand though somewhat ragged staircase of stone, only excavated within the last year, perhaps twenty feet wide and as many deep. At the right were aqueducts leading into three rock-hewn reservoirs at the bottom. Turning to the left we passed through an arch in a seven foot wall, and found ourselves in 8 rock -hewn court, meas uring ninety-two feet in length and eighty seven in width. At the southern side of this court was spacious vestibule, the entrance to which had evidently been richly ornament ed at some time. A few triglyphs and punches of grapes remained on the architrave and we could see that there had once been four columns supports.
 The entrance proper to the tombs led out of the left of this vestibule. It was a circular opening not more than three feet high Sci dom have been so interested in an antiquity as I was in the door of this royal cemetery To the left of this hole was a groove, in which a monster block of granite shaped like 8 milestone, fitted quite snugly One man from below could roll this stone over the portal, if he was initiated but one hundred could not move it, if they knew not the art. A low dark passage, scarcely large enough to admit man, led to this ancient bat ingenious door, and was the only avenue by which it could be opened prior to the ex- eaYations of our own times. The mouth of this secret passage was neatly closed with a trap door, placed on the very brink of pit. Only those thoroughly acquainted with the place could ever have detected the method of Evidently grave ghosts were feared in those days and here as much as now in your own land Now IScan understand how the stone was 'trolled away from the | door of our Lords Sepulchre! Now I can understand why ''that other disciplen stopped down and looked into the tomb. |
 L. 4 that there were traces of doors inside of each | which served to give additional pro ! tection. These doors were evidently opened ! by the slightest pressure, but once opened, ! being hung upon gudgeons, their weight | would bring them to again, and then no ! power from within could open them These | traps would surely ensnare even the most wary grave-robber.
 We entered the hole, with lighted candles, | and prowled around to our hearts content in \ 5he' magnificent apartments of rock beyond. | The chisel marks on the walls were as fresh | as if they had been made yesterday, save where tourists yearning after cheap immor- II a1ity have used cand1e-fames to smoke their names upon the stone. There appeared to be ! :ouf large chambers, with numerous apses | 1ewn out for the reception of one, two, or ihree bodies. Of course the sarcophagi and most of the doors have long since yielded to he onslaughts of time and Christian vandals. ! SAlo l5 SCtt1 oA1lID1GOO dL \ louvre, I believe Mr Floyd told me of l ouching tragedy which occurred some twenty ] ears ago in these tombs. A party got to oking as to the amount of courage it would equire to visit the tombs at dead of night, ! lone, without light. A wager of one 'ound was the result, and one supposedly rave man agreed to come that night, and tick his knife into 8 log of wood which was 1 eposited in an inner chamber for this pur- ose Night came. The party accompanied he man to grove near by with lanterns; ex- mined his knife and then waited while he ! lade the descent. Ten, fifteen, twenty min tes passed, but the man did not return he others then became alarmed and went to earch for him. They found him in the ap- ointed vault, lying over the log in question, eadI An investigation developed the fact nat the knife was still sticking in the log, i ut had passed through one of the mans oat-tails. It was pitchy dark, and doubt ss the man had become frightened almost to istraction as he crept to the log. In this zcited condition it is supposed that he stuck !