Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-11-04

80
existed at the time Of Christ. was AZ ,ho
mouth OF the Wady Kelt. derivinr ~
water supply FROM that stream. and mora
tnan mite from Ain es sultan. Uere
tnere are The remains OF bridge FONDA.
llons OF buildings which wero evidently
homan work, and two long artificial
mounds, In one Of which was found 4
rectangular chamber, the outer wall huiit
OF sun-dried bricks and the interior nf
unuiessed stones cemented over.
Inc site OF the third, or crusadng .jerl.
enc, was probably identical with that on
winch the modern village OF Jericho nov
stands but no ruins OF Importance re-
nam there, though the whole surface 81
the plain between the sizes OF the three
lJerichos is covered with remains which
attest the denseness Of the population
which once Inhabited ii, That this should
once have heen large inhabited center
must ever appear an astounding fact TO
the modern traveller who has suf-
Tered from the heat OF the plain Thus
during the winter months all this region
~ not only unbearably hot, but most in
salubrlous. The very Arabs desert IL for
the hillsides. 1t Is possible that neglect
and inattention TO irrigation works may
make the climate much less healthy than
II was IN former times, but nothing can
be changed in the matter Of temperature
ana either the population must have de.
serted It Tor the mountains during sum-
mer, or they must have been far better
able to bear heat than their degenerate
descendants. Sunk nearly 1900 feet be-
low the level of the sea, aud shut In from
all breeze by lofty ranges of barren
mountains on both sides, Jericho in sum
mer must be one of the hottest places on
the earth's surface. Even Jerusalem,
which Is 1000 feet above it, is pretty
warm. On the other hand, Josephus
yaunts the wonderful fertility of the
place, and calls it "a region 1T for the
gods"
It's magnificent and extensive palm
groves were celebrated, but these have
disappeared since the eighth century, and
there Is only one date tree left Still the
abundance OF the water, the richness OF
the soil and the warmth of the climate
wonderfully adapted IL to the growth OF
all tropical produce. All kinds of vege.
tables are in season all the year round
Grapes, which are trcllised on high poles
as in Italy, grow to enormous size; in.
digo, cotton and sugar would all flourish
but there are no people TO cultivate them
The remains of the old aqueducts ties
! tiiy to the skillful manner in which the
ancients used their abundant water supply
for the irrigation of this extensive plain
| counted altogether nine different an
Gent aqueducts. One or two of these are
still utilized, and of late years hand
some bridge has been built in connection
with one of them, but the engineering
skill OF theI ancients holds its own will
our modern constructions Many of tn,
| bridges by whit these aqueducts span tn,
rayines are very handsome, Some are OF
| two tiers of arches, one above another
/ In places they are tunnelcd through tn
/ hills. One bridge of massive masonry o
large stones is 120feet long and thirty-dv
/ feet high, with pointed arches. There i
one aqueduct eight miles long, consist
ing of q cemented channel two feet broaI
and terminating In Il handsome cemcn
ciStern. II is carried over several bridges
one fifty feet long and thirty feet high
| mention this system OF aqueducts be
cause | have never seen any account o
Jericho in the records of travellers or il
guide-bOohs which does Justice TO them
They are important rs showing hOy
much money must have been spent in dc
veloping the resources OF this plain, am
what garden it must have been in tn
Holden times. SO late aS the thirteent
century we hear that the sugar-cane wa
cultivated around Jericho, and belley
that at this day there are few spot
on the earth's surface which could b
turned to more profitable account
Here are the products of tn
tropics that could be raised without hay
ing to go to the tropics for them, an
many fruits could be conveyed from her
to a European market, which it would b
! impossible to preserve for the length
time which is now required to transpor
them from the tropics. At q compare
lively small expense the ancient system
of aqueducts could be repaired, and tn
abundant water supply utilized, which
now left to stagnate in marshes and bree
fever aud pestilence. 1t is, in fact, IN
possible to appreciate the magniiicen
capabilities which this plain possesse
aud not feel convinced that in these day
of civilized enterprise the question OF the
development is only one OF time.