The Brookhaven leader., 1890-02-13
TALMAGE'S TRAVELS.
A Review of the Recent Journey
Through Palestine.
An Instructive and Advantageous Tour,
Not, However, without Its Hard
shIps-Some of the Historic
Spots Visited Described.


1t is Of more than passing interest:
On leaving America ! addressed some
words Of farewell to my sermonic read
ers, and now, on my way home, l write
this letter OF salutation, which will
probably reach you about the Monday
that will find me on the Atlantic ocean,
from which can not reach you with the
usual sermon. i have completed the
journey of inspection for which came.
Others may write life Of Christ with
out seeing the Holy Land. l did not
feel competent for such work until |
had seen with my own eyes the sacred
places; and so l left home and church
and native country for a most arduous
undertaking. | have visited all the
scenery connected with our Lords his
tory. The whole journey has been to
me surprise, an amazement, a grand
rapture or a deep solemnity. l have al
ready sent to America my Holy Land
observations for my Life of Christ"
and they were written on horse back,
on mule back, on camel back, on ships
deck, by dim candle in tent, in mud
hovel 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. The
Atlantic and Mediterranean and Adri-
attic and Hgean and Dardanelles and
Marmora seas have treated US we'll.
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 go the length of Palestine and
syria on horseback. do not think it
is because of the unhealth of the climate
in Holy Land that so many have sick
ened and died here or afterward as a re-
suit ii visiting these lands, but because
of tAe fatigues of travel. The number
of L1iles gives no indication of the 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
we halt amid binding rain. 1t is
freezing cold. Fingers and feet like ice.
Two hours and three-quarters before
W IL ell
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 a 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.
My 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 1 am
progressing. But the door is open, so l
have some light.
That is an afternoon and night never
TO be forgotten for it's exposures and ac-
uuaintance with the hardshipS of what
an Arab considers luxurious apartment.
/ sat that night by a 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 room 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
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-
ic 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
fulness. Our long horseback ride was
ended, for a carriage met US some
miles out and took US to the
city. The impression one receives as
he rides along the walled gardens Of the
place are different from those produced
| by any other city. But we can not de-
scribe our feelings as we entered the
| city about which we have heard and
read so much, the oldest city under the
sun, and founded by the grandson OF
| Noah; nor our emotions as we pass
| through the street called Straight, along
| which good Ananias went to meet Saul;
and by the site of the palace of Naa-
| man, the leper, and saw the River
Abana, as yesterday we saw Pharpar.
the rivers of Damascus that Naaman
| preferred to wash in rather than the
| Jordan.
Strange and unique Darnascusl Il is