The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-03-17
FROM FATHER PREFOETlIHE.
He Writes Of His Visit 10 the
Holy Land.


E0xE. geb. II.
- TIE EDfToE. On ay war back q
Washington Territory. since ry .aepzrsurs
frosa Palestine this sheuxi1s has swnkeneS
IN me feeling Of joy, which has increase
and viii hope, eontinne 90 increase fn d
rect ratio the faster and nezrerT approach
hoEae- The reader aust not however, con
esnds from this that ! viii Be hack 20 Sc
attic IN less than O MONTH I say tlzs:
simply 20 show that have not yet s8aad
country however rich In fits predictions. IL
It's historical records. rich In IT'S grand
ruszs and blessed with beaufsf Il xnnshsne
that woaid make me fc--gs Puget sound
The Nile country IL veyy attractive II
xrznd sight 20 SEE. IA the month OF J2uu
arr. the garden EsseI gifh towers. 10 have
yoar tabies lnased with fresh and delicious
traits and 20 SIT in the shade OF CREEPING
vines ali IN bioorn aad fIling the surround
Ing zfEnospnere vita their fragrant exhz
latsonsL ssill TIE manners and customs o.
the people, their language, their cosclx
ese-. renders ycu impatient 10 live in q
more congeuisI country
Palestine IL not as pleasant cou ntry "a
I've IN rs Egypt: bat for me IL has been the
most Interesting of al countries. II is q
very small territory, with sparse popHia
sulmsns. az least fhree-f ourths. But Il il
the Holy Land VOC feel il Every step
that you make you feel that e Is the land
blessed by Almighty God. From the mo
ment that we landed ~ JaGa TO the time
we reached the top of Mount OIiyet every
inch OF ground has sacred record The
plains OF sharon, noted as being so fseauti.
full By the prophet Isaiah and also on &C.
count OF the strategy OF Samson, who set
FIRE 70 the wheat fields OF the fhilisfiues.
Lydia, or Diosp0lIs, founded BY the chill
dfen OF Beniarnin: RaTleh, which. even
under the reign of the Aaeeabees, was al
ready known as Arimathea: Belt Souba, or
ancient SObsa, the see OF It's high priest
Achfineleeh. who gave King David the
loGyes of proposition: LstroEn, the town
where the repentaut thief had lived, etc,
etc. But the greatest attraction of ali is
Jerusalem. Oh how anxious the pilgrim
feels 20 have the FRS, glimpse Of this Holy
City. How IL helps him 10 climb the
mountains OF Judes: and who could de-
scribe his feelings when, having reached
the top OF the mountains, he behoi9s Ieru-
salem, the city OF tears and of mourning
IL IS fact not less remark able in lis eff
feet, as IN Its frequency, that one can be-
come impressed with the prevailing
feeling which exists in place 20 such a
degree as 70 become involnnfarily subject
himself to the same feeling: and such,
have been told, becomes the condition of
most OF the pilgrims that come 10 Jerusa-
lem. They may be BY nature gay and JOY
fHi. but as soon as they have entered
Jerusalem, suddenly and inexplicable,
sadness oyerpowers them. Everything
connected with this city is sad. without
going back into history. the present condi
ton Of things is sad. This holy spot is in
the hands of the Mussuimans, VINO are the
actual possessors of the keys of the holy
sepulehre. They look with contempt upon
the Christians. They dare not do any
thing, but their silent rage Is well under
So hat
20 repeat the persecution that
they have waged against the Christians In
the past ages. The guardians OF Jerusalem
and the holy Sepulchre. who are supporting
all the poor of the city, and might say, OF
the country, who are attending and dis
tributing gratuitously medicine 20 the
sick, are aware of their unsafe condition.
Is IL not sad Then the disunion amongst
the Greeks, Schissnaties, the Armenians,
the Copts. who are all jealous OF the Lat.
ins. They watch every opportunity, use
every intrigue, and sometimes. when they
have IL, make use of the powerful lever OF
money to gain some advantage over them.
ft Is certainly sad. Add 10 this the Jewish
nation causing the walls of Jerusalem to
with their lamentations II is
truly fact. for every Friday they assemble
near the wall built By solomon and there
they give vent TO their feelings. crying.
praying reading and kissing the few stones
left of the exterior wall OF the old temple.
The psalm xxx Is sung on this coca
sion. Ii Is certainly sad TO be there.
A little amusing In ident happened on
the occasion of nay visit there on Friday.
Al american from Chicago asked me IL.
had seen the huge stone that entered In
The construction of the wall of the Temple
of solomon. mot yct,' | said; ''but ex
peet 10 see it, Very few know where it
Is said be, .sbut II any one knows where
It is, our guide must know. for he has
written very minute and extensive work
about Jerusalem and its surroundings"
Looking at our guide in the habit of
Franciscan with doubtful look: "Will
you please ask him IL he knows anything
about this large stone" Although salts
fed myself that il was an impertinent
question. felt curious myself To
hear what this Franciscan brother
would reply. so | venture the Ques-
ton. The brother said: ASK this
man II be had seen II himself" His reply
was in the affirmative. Then said he to
me. ASK him who has appointed him To
come here aud have me pass my examina-
ton before him2" This answer In the form
Of qnestioa was too much for my Ameri-
eau friend. He went Off laughing and no
doubt satisfied that IL is not always pru-
dent 10 ask too many questions.
viii not enter into details with regard
70 my visit IA Palestine. suffice IL 20 say
for the present that although ii was cold
and raining most of the time, profited by
every moment to gather all the knowledge
possible to remove certain obScurities
which very often remain In ones mind
after reading.
ON the ed OF January we were to en-
bark in Jaifa for Port said. but the sea was
too rough to venture In small boats through
rocks aud surf 10 the steamer at anchor a
mile aud u half from the shore. From the
tcEraced roof OF the Hospitium where we
found hospitality we saw three coats cap
sized, but luckily nobody was crowned
thanks be TO the skin &c the native Arabs,
or rather syrians. who seemed TO be as
much al home In the water as on land
The following day, after considerable
trouble aud tossing we boarded the steamer
aud started for Alexandria. where we ar
rived sunday morning, the 9TH of Janu-
AIRY. On the 18th we left Alexandria on
the steamer Cs;hsy, of the T.. & %. CO., for
Ancona We were favored with fine
voyage. except one night, In rounding the
archipelago and the island of Casdia,
when the sea became very much sgiiated.
We are now once more in Rome, and
came soon enough TO witness, II is said, the
first riot that ever took place. Isuppose
they mean In modern times. it no doubt
originated with the socialists. who. having
heard that great deal of poverty existed
In Rome In consequence OF the scarcity OF
work. send delegates from the principal
eea,ers OF Italy. from Naples, Turin. Flor
ence. Milan aud Venice. aud although
small kuot ST the start
succeeded b. Intimidation 70 bring even
iaharegs having work into their ranks, and
on Friday. the sth OF February. they mum
bered about 2aGe, and commenced 10
march through the city. breaking Is they
passet. along the windows on each side of
thn street The police. not being prepared,
and unable TO resist the. avalanche, stood
stu looking on. Cries OF revolution went
on In every direction, sad il looked 81 one
time as If she mob had control Of The city.
Finally the military came out and very
soon things quietssi down. The streets
that smffs ed 5he most were the Via Frat
tins AID Vie Qairinale. AS reside on the
former can say. as / witnessed the riot
myself. that few windows were spared sad
the excitement was great
ssn Saturday. the 9Th, the military. ~ :
ing jointly wish fke political authority,
stationed arEed plekets ia every street "a
GisperSe those wha felt inclined ,o eougre-
rsts aSa discuss tae present condition ef
thlngs II loeke4 Is tt Rome was under
martial lag. No disturbance, however. of
aay kind has taken plSce since; neyerfhe-
/ 81, there is = fear that this is not the end
Of r. Consequently, business is suspend
ed. and many strangers have left for otter
paris Saturday evening Cardinal PitTs. s
man of great learning Sis6 a forelhSe
writer. died Ia 81 tsiixfus palace. ia
Trssseyere. He was = years OF age Yours
uaiy. Y. X PREFnSTAgSE-
" B.-I am well. FXP