Alma record., 1914-07-30
VISITED HOLY LAND



intrepid William stood, as he cleft the
apple in two with a perfect shot from
his bow. Nearby is the William Tell
chapel.
His Italian travels lay along the
beaten paths of tourists and included
visits to Rome, Naples, Milan, Flor
ence and other less important places.
With London party of tourists he
took ship for Athens, which he be-
leves to be the most beautiful city in
the world. Constantinople was used
as an intermediate point only, for a
visit to the Holy Land was the main
object of his long journey eastward.
OF course, the magnificent mosques
and minarets could provoke only the
greatest awe and wonder, but the
scenes where the Bible history was
made proved a stronger call.
1t can be truthfully said that Da
mascus has made no material change
in its habits of living, modes of dress
and occupations since the time of
Abraham. Astounding as such a
statement may seem its truth has
been repeatedly proven. A girdle
binds a solitary piece of cloth for the
entire dress Of an individual. The
beggars still outnumber the self sup
porters, and the care of the flocks is
still the main occupation of the labor
ers. Two days were spent on and
about the Sea of Gallilee, for within
sight were the scenes of many of the
Lords miracles, Mt. Herman, which
though sixty miles away seemed less
than a quarter Of mile owing to the
clear atmosphere, the Mount of the
Beatitudes and other important sites
pertinent to Bible history. By car
riage he went to Nazareth and Jerusa-
lem. Among other interesting things
at the latter place he saw the under
ground stables where Solomon kept
his horses and his rich quarries near
by. Nine days were spent here visit
ing such places as the Garden of Geth-
semane, the Mount of Olives and Cal
vary. From here on the road to
Shechem he was bothered a great deal
by lepers who lined the roads, as in
Christ's time, begging for money.
Bethlehem, the birthplace of the
Christ, was visited, as were also, Jeri-
cho, the Jordan, the Dead Sea, and
Joppa. Here he embarked for Cairo,
Egypt where he spent five days, hav-
ing come through the Suez Canal.
The Sphinx and the pyramids which
lay about nine miles outside of the
city gates are of course the most in
teresting features of this ancient city.
Alexandria, Marseilles lay along his
course for Paris where he remained
nine days. He took ship for America
at Cherbourg.
His trip across the ocean was mark
ed by an accident which nearly re-
suited as disastrously as did the acci-
dents to the Empress of Ireland and
the Titantic. The boat which was the
New York was struck by the Pretoria
in a fog at a. m. but because of the
quick work of the captain was saved
from destruction. The captain had
ordered the engines stopped to avoid
the impending collision and was wait
ing for the Pretoria to pass his boat
when the gigantic liner loomed up in
the mist few rods away. He imme-
diately ordered his full steam astern,
and the boat backed up sufficiently to
suffer but glancing blow about fifty
feet from the bow. Had he been slow
er of thought and action his boat
would have been struck in the very
center and would have undoubtedly
suffered destruction. The boat reached
New York in a badly damaged condi-
ton, but with all passengers safe.
The American metropolis was reached
July 14th.
Mr.. Thompson who is visiting Alma
at present will take work at Yale
next year in the divinity
school