Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-01-24
LETTER FROM PALESTINE.
An Interesting Journey From Jafra
TO Haifa.

I AahA-A ~ r " a. saAAAAAtN - tsssssAN
. at the map Of the Holy Land 1t
i found that the road from JafIa I
\ Haifa passes for the greater par
q ever the celebrated Plain Of Sharon
/. This plain, which extends from Jafi
! to CIesarea, and from the mountain
a Of Judel and Samaria to the Med
; terranean, was ancientiy famed 70
h its fertility and suitability for pas
e turage. Here the rose Of Sharon
! which furnished Solomon with on
( Of his graudest poetical figures o
spec h, is supposed 10 have grown
= (SOngs Of Solomon, ii. u. Over thi
. lOwery plain Prophets and Apes
ties have often trod. AIyriads o
Crusaders have here felt theil
hearts swell with wild enthusl
asni. As the great plain is today
il reminds one OF the word Of God;
"Fhe earth mourneth and Ianguish-
eth; Lebanon is ashamed and hewn
down; Sharon Is like wilderness;
Isaiah 3S, 81 But in seeing this,
how joyful it is to remember, at the
same time, that there still is hope
for the desolate places. "The will
derness and the solitary place shall
be glad; the excellency of Carmel
and Sharon, they shall see the glory
o. the Lord and the eXcellency Of
our God" Isaiah Xxxv, l,2l.
was contemplating these truths
as | rode out from JIila in company
with Brother Smart one day at the
beginning Of this moth, in order to
l visit Haifa. On the route between
these two cities but few objects Of
interest are found to common tour
/ lists except what remains Of the once
celebrated town Of Cesarea. One
/ drives through the thrifty little
German colony Of SarOna, aud then,
after little while, crosses the largest
river on the plain. At this time OF
the year, owing to an unusual scar
city Of rain, one could cross the
river on foot, jumping from rock t.
rock. But in the late spring, when
river and brooks are full Of water. IL
is quite deep. However, the don
keys, horses and clmels usually
wade it, with riders in the saddles.
y great object OF interest to me
was the Jewish colony, a little farther
on, called Photdch IIckUeh, 1.-THE Door
Of Hope. We halted ut this place for
an hour and half, and had n good
opportunity to look round, the streets,
though falling shower Of rain did
not contribute to the pleasure.
Like the rest Of the Jewish colonies.
this "D01r Of Hope" presented an
inviting appearance. A great well |
or cistern in the entrance to the |
colony, from the interior Of which |
water was constantly drawn by n /
blindiOlded mule, working an ince-
NOUS but rudely constructed pump.
was a prominent feature OF
the establishment. The water
was good, and even the
surrounding BedOuins, whose tents
were seen in picturesque groups at a
distance on the plains, seemed 10
appreciate its qualities. / conclude
this from the fact that dark, bare
armed damsels were constantly seen
coming to fill their big jars at the
well; and it was interesting to see
representatives of the two brother
nations, the Jews and the Arabs,
IN unity and peace, enjoy the re-
gift Of Nature. Water al
ways was, and probably always will
be, precious thing in Palestine.
From Phetdch TiclUeh we drove
on over the plain, passing the ruins
Of Arsuf, an interesting edifice, i'm :
posing even in its destroyed condi-
ton. From the explanations given ;
oy the driver, who, by the way, was ,
! young Jew from Jaiia, gathered
hat this Is the place by Josephus :
mentioned rs ApOllOnia. The
river told me that here was fought q
he last battle between the Jews and
he Romans, but he evidently
mixed history up little, referring
ather to the battle between the ar
mics Of Saladin and Ca,ur de Lion.
n the year lI9l. Round these :,
uiI.s Bedouins swarm, Ignorant.
gobably, Of the fact that they are
reading on the dust Of immortal
eroes- Buiial0es are seen feeding ,
n the adjacent marshes. J
Now the road continues through
fertile land. We pass several
illlges, all quite diminutive. The I
oys congregate rs our vehicle an
reaches, and a shower Of rocks and
eh0les are thrown ut US. Some OF
lese missiles hit the wagon. and
lake our friend the Jew feel Ike -.
ronouncing a blessing upon the r.
tile sinners. One Of my fellow
lssengers, an Arab, jumps out and T.
iers to take up the battle single. UI
lnded against the whole mob. He
ivanees . few steps with rapid
rides, and sends few rocks into
Ie ranks Of the attacking army. q
mic ensues. The said army. bare
Of etc, runs bowling, each man
: own way, to find shelter in the viii
sc. Our valiant defender. the n
ran, Resumes his seat in the wagon III
ID triumphantly We, that Is our n
'rses, trudged along. Never was III
more uneven battle fought except
Ihermopyle. The battle of Mar
where each Swede fought Sc
ainst ten Russians-was nothing
impaired to this. -
The place of interest on this mad
as already minated, CTsarea
W called Kaisa iyeh. It, vnsi
ms now serve mainly as m1arris,
li,iuIhg rocks are constantly car
q away from here and used for
lluing up other places. Thus
my oil the elegant new edifices Of a
Ia are made up of rocks from the
zen palaces of the HerOdian city
'esarea was built by Herod the
at, who spared no pains nor ex
Use IN Its erection. This monarch
celebrated for his great architec-
a. enterprises. In Jerusalem he
IL a theatre, an amphitheatre n
az palace and commenced the
,oraticn OF the temple. The old
ital OF the kingdom Of the ten
rs, Samaria, he Reconstructed
gave It a new name. Sehast,.
Tyre, Sidon, Beirouth, DAM
Is, Antochia, and even Athen
e by him ornamented with 9,
lumental edifiees. C;esarea &C
an important city on the
d between Egypt and Pho
a. A Herod, with an eye open
ne advantages Of the situaiion -
all he could TO secure its pros, G.
~, and succeeded so wei that out.
E time after his death, Casarea REM REM
the chief town in Palestine. =.
as the residence Of Festus ami m n
X, and other Roman governors Or
since the time of the crIisades City
place has gradually sunk into e 1s