New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-13
PALESTINE TODAY.
,r,vrsu ,-OrONIsTs TRANSFORMING DIES
ERTS INTO GARDENS-THE WoRh
OF EXPLORATION

From The Birmingham Post.
Lord Amherst presided at the annual nee.t ia;
of the Palestine Exploration Fund. at the toya
institution on Tuesday Commenting uPoi t
report of the years proceedings MI W no' t
SON NJ p remarked that 1t was very loitu,
that when they took up the work OF ''
Palestine thirty years ago, they began at 'el u
salem for the population of tiat city was NV ,
three times what 1T was then. ana "a. etiu
would be a very costly process But theIe ~
remained all over the country any nuihpeI %
mounds with fragments OF rocks. stone anu 20
terry showing that they were the SITES Vi 'tIic
DESTROYED towns. They hoped that the Pupiin
would supply enough money 70 enaDle lne" W
go on with their Investigations Ihe worh ooa t
100 a month they had now tlVo IN haIu. anu
II would be dlfflcut 10 Keep Oh III ''i'
without substantial aid 80. .,.,,,
Sir G.. Wilson gave an address on ne ,
travels in Moab and Edom ana Saio ne va
sorry TO note that the tomb hunter VINO hau
done such infinite damage in Egypt, was aprudu
in Palestine. Places had been uncovered mos,
unskilfuliy by the Arabs. and their contents han
passed into the hands OF private peIsohS' Nh
other great change that was taking place was
A medieval revival Of scramble Tor hoiy p'dt''
throughout the country. The NUMBER OF nouns
terics and similar places that had peeh uull'
during the last twenty years was extraordinary
There was hardly any site that was not occupltu
by some large monastery or church. Iat y.
PROPORTION of these buildings were OF the usil'S'
Jrscription and those on elevations were lttle
better than great square redoubts OF bare WAL
In making these changes a great deai oi Id'l-
Palestine generally. but also in Jerusalem an
other place that had been damaged was What
was supposed to be the site Oh Caperhauh'
where the Franciscans had covered the remains
Of the synagogue and planted mulberry iers
over il.
4 great change In the landscape OF the country
was due 10 the Jewish colonies He was not AT
an prcuatcd for the extraordinary change they
had effected. They had turned places that he
remembered as absolute waste land and almost
desert into the most beautiful gardens and helds
Of wheat and barley. Applause) one especlal
scttlem, mt had been most successful in produc-
ing olives almonds and other fruits, and was \
good example OF what could be done when the
land was properly cultivated. Baron EdOuard
dc RothsChild had certainly set to work on Eooi
lines Young Jews hao been trained IN the best
schools Of France, ana were now applying merry
knowledge to the recultlyation OF Palestih" .
Whereas in 1870 the Jordan Valley was withor ]
cultivation il was now covered with Gard"I 4
and planted with almonds and olives. 1t was
good saying THAI the Jews were not good az,
culturiss. for h. had seen them working with
their hearts and souls These colonies mad re-
acted To a certain extent on the christian ana
Mahomctan population. who were beginning ID
follow French methods in cutIvatlng their vine
yards and gardens
one amounting almost To a scamper through tn
two districts. but he was able To realize he
formation of the country. 1t was due to he
fracture Of the earths crust which formed The
Jordan Valley In the lowest part they had
sandstone and on that a very high limestone
plateau overlooking the Dead Sea. Then trey
was like the downs of the South OF England or
the wolds of Yorkshire. and he believed that
this country OF the richest possible desc y
ton. 1t was cut up by deep ravines, which n
the higher part were rich valleys and then sud
denly dropped down to rocky deliles. like tue
canyons of America.
He had been very much struck by the way IN
which the physical conditions of the country
agreed with the descriptions in the Bible H.
was unprepared to find plateau over 1000 f"et
high. In the south of Edom there the mos
dreadful desert that he had ever travelled over
For two days II was as fiat "A table and GOV
cred with loose black tlintS and the effect unde
a hot most trying. There
curious fight going on in Palestine between. RuS
STA. As representing the Russian branch of tn
Greek Church. and the Greek Church itself. Tn
Russians had started "A great number of school
where Russian was taught and their object
to create a National Church in Palestine. Tt
Greek Orthodox Church resisted this
strongly. and OF the incidents Of the gam
now being played the hosting by tho
Greeks last Easter OF the Turkish hat
the campaniie Of the Church of tn
Holy Sepulchre. That was the first time II
history when the Turkish flag had been hoistei
any building connected with the Church IN
Turkey.