The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-02-05
HOMEWARD BOUND.
Rev. DR.. Talmage Writes Letter
Descriptive Of His Trip.
His Journeyings in Palestine and Some OF
the Hardships Encountered A
Stormy Night on Mount Her.
mona Corner Stone for
the Brooklyn Taber-
naCle.

reacn you aDOuJ Jne MOnuay Unab Will
find me on the Atlantic Ocean, from
which ] can not reach you with the
usual sermon. have completed the
journey of inspection for which / came.
Others may write life of Christ with
out seeing the Holy Land. did not
feel competent for such work until l
had seen with my own eyes the sacred
places, and so left home and church
and native country for most arduous
undertaking. / have visited all the
scenery connected with our Lords his
tory. The whole journey has been to
me surprise, an amazement, grand
rapture, or deep solemnity. have
already sent to America my Holy Land
observations for my "Life Of Christ"
and they were written on horseback, on
muleback, on camelback, 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 Genesaret, but 1t will take twenty
years OF sermons to tell what 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 Mediterrean and Adriatic
and Egean and Dardanelles and Mar
mora seas have treated us we'll. Since
we left New York we have had but a
half day and one night of storm, and
that while crossing Mount Hermon. But
let only those in robust health attempt
to 90 the length of Palestine and Syria
on horseback. do not think it is be-
cause Of the unhealth of the climate in
Holy Land that so many have sickened
and died here or afterward as result Of
visiting these lands, but because of the
fatigues of travel. The number of miles
gives no indication of the exhaustions Of
the way. A hundred and fifty miles in
Palestine and Syria on horseback de-
mand as much physical strength as four
hundred miles on horseback in regions
OF easy journey. Because 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 on De-
cember 18 that the tempest struck us
and drenched the mountains. One OF
the horses falls and we halt amid a
binding rain. 1t is freezing cold. Fin
gers and feet like ice. Two hours and
three-quarters before encampment We
ride on in silence longing for the ter
minous of to-day's pilgrimage. 1t is
through the awful inclemency Of the
weather, the only dangerous day Of the
journey Slip and slide and tumble and
climb and descend we must, sometimes
on the horse and sometimes of, 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. My room is
covered with roof Of goats hair. A
feeble fire mid-hoor, but no chimney.
II 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
tho other in the wall, through which
latter opening l occasionally find an
Arab face thrust TO see how / am pro.
crossing. But the door is open, so
have some light. This is an afternoon
and night never TO be forgotten for its
exposure and acquaintance with the
hardships OF what an Arab considers
luxurious apartment. sat that night
by fire, the smoke OF which, fndingno
appropriate place OF exit, took Judgment
In my nostrils and eyes. For the first
time in my life 1 realized that chimneys
were luxury but not necessity. The
only adornments In this room were rep
reservations OF two tree branches in
the mud OF the wall. circle supposed
TO mean a star, bottle hung from the
ceiling, and about twelve indentions
made 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 at
this season we should have rain and
snow and hail throughout our journey.
For the mostpart IL has been sunshine
and tonic atmosphere, and not mo-
ment has our journey been hindered.
Gratitude to God is with us the DOM
inant emotion.
Having visited the scenery connected
with Christ's life was glad TO close my
journey by passing through the apostolic
lands and seas. You can hardly imagine
our feelings as we came. In sight Of Da-
mascus, and on the very road where Saul
was unhorsed at the fash 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 new prepar-
alton for usefulness. Our long horseback
ride was ended, for 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 son OF Noah;
nor our emotions as we pass through the
street called Straight, along which good
Ananias weat to met Saul; and by the
side Of the palace Of Naaman 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
Damascusl 1t is worth while to cross the
Atlantic and Europe TO see It. Though