Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-11-29

stick and a short grubbing hoe, ana
reaping the grain with a hand sickle
has been. replenished by the washings
from the limestone rocks of the adjacent
hills. And thus the plain is kept for
ever fertile. When we crossed IL on the
18th and 18th of April 1910. IL was GOV,
cred almost from one end to the other
with wheat ripening in the sun ana
waving in the breezes. They do not
raise any corn at all. only wheat and
barley. IL was a beautiful sight, one OF
the prettiest 1 ever saw from an agri.
cultural standpoint-land level as the
floor. covered as far as the eye could
reach with wheat and barley inter-
spersed with occasional grass plots on
which herds OF cattle or iocks of sheep
or goats were feeding. No fences mar
the scene. Few trees obstruct the Wis
ion. Here and there the landscape is
dotted with villages. There are very few
of these villages. however, In the val
leys or plains of Palestine. Nearly all OF
them are built on a hilltop or hillside.
This Is partly for the purpose of saving
fertile lands for cultivation and princi-
pally for protection from enemies or
marauders. There are no farm houses
as we have, such houses isolated from
other houses. Every one lives In VII
lage or city, for mutual protection.
A
The first night out from Shechem we
camped near one of these villages, Ka-
kun. 1t has a population probably Of
500. maybe as many as 1000. In the
day the, men work in the fields, or lead
their herds or flocks to pasture. At
night
The plowman homeward ends his
weary way
and the herdsman or shepherd leads his
herd or flock to shelter from the wealth
err. from beasts Of prey ana especially
from robbers.
IN THE VILLAGE WELL
There is only one well in the village,
an IS usual with villages in Palestine.
II was a short distance from our camp.
II is a kind Of cistern said to be filled
with rainwater, surrounded by a broad
stone curbiug. Here the women and
girls of the village come to get water
for drinking and cooking purposes-not
for bathing purposes. L presume, for
there would hardly be enough OF IL for
that. And vesides, they do not seem to
use IL that way. Here the men come in
the morning and at night to water their
herds and flocks The will is meet
ing place for -.e children in the after
moons. 1t was an interesting scene to
watch them-men. women, children. cat
tie sheep. goats-as they gathere
around the we'll. The result. you may
imagine, was to render the ground
around the well sloppy. muddy, and alto
gether In a not very sanitary condition
A VISIT TO THE VILLAGE
A visit 10 the village gave us the OPP
portunity which we had long wanted, of
seeing the homes Of the poorer class in
Palestine and observing how they live.
The houses are built of stone or dried
mud, mostly the latter. They are low,
with an opening answering to a door.
but no windows. They are usually two
stories high The first story is flat on
the ground This is literally "the
ground" In this story are kept the
cattle and shee pand goats and chickens
or other live stock belonging TO the fam
ily 1t is necessary to keep them under
the eve OF the owner, or otherwise they
would be stolen. The second story of
the house is in the same room as the
first story. IL is simply a raised plat
form, about two feet higher than the
first story This is the family room
II is also their bedroom, dining-room,
reception hall and parlor. There are no
chairs, no bureau, no washstand, no bed,
no furniture of any kind, except a quilt
on which TO lie at night The kitchen
consists OF q hole in the side OF the
room, in which is placed an oven where
cakes of wheat OF barley bread are bak-
ed This, with occa sional flesh or fowl,
constitutes the family meal. The fuel
consists OF manure, gathered bv the wo-
men. made into cakes and dried in the
SUI Altogethers-- Ii Eas-- noor- LYING.