Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-01-23
The Survey OF Palestine.

aptain Gender in the Contemporary Re-
yiew.l
The survey Of Palestine has thrown
light on another most important ques-
ton concerning ancient Palestine
namely. the relations of the present
climate of the country to that of Old
Testament times. This question has
been fully worked out in papers which
will be found in the memoirs ofthe sur
yev, and the conclusions reached may
be briefly summarized. Palestine is a
small country, but it presents great va
rieties ofsoil, climate, and water supply
in various districts. We have the trop-
ical valley and the Arctic region Of
Upper Hermon and Lebanon. We have
rich volcanic corn plains in Bashan
ait, round Jezreel, and sandstOncs COW
cred with pines and cedars, and hard
lirnestones over which peren-' streams
flow between fine woods Of oak AIM
terebinth in Galilee, and yet more in
Gilcad. We have flat maritime plains,
sandy and marshy, hot and malarlous,
bounded by ever-rolling dunes, but
well watered by sluggish streams from
the clear springs at the mOuntain-ioot.
These plains run from Carmel to GAIA,
ever widening, and supporting rich bar
vests. We have the low chalk hllls,
with their luxuriant oliye'yards On"
wells ofliying water; all long thc eastern
side of the MARITIME plains. Above rise
mountains 5000 to 1000 feet high, and
OH the north attaining to 10000 feet.
These arc generally rugged and bare,
but carefully terraced and partly cult
waited. The vine fourishes on these
higher ranges, where the frost and mist
aid the strong reflection Of heat from
the rock to ripen the grapes. But be-
sides these richer districts we have the
| old deserts, unchanged from the days Of
Abraham and of David; the flat marty
plateau of Beersheba, where the nomads
feed their nocks and herds as Isaac did
before them; the desolate peaks and
gorges of the Jeshimon. where the
dun partridge and the brown ibex roam
as they did when David hid in these
Businesses from Saul, among the =" rocks
of the wild goats Exploration does
not tend to countenance the old ,Gcas
about great change in climate. Ii is a
matter for the naturalists and biologists
/, 10 decide, and we know certainly that
brooks Of water could never have flowed
| On the surface of the porous chalk oil
some Of these regions any more than
they can now. We know also that the
land is still as fertile as Of old {; still
well watered in certain districts still
with a sufficient rainfall, and tha
when Just and stable government ex
lists las in the iebanon) the country still
flows with oil and wine. But what W,
do learn from a study of the land ant
of history is the deso!ation wrought bl
human means in Palestine. We fin,
everywhere the copsc covering the wine
press, the thistles growing among TIA
old-feld Enclosures, the terraces in ruins
the old vineyard deserted, the olive
yards exterminated, and many of tn
ancient woods entirely cut down. Tn
forests which existed in the times of Tit6
and of the Crusaders are often entirel
destroyed, and fine oak woods are repre-
scented by acres Of stumps and roots
the great Antonine cities beyond Jorda
stand in a wilderness full of RUNE
, villages, over which the Arab wander
with his herds Of camels. In brief, W
see that poverty and decrease Of popr
lation, the decay Of roads and aqucduct'
the ruin Of the old cisterns, the d.
struction of the woods, the terraces, an
, vineyards are the causes Of the preser
. desolation. This has often been pointe
, out, and experience proves that, give
just and strong government in th
country, Palestine might become, lik
, Southern Italy, garden of the worlt