The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-10-11
JERICHO IS NO
GOOD PLACE TO
GO WHIT'EHAIR
Correspondent Says River Jor-
don is More Historic
Than Scenic.
LOTS OF HEAT-FEW buds
Adamesque Style of Garb Still
Much in Fashion Among
the Natives.
BY CHAS. W. WHITEHAIR.
e.. Z. A. Special Correspondent TO
the British Front in Palestinc.)
Fifth Articlp1

All that has been said and written
about the heat and dust OF the Jordan
valley does not even give a faint idea
of its horrors.
AS soon as we left Jerusalem and
started down to Jericho its awful
creeping. subtle power began to be
manifested. 1t is, indeed. case OF
going down to Jericho. for it is one
constant descent through hills void OF
all vegetation. They are all covered
with a thin coat of white dust, and
the glare of the sun on them fairly
blinds one. The great barren rocks
seem to fairly scream for water The
road winds in and round through the
Judean wilderness. where it is cut OF
from all breeze and where the heat
fairly boils your blood.
All the way down to Jericho We
were passing a constant stream Of
motor lorries slowly crawling the
hills for food for the men in the val
ley down below, and munitions for
the greedy guns. Occasionally, as the
dust lifted. We got a good look at the
motor drivers whose faces were COW
vered with a veneer Of dust, which had
chung to their eatstreaming faces
j heil ClOlulliS, was diSD COfelcu, "HiCH
gave them ghost-like appearance
Poor Place to Go.
The nearer We approach Jerich the
more did we become convinced that
the traveller whom we are told about
in the New Testament, who was jour-
neying from Jerusalem down to Jer-
icho land fell among robbers. who
both stripped him and beat him and
left him for dead" got exactly the kind
of treatment that was coming to him.
for surely no man deserves any SYM
pathy if he goes down during the sum
mer months.
Jerusalem is 250o feet above sea
level, while Jericho as 100 feet be-
low the level of the sea. 1t is the only
part OF the war zone where aviatOrs
can both fly and fight below the level
OF the ocean.
1t is hardly proper to speak Of
Jericho as either a town or a village.
it only has a few dismal and dirty
little novels. not worthy Of being call
ed houses. It's population is even
more, disgusting. but fortunately there
are only about 800 of them.
Visits River Jordan.
Leaving Jericho We CROSSED the bar
rem flats and then through a few
low-lying chalk hills to the River Jor-
dan. Possibly no river in all the
world has been more talked of than
has the Jordan-nOt because of its
size, as it is less than 100 miles in
Nlength and at its broadcast point it
is only a little over 100 feet across
and only 3 to II feet in depth. It. can
not be spoken of because of its beauty,
ds it flows through a most unhealthy
underbruSh, practically all jungle, in
tested with poisonous snakes. scorpi-
one and mosquitoes. but along It's
banks have been fought some OF the
greatest battles of history. On its
shores have stood the weary travellers
from many lands back as far as his
tory records. for its dirty. muddy wa
tiers have cast mystical spell over
mankind even to the very dawn OF
history.
We crossed the river by low sus-
pension military bridge and drove our
car few hundred yards into the
underbrush There We had to leVe II
because we were approaching the
British front line. AS We got out OF
the Ford our feet sank into the dust
over shoe tops.
See Turk DeSerter>.
As we started through the under
brush for the front line we came up
on two Indian troopers. who were
bringing gu; four Turks who had de
serted their own lines and stole across
NO Mans Land in order to s1VS
themselves up. Their clothing wa!
in a bad condition and they seemed
oE, tn
business. 1t was most amusing to set
their delight when | lined them III
to take their photographs.
Wading on through the dust WI
came upon a little howell about fee
by II and about feet high made o
brush and sticks. which was hidde,
away in the brush. But here was ONT
of the truest examples OF pack III
your troubles in your old kit bag ant
smile" that | have seen anywhere il
the war zone. In the front OF th'
shack was long line Of sweating
dust-covered Australian light morse
men and Indian troopers. The wer
dressed in less clothing than Adam II
his fig leaf. All of them were GU
OF the trenches for only short time
These narrow, zigzagging trenche
are exposed 10 the ullect rays VIZ IL
sun untouched by bit OF wind O
shade Out 3. OF them cheerful CHAP
have come to stand in line and re
ceive cup of hot tea or get few
smokes. for on the front of the shacl
is the sign of the Red Triangle.
Hotter Than -.
They were all joking about the heat
and one boy put it quite well whel
he said, You know, Mister. hell don
look so bad! after this place, onl.
we'll need cur blankets if we g
there"
In the late afternoon we started
for Jericho When we came TO TIT
JorNan !, got out Of the car so as t
get some good pictures, as it is at this