Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1894-04-27

Dead Sea where we waited an hour
took a bath and then to the River
Jordan, where we had bathed again to
get rid of salt water from the Dead fsea,
which is very irritating to the skin. We
rested and lunched on the banks of the
Jordan at "Pilgrims Bathing Place.
where Jesus was baptized by John,
Gilgal is neal here and we had it pointed
out to us.
[ started this letter at Jerusalem, but did
not finish it as we were hurried away on
our journey to Damascus, where we are
now March 20th.) Talk about Jordan
being a hard road to travel-'tis not So
Jordan is easy, very easy, but when you
travel from Jerusalem to Damascus, two
or three hundred, miles on horseback,
and a bucking, kicking stallion at that,
and over the toughest roads in the
world, when going up the mountains
you must hang on to your horses neck
to keep from sliding over his tail and
going down you must grab his tail to
keep from riding on his neck and ears.
Why, that you may call e hard road, and
that is just what it is. All this is for
$40 a day, rain, dust, blistered nose,
face, and ears. and other parts of the
anatomy also blistered. Some Of our
party had never been astride of a horse
before, and the third day out from
Jerusalem they could not walk and it
was painful to ride. All the riding
horses here are stations, aud such a
kicking, biting, fighting lot I never saw
One lady was kicked from her horse.
Several o thrown, and it is a wonder
they were not killed. My horse was a
tine one, but a bucker and kicker, he
nearly landed me several times, but
never got me off, although I rode all
over, that is from his ears to his tail.
However, I like the ugly brute, for he
never fell or got tired and carried me
through safely, and I was the first one
to reach Damascus, nearly two hours
ahead of the party. I must say, how
ever, that I really enjoyed the trip, and
our camping outfit and arrangements
the best I ever saw. Five Turkish tents,
good beds and we were allowed plenty
of baggage, all packed on horses and
mules. When we would reach camp
every evening, our tents would be up,
beds ready, Turkish rugs on the floor,
and an elegant lunch or dinner ready.
We made the trip in ten days, and the
trip though hard and rough was full of
interest. Will simply mention some of
the places where we visited. Bethang,
place where David fled to get away
from Saul; Tomb of Samuel; Old Shiloh,
where the Arc Of the Covenant stood for
300 years; Jacobs we'll and tomb; Syna-
gogue of the Samaritans at Nabulus,
where we saw the pentateuch, which is
1925 years old. Nabulus is the meanest
place we have yet seen, children follow
ed us and hooted, made faces, and threw
mud, and spit at us, and tried to snatch
our riding whips. Samaria we saw, where
John the Baptist was buried, passed
Kenneth (of Joshua xix-21.) March 18th
end we reached Nazareth after a hard
pull up the mountain, passing ancient
Jezred. Close by is the scene of the great
battle fought by Saul against the
Philistines. Saul, himself, fell here, and
Elisha restord child to life. In Nazareth
we saw Gabriel's Column, which marks
the spot where the angel stood, and
close by is the place where the Virgin
received the angels message, and also
the kitchen of the Virgin, the workshop
of Joseph, etc. The 18th we reached the
Sea of Galilee, where we camped on the
shore, and I had several good swims.
The sea is only fourteen miles by six,
and would only make a fifth or sixth
class lake in the United States. Was
shown the place where Simon was born,
and also the birth place of the Prophet
Jonah and Mount Beatitudes or scene
OF the ermon on the mount, where u
Lord fed SO many hungry people on so
little material. At Gamma, the original
water jars were shown in which Christ
turned water into wine. We sailed
down the Sea of Galilee to C%apernaum,
and after viewing the ruins of that
ancient city, found our horses waiting
for US, where we mounted and started
again for Damascus. But my letter is
getting too long. Arrived here yester-
day, March 10Th, and remained long
enough to see the city and will start in a
few days in carriages to Boalbec and Bey-
routh, thence by steamer to CONSTANT
nople and Greece. Hope to be home in
May. Yours truly.
H. r. PORTER.
35 Complete Novels
Neatly bound and a years subscription
to a large l6-page illustrated monthly
magazine for only 80 cents. This is q ill.,