The Irish standard., 1888-07-28
! TRIP THROUGH PALESTINE.
A Pilgrim Tourists Vivid Description
Of Il Ride in the
Holy Land.
SAINT PETER'S BIRTHPLACE.
from the City of Jerusalem to
Carmel by Way Of
Galiiee.

Tie letter of pilgrim tourist to the
Lonuon Tablet: During our sojourn in
Jerusalem we witnessed the departure
Of the .Mohamnledan pilgrimage fo,
.Nebi- -Marissa, a. place near Jericho
witch the followers of Mohammed
wrongly imagine to be the burial place
of Moses. The afternoon Of the cere-
1nony was splendidly sunny. AL the
hillsides OF the valley Of Jehosaphat
near the city were covered with people
and tents, and the walls of Jerusalem
were likewise lined with spectators.
at a little otter several discharges OF
artillery announced that the pilgrims
ware issuing forth by the st. Stephens IS
Gate. Through the kindness of the
franciscan Fathers we had obtained in
a garden adjoining that Of Gethseu1ani
a good standpoint whence to see the
pilgrims pass. They consisted mostly
of the tower classes, men, women and
children, carrying with them their bed
ding and food. Among them were
many groups formed of men bearing
flags, others singing very un!aelodious-
~, others beating q dreary tcm tom on
very primitive drums. Apong these
groups religious excitement was great,
and some Of the individuals in theln,
with unkempt hair and boards, seemed
wound llp to q pitch. OF fanatical frenzy
as they danced along or beat time Tor
the druGinsrs. The Gag bearers waved
their flags over these dancers, and as
the folds OF the flags brushed then.
shaggy heads q CLEAN Of satisfaction liz
UP their unpleasant faces. A military
escort and baud accompanied the pill
grin.s on the beginning Of their journey,
and the Pasba Of Jerusalem came out to
see them depart, But be does not fol
low them to the end of their pilgrimage,
and prefers 10 adjourn with his suite to
tiny house ia Che Garden OF Gethse-
mani, where he is served with coffee
and sweets by the Franciscan Fathers.
Our excursion to Ain-karim we made
OH donkeys over a very rough country.
It took us three to four hours to reach
our destination, which we did without
any casualties except the fall from this
mount of portly French cure who was
in our company. Ain-Karim is the
birthplace of st. John and the place Of
the Visitation. We found there mon
astery OF FranciScans and convent Of
the DANES do Sion. In the garden of
the latter We visited the tomb Of the
famous Pere Marie natisbonne. Imus5
also mention here that I visited in
Jerusalem the convent Of the same
nuns, and their establishment is most
interesting. I saw it's class rooms filed
with bright-looklng children, not few
Israelites among them. The convent
stands over the site of the house of
Plate and part OF the Mia Dolorosa.
Its sub structures are very ancient and
date from the days of Solomon. From
Ain.Karim we went to the grotto of st.
John in the Desert. The riding on
donkeys in 8 hot sun WAS tiring and
long, yet one not to be missed. It gave
us q vivid impression OF the desolate,
stony country that surrounds Jerusa.
lem. Having paid q last visit to the
Holy SepLu!chre, we set Off on Satur-
day afternoon on our way to Nazareth.
We encamped at Jlfna, a small village
with an entirely Christian population
and a Catholic church. Wewere forced
by wet weather to spend two days there.
The place has nothing of interest at
taching to it, unless it be the mountain
Of the legendary cock. Immediately af.
Ter our Lords death and resurrection, a
man of Jifna came home from Jerusa
lem and related to his wife all that had
there taken place. But when the man
spoke Of the Resurrection, his wife de-
ciared that she would as soon expect to
see the dead cock she was plucking take
to fight as believe her husbands state
ment, Whereupon the cock came to
life and escaped from her hands, and
she WAS unable to catch it until it
reached the highest point above tJifna-
the Mountain of the Cock" At MAJ.
areth We heard from our dragoman who
had been to the bazaar-bazaars here
take the place of your s'dailies' at home
that the schismatic Greek patriarch at
Jerusalem had died from the effect of
wounds inflicted on him by one of his
priests. This schismatic patriarch was
well spoken Of, and it is said that he.
was shot because he sought to reform
his clergy. Our dragoman also told US
that alady had been missed from the,
French caravan Of pilgrims at Tiberias.5
ortnnately this news proved only