Douglas Island news., 1911-02-08

and withered up as in the surrounding country and you think it would be good place to spend few weeks, even before you have seen the court of the lions, the chamber where the thirty two Abencenages were beheaded, the rooms occupied by Washington Irving when he lived here, the tower of the three infantas or the gypsies. As l ap- preached the north of Spain and came into the area watered by the streams from the Pyrenees the country became quite green even before 1 reached the wooded hills In Palestine it is much the same. In going from Jerusalem to Jericho you simply travel across, be- tween and among hills of sandstone, there not being half all acre of grass in twenty miles.
 made trip from Mount Carmel to the Sea of GaliIee. Around Mount Carmel lhere are many trees, as there are several streams emptying into the sea in this neighborhood. The valley of Acre between Acre and Haifa is fairly well cultivated. Then you climb the mountains and you see nothing but desert waste with green patch every five or six miles, Each patch is very green and each one is claimed to be an old battlefield. You pass Nazareth, small town or village. There are three or four missions which, with the tour ists. seem to keep up the place. You drive on; the hot sun beams down; you are drowsy; dragoman points out bat tlefield where the crusaders were cut to pieces or another where Salladalr was badly defeated. Then we pass Kefa Kenna, miserable baked out little hamlet, and he says, "This Is the Cana of Galilee." You want to stop; he asks you why and you really do not know. Soon after you arrive at Ilberlas on the Sea of Galilee. Near by are hot springs and along the shore list of names-Tellhum and Migdol, supposed to be Capernaum and Magdala, besides Beltisaida and Chorazin. In going from Juneau to the mouth ot Sheep creek you pass four towns or villages equal to the last four places which have mentioned. Tiberias is more of town. sailed three or four times on the lake and was surprised to see how rough and choppy it was for such comparatively small body of water. | Next morning 1 took train at the foot of the lake for Damascus, dreary, un' interesting trip. At last for several hours 1 wound in and out of stone piles. They were piled because there was not room for them on the ground. The ground was dark brick red color and so were the stones. No water, no grass, nothing green. Suddenly we ar rived at the outskirts of Damascus and then everything became green. There are two small rivers, and branches and
 
 canals have been made in all directions so as to make a network of small water. ways about Damascus. There are foun- tains everywhere. I never saw a gar den or park more beautiful than the four or five acres surrounding the hotel where I stopped. Near by is a mountain overlooking the city. Side facing city is steep cliff with many robbers caves and the cave where the seven sleepers put in couple of hun- dred years. The cave of the seven sleepers is also at Ephesus. This IS very convenient. If you miss the one at Ephesus you may see the one ln Damascus and vice versa. have seen six tombs of Jonah in my time and about as many of St. George. If had missed a tomb or two 1 would have been none the worse When Mahomet, after long desert trip, ascended this mountain and looked over the cliff at the city he refused to descend or enter the city, saying that man should only go to paradise once and that he would wait until he died for his.
 (To be continued.)