The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1901-06-05

fore the rising sun had begun to gild the
hilltops we were winding our way along
toward the Dead Sea which we reached
after six hours hard riding. This sea has
been pictured too oflen not to recognize
it at the first glance. All that has been
said about its saline qualities is true, It's
bitter, A good many of the party fol-
lowed the usual custom of taking swim
in its waters. They floated like corks.
Fat fellows could not get low enough in
the water to swim, while lean novice
broke all his former records by swim
ming without a bladder or board. They
got swim but they didn't get bath, or
a good old fashioned wash which perhaps
they needed most after the hot, dusty
ride, They might as well have taken a
swim in the dregs of an oil tank. Amer
several days they succeeded in getting the
slime off their skin and hair. l didn't
indulge, having been torewarned, but
waited for the moro refreshing waters of
Galilee. For three days the road over
whicH we travelled was bad beyond de-
scription. Part Of the time we were ON
the old road which for 90 years has been
used as highway through Samaria from
Jerusalem, and on the whole trip but
once-from Nazareth to Tiberias did we
find what made any pretence to a road.
One of my surprises has been the
roughnt s. and barrenness of the country
but especially its rockiness. To us it
seemed hard stretch of the Imagination
to picture it teemirg with floc $ and
herds, and supporting large population.
Small herds here and there are seen be-
ing led along on the hillsides hunting
pasture but it seemed forlGrn quest in
many places. The country around Beth
ell and All is specially noteworthy in this
respect. The hills are high and steep
and somewhere level ground is found. 1t
was with difficulty we could wind our
way through. 1t was while passing
through the temper and endurance of the
company was tried. Quite a number of
the party had never ridden horse before
and but very few OF us knew ANYTHING
about riding. so that through nervous
ness and WEAKNESS it was day long to
be remembered by many of them. In
one place we we're descending the hill
where we had to walk and no less than
two riding horses and one pack horse
came tumbling down over the rocks like
foot ball kicked from the top of the hill.
One pack mule had his leg broke this
day. This was the hard part of it and it
was hard. Rehoboam made bad mess
of 1t when he scorned the advice OF the
old men and thereby lost all the country
north of Bethel. Above this there were
some fine valleys, all the more beautiful
because of their rough setting When we
came TO these we lost sight of our hard
ships in admiration of the beautiful little
valleys, The first one we saw was at our
first Sunday camp, Sinjil. We were
about 400 or 500 feet above the valley on a
hill from which we could see the Medi-
terranean and long distances in every
other direction. At our feet lay this val
ley and over on the other side was Shiloh.
What restful Sabbath day this was to
us all, in the midst of such hallowed as
sociations. The day was perfect and ai-
ter breakfast walked away from camp a
short distance to read the Bible references
connected with this landscape. No one
could forget the beautiful story of Han
nah and little Samuel. But we had also
to read the darker story of Shiloh's which
followed. 1t was morning of delight.
At 1880 DIR. Leeper preached most ex-
cellent sermon and at 4:30 we had C.. L.
meeting which led. Passages of scrip
ture were read and commented upon re-
ferring to places we had already seen.
We spent an hour profitably l am sure.
Then we walked to the hill top to see tue
sun sink to rest in the blue waters of the
Mediterranean. Two days later we
crossed the plains of Jezreel and Aesdrae-
Ion in passing from camps Jenin to Naz-
areth. This is really one plain on the
west side but the Gilboa mountains where
Saul met his Waterloo, iut out into the
valley and divides il. Jezreel sits on the
western extremity of this elevation.
This valley was the scene OF fixing the
greatest number of destinies than any
other in the world. To the west is Mt.
Carmel, where Elijah met the priests of
Baal, on the east little Hermon, Mt. Ia
Dor and Gilboa. In the valley Jezreel,
Shuneen, Main, Kishon. with Nazareth
in sight on the hillside.
How far and how much one can see
from Nazareth. 1t is beautiful town,
for the east, and has better class of peo-
Pile than most we have seen. A great
many christians live here and seem to
appreciate that it was once the home of
our Lord. They can show you anything
you want to see almost connected with
His life there.
A carriage way leads through from
Haiia on the coast TO Tiberias on the Sea
of Galilee. A lew of our weary ones
took advantage of this and rode in car
riages, arriving at Tiberias for lunch.
The rest Of the day we spent by these his
torical waters.
Very sincerely.
J. V. McANINCH.