The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-05
LrRrstLEM rs IT u.
A.. Iaterssuns De-criptioa sr che no,y
JIty ~ Pierre Loti.

WI $780, $3.50 "f@A' - 'e~W bNA -
The Crusades. without windows and vttho,,
roofs. on the damp pavements and under a
sky still obscure appeared the costumes Of
the East. worn by Turks. Bedoulns, and Jews.
The yomen looked like phantoms with their
long wells.
The town still remains saracen. On the way
noticed that we were passing through an
Oriental bazaar, where the stands we're occu-
piei by vendors wearing turbans; and in the
shadow Of the covered little streets there
moved along slowly n file Of enormous camels,
which compelled US to take shelter in the door.
ways. \ little further on we we're again
obliged 10 stand aside tn make room for a long
and strange procession Of Russian women. all
about 90 years old at least. They walked rap
Idly. leaning upon sticks or umbrellas, and
wearing failed dresses and fur cloaks. Their
faces. with an expression OF fatigue and
suffering. were framed, as II were, by black
handkerchiefs, presenting a dark and gloomy
picture IN the midst OF the high colors Of the
Orient. They moved along with an excited
and at the same time an exhausted air. Jos
fling everything and everybody without no.
ticing anything. like somnambulists. with
nJed eyes. as IL in a celestial drea m and old
mouths by hundreds succeeded them. with
the same expression Of ecstasy on their faces.
Upon their breasts were, many medals. indi-
eating that they we're old soldiers. They had
entered the Holy City the day before. and were
coming back from their first visit to the place
OF alteration. where l was going. Poor pill
g-im-' they come. here bi thousands, travel
or snow. suffering from hunger. and leaving
MANY OF their dead upon the roads.
As they approack.t the Eastern objects upon the
stands disappear to give place to objects of OBJ
scnre Christian piety-6eads By the thousand.
crosses. religious l!amp-. images, and Icons.
e-ima stop to purchase the little beads made OF
woc4- and little two-cent, cructfi xes. which they
At last. in an old wall, rough as a rock, there
appears a sh1peless opening. narrow and low.
And by u series Of descending steps we come out
IN front OF the Basilica OF the Holy Sepulchre.
Here it is customary 70 uncover. as soon as the
Holy Sepulchre comes into view. People pass
there bareheaded. even when simply crossing il
to continue the route through Jerusalem. II Is
crowded with poor men and women. praying
pilgrims, and vendors of crosses and chaplets
who spread out their wares upon the venerable
and '"orf flags. Among tie pavements and
socles, still embedded, of columns which for
merry supported bastlicls that were RACED long
All IS a heap Q, ruins in this city which has IN:
cism has sacked. The high walls. whose stones
are converts or charels. One might fancy that
they were fortresses.. In the BACKGROUND. higher
and more sombre than all, stands the broken
and worn mass which forms the FACADE of the
Holy Sepulchre, and has all the appear
ances of irregularities Of n great rock. II has
two enormous p~ortiCos OF the twelfth century.
nordered by ornaments strange and archaic.
One is walled up. and, the other. wide open.
thousands OF little flames. Chants. cries. and
discordant lam antattOns. lugubrtous to the
ear. escape from this opening. mingled With
Or entering we find ourselves in a sort Of YES
thule. revealing the magnificent depths where
.nnumerable lamps are burning. Turkish guards
armed US II FOR a massacre. occupy the en-
trance. Seated like, sovereisns on a large
diyan. they look with scoTn upon tn e passing
adCrers Of this place. which, from their point
OF view, is the disgrace OF Mohammedan Jeru-
n sslsH' he aIa Sf 10 eai fh e k fs5SSl2%sh a iHith'. them
Oh. that uaexpected and never-to-be forgot
ten impression which one RECEIVES ndv on ,s ehterInS
OF dark sanctuaries OF al periods and OF all as
poets. COMMUNICATING by bays and %porticos,
like the entrances to caverns. some are ele-
waited like high tribunes. where wo notice in
wells; Others, underground. where we brush
against ,spectres a!on1 the sides or the
black and damp rock; and all this in a sort OF
OF livht, which intensity the neighboring OBJ
%scuritY, the whole infinitely, starred by the lit
descend in thousands from the vault. And
everywhere we lind crowds moving along, or
standing grouped according to their nationali-
ties around the tabernac.es.
Psalmodtes, lamentations, and Joyous chants
chraI so1ori,ies below the nasal meIop@is OF
the tiree&s, broken by the shouts NJ the kopts
and in all these voices there is an tntermin-
kAiiaS Va sA"h nina B'HsN b.chtAh NHS NS
cords in a manner indescribatly strange. and
sounding like the great wall Of humanity. the
last cry OF its d stress in the presence OF death.
The rotunda with a high cqpola, into which
We hrst enter and from, which we can imagine
occupied in the centre by a grand kiosk of
marble of semi-barbarous beauty and loaded
with silver lamps. II enclOses the stone OF the
sepulchre. Allaround this holy kiosk the crowd
gathers or remains stationary. On one side
there are hundreds OF ~mouiiks and matouch-
mas Sneeling upon the fags. On the other are
the women OF Jerusalem standing upright and
wearing long white wells. One would take
Arabs prostrateet, with their fore le:lds on the
flags; TURKS with drawn sabres. and people OF
ali c)mmUnions and OF all languages.
one does not remain long in this almost sur
fOcat.nZ portion OF the Holy Sepulchre. which
oAaoels.. PROFESSIONS pass on in single ME.
escn individual lowing his head. The entrance
naneated. The sepulchre is within. encased in
marble. upon which there are innumerable
icons and lamps OF gold. A the same time
with me there passed a Russian soldier and a
poor old woman in rags and an Oriental woman
dressed in garments OF brucade. All kissed the
covering OF the tomb and wept. Others fol-
lowed them: indeed. there Is an eternal proces-
sion Of pilgrims, touching and moistenInS with
their tear. those very, same stones.
There is no fixed plan In this cluster OF
churches and chapel5 around the holy kiosk.
SOME are large and marvellously sumptnous;
with old age, in obscure corners cut into the
roLS. And here and there the rock of Calvary
appears In the MUST OF rlcn all dECEhIC Ornd
ments. The contrast is strange between so
many heaped up treasures icons OF gold.
crosses. Of gold, and lamps OF gold,and the
rags Of the pilgrims. tie dilapidatton OF the
walls and pillars. worn, deformed. and greasy
from the constant contact with so much hui
man flesh.
The affairs OF all the different faiths are 50
thoroughly mixed here that priests and pro-
Passions 20 astray. They force their way through
the rro"i, carrying censers; and preceded by
flags with the ends or their halberds. Room
lhere;' Here come the LatLns, that pass Ike
q golden caasuble. zone side" Leading his
Hoes. here comes the Bishop OF the syrians with
Q ,oug white beard. Then come the Greeks. stu
wearing Byzantine or Abysstn.Ans
with their dark faces They march on, in their
s'm2tgoIs vestments. preceded by children car
ry.Ag ceHsers, andthe crowd makes ,wayfor them;
Accompanying this human tide there Is a kind
OF continuous rumbling, the incessanL sound
OF psalMOdtes and little bells. Almost every
where u Is so DARK that, in order TO get along;
II + necessary To carry a little candle; and
qnier the high columns and in the dark gal
!eries a thousand little flames move in streams
anu elG!cS, constantly going and coming. Aen
pray a.ogt and sob, passing from one chapel 10
anotheT, here u kiss the rock where the cross
va planted, there u kneel down where saints
May and MaGtalene wept. Priests call you by
A.FTa - 49, EW2Na IAasa mn