THE DEAD SEA AND THE JORDAN. 
373 
Remarkable history of its founder, which is full of wild ro¬ 
mance. 
At an early hour in the morning, we mounted our horses, 
outside the gate, and set off with our Arab guard for the 
Dead Sea. The road is wild and desolate beyond conception. 
Not a living thing was to be seen for miles on the wayside. 
All around was blasted and sterile. A few sickly shrubs 
grew along the ravines, through which we passed on our 
journey. From the top of the highest mountain we beheld a 
glistening sheet of water, far down below, encircled by rocky 
heights. It was the Bahr el But —the Sea of Lot. 
Winding out from a deep gorge, we came upon the plain. 
As we toiled slowly along the dried bed of a water-course, 
we saw behind the banks of earth some Arabs, armed with 
guns, but as we drew near they skulked away, and we saw 
them no more. Doubtless they were spies from Jericho, watch¬ 
ing to see if we were accompanied by the usual guard. A 
jackall, started from his lair, fled up on a bare mound, where 
he sat licking his lips. Nothing more occurred till we arrived 
at the shores of the Dead Sea. 
We dismounted and walked down upon the beach. A 
sultry mist hung over the mountains, and the air was still 
and heavy. There was a low sad moaning from the surf, as 
it rolled over upon the long slopes of mud with its thick and 
slimy foam; and when I dipped up a handful of it and 
swallowed it down, I was not surprised that there were no 
fish to be found there. It did seem even that a few strange 
birds that came wheeling down over it, turned away again 
out of the pestilent air. Dwarfish shrubs, gnarled and leaf¬ 
less, grew in the mud, back from the beach. Along toward 
the Jordan was a low morass, with dank weeds in it, and all 
around the w T eeds and rushes were stricken with the death- 
spirit, and drooped and withered, or lay rotting on the foul 
earth. Verily the ban of God is upon the land ; “ it mourn- 
eth and fadeth away.” 
We filled our tin cans with the bitter water; and, upon 
returning to the mound of earth upon which our horses stood, 
saw in the distance a large party of mounted horsemen. At 
