Sharp County record., 1890-02-20
TALMAGES TRAVELS.
A Review of the Recent Journey
Through Palestine
An Instructive and Advantageous to"''
Not. However. without Its h'r"-
ships-Somc of the Historic
spots Visited Described

SDOts ' NlSltcu DtH'i''''
Rev T. Dewitt Talmage inditea tne
following condensed review OF ms Jou.
now 70 and in the Holy Land while IN
Constantinople and forwarded by mall
Itis of more than passing interest:
On leaving America l addressed some
words of farewell to my sermonlc reau-
ers and now, on my way home l. "ri,G
tbis letter of salutation, when Will
nrobably reach you about the MONDAY
tbot will frd me on the Atlantic ocean,
from which | can not reach you with the
usual sermon. l have completed Vho
,orrnev of inspection for which came
Others may write life Of Christ WlVh-
ont seeing the Holy Land l ala noI
feel competent for such work ullVil !
had seen with my own eyes the sacreu
nlaces: and so | left home and church
and native country for a most arououS
undertaking. I have visited all the
scenery connected with our LORD S MS
tory. The whole journey has Deen 10
me surprise, an amazemeAt, gfaho
rapture or deep solemnity. | nave al,
ready sent to America my Holy Lahu
observations for my Life of Christ
and thew were written on horse back,
on mule back, on camel back, on ship S
deck, by dim candle in tent, IN muu
boyel of Arab village, amid the ruins OF
old cities. on Mount of BeatitudeS' on
beach of Genesareth, but it Will take
twenty years of sermons to tell what l
have seen and felt on this journey
through Palestine and Syria.
All things have combined to make our
tour instructive and advantageous. Inc
Atlantic and Mediterranean and Adrl-
attic and Egean and DardanelleS and
Marmora seas have treated us well.
Since we left New York we have had
but half day and one night OF storm,
and that while crossing Mount Hermon'
But let only those in robust health at
tempt to 90 the length Of Palestine and
SYRIA on horseback. | do not think 1t
is because of the unhealth of the climate
in Holy Land that so many have SICK
encd and died here or afterWard as re-
suit of visiting these lands, but because
of the fatigues of travel. The number
of miles gives no indication OF dhe ex-
haustions of the way. A hundred and
fifty miles in Palestine and Syria on
horseback demand as much physical
strength as four hundred miles on horse
back in regions of easy journey. Be
cause of the near two months OF bright
sunlight by day, and bright moonlight
or starlight by night the half day OF
storm was to us the more memorable.
1t was about noon of December is that
the tempest struck us and drenched the
mountains. One of the horses falls and
Re halt amid binding rain. 1t is
freezing cold. Fingers and feet like ice.
Two hours and three-quarters before
encampment. We ride on in silence,
longing for the terminus of to-day's pill
grimage. 1t is, through the awful in
clemency of the weather, the only dan
gerous day of the journey. Slip and
slide, and tumble, and climb, and de-
scend we must, sometimes on the horse
and sometimes off, until at last we halt
in the hovel of village, and instead OF
entering camp for the night we are glad
to find this retreat from the storm. 1t
is house of one story, built out of mud.
Nv room is covered with roof of goats
hair. A feeble fire mid-foor, but no
chimney. 1t is the best house of the
village. Arabs, young and old, stand
around in wonderment as to why we
come. There is no window in the room,
but two little openings one over the
door and the other in the wall through
which latter opening occasionally find
an Arab face thrust to see how | am
progressing. But the door is open, so
have some light.
That is an afternoon and night never
to be forgotten for it's exposures and ac-
ouaintance with the hardShipS of what
an Arab considers luxurious apartment.
sat that night by fire, the smoke OF
which, finding no appropriate place OF
exit, took lodgment in my nOStrils and
eyes. For the first time in my life re-
allied that chimneys were luxury, but
not necessity. The only adOrnments in
this .oom were representations of two
tree branches in the mud of the wall,
a circle supposed to mean a star, bot,
tie hung from the ceiling, and about
twelve indentations in the wall to be
used as mantels for any thing that may
be placed there. This storm was not a
surprise. Through pessimiStic prophets
we had expected that at this season we
should have rain, and snow, and hail
throughout our journey For the most
part it has been sunshine and tonic at
mosphere, and not moment has our
Journey been hindered. Gratitude to
God is with us the dominant emotion.
Having visited the scenery connected
with Christ's life was glad to close my
journey by passing through the apostol-
is lands and seas. You can hardly i'm
agine our feelings as we came in sight
of Damascus, and on the very road
where Saul was unhorsed at the flash
of the supernal light. We did not want,
like him, to be flung to the earth, but
we did hope for some great spiritual
blessing brighter than any MONDAY
sun, and a new preparation for use