Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-04-11
TWO YANKEES ABROAD.
SECOND PART.---PALESTINB.
TENTING FROM NAZARETH TO
DAMASCUS

TENTING FROM NAZARETH TO
DAMASCUS.
iprH H.-On a knoll, near Nazareth,
an American doctor began a hospital some
years ago the Turks stopped him wanted
big sum for the permission In an hour
we reach the village of Cana, with its
spring, visit the Latin church, guided by an
Italian German monk listen to many leg.
ends, and resume our way across plain
and stony hills, pass by the field from which
the disciples ate wheat on a Sabbath. After
a long ascent we reach a tableland near the
Mount of Beatitudes Mother declines
wisely 10 visit il, and sticks to her palan-
! quin. The Professor starts with Ahbed
across fields, up stony knOlls a gazelle
runs away at our approach finally we are
on the top, and have my first view of the
| Sea Of Galilee. Well Jesus never deliv-
cred here his celebrated Sermon on the
Mount, on this abrupt, high summit all
round are a thousand places more appro-
| pirate TO the fact. The high plateau ex
tends almost to the lake, ends with high
bluffs from which the view is most glori-
Gus. 1t is easy TO imagine Jesus seated on
one Of those big stones delivering the Be
attitudes. There are also hundred valleys
or slopes most appropriate to the multiplied
ton Of bread and fishes for the multitude
but what of it The spot is nothing, the
view is everything, and we drink in morally
the Lake Of Genesareth whose blue waters
are below u.s. whose brown hills are tinted
with the sunset it is the whole country
which is interesting, not an isolated spot
A Bedwin woman and her four children
appear ON the scene, so poor, so miserable
that of our own accord we give them back
shish.
For nearly an hour we have to go down,
down, in order TO reach Tiberias We pass
through it, look at its ruined citadel at its
walls half down since the earthquake of
1887, at the Jews who form a majority of
population they are poor set, despised,
lazy, living on charity. Tiberas is, with
Jerusalem and third place, one of the
three holy cities in which pious Jews wish
to die. Drones aggregate where bees make
honey. Most of the houses have on their
fiat roofs an arbor made of foliage and
branches during the summer the people
sleep in them, escaping thus the confine.
ment and the insects Of their poor abodes
below From a distance Tiberias looks
like heap Of oyster shells; nearer like a
feudal city nearer yet like a faded. de
cayed, ruined old belle yet its verdure
and its few palm trees are attractive.
We leave the city through broken wall,
find our camp 20 minutes further on. near
hot springs celebrated in the country, and
attracting large concourse Of people We
are on the very shore Of the lake the wa
ter is clear, pure, limpid The lake is 300
feet below sea level at sunset it is beauti-
full, beautiful, beautiful The Professor
visits the baths they are surrounded with
motley crowd of people from near and
far, camping under booths and tents a
dozen women holding the hands of each
other form a round they walk, chant,
and seem to enjoy themselves. If one is
careful not to intrude too near, not to
laugh, knows how to be open handed, he
may see much without danger The inte-
rior of the baths is like a steam bath Flies
and insects abound around our candles
Thermometer 20 at SP. NJ
april !f.-Thermometer GO at "A. NJ
% at ! p. NJ A red letter day, to be re
membered as long as We live. Splendid
sunrise our patient quite happy and smil
ing. We have engaged a boat to carry us
TO the northern extremity of the lake, 10
what was Capernaum 1t is an old, heavy
boat, rowed by four men plus boy who
take turns to ply most primitive oars. 1t
is slow business, but it could be slower vet.
we would not demonstrate The day is en-
chanting we sit on a carpet, read chap.
tiers in the gospels, look at the landscape,
pass Tiberias, most picturesque from the
lake, with bits of red dresses scattered on
the walls. Our boatmen are great chatter
ers the Professor requests them to stop
while he is reading aloud. We have with
us only Selim, the dragoman. On all sides
hills, brown, green, sunny.
In two and half hours we land at Tell
Hum (hll of hum, caper means village,
village of nahum or hum find number
OF old stones belonging once 70 some edifice,
rude sculptures, a stony shore, remnants of
an old church, four walls only. The shores
are covered with oleanders in full bloom.
In ten minutes we have seen all that re-
mains of Capernaum, the home of Jesus at.
ter he had left Nazareth We are careful
about snakes lurking amongst the stones
We resume our boat and reach what was
Bethsaida, with big spring, an Arab mill,
across the brook A fisherman, built as
Hercules, scantily clad, hairy limbs, is
throwing his net along the shore ; he wades,
the fish net is tied round his belt we buy
twelve fish for twenty-five cents they are
a sort of founder or big sunhsh full of
bones, but will he a change in our some.
what stereotyped bill of fare The fisher
man is modern Simon or Peter, or John
or Andrew. Thus they ished in old times
At Ain el-Tineh, fountain of the fig tree,
we are carried TO terra frma aud abandoned
by our boatmen, who are afraid of a storm
and wish to hurry back Yesterday the
lake was covered with white caps, today it
is as calm as a mirror light breeze has
arisen, and for the last hour, as we have
sailed, our men have sung their native
songs at our request they have picked up
many shells which are legion along the
shores, small, tiny ones the boy has played
attendance on our lady, who falls in love
with his dark eyes and gives him an extra
half-franc. If only the older men do not
steal it away from him We have paid
them 20 francs, a very big price for the
country. Our enjoyment is worth ten
times the sum. Here we find our animals,
which have come along the shore with our
lunch donkey. We sit behind bush and
are stihed with the heat, so as soon as cof-
fee has been served | return to the shore
and begin to pick shells madame follows
with her escort, Selim, and a poor woman
who has inherited our remnants she is
picking wood, has little boy, and is tat
toed from the roots of her hair down to her
chin. By signs and gestures she is induced
TO pick shells, which she does with great
zeal and ability, and earns some small Turk
sh coppers plus silver half-franc. She
has never owned such treasure Selim is
obliged to explain its value. Mr.. Professor,
when his pockets and gloves are full, pulls
off his socks and battles his feet in the
stream formed by the spring, while he huns
the only hymn he ever could learn. Moth
er admires his beautiful voice, and declares
that she is the most happy mortal in the
world her words are noted most carefully
for future reference.
And so time flies We must leave the
enchanting shore, its shells, flowers. springs,
resume our saddles and climb, climb, for
one and one half hours, during which we
meet numerous hocks of sheep and goats
we are again amongst the Jordan Bedwins.
We find our camp at the Well of Joseph,
at the top of the hills, whence we can yet
see the lake. Here Joseph was sold by his
brothers, perhaps, but not probably. Our