Morning journal and courier., 1884-07-09

Holy C1ty-Poor Ptlgrtms-Ths Noun ! Of Olaves-An Interesting SuppOsitiOn- Fine scemery-The Restoration Of Pal estine-DOubtful Claims.
 ! JERUsALEM, June ?, 1884. To the Editor of the JOURNAL. COURIER:
 The journey from Jaffa to Jerusalem hs disgusted many an ardent searcher of th Word who came to Palestine to strengthen
 his faith. Having arrived at state of mind ! by reason of my Oriental experiences, where 1 by was prepared for anything and having been forewarned as to the disappointing na
 ture of the country, I was able to endure ! with considerable composure the discomfortl | of the journey. At this time of the year ! most people make the trip of forty milel ! during the night but I wanted to see thu ! country, whatever the heat of the sun, an6 l so went in the day. The trip has to be made l in rickety, uncovered wagon, drawn by three horses harnessed abreast. Emerging from the orange and lemon groves of Jaffs we proceeded to cross the Plain of Sharon ! the greatest plain in all this country, i'm. ! measurably superior to the plains of Tyre
 sidon and even Esdraelon. The plain ap pearsd to be quite fertile, and wheat and barley fields stretched on either side of the road as far as the eye could reach. As the country grew more hilly we could see large focks of sheep, goats camels, asses and COWS grazing in the pastures, just as they are represented as doing in First Chronicles 27:29. In some places the fellahin were ploughing A single man can carry on his shoulder whole set of these native farming utensils, including plough, yoke. bows and ox-goad. The plough is wooden, with the exception of 8 single iron point like the 6uke of small anchor. It has but one handle. as in ancient times Guke, 9:62). and if the man who is guiding the plough looks around for g moment the whole thing Hops over. The yoke is small, straight, round pole, with straight sticks in each end, which go down on each side of tbe neck of the OK, and are tied with small string under the throat. The ox-goad is from eight to ten feet long, armed with sharp piece of iron at one ex. tremity, which is used for cleaning the plow, and spear at the other extremity for prod- ding the OK. In times of riots the natives use the ox-goad as 8 weapon just as they did in the time of Shamgar; but I have not heard of anyonss doing as much mischief with the goad in these modern times as Sham gar did.
 We met great cavalcades of ragged-look- ing camels on the way, and overlook some bound for Jerusalem loaded with American coal-oil. I saw one poor camel loaded with heavy stoves. For the first twelve miles 1 counted the camels and then stopped because it was too hard work. The number was above three hundred.
 Twelve miles ont of Jaffa we reached Ram leh, an enterprising modern village of about four thousand inhabitants, by all odds the largest town between Jaffa and Jerusalem. Owing to the constant intercourse with pill k1, assumed a more modern, metropolitan aspect than any other town of it's size in Palestine Most of the European countries have consu- lar agents stationed there. Nevertheless there is 8 tremendous amount of filth lying about in the blind alleys. just as there is in all these cities of the Holy Land. h the suburbs I inspected some miserable mud novels, and wondered if they were such as those in which the apostles were won't to dwell. Each house consisted of one room made out of plaster and sticks, without win dews. The whole family dwells, eats, cooks and sleeps in this single unsavory apartment. In winter manure is heaped about the hut to keep it warm, and the cattle are admitted to the interior. The floor which the family then occupies is something like two feet higher than that upon which tic cattle stand, the managers being constructed along the sep arating line. It thus happens that manager is a very convenient place in which to cradle an infant and people here tell me that it is quite 8 common thing to see infants thus cradled.
 At regular intervals on either side of the road, perhaps three or i've miles apart, were barracks where Turkish soldiers were sta- tioned to guard the highway. Palestine is full of robbers. The regular citizens are amateur robbers and swindlers. The Bedou- ins, or wandering Arabs. are professionals The Turkish soldiers and officials are the worst of all.
 We rode on through 8 country barren of every thing except scriptursl associations, though rica indeed in them. Our last halt fer resting the horses was made in valley at the foot of the last mountains prior to reach ing 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 shal. have occasion to speak again. Away to the right was Ain Karin, the home of Zacharius and Elizabeth, and consequent 1y the birthplace of John the Baptist. The village was quite decent one from the point where we surveyed it, but perhaps it was dis tance that lent enchantment to the view. Two birth-places are shown, one under the rich altar of a convent, and the other in a grotto fully a quarter of a mile away. The only satisfactory theory which has been ad- vocated for counteracting this discrepancy IS that Elizabeth divided the time between the two places in order to multiply the number of sacred sites and thereby increase the piety of future generations
 We toiled slowly up the long zig-zag as- cent and were at length at the summit. Sure ly 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 pave ment stone. Alas for the frailty of human kSns, Tha oen be seen on the east, with Seopus as the north ern terminus of the range; but Jerusalem itself kept persistently out of sight. And so it did until we were almost under it's very walls The truth is that the elevation of the hills about the Holy City is slight, and so many objects intervene, that the view is al- together obstructed-
 'tAs the mountains are round about Jeru- salem.' The comparison is not founded upon any very striking semblance, and yet it is fact that the ground is elevated little on all sides of Jerusalem. Even the summit of the Mount of Olives is only about twenty feet higher than the highest point of Zion
 To the right we saw the Convent of the Cross 8 substantial establishment down in the valley, kept by some well-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 8 parody on the story or the mousse GlAG JHck pQLit Here is the earth that nourished 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, and 1t meets with not few visitants, so much yer fer stocks than itself as to fall dawn and wor- ship it.
 Jerusalem is hardly disappointment, be- cause had my ideas rather low down. Many of the streets in remote quarters are abomin- ably filthy, and would not advise anyone to venture about in them without clothespin on his nose. Dead cats, rats and dogs are plentiful I even ran across one or two dead donkeys just outside one of the city gates. There are many sacred CD pools which have stsonated from disuse, and would be rooted out by the health board of any well regula- ted city. Walking is difficult, as the narrow streets are paved with ugly cobbie stones, w1aich have become very slippery and are ex- ceedinely hard on shoe-leather. Night IS made hideous by the bowling of hundreds of hairless, soabby dogs that seem to have noth- ing else to do. The praying of the donkeys is slso something awful. A single bray can be heard quarter of g mile, and there IS no limit to the possibilities of well-trained chorus.
 The number of pilgrims here thus late in the season is astonishing. But am particu lerly surprised 60 see how many poor people 1 there are. Great numbers of Russians may 1
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