The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-08-18

1ovisb Colonists Transforming Deserts
into Gardens-The Work OF EXplof-

,.;.,, ro1onists Transforming Deserts
INTO Gardens-The Work OF EXplof-
alton.
lord Amherst presided at the anilual
,,antine of the Palestine Exploration
Tund AT the Royal Institution, on
TUESDAY Commenting upon the report
of the years proceedings, Mr' w. VIZ
rison, M. p, remarked that 1t was Wy
fortunate that when they TOOK up Inc
work of exploring Palestine thirty
wears ago, they began AT Jerusa'ehi'
for the population Of that city was no"
three times what it was then, ana eNca-
walton would be a very Costly process
Ruf there still remained all over the
country any number of mounds win
fragments of rocks, stone ana pottery,
showing that they were the sites "
ancient destroyed towns. They hopeu
that the public would supply enough
money TO enable them to go on with
their investigations. The work cost
e1OO a month, they had now HlOo in
hand and it would be difficult to Keep
on in the autumn without substantial
aid.
Sir C. Wilson gave an address on ms
recent travels in Moab and Edohl, anu
said he was sorry to note that the TOMB
hunter who had done such lnlnlte
damage in Egypt, was abroad IN fales-
tine. Places had beer uncovered most
unskilfully by the Arabs, and their
contents had passed into the hands OF
private persons. Another great change
that was taking place was a mediaeVal
revival Of a scramble for holy places
throughout the country. The nunper
of monasteries and similar places that
had been built during the last twenty
wears was extraordinary. There was
hardly any site that was not occupied
by some large monastery or church. A
large proportion of these buildings were
of the ugliest description. and those on
elevations were little better than great
square redoubts of bare wall. In max
ing these changes a great deal of dam
age had been done to the antiquities,
not only in Palestine generally, but also
in jerusalem Another place that mad
been damaged was what was supposed
to be the site of Capernaum where the
Franciscans had covered the remains of
the synagogue and planted mulberry
trees over 1t.
A great change in the landscape of
the country was due to the Jewish colo
MES He was not at all prepared for
the extraordinary change they had eff
fected They had turned places that he
remembered as absolute waste land,
and almost desert, into the most beau
tiful gardens and fields of wheat and
barley CApplause) One especial set
a. GIpppcGfJ11
producing olives, almonds and other
fruits. and was good example of what
could be done when the land was prop
erly cultivated Baron Edouard de
Rothschid had certainly set to work
on good lines Young Jews had been
trained in the best schools of France,
and were now applying their knowl-
edge to the cultivation Of Palestine.
Whereas in 1870 the Jordan Valley was
without cultivation, 1t was now covered
with gardens, and planted with olives
and almonds. 1t was no good saying
that the Jews were not good agricultu-
rists. for he had seen them working
with their hearts and souls These coll
ones had reacted to a certain extent
on the Christian and Mohametan popu-
lation. who We're beginning to follow
French methods in cultivating their
vineyards and gardens.
His visit to Moab and Edom was
very short one, amounting almost to a
scamper through the two districts, but
he was able to realize the formation of
the country. 1t was due to the fracture
of the earth's crust which formed the
Jordan valley In the lowest part they
had sandstone, and on that very high
limestone plateau overlooking the Dead
Sea. Then they had a great tract of
country running east, that was like the
downs of the South of England or the