El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-12-17

we can drive there in a carriage. AS
we start, the great white, blazing sun
is climbing the blue above Mount Neoo,
and the faint streak of the Dead Sea,
with the haze that hangs always over
it. can be seen down the valley. Our
soldier gallops in front to scare off the
Bedpuins and we wind our way lazily
in and out through the wheat 1ieIos-
Leaving these we enter a desert on the
edge of which stands Gilgal, where the
Israelites first encamped after crossing
the Jordan. and then go on, through
thorny scrub among gullies and hills
until we approach the long fringes OF
thicket which border the river There
is more vegetation as We near this ana
we go through the bushes until we, come
to a creek which is no wider than the
avera ge street of an American city 1t
looks like many of the small streams of
our central states. / know or SUCH IN
Indiana, Illinois and Ohio, and there Is
one of Just about the same size which
goes by the name of Goose creek in
Loudoun county, Va. The Rhine and the
Hudson, the Potomac, or even the Shen-
andoah, could swallow the Jordan
without bullying, and just now it is so
small that in the United States 1t would
not be known as river
Nevertheless, the current is swift at
this place and we hire fisherman to
take us across. He charges 70 cents
for the boat, and for this rows US up
and down stream for an hour. He STANDS
up as he rows and leans on the oars
We go to the other side of the Jordan
and climb out through the willows
How quiet it is. The only sound is the
ripple of the stream as it washes the
banks and the sweet-voiced birds which
civ in he q left Is re-
turn we lean over and battle our hands
in the Jordan. The water is cold. 1t
looks like weak milk when taken up in
a bottle. We taste it. 1t is acrid and
salty and we spit it out in disgust.
Baptizing the Pilgrims.
It is at this spot that Christ is said TO
have been baptized of John in the Jor-
dan The place is about three miles
from the Dead Sea, where the water at
ordinary times is tour or five feet deep.
It is the principal place of pilgrimages
to the Jordan, and is the scene Of tens
of thousands of baptisms a year. The
chief time for baptizing is Easter, when
the Russians come by the thousands
and when other members of the Greek
church unite with them in a great car
AVIAN which comes here and camps
At that time the water is blessed by
the high priest of the church, and there
are many priests mere u OdPIlHC 49,
faithful. The women and men dress in
white garments and go into the water
together They change their clothes on
the shore The garments they wear in
the water are usually Shrouds, which
they have brought from home with
them for this purpose and which they
intend to take back to be used at their
burials.
The scenes of these baptisms make
one think of a picnic. The men, women
and children rush about, some laughing
and screaming. and others quietly talk
ing. The priests dip each three times
in the Jordan and give him their bless
ing. After baptism some soak other
shrouds in the river to consecrate them
that they may carry them home to their
friends They also drink Of the dirty
water and bottle it up to take home
Some of the pilgrims are old and have
to be lifted in and out of the river. The
current is swift and men are frequently
drowned.
The Dead Sea.
Leaving the Jordan, we make our
way down the valley to the Dead Sea-
The road goes through the thorn bush
| es and winds about through dry, thirs-
ty hills. The land is salty and alkaline
and all nature is dead. How hot the
sun is, and how glaring, Our eyes
smart and horrid flies crawl with legs
of glue over our faces. We try to brush
them off but they alight again, and
bite as they crawl
Now we are on the shore Of the sea.
1t is covered with pebbles and drift
wood 1t looks more like a lake than a
sea. and it is just about the size of Lake
Geneva, in Switzerland. It is only SO
miles long and 10 miles in width, and
we can see from one end of it to the
! other.
The sea is bounded by stony noun
tains On the east are the desert hills
Of Moab. where Ruth was born and
Moses is buried, and on the west lie
those of Judea, where the children OF
Israel came after Moses had pointed
out the Promised Land to them. There
are openings at the north and south
/ and away at the southwest are works
! where the Turkish government is evap-
/ Grating the water to make salt for sale
The Dead Sea has no outlet. A mis-
| usually hangs over it, which comes
/ from the evaporation, which is enor-
NOUS 1t is estimated that over 6,000,-
! 600 tons of water flow into it daily
| and nevertheless its level changes only
! little throughout the year, and that
! at the times of the flood.
One-Fourth Salt.
| Now dip up some of the water il
/ your hand and taste it. 1t burns your
| tongue and your lips. 1t is as bitter
! as gall, and if you drank a glass OF
| it you would probably die. 1t is about