The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-18

the Jordan without bulging. and just
now IL Is so small that In the United
States 1t would not BIO known as
river.
Nevertheless, the current is swift
at this place. and we hire a fisher
man to take us across. He charges 20
cents for tho 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 1t Is! The only
sound is the ripple OF the stream as
II washes the banks and the sweet
voiced birds which sing in the trees
at our left. AS we return we lean
over and battle our hands in the Jor-
dan. The water Is cold. 1t looks like
, weak milk when taken UP in Il bottle.
We taste It. 1t is acrid and salty and
we spit 1t out In disgust
BaptizinE the Pilgrims.
IT is at this spot that Christ is said
to have been baptized of John in the
| Jordan. The place ID about three
| miles from the Dead Sea, where the
water at ordinary times is four or five
| feet deep. 1t IS the principal place
! of pilgrimages to the Jordan. and is
| the scene of tens OF thousands OF bap
tisms a year. Tho chief time for bap-
ti2ing Is Easter. when tho Russians
come by the thousands and when other
members OF the Greek Church unite
with them in great caravan which
| comes here and camps
| At that time tho water Is blessed
| by tho high priest of the church, and
| there are many priests here to baptlze
! tho faithful Tho
| dress in white garments and go into
the water together They change their
clothes on the shore. The garments
they wear In the water arc 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 picnic. The men, wo-
men and children rush about, some
| laughing and screaming, and others
| quietly talking. Tho priests dip each
| three times in the Jordan and give him
their blessing. After baptism some
soak other shrouds in the river to
consecrate them tina: they may carry
! them home to their friends. They
also drink of the dirty water, and bot
| lie 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 Sen.
/ Leaving tho Jordan, ~e make our
! way down the valley to the Dead Sea.
Tie road goes through the thorn
bushes and winds about through dry,
thirsty hills. The land is salty and
alkaline, and all nature is dead. He Z
hot the sun is. and how glaring! Our
eyes smart, and horrld flies crawl
i with legs of glue over our faces. We
! try to brush them off, but they alight
! again. and bito as they crawl.
4 Now we are on the shore OF the
sea. 1t is covered with pebbles and
driftwood. 1t looks moro like a lake
! than a sea, and it Is Just about the
eize Of Lake Geneva, In Switzerland. 1t
is only Atty miles long and ten 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 Noses 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
evaporating the water to make salt
for sale.
4. The Dead Sea has no outlet. A mist
usually hangs over il, which comes
| from the evaporation, which is enor.
nous. It is estimated that over S.
100000 tons OF water flow into II
daily, and nevertheless It's lere'
changes only a little throughout the
year. and that at the ttmss OF the
food
One-Fourth Salt.
1 Now dip UP some OF the water In
your hand and taste 1t. 1t burns youl
tongue and your lips, 1t is as bitter
as gall, and II you drank q glass OF
II you would probably die. 1t Is about
the saltieat water on earth. II vol
will take a gallon and boil 1t down
you will find that one-fourth of the
contents Is solid. 1t Is six times a;
salty as the, salt of the ocean, AMI
a cubic mile OF it would contain 800,
100000 tons or mineral matter Th.
sum Is so enormous you cannot com
prehend it, but at ninety tons to tn,
ear 1t would take 100000 cars L
carry that much, and II your cars wer,
a lttIo under forty feet long the trair
required for the load would reacl
eighty miles,
II you would further test the water
take an egg and drop 1t into tho sea
1t will float, leaving one third of TIN
egg above the surface. A fresh egs
will sink in fresh water, and we breal
our egg to be sure 1t is fresh,
Another test, Let us strip off oil