Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-07-14

El-iiL NBtilN Bc spent III ttlt IIlt4tUI haliGu
city OF Tiberias, and as soon as we came in
sight OF it, realized another dream OF life.
1t Is located on the western edge of the sea
bearing Its ofrmer name. 1t is now called
1GbGriyeh, and has 4 moteiy population OF
2,l00 people. II is enc Of the four holy
cities of Palestine-they being Jerusalem,
Bethlehem, Nazareth and Tiberias. The
walls are about twenty feet high and
six feet wide, and are in the shape of an
irregular parallelogram. On the west are
ten towers; on the north five and on
the south eight; while on the east the
city is protected by the sea. From here
the best view Of this historic basin can be
had. 1t is in the shape of an irregular oval,
with the smaller end to the north, and is
fourteen miles long and nine wide at the
widest place 1t lies G52 feet below the
Mediterranean. The table lands on the
east are suddenly broken and stand forth
like mighty walls 1000 feet high. They
are the mountains of Bashan. The cliffs
around the lake are hard porous and
fiinty basalt, showing volcanic action. In
1887 an earthquake shattered the houses
and walls Of the city, and 900 persisted in
the ruins.
From Tiberias it is six miles to Caper-
naum, where we spent day and night.
The course was northward. About three
miles from riberias is Magdala, where
lived Mary Magdalene. Not vestige of
the old city is recognizable except the site
The filth Of the natives is unnamable, and
to tarry long undesirable to lis; so we press
on through the jungle underground along
the western shore towards camp. An hour
passed and we are here; but where is Ca
pernaum? where is Chorazin, and where
Bethsaida Palace and temple have dis
appeared, and the ruins that locate them
become the dispute of writers. The site of
| Capernaum is now fixed at the northwest
ern terminus of the lake, but the other re-
mains in doubt We heard the hideous
howl of the jackal in the ruins at night
1t is nevertheless inspiring to be here.
the rivulets playing with the pebbles on
the shores, and the handsome periwinkle
shells that dot the beach, holds one
spell-bound and associated with it
all is the history of him whose foot
steps have consecrated the place
to all generations. Once it was surrounded
by busy cities, its waters exhibited the
brown shrouds and bleached sails of nu-
merous ships; life and thrift were charac-
teristics of its people. To-day Il few sloth-
full Arabs and Jews are seen whose fast
waning enterprise is followed by wreck
and ruin everywhere about it, and utter
desoiation marks all that the toll of their
fathers left them. But Gennesaret and its
surrounding hills are sacred still. OF the
beautiful lake | can truly sing with Nc
Cheyne:
GLOW pleasant to me thy deep blue wave
o sea OF Galilee
| For the Glorious One who came to save
Hath often stood BY nee.
1T is not that the mid gazclle
Comes down to drink thy tide;
But He that was pierced to save from hell
Oft wandered by thy side.
20 Saviour gone to Gods right hand,
Yet the same Saviour still.
Graved on thy heart is this lovely strand,
And every fragrant hill"
OF all places in the Holy Land, this to
me is the most beautiful and lovely. |
gathered pebbles and shells on its shores,
and bathed in its hallowed waters. i
listened to the song of the water on its
banks. l gathered its trailing moses and
wove them into wreathS and pressed them
to carry home, and even dipped up a
measure of the natural sands of the strand,
filled with shells and marbled stones OF
obsidian formation from the size of fl
bert to the smallest granule visible to the
eye. But | reluctantly lift the pen from
the scene to write of other places.
We now cross the hills of Naphtali,
pass the Kahn of Joseph to Lake Hulch
(Merom) and ride around its marshes to
Dan. The old Roman bridge near here is
still intact. 1t crosses one of the Jordan
tributaries, viz, Hasbaay, and is the only
bridge that crosses the Jordan or any OF
its branches. The fountain at Dan would
equal stream two feet deep and twenty
wide. 1t rushes down the rugged eleva-
ton roaring like Niagara. The banks
are covered with jungle that is simply i'm
penetrable, prominent among which are
the oleander, blooming with crimsoned
| petals ard adorned with emerald foliage
Within the limits of half hour | gath
cred above sixty specimens of leaves,
grasses and flowers within the space of two
acres, and proved the record of its former
fertility and numerous productions. Sam
uel tells us that, at is place that lack
eth not anything that is in the earth.'
Binias, ancient Cesarea PhillppI, is at
the foot of Mount Hermon Like Dan, it
scarcely leaves the marks of its former
greatness. Ruined walls and arches how
ever, iEvitc inspection. The Castle of
Subeibah, so famous in the wars of the
! Crusaders, stands in ruins 1000 feet above
the city of Binias. did not go up to see
it. The horses were already fatigued with
the Journey, and | took the advice of a
traveller and writer. who said that often
much was gained by missing sights of
trivial interest. | caunot speak of its
temples, palaces, theaters, fountains and
parks, as they adorned the banks of the
mammoth fountains that rush down from
the cleft of the mountains, nor of the
mountain grottoes and weird oracles, and
the great temple of Pan.
| This is the northern limit of Palestine,
and marks the limit also of the Journey of
our Lord northward. We now ascend the
Mount of TRANSPORTATION. Part of the
| the time we are in the clouds then above
| them. Now we are 5000 feet above the
valley, and 5000 feet above US Mount Her
mon still lifts his fleecy crown. The ther-
mometer indicated so three hours ago,
and now it is 450.
After passing village of Druses, We
begin again to descend, but ride the
remainder of the day through the Anti
Lebanon range, across a branch of the
Pharpar, and along numerous rock-hewn
tombs, and camp at Kefe Kauwar, near the
reputed tomb of Nimrod, the mighty hun
| ter.
Next day april 2lst we entered
the gates of Damascus, and remained until
the oath. The river ALBANIA passes through
the city i'll an artificial canal The places
of interest are the famous Mosque of Dam
ascus; the house of Judas and that of
Ananias; the leper's hospital, said to be
on the spot where lived Naaman, the
lSyrian leper; the ancient gate and the
street called Straight. Of traditional sites
l will make no mention. The bazaars of
the city are numerous. They deal in a
great variety of articles, but boast more of
the Damascus blade than any other thing.
| did really see dealer bend long blade
until the point touched the handle, and
it few back perfectly straight and not
dinted. Damascus is busy metropolis of
Syria, and since the French diligence con-
meets it wi h Beyroot it has assumed Eu-
ropean airs, and bids fair to become the
rival Of her sister on the coast. It's pres