The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-06-08

that wonderful book of Job was written
and here the psalms of the religious world
were written and this now wild and desolate
land once had master builders who planned |
and constructed marvellous buildings. The
other morning l climbed up a rocky noun
tain side 1900 feet to see the ruinssof one OF
these wonderful structures $50 feet long,
800 wide, rising to height of 1875 feet, all
of massive stones, 80 joined with mortar as
to still remain many of them in place after
1900 years and such a profrsion of arches,
caverns, cisterns, man-holes and secre
vaults, all enclosed with massive ramparts.
Here in the time of the crusaders Christians
fortified themselves against the Musselmen.
these ruins and far down in one of the
caverns, once cistern, we could hear some
noise. What it was we could not tell but
the painful feeling came to me that there
may have been thee donkeys feeding and
one of them slipped down into this dark
and to him living tomb.
You who have been out on the lakes with
me boating should have been in our party
taking sail on the Sea of Galilee last week.
We stopped all night in the noted Jewish
city Tiberias on the west side of the lake
about midway from North to South. We
wanted to go to Tell Hum the site of Caper-
mum which is the city where Christ called
Matthew from the receipt of CUSTOM" The
sail of about nine miles along the west and
north shore, passing Magdala and Bethsaida
or their sites we expected to make between
10 a. m and d. m. 1t was sight and a
picnic getting started. The four bronzed
clergymen finally got settled, then came the
placing of the riggings and the manning of
the ship, boat sufficient to carry 20 per-
sons, natives came to their places First
we were becalmed and they rOwed in good
native style. finally we rounded a cape,
were caught in gale and with ssraining
sales shot along at perhaps 10 miles hour,
the Englshman and l. who have all our
| lives been accustomed to boating, were de-
| lighted the rest with the crew were alarmed,
once or twice we shipped little water.
The natives are very superstitious about
| this sea and often you cannot see single
craft on its waters and when afternoon comes
| and the squalls fit over the sea you cannot
get the natives to lift anchor, so in to the
shore they headed and at 11.30 a. M, cast
| the anchor over the bow and our boat slowly
dragging the anchor came to shore and
| there, which was no where except on the
| wild shore of the lake, they left us. They
were six and we were four and they simply
became bold, refused to go, demand their
money and threatened us. We held out in
a glorious fight for more than an hour, then
compromised and we walked around the
head of the lake to Tell-Hum, and then out
to the old site of Bethsaida to the large
house of German priest and doctor who is
at the head Of proposed German colony.
There we remained all night and the next
morning our horses were brought and we
rode away. "All right" this is an express
sion which the Arabs all understand. $50
ahead" "stop," FINISHED" ''very good"
are also understood and used by those who
serve as muleteers and servants.
This writing is interrupted at this point,
laid aside to be finished in the morning. In
the morning my dragoman called for me one
hour earlier than expected and so in ten
minutes | must mount my Arabian mag"
and away over the mountains, along the
gorges of the Arbana, toward Baalbec,
where we expect to arrive Tomorrow at
p. m.
am keeping fairly well, but find myself
under the excitment and interest of the trip,
working pretty hard to get everything.