The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-10-09
LANDING AT JAFFA.

Bashan, Gilead and Moab Of the Bible.
and 1t Is now inhabited chiefly by Mo-
driving their cameis, cattle and sheep
from place to place. In the past 1t
was thickly populated, and its ruined
cities are now being eXcavated.
came here from Egypt. / took the
express train at Cairo and in four
hours was landed at Port Said, at the
mouth Of the Suez Canal. where got
steamer which brought me to Jaffa.
The whole way was through the lands
OF the Bible. The depot from which
we started lies not far from, the spot
where the guides say the baby Moses
runs over the old caravan route nown
which Jacob and his sons came into
Egypt for corn and over which Joseph
and Mary must have brought the IN
King Herod. the baby killer. We
struck the, canal at Ismailia, about
midway Of the .Isthmus Of suez, ana
thence rode northward along Its banks
to Port Said.
Our steamer was crowded with pu-.
grims from Russia Egypt and North
Africa. There were many Americans,
French and Germans travelling first.
class, and hundreds of Syrians and
5 o'clock IN the evening. and our first
view OF the Holy Land came at z
O'Clock the next morning. We had
been awakened at s with the cry that
ruse OF the captain to get breakfast
out of the way before landing.
When hrst came up on deck moth
ing but the sea was in sight. The sun
sky.aa light blue with long streaks Of
tieecy white drawn like a half-veiI
over 1t, fitted down into the ocean at
the eastern horizon. AS 1 looked ]
c wy Htyryn liy1ka u .,tt4o Nc
it were out OF the water. which rip-
pied in sapphire wavelets, caught by
the sun. The first line was the sandy
beach that edges the rich plains Of
smoky gray, which marks the hills OF
Judea or the highlands of Palestine.
3 Coming nearer these lines increased IN
size, and the first turned to dazzling
the wooded green strip OF the port OF
Jaffa came into view. Nearer still we
could see the shipping in the harbor,
and above and behind 1t the walls OF
Jaffa. one Of the Oldest towns In the
world.
i In the Footsteps of Jonah.
We get some idea Of the age OF
Jana from the story of Jonah; for
the bble says that It was from here
| which he was thrown overheard into
the mouth of the whale. He remained
IN the whales belly three days. dur
| AIIS- WllCIl sllIIle pTdycu 70 luo t4IOIOb
and the Lord spake to tho whale,
whereupon he was volnited out upon
dry land Jonah was born about $50
years before Christ He was baby
the Had and hundred years had
| yet to elapse before the founding OF
Rome. l am not sure as to the exact
! spot where Jonah was taken up by the
| sailors and thrown into the sea, but he
| Is said to have been buried not far
from jerusalem, and there are drago-
men in Palestine who will show you
his tomb.
held a superstition against having
preachers on board, thinking that such
passengers bring bad luck to the ship.
However that may be. the harbor 81
is impossible to land Upon our ar
rival the sea was quiet, but never
theless. the swell was such that ,the
up and down and the waves soaked
our baggage before reaching port.
| AS to Jonah himself and his mar
row escape one OF our preachers a On
Inc et reason son Of his leaving the whale:
'I threw up Jonah" said the whale.
- W he'd lately ,te Je sone e town;
For 1 could not keep a good man
down"
In coming in l looked about, for a
whale There was none In sight, al
though / am told they are still to pc
seen in the Mediterranean. In their
place. however. were many jellyhsh,
| of an opalescent blue These FISH were
Of a mushroom. There were hundreds
I, OF them floating about, and they bump-
ed again and again against the hull as
! we lay there at anchor.
SOIOmOn'A Timber Rats.
In addition to tho story of Jonah
there are many other we'll authenti,
Gated facts about Juffa which make -
| interesting. It has always been the
| chief port for the Holy Land y was
and later, when Solomon built this
tempIa,.fit was here that the timber
i ,,raI- IN its " nnn structions WAS landed