Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1889-07-04
A TOUR THROUGH PALESTINE.
HOTEL D'ORlENT, BEIRUT, SYRIA,
March 7. 1899.


plain why l have not written since
leaving Jerusalem, ! can only say
that if you had been along-and I
sincerely wish that you could have
bcen-no explanation would have
been required. TO write letters
was next to impossible and to mail
them absolutely so. You can scarcely
conceive Of country less civilized
than some parts of Syria, through
which we have come. I think l
wrote you how fcarfully barren and
rocky is the country about Jerusa-
lem. Old Judca is one of the most
desolatc districts on the face of the
earth. 1t was very pleasing, how
ever, to find that as we came North,
and into Samaria and on up into
Galilee the hills arc not all rock,
and the plains were covered with
rich and bountiful soil. Indeed, we
saw some very beautiful ranges of
country, though now and then there
was an appearance of dcsolation and
feeling of insecurity which marred
the effect of the natural beauty.
The historic plain of Esdrnlon is
wonderfully rich in natural rcsourc-
es, stretching from the hills of Gil
boa on the East to the backbone of
Carmel on the West, reminding one
of the natural beauties of our own
unsurpassed Santa Clara Valley at
home. And yet this rich plain lies
there practically uncultivatcd and
sustaining 4 population of tens
where thousands might live and be
fat and happy. We campcd one
night just outside the old city of
Jczrcel, in the midst of this plain,
and sat in front of my tent and
saw the sun so down behind the
ridge Of Mount Carmel at about the
spot whore tradition says that Elijah
had that memorable trial with the
false prophets of Baal. Then, as
throughout the whole journey, the
actual scenery assisted the magma
ton very much in picturing the
scenes. wish | could trace the
whole trip TO you and share with
you the impression l enjoyed. But
that is simply impossible. The pro-
fits and delights of travel, like du-
ties and responsibilities, are not
transferable. Such trip throws new
light on all the history of the Bible
One of our company who freely
owned that he had not made himself
as familiar with the Bible as he
ought, said last evening that the
whole book was now to him as inter-
csting as any romance. Every even
ing 1T was our practice after dinner
to read up all the Bible contained
concerning the places to be visited
on the following day. In this excr-
else it was commonly agreed that I
should lead, but I think the enjoy
mcnt was equally distributed among
the quartet. | often regretted that
| had not more of my books with
me, for in seeing the places of sacred
worship | longcd for Andrews and
Edcrshcim and Farrar to help me in
investing them with all the interest
that they should possess; and then
again concluded that it was best
as it it was, having only Bndcker
and the Bible to be freed from all
the critical quibbles and controver-
sizes for the time, and so to be better
able to drink in the fresh unbookish
impression Of the facts and places
themselves.
| TO DAMASCUS.
We were nearly fortnight COM
ing from Jerusalem to Damascus,
making the same trip Saul of Tarsus
made when he was "brcathing threat
cnings" against early Christianity.
In leaving Jerusalem we turned
Northward by the Damascus gate
and travcrscd Mount Olivet, having
a last view of the historic city. At
ter all, the centre of interest in all
this land is Jerusalem itself. The
modern city i'll represents the ancient
one, but tho lay of the land is the
same. Mount Moriah is there on
which the wisest of kings built that
great temple of jehovah without
sound Of axe or hammer during all
those ycars-"I.ikc some tall palm
the noisclcss fabric grcw"-but to-
day there stands the mosque Of
Omar under the star and crescent,
the emblem of a faith that ignores
the very Christ who was the ante.
type of every type, the fulfilment of