II.

JERUSALEM, April 17, 1895.

Monday evening, the 15th, at Jaffa, our managers gave notice that we should be called the next morning at 4.30, to have our trunks and grips packed and be ready for breakfast at 5.30, and we would start at 6 for Jerusalem, forty miles, over one of the best roads to be found in any country. The party had the privilege of choosing, go by carriage and make the journey in one day, or on horseback, taking two days for the trip. There were fourteen that chose carriages, the members from Springfield being among the number. Prompt on time, with four carriages and our dragoman, we bade good-by to Jaffa, one of the oldest cities in the world, and headed our horses eastward toward Mount Zion, driving several miles through orange and lemon groves, until we struck the plains of Sharon. (See Song of Solomon ii. 1.) We found a beautiful country, with a profusion of roses and flowers as far as the eye could reach. We passed at our right a Jewish agricultural college, established by Charles Netter, of Paris. A little farther on at the left a modern village, said to be on the site of ancient Hazar-shual, where Samson caught the three hundred foxes (Judges xv. 4); and by the way we met a young Rev. Mr. Green, who used to preach at Hartford, Vt. He has been in this region a few weeks, roaming the country, gathering flowers. He thinks there would be no trouble now in catching that number of foxes, as in many places you can almost knock them over with a club. They are called jackals. They were about our hotel at Jaffa, and stirred up the dogs, so that between the dogs and jackals we were kept awake half the night.

The next place of importance was Ramleh, the traditional Aramathea. (See Matt. xxvii. 57.) Here is a stone tower, said to have been built by the Crusaders. It is some one hundred feet high. We went to the top, and had a grand view from Gaza on the south, to Mount Carmel on the north, eastward the land of Judah and Benjamin, westward the Mediterranean. Looking south-west, you see Ashdod Gath, the home of Goliath. Farther to the east you see Gezer, a Canaanitish town taken by Pharaoh and presented to his daughter, Solomon’s wife.

After leaving Ramleh, we pass at our left Gimzo, which was taken from the Israelites by the Philistines. Six miles from Ramleh we go down into the valley of Ajalon, where Joshua commanded the moon to stand still. (See Joshua x. 12.) This valley runs north and south, and is perhaps one mile across, with a depth of one hundred feet or more below the plains. Each side beyond this valley we pass the village of Latron, said to be the home of the penitent thief. Latron is about half-way from Jaffa to Jerusalem. In leaving this, we go down into the Wady Ali, and then begin to climb the hills of Judah, and soon enter the land of Benjamin and pass the old site of Kirjath-jearim, where the ark of God rested for twenty years. If you will cast your eye to the left, you will see in the distance, upon the top of a conical hill, Mizpah, the highest land in this part of Palestine. This was where Saul was chosen king. (See I Samuel x. 17-24.) Gibeah of Saul is in sight, also the home of John the Baptist. From this place we pass down through another valley and around the brow of the hill. Beyond we come in sight of Jerusalem, only about one mile distant.

The last ten miles was a continual climb most of the way, and I have never been so impressed with the Scripture where it speaks of the tribes going up to the Holy City to attend their great religious festivals. Last Sunday was Easter, and there was a great celebration in Jerusalem. We were on the road Tuesday, and it was full of people returning from that festival. We met one company of about one hundred. Some were walking, and others riding on horses, donkeys, or camels. We were told that the party would be away from home sixty days, thirty days each way.

You would see horses with a pillion on them, straps going over the horse’s back holding boxes on each side, perhaps a little canopy over the boxes. In these boxes were the little children, and the mother sitting on the pillion, the husband walking behind. Then would come a camel, with the mother riding, and the children in front of her. There were all kinds and ways, nags and Arabs, a motley crowd.

The country about Jerusalem is different from what I had pictured it. It is very mountainous for a long distance westward, and the hills have a very peculiar appearance. The sides of these hills and mountains look as though human agencies had been at work on them, and terraced them from bottom to top. They will show a line of stone from two to four feet high running along the side of the hill, as straight as a line, then grass or trees for several rods, then another layer of stones, so on up to the top. The olive orchards many times extend clear to the tops of the mountains. The gray stone and the green give in the distance a mottled appearance.

It seems to be a great field for goats. We saw hundreds of them as we came up the mountain, every flock having a shepherd.

As we near Jerusalem, and are near the top of the mountain, our eyes behold wonderful beauty in the landscape in all directions. Jerusalem is an elevated city. “And as the mountains are around about Jerusalem,” etc.,--the saying is a true one; but the mountains are not high ones, for the city itself towers toward heaven, and you have to descend into a valley before you can climb any of the surrounding mountains.

On our arrival at Jerusalem we went to the Jerusalem hotel which is in the new part of the city, outside of the city walls of old Jerusalem, and is beautiful for situation.

The horseback party arrived the next day after our arrival, and pitched their tents not far from our hotel, but near the Jaffa gate. We were to have two camping tours, the short one from this place and return, occupying three days, going to Jericho, the Jordan and Dead Sea, distance thirty miles. This is considered the most dangerous travelling we shall have. As it was in the time of Christ, so it is now, full of Bedouins and robbers. Being entirely an unsettled country, our orders were to keep together. If any one went ahead or lagged behind, he would do so at his own risk.

It is necessary to have some official on this trip. So we had a son of one of the sheiks, mounted on his gray charger, armed to the teeth; and our dragomen all had their short swords. This camping business is a regular circus, a picnic every day. It takes about one hundred horses, mules, and forty men to move us. Those at the hotel were to take horses, and partake of the luncheon, in tent, with the others; but at night we were to be at the hotel in Jericho. There are two hotels, the Jordan and the Bellevue. We went to the latter, a small house, but very neat, and Oriental from the word go. We were there two nights; and I, for one, should have been glad to have stayed longer. The only out was that the dogs and jackals made things lively nights. One gentleman of our party got up, and shouted out of the window for them to get out of the way and stop their noise, but the effect, seemingly, was to wake up more dogs, and the music was increased instead of being diminished; but I am rather a friend of the canines, and those troubles rest very lightly on my shoulders.

[Illustration: SON OF A SHEIK.]

Now, if you would like a dim picture of this first camping tour, you had better meet me at the Jerusalem hotel early Thursday morning, April 19. First there was an array of saddle horses brought into the yard for us to select from, grays, bays, and blacks. The members from Springfield chose a pair of bay geldings that had been used to following each other. We have two ladies that cannot endure the horseback riding, and have palanquins.

About 6.30 A.M. the straps were all buckled, and we were on our horses, moving down toward the Jaffa gate, where we met the rest of the party; and then we moved north outside the old walls, passing the Damascus gate, then turning east, which brings us into the valley of Kedron or Jehosaphat, as it is sometimes called. Passing along the edge of Gethsemane, look up at the right, and you have a fine view of the eastern wall of Jerusalem. At the left you look up Mount Olivet, and see the road David went barefooted, when he fled the city in time of Absalom’s rebellion. We passed the place where Stephen was stoned, the pool of Siloam, Absalom’s tomb, also the tomb of Zechariah.

Through this section we encountered the greatest number of lepers and beggars in the most pitiable condition, sitting beside the roadway, pouring forth their cries and lamentations. But we are soon past all this, and begin to wind our way around the brow of Olivet. In less than an hour from starting we are at the little village of Bethany, which is located the other side of the Mount of Olives from Jerusalem. Here seems to be a valley coming up from the south; and at the head of this valley, in a semicircle, lies nestled the little town of Bethany, at the foot of Mount Olivet. We saw the spot where Martha, Mary, and Lazarus lived, saw the tomb of the latter, could almost feel on our brow the warm Christian atmosphere that pervaded that place more than eighteen hundred years ago, that made it so attractive to the Saviour of mankind. We were pointed out the place where Simon the leper lived.

From this place to Jericho, some eighteen miles, we pass only one place where anybody lives. Jericho, located on the plains of the Jordan, is four thousand feet lower than Jerusalem, hence the expression “going down to Jericho.”

The plains of the Dead Sea are thirteen hundred feet lower than the ocean, and is the lowest land in the world. As we pass on from Bethany, we go winding our way down those narrow ravines, hills and mountains each side, with many caves for the robbers. On the side of these mountains are the shepherds, with their flocks of goats and sheep. About half-past ten we come to the only residence on the road, being on a somewhat elevated spot. Here we stop for lunch. Tradition says here was the inn where the Samaritan left the wounded man. We took little stock in that. However, we laid a man across a donkey’s back, with a good Samaritan standing beside him, and got a snap shot at them with a kodak. With our lunch we had water taken from the brook Cherith.

Soon after we started, we visited the spot where Elijah was fed by the ravens.

From this time to the Jordan valley the mountains and hills looked arid and barren, having a chalky appearance; and the gorges along which we passed were fearfully deep, and had, no doubt, been cut down by the water.

About four o’clock we reached the plain, turned to the left, and went up to the fountain of Elisha, that he healed of its bitter qualities. This is near the mountains, boils up from the ground, running away quite a large stream. We were thirsty, and drank heartily, finding a good quality of water. Here is supposed to be the old site of Jericho, which was shaken down, and a curse pronounced on any one that should attempt to rebuild. There was any amount of stones and rubbish about there, but we saw nothing of any rams’ horns.

About a mile south of this place is the Jericho of Christ’s day, with some new buildings added. We were shown an old stone house, or the ruins of one, that is claimed to be the house of Zaccheus. They also pointed out the tree he climbed to see the Lord. It might have been a descendant from the original one, but that is as far as we should care to go.

At Jericho we stopped for the night, some in hotels, others in tents.

Friday our day’s work was to go to the shore of the Dead Sea, and from there to the banks of the river Jordan, where the children of Israel crossed, and Elijah divided up the waters as he went up in his chariot, also where Christ was baptized. We found the Dead Sea a beautiful sheet of water, clear as crystal. Some of the party went in bathing. It is said to contain some fifteen per cent. more salt than the ocean, and is heavier per cubic foot than the human body. From these plains you can see across the sea and river the hills of Moab, Mount Nebo and Pisgah, where Moses was allowed to go to look into the promised land. We took our lunch on the banks of the Jordan, had the water from the river to drink. Some crossed the river, which is about a hundred feet wide and quite swift in its current, in boats. On our return to Jericho for the night we crossed the old site of Gilgal, where the children of Israel first camped, also the valley of Achor, where Achan and family were stoned. If the deed had to be done, they could not have found a better place; for there is plenty of material close at hand.

[Illustration: CROSSING THE JORDAN.]

The plains of the Jordan are not as fertile as we expected to find them, not like the Nile valley. They are probably worn out, and were more fertile in the days of Abraham and Lot; for here was the place where Abraham told Lot to choose which way he would go, and he, seeing the well-watered plains of Jordan, pitched his tent toward Sodom, the location of which was where the Dead Sea now is, or plains this side. If it were sunk, then the sea is the place; but there is an appearance of a ruined city this side on the plain, and I think we had better call that the spot. In either case the mountains are near at hand where Lot went for safety.

Saturday we were in the saddle early, and continued our return until we reached Bethany. Met on our way the Prince and Princess of Germany. They were going over the same route we had just taken. We stopped some two hours for lunch at Bethany. Then, instead of going around the brow of the Mount of Olives as we came, we went over the old road, over the top, and came down the same pathway the Saviour came on his triumphal entry, and where he wept as he beheld the city in its wickedness, from the Mount of Olives. You get a fine view of the city.

There has been a church built within a few years, beside it a very high tower. Up this tower we went, giving us a view of the whole surrounding country. At the base of Olivet we visited the Garden of Gethsemane, then followed down the valley of Kedron, to where the valley of Hinnom intercepts it, then up the Gihon valley to our hotel. This took us entirely around the walled part of the city. While at lunch at Bethany, some soldiers went by with some robbers that had been captured, that were chained together, walking. The soldiers were on horseback, taking them to prison.

Sunday, the 21st, has been a day of rest. The Congregational party held service at 9.30 on Mount Calvary, a small elevation just outside the city walls. Rev. Mr. Clark, of Salem, Mass., conducted the services, which were very impressive. The American consul, Mr. Wallace, a young gentleman, and his wife were there, and at the close spoke beautifully. At the foot of Mount Calvary is a plot of ground that evidently was at one time used for a garden. By excavating an embankment at the end of this garden, some two years ago, General Gordon discovered a tomb that has every evidence of being the tomb where Christ was laid. While there was room for four, there never had been but one of the niches occupied; and the top or stone cover of this had never been sealed. Christ, you know, was anointed for burial. Had he not risen, this covering stone would have been sealed. While the Mohammedans have his tomb in the city, yet we know the Scriptures do not warrant any such thing. Jerusalem has nothing that will impress the Bible scholar as Calvary and the tomb at the head of this garden. We remain here until Wednesday, going to Bethlehem, and return Tuesday.

About one year ago there was much in the daily papers in America about a strange young man from the West that had made a wager of $10,000 that he would go to Jerusalem in twelve months’ time, starting without a cent of money, and would not ask for money the whole distance. He started from Galveston, Tex. I never even dreamed of seeing this strange young man, as he was called; but, strange as it may seem, he put in an appearance at the Jerusalem Hotel last Saturday. He has been on the road ten months and twenty days. His name is P. P. Killiner, is a regular cow-boy, has leather suit of clothes, made by the Indians out of antelope skins, with fringes of leather on all the seams. He has walked thirty-five hundred miles, sold his photograph, letting people pay him whatever they pleased. They got up quite an excitement over him in New York, and gave him money enough to cross the ocean. When he went down to take the boat, they crowded the street so full it was impossible to move. He attended services with the Congregational party Sunday, and went with them over Mount Moriah Monday.