186 



®I)C .farmer's illontl)lp bisitor. 



floor is about six feet l>elo\v, and the flat terrace 

 roof about two feet above the slreels, and the 

 peo|)le were assembled on the dirt-heaps and 

 roofs to see the strangers pass. The council- 

 house is the Christian school-room, and there is 

 a work-room below. A Christian church was 

 building; it was seventy-four feet by forty, and 

 twelve feet high. 



The room for the travellers bad a naked stone 

 floor and a mud roof supported by rafters, two 

 windows without glass or shutters, and a door 

 without fastenings. Their food was eggs and 

 milk, three eggs for each for a dinner. There 

 was only one shop, and that contained thin 

 cakes of dried and pressed apricots, and English 

 muslin. The huts had neither windows nor 

 chimneys, the inside was smoked, and the wo- 

 men and children were squalid and filthy. The 

 population of Kerak is about 300, three-fourths 

 Christian, and the entire Christian population 

 here 900 to 1000. 



The castle was originally a vast and magnifi- 

 cent structure, partly excavated from and partly 

 built upon the mountain top ; the achitecture is 

 a mixture of Saracenic, Gothic and Roman, but 

 its history appears to be obscure. 



On the 3d of May the party, not without dan- 

 ger from the Muslim Arabs, made their way 

 back to their boats. They now commenced 

 their return along the eastern or Arabian shore. 

 Mountains of red sandsloue variegated with 

 yellow were pissed, with white cliffs in the 

 background.. The next day the shores presented 

 boulders of trap, and the mountain appeared to 

 be composed of scoria and lava. The scenery 

 was grand and wild. A stream, called Zerka, 

 the outlet of some hot springs, had formed a 

 deep ravine ; the walls were eighty to one hun- 

 dred and filly feet high, of red and yellow sand- 

 stone in vertical cliffs. The party slept on the 

 gravelly beach ; the thermometer at 70 deg. to 

 68 (leg., and they suffered from the cold. 



On May 5th, in crossing the sea to Ain Tura- 

 beb, at two furlongs from land, the water was 

 138 feet deep; five minutes after it was 1044 

 feet, gradually deepening to 1308 feet, the bot- 

 tom brown mud with crystals of salt. They 

 continued on their course, and on the 9lb made 

 ai i alignments to leave the Dead Sea. A large 

 float was moored in ei<»lity fathoms water, with 

 the American ensign flying. Sickness was al- 

 ready ap| earing among them, and two seamen 

 were sent to the convent of Mar Saba. 



This sea, according to Dr. Robinson, is about 

 fifty miles long and ten broad. The specific 

 gravity of the water is 1-13, while that of the 

 Atlantic in Int. 25 deg. N., 52 deg. W. lung., was 

 102. The boats, when afloat on the sea, drew 

 one inch less of water than when on the Joid in. 

 No animalcules or animal natter were detected 

 in the water by a powerful microscope. 



The parly had now passed twenty-two nights 

 upon the Dead Sea. They had carefully sound- 

 ed its depths, ascertained its geographical posi- 

 tion, the topography of its shores, and the depth, 

 width and velocity of its tributaries, as well as 

 the winds, currents, weather, &c. ; and numer- 

 ous specimens had been obtained. 



Remarking upon the character of the region, 

 Lieut. Lynch observes, that the extraordinary 

 nature of the soundings appears to sustain the 

 inference from the Bible, that this entire chasm 

 was a plain sunk and overwhelmed ; for the bot- 

 tom of the sea consists of two submerged plains, 

 one averaging thirteen feet, and the other thir- 

 teen hundred feet below the surface. Through 

 the latter or northern one, runs a ravine corres- 

 ponding with the bed of the Jordan and with 

 another ravine, Wady el Jeib, at (he south end 

 of the sea. Many other considerations are men- 

 tioned, tending to shew that the basin of the 

 Dead Sea is a sunken plain. Those ol the party 

 who were skeptical when they entered on the 

 examination, appeared to be convinced that the 

 Mosaic account was true. 



On the lOih of May, they took leave of ihe 

 Dead Sea, casting a farewell look at its waters 

 as they wound up the ravine and encamped at 

 an elevation of one thousand feet. Their boats 

 were sent in si clions to Jerusalem. They were 

 now in a most dreary country of barren hills 

 and valleys, without tree or shrub, and as still as 

 the Lethean sea which they had just left. This 

 was the wilderness of Judea, where God con- 



versed with Abraham, where John the Baptist 

 preached, and at the head of the next ravine is 

 Bethlehem, which stands in full sight of the 

 Holy City. 



Passing the brook Kidron on the 15th, they 

 found a large cistern hewn in the rock, twenty 

 feet long, twelve wide, and eighteen deep; the 

 water was only four feet deep and was covered 

 with a green scum, and two Arabs were bathing 

 in it; yet the whole party, men and animals 

 were, nevertheless, constrained to drink of it. 



The whole region is one of entire desolation 

 from the Mediterranean to the Dead Sea, except 

 where water redeems here and there a patch in 

 a ravine or valley for crops or verdure; a small 

 patch of tobacco in a narrow ravine was guard 

 ed by an Arab with a long gun, and there was 

 wheat and also barley in a valley skirting the 

 base of the hill. Lieut. Lynch finally came in 

 sight of the Holy City, elevated, as was ascer- 

 tained by his levelings, 4000 feet above the Dead 

 Sea. 



On the 29th they planted their spirit level on 

 the bank of the Mediterranean, one mile and a 

 half south of Jaffa, having carried a line from 

 the Dead Sea through the desert of Judea over 

 mountain ridges, ravines and precipices, and 

 most of the time under a scorching sun. It was 

 conducted by Lieut. Dale, and corresponded with 

 the triangulation of Lieut. Symonds, R.N. They 

 " found the depression of the surface of the 

 Dead Sea, below that of the Mediterranean, 

 about thirteen hundred feet : the height of Jeru- 

 salem above the Dead Sea is about three times 

 this amount; and that height is almost the same 

 multiple of the depth ol" the sea." 



Their work being accomplished, they were 

 hospitably received at the country house of Mr. 

 Murad, the American Consul, which was placed 

 at their disposal; and here tiny remained till 

 June C, busily employed in posting tip and di- 

 gesting their observations. 



On June 7, they left Jaffii for St. Jean d'Acre, 

 a land party under Lieut. Dale, and the remain- 

 der of the party with Lieut. Lynch, in a charter- 

 ed boat. At Acre they re-embarked their effects 

 brought over from Tiberias, and prepared for an 

 excursion to Nazareth and the source of the 

 Jordan. 



June 10. — They left Acre and arrived at Naz- 

 areth by the way of the valley of the Winds, a 

 place secluded among mountains, and contain- 

 ing about five thousand inhabitants. They as- 

 cended Mount Tabor, the reputed scene of the 

 transfiguration. From the summit is a magnifi- 

 cent view of the plain of Esdraelon, bounded by 

 Carmel on the west, and Gilboa on the south. 

 N.VV. is Nazareth, N.E. the sea of Galilee and 

 the snowy peak of Mount Hernion. They again 

 visited the lower source of the Jordan, and 

 passed along the western bank of the Dead Sea 

 to Bethsaida on the north, and ascending the 

 high hills they enjoyed a good view of the rapid 

 and turbulent Jordan rushing down in one line 

 of foam, and thus they went on to L. Merom, 

 and beyond it to Csesarea Philippi, and still fur- 

 ther on they came to the real source of the Jor- 

 dan, a fountain or several streams bursting from 

 the side of a hill. The river gushes out copi- 

 ously from a rock about forty feet high, forming 

 the principal feature of a very picturesque land- 

 scape. 



On the 17th, Lieut. Lynch and Lieut. Dale 

 visited the valley of the Leoutes or Litany, run- 

 ning near the Lebanon range. They saw in this 

 region pits of bitumen ; there are five in all, but 

 only two were in operation, one sixteen ami the 

 other twenty-five feet deep. 



On their way to the plain of Damascus, Jan. 

 19, they passed over Anti-Libaniis. The lower 

 parts were terraced and covered with vineyards 

 and olive and mulberry orchards, above were 

 oaks, then heath and fern, lichens and moss. 

 and at the summit limestone and boulders ol 

 quartz. They crossed in a gorge between Mount 

 Hertnon and the next peak to the south. The 

 two crests and many clefts on both sides were 

 covered with snow. The summit of Mount 

 llcrmon is estimated to be about 9000 feet above 

 ihe sea level. 



As they descended, the limestone disappeared 

 and gradually gave place to sandstone, and trap 

 and serpentine appeared lower down. The pre- 

 vailing rock, the next day, was granite with me- 



tallic veins and quartz. They passed rapidly 

 from wintry cold to summer heat. Damascus is 

 situated at the foot of Auti-Libanus. We shall 

 not attempt to recount the description of Da- 

 mascus — its bazaars, its cafes, its lazy smoking 

 population — its bath — its narrow streets and in- 

 numerable dogs over which the stranger stum- 

 bles. The population is estimated at 115,000. 

 It was very gratifying to the travellers to meet 

 their countrymen, the. Rev. Dr. Paulding and 

 Rev. Mr. Barnet, of the American mission, to 

 whose hospitality and kindness they were much 

 indebted. As many of the party were threaten- 

 ed with illness, they hastened on to Beirut; they 

 seemed to have imbibed the disease which had 

 heretofore prostrated all who had ventured upon 

 the Dead Sea. 



On the night of the 29tb, after they bad en- 

 camped, (it was in the cold mountain air 4000 

 feet above the sea,) Mr. Dale was attacked with 

 the same symptons as the other sick persons. 

 At eleven o'clock the next day, Beirut and the 

 sea were in sight, but the sick were ready to fall 

 from their saddles ; happily they met Dr. De- 

 Forest of the mission, who prescribed promptly. 



July 1. — Lieut. Lynch, Mr. Dale and two sea- 

 men, required immediate medical attendance, 

 and all hands were nearly sick. 



This interesting narrative closes with the death 

 of Mr. Dale, who, despite of all the care and 

 kindness of the American missionaries and phy- 

 sicians and their families, sunk beneath the 

 fever, and was buried at Beirut with military 

 honors. 



In leaving this work which has afforded us 

 much instruction, we add a word to ex- 

 press our estimation of its value. It does honor 

 to the zeal, intelligence, and moral feeling of the 

 author; and his brave companions are entitled 

 ti) the thanks of their fellow men. We think, 

 however, that it is susceptible of improvement, 

 and that in another edition it will receive some 

 condensation and pruning, that will render it 

 still more graceful and impressive. Its moral 

 tendency is excellent, and no believer in the 

 truths of the Bible can peruse the volume with- 

 out feeling his mind much enlightened and his 

 faith invigorated. 



The Ait of Wheat Raising. 



Although the culture of wheat has been more 

 or less practiced ever since men have cultivated 

 the earth, it is doubtful if the true art of raising 

 it is fully understood. It is not a difficult thing 

 to raise wheat, when all the elements are favora- 

 ble to its growth. By this we mean when the 

 composition of the soil, and the weather and 

 other incidents of the climate are right,and insects 

 and certain external enemies do not interpose. 

 But to raise it when all these requisites are not 

 supplied by nature, is not so easy. The great 

 art, therefore, consists in knowing, in the first 

 place, what is needed, and in the second place, 

 bow to supply it. Many of the countries of 

 Southern Europe, as Sicily, for instance, which 

 in olden times were very prolific in this grain, 

 now afford but scanty crops of it. The reason 

 of it is probably this: The material in the soil 

 necessary to make a good crop of wheat, has be- 

 come exhausted, is taken out and carried off 

 years ago, in the abundant harvests of that time, 

 and the peasants do not know how to supply it 

 again. From what accounts we can gather, the 

 art is understood at the present time as well, per- 

 haps, in England, as any where else in the 

 world. There are many strong reasons why 

 this should be the case. The crowded state of 

 the population there, causes a great demand for 

 breadstuff's, and these stuffs accordingly bring 

 quickly a comparatively great price. Hence the 

 farmers pay greater attention to the subject, and 

 are remunerated for their extra care and attention, 

 by the advanced state of the markets. In this 

 country, especially in the western wheat-growing 

 States, as they are called, no such incentives act 

 upon the vt bent raisers. Thev have a virtrin soil 



