The Washington critic., 1888-03-03
JAFFA TO JERUSALEM.
A Young American Seaman'S Ex-
perienCeS in Palestine.
THE MEDITERRANEAN HOTEL
A Typical Jerusalem Landlord
and His Accommodations.
BY r. W. srrrnrrsor. U. S. n.

BY r. w. STEPHENSON, q. S. n.
Leaving behind the ancient city of
Jaffa, with its traditional house of
Simon, the tanner; its winding, ILL
smelling, ill-paved streets; its mon
grel population, and its outlying,
luxuriant orange groves, which, by
the way, constitute its only redeem
ing feature, we--a party of American
citizens on visit to the Holy City
found ourselves traversing the plains
of Sharon, with the mountains of
Judah gradually rising before us and
the prospect of three hours rideIbe-
fore reaching the historical village of
Ramleh--our first hating place.
After pleasant supper in very re-
spectacle inn and a two hours So
journ, rendered interesting by n
perusal of the visitors book, whose
leaves bore innumerable autographs
of eminent men in every department
of life, we again resumed our Journey.
Having selected the night as being
the most comfortable for travelling
the heat of the sun being intense at
this period of the year Uune)-we
necessarily could not form any idea
of the surrounding country, but from
the jolting we experienced we had in
finite cause to remember the road ever
afterward.
1t was past midnight before we
reached Bab-el-Wad, a village con-
sisting of iail-like inn and string
of miserable roadside shanties; but,
as light still issued from the windows
of the inn, we again afforded our
horses rest, and, by way of refresh
ing ourselves, exercised our jaws on,
perhaps, the toughest chickens that
were ever hatched.
Once more proceeding, our way led
over hills and became sleeper and
sleeper as we advanced, Toward 4
a. m. daylight broke and we were
then enabled to realize for the first
time the nature Of the country over
which we were travelling.
Nothing picturesque met our view.
No richly cultivated fields teeming
with produce were there; not even q
solitary cluster Of trees unfolded itself
all was barrenness and desolation.
| Around us, far and near, rugged hills
almost destitute of herbage, lifted ur
their heads; the valleys presented the
same withered aspect. Before us
stretched the road winding like q
corkscrew in its course up some hill
then lost to view until we had gained
the summit, then down again until it
seemed as If we were never to reach
the end. Not single dwelling did
we meet to impress us with the belief
that this part of the country was pop
ulated. Once we observed a flock oi
goats grazing on a hillside, but thai
was all; and this was the land where
milk and honey once flowed in plenty
The very dreariness Of it now car
scarcely be imagined.
ARRIVAL AT coLoNIA.
Shortly after q. IN. we arrived a
Colonia-though why it is SO dubbed
is difficult to conjecture. Its only
claim to the title of colony seems tc
be based on the fact of its consisting
of two houses, one of which aspires tC
be an inn. We alighted at the inr
for refreshments, and after gaining
the interior, experienced the sensa
ton of drinking eXecrable coffee out
of glasses. This done, we commenced
an ascent that was destined to bring
us in view of the near surrounding
| of the "Sacred Salem"
No Jerusalem, however, with
"Ehrenbreitstein" aspect, hove in
sight until we were almost at its gates
| Along the road, for about mile before
reaching the city itself, were passed
several respectable looking European
houses, rooted with slate, instead OF
the paving stones which, with few
notable exceptions, as we afterwards
| discovered, formed the material used
in the construction of roofs for the
mansions of the Holy City.
Towards $50 q. m. our Journey was
accomplished; we had arrived outside
the Jatfa or western gate of Jerusalem
and gazed on the walls and battle
ments of the once mightiest city il
the world-a city whose wondroui
history must, forever, be regarded az
unique by Christian, Jew and Ma
hometan. We dismounted then, al
vehicles are prohibited from entering
the city, and passing Turkish soldier
on sentry made our way through tht
gate.
Once inside wei scrambled through {
street covered with heaps of morta
and stone, the remains of q numbe
of houses that had lately been tori
down, and eventually fetched up out
side the portals of peculiarly con
structed edifice, whose diagonal sign
board bore in white letters, about
foot long,
| "MEDITERRANEAN HOTEL.
| Had the sign not impaired this in
formation we might have taken i
for building devoted to an altogethe
different use. The agents of Messrs
II. Cook & Sons had, however, ap
pointed it us our sojourning plac,
during our stay. There was nothing
therefore, for us to do but enter wha
proved to be courtyard, where W,
encountered the manager of the estab
lishment, who was quite profuse il
his welcome.
own that have, during my shor
career, INDUCED in many injudiciou
fights of imagination, but the creates
of all must assuredly be my concep
ton of the parts that could concate
nate and form the moral and physica
machinery of
A JERUSALEM HOTEL KEEPER.
Instead of a tall, straight-laced
earnest and solemn gentleman il
black, with a face that suggested
"stand off frivolity"-"my bushes
is holy" / beheld a little, hermit
looking man, with shaggy, iron-gra!
eyebrows, heavy moustache, and
beard half as long as himself, whicl
he stroked and pulled every few min
utes hand over hand, like a sailo
hoisting gaff-topsail. His clothing
was made up of pair Of pepper-and