Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1890-07-22
Letter from Jerusalem

ICorresponderco OF the Alexandria GAZErTE.l
JERUSALEM, Juae %, 1890.-fhet me
readers Of tbs GAZETTE msy koo@ that we
are yet alive ard GU the 20 we send this
from the centre OF Bible lands. We ind
Jerusalem to be e city of about $4,000 peo-
pie. Il is enclosed cy high Gaii ana hGs
about thirty watch towers and seven gates
The ancient golden gaze, through which
our Lord made His triumpbal entry Into the
city, is yet IN perfect pEeserYation ou6 is
cloaed The streets OF the City are barrow
and dark, .baiug arched over 10 many place.
Within the walls We fad the Church of the
Holy Sepuchre and ell the sacred r;tes can
nected with the cruciGxion. TIE devotion
we zee in theee sacred places, especially by
the sepuchre and st the summit OF Calvary,
makes an impression never to be forgotten;
these pilgrims from every part Of the earth
and of every tongue and color, pour out
their hearts ln the deepest devotion.
Then close By is the house Of Plate. The
birth place of the blessed Virgin and the
ancient prison for Christians. Then. nssr
the south wall, we fad the aie OF the Fem
ole 90 the summit Of Mount Morian.
Mahometen mor2ue, il which no oue is al
the Temple wsil and weep every Friday in
the meet pitifuI manner. The Jo@s era de-
spised and much abused by ths Turks, yet
there sre many returning every Yeai and
Jerusalem is being rapidly built up sgaiu,
Ga the south part of lhe city We fed the
tomb OF David On Mount ZION, which il also
uudar The charge Of the Musselmens, aud DO
Christian is allowed to see it. East OF e0d
without the walls We fud the valley Of Je-
bosaphat and the Brook KeGrou, on the
brow of which he find the Garden Of Ge,h-
ssmane, which is yet a we'll kept garden.
From here we ascer d the Mount of Olives,
unon which we fiud 6ne tower, from which
We lock away over the hills OF Judea and
the wilderness. Then. far away to he east
and beyopd, we look down On the river Jot-
dan flowing on into the Dead Sea. Here,
too, we can distinguish the mountains OF
Moab, and Nj. Eebo and the dreary plains
of Jericho, where in a recent visit we could
hardl, distinguish the site of the ancient
city, and in the dresry plain where the l.
rselites first encsmpe6 after crossing Jor-
dan The most signs of life we saw were the
fresh tracks of prowling hyena and few
tents of Bedouin bands Of robbers thus an
armed body-2uerd is necessity The
whole land OF Judea and Ssmsris is more
like desert than anything else and every
where camels are used as in the desert.
The grain is lremped out by the unmuzz'ed
OK and removed by hand as in the daye OF
Ruth and Boaz.
The little village OF Bethlehem is about
two hours walk from Jerusalem, end is io
babited by native Christian population,
where all pilgrims are we'll received. The
uauger and little stable g-otto CT the nativ-
ity is yet in perfect order with the living
rock walls, as it was 1890 years ego. 10 the
distance We see the hills upon which tho
shepherds watched their focks by night.
aud to-day aud tonight they are engaged
in the same calling on the same hills. Thus
every view presents sacred scene and
site. the description OF which we may read
10 the Bible. RAMBLER.