The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1907-11-07
FOREIGN TRAVELS
SiGelightS On An Extended Trip
Through The Orient
TIE LANDING At JAFFA
Father Artz Writes Entertainingiy
OF Ills Travels In the East Dur
ing the Present Season

Father ART, who returned during
lie summer from an extended trip
through the East, had kindly consented
u preapre, for publication in The
Herald, a series of sketches of his
journeys. The Herald is very glad
to secure the services of the reverend
gentleman for this purpose and feels
sure that the public Will be greatly
Interested and instructed by reading
tie articles in question. The first
sketch, entitled Landing at Jaffa,' -
follows:
Scarcely a week passes in which
Christians do not occupy their
thoughts with something connected
with the Holy Land. The history
OF Israel had a worldwide interest
They were the chosen people of God.
Their land came in closer relation
to God than any other part of the
world. Here GCd made known His
glory; here He spoke by the prophets;
here He worked great signs and won
ders: here He nursed a seed of hui
mainly through the long ages
of waiting until Christ came. This
alone should give Palestine preemin-
ence in religious interest over all
other lands and should move every
man to endeavor to learn something
on Palestine, of its customs and con-
ditions of life.
After brief visit at Rome, Naples,
Taronto, Brindisi, Alexandria and
Cairo in Egypt, the ship Milo anchor
ed in the sea before Jaffa on May
%, 1907, at 6 a. m. A scrambling
Yelling horde of Arabs came out in
boats to bring the passengers ashore.
There are no wharves on the Syrian
coast, and the Turkish government Is
not willing that there should be any,
first because it would render easier
the landing of hostile force in case
of war; and secondly, it would take
away the Occupation of the boatmen.
The traveller is soon made 10 feel
that he is come to a land where law
and order are in a very primluye
state. Were ii not for the protec-
ton afforded their citizens by their
respective consuls, conditions would
become intolerable.
The sea at Jaffa is very often rough
A reef of rocks stretches along in
the sea some distance from the shore,
and the landing in a storm is pre-
carious undertaking. In the winter
the steamers often are obliged TO
abandon the attempt They then
continue the voyage up to Betrouth,
and stop again at Jaffa on the way
back
There is no fixed price for the SER
vices of the boatmen. From one to
two francs will suffice, but the Arabs
will always demand much more. The
proper way to deal with them is to
affect indifferece in regard to land
ing. They are practiced in their pro-
fession, and they readily distinguish
the cool, prudent traveller from the
nervous, timid one; the latter is their
prey. They often shrek and strug-
gle for no other purpose than to
brighten the traveller, hoping thereby
to receive more pay for thir services.
We landed without difficulty, and
I was kindly received by the Franc
iscan fathers, who have a hosplce
close to the shore for the accommoda-
ton of pilgrims.
Jaffa, the ancient JOppa, stands on
a low hill jutting out into the Med
iterranean. Behind it the great plain
OF Sharon stretches, back to the hills
Of Judea and Samaria.
The present town of Jaffa is not