Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-05-01
IN THE HOLY LAND.
ANOTHER INTERESTING LETTER FROM REV
c. c. HAYS OF BRIDGEPORT.
A Pilgrimage u the Suez Desert Where hoses
Crossed the Red Sea-Sights Of Jerusalem.
The Holy City COwded-Mettng
With Bishop Kain's Party.

Special Foreign Correspondence orAe Register.
JERUSALEM, April Before leaving
Egypt three of us made pilgrimage
over the desert to Suez. to see where
the lSraeliteS crossed the Red Rea. For
many miles the railroad is through "a
bleak, barren plain, and when the train
pulled into Suez We had on thick coats
of desert sand. However, we felt well
repaid for our trip. There is mmiS-
taxable evidence that the Sea formerly
extended many miles further north than
now, and We could locate to our salts
faction the place where Moses people
crossed and Pharaohs host was drown
ed Suez is an uuattractive town of
10, 600, and is never likely TO amount to
much. The great steamers passing
through the canal do not touch Suez.
but stop at Port Ibrahim, three miles
further out. We had a jolly donkey
ride TO this point. RECALLING ourselves to
the fresh salt breeze and gathering the
richly colored shells of the beach. The
high walls of red rock. which give the
sea its name, are very marked and
prominent.
We joined the rest of our party AT
ISmalia and thence continued our jour
ney northward by boat ON the famous
Suez Canal. Nellie BY described the
Canal as "a big ditch in the sand. and
&c is about as good description as can
De given. Yet it is an invaluable high
way for the ships of the world. Vessels
of nearly AN countries pass through IT,,
bat more than half of them carry the
English flag The large ships are re-
Quired 10 go very slowly To keep from
washing away the banks. y large reve-
niue is required to keep it in repair, and
q heavy tax is imposed ON all vessels
passing through Wcmet great many
ocean steamers and saw a number Of
immense dredging machines at work TO
keep the channel open.
PORT SAID
ut the northern end of the canal is an
uncomfortable place about the size Of
Suez, aud not likely TO be much larger.
The opening of the canal has made 10
what 10 is, and many English and French
merchants have established themselves
I'm it. believing that it would become the
rival of Alexandria. But the town soon
collapsed and left the enterpriSing mer-
chants with a great quantity of wares
and nobody to buy them.
At Port Said We took ship for Jaifa
Joppa.l Our vessel was the Apollo. of
the AuStrian-Loyd linc-a good ship, but
uncomfortable crowded. We were told
that eight hours before sailing they re-
| fused fifty frSt-claSS passengers for
want of room. As 10 was many We're
compelled 10 sleep ON deck. Ii is a
| fourteen hours sail 20 Jaifa. and when
we went ON deck i'm the morning we had
| our first glimpse of the promised land,
and caught the delicious perfume of its
orange blossoms. Jatfa is the port TO
which King Hiram shipped the timber
/ for SOlomon'S temple. IL is one of the
oldest harborS I'm the world and one of
| the most dangerous. Vessels are COM
pclled Co anchor about half mile from
! shore. and passengers and freight are
taken off I'm small boats. As soon as the
quarantine commanders signal had
! been given a fleet of about thirty boats
rowed by Stalwart Arabs fastened 10
meet MS. 10 was an exciting chase and
| they came humping into one another i'm
Iuttcr reckleSSneSS and with a fearful
iarcon of tongues. Fortunately the sea
was unusually calm. although stormy
enough the night before. and we had no
/ diniculty i'm landing. Before the day
was over two boatmen were drowned In
the treacherouS harbor while rowing
I freight ashore.
AN AMERICAN DRACONIAN.
Rolla Floyd, the famous American
dragoman and tourist conductor of Pal
eStine. took us i'm charge and made MS
comfortable I'm JatIa. Mr.. Floyd came
out 10 Palestine many years ago with an
! American colony. and now he and his
wife are the only two of the original
colonists left. For long time he has
devoted himself 10 showing travellers
through the Holy Land, and he is prob
/ ably the best posted man on the ground.
/ sually lac does not accompany party
/ himself. but furnishes competent
dragoman and servants and COM
/ plcte outfit. We are delighted with
the dragoman assigned TO us. lie is a
well educated Syrian, and is a capital
| fellow in all respects. As dragoman, he
is not only our Interpreter, but is head
over the servants, and has entire charge
of the camp and equipments.
AT JaiTa our six weeks tour of PaleS-
tine aud Syria began. We 90 ON horse
| back partly of choice and also for the
/ reason that much of the way it is inn
possible TO 90 i'm carriages. and We
camp ont because it is the only way TO
De sure OF good Accommodations. Early
Tuesday morning. April LIST, we mounted
our horses for the first days ride of
twenty-five miles. The DAY was charm
ing. our horses in good order, and the
whole party i'm excellent spirits. We
| iunthcd az Ramelh, the ancient Arima-
thea, and found or tents pitched few
miles further ON at GeZcr. where We had
grand view of the Valley Of Aialon,
| and the Judcan hills. We spent our
first evening i'm camp in acquainting
ourselves with our surroundings, dis
cussing the days ride and laying plans
for the future.
A WELL EQUIPPED COMPANY.
I'm addition to our party of sixteen.
our European conductor and native
dragoman, our company consists OF
twcnty-SiN hoStlerS and muleteerS call
ed the md.dr0. two cooks and four
walters. We have an imposing caval-
cade of twenty-eight horses, eight don
KEYS. and twcnty-four mules. There
are nine large tents in the encampmcnt.
We have good beds and the best eating
We have had since leaving home. But
camp life. even in Palestine, has its
hardShipS. That first night terrific
storm came up. was wakoned by the
shots fired by the men on guard to bring
help from the neighboring villages.
| Our tents were soon surrounded by our
men. who drove the stakes deeper ana
dug trenches TO turn the water We
struck matches and found the pretty
rugs ON the floor Of our tent soaked with
water. and quite stream making It's
way among shoes and hats stray gar
u L