Show t t siria SYRIA march I 1 23 M 1873 ali aji mor tor deseret mews news leaving jerusalem we ascend by a steep rocky winding path to the commanding heights of mount scopus where turning taming backward we take a long lingering look at the holy city its noble domes its high tapering minarets mina and its surround surrounding hig mountains we descend the mountain into a naked desolate region our pata lying over rocky platea plateaus S through deep ravines over barren hills covered with loose stones and sharp rocks A small village is seen away to our left ent I 1 on a lofty hill bill flags and streamers flying gnus gaus firing nning and groups of men and women gaily attired in open air rejoicing in ili the dance we pass several towns perched among the gray rocks on the mountain slopes or crowning the summit of high hl h hills bills also several eltes sites of ancient tow towns us overspread with ruins sterility and barrenness form forni the general features of the country the tree trees sare pare few gnarled and stunted here and there sticking out from rents and holes in the rocks and broken decayed terraces and still clinging to the cliffs I 1 the second day we found the hills and glens less rugged the country improving in general general appearance the soil more fertile an and better cultivated Wc We passed through many winding valleys with landscape beautiful and picturesque the hills terraced from base to summit supporting tines vines figs and olive trees the scenery enlivened by wild flowers bright bri 9 bt and gay springing up from the green luxuriant herbage the arab is seen with his primitive plow and diminutive oxen breaking up his ground a bede bedouin on his fleet steed with his brass brassbound brass brabb bound F gun U n suspended over the shoulder galloping lg over the bills the with his wives and children san santile tily plucking the weeds from his patch of grain peasants passing in their gay dresses of red and green long strings of mules donkeys and camels winding along the tortuous path the shepherd preceding his flock of sheep and goats oats leading them alon aion along niong the mountain sl slope loPes or standing with tom them clustered around a fayo favo favorite riU ulu fountain we are now approaching nailous Na blous a modem town on the bite sita of the shechem a name familiar to th the e biblical reader clambering up a steep rocky path we arrive at the crest of a lofty ridge where we enjoy a lovely romantic romant scene the tho finest and most piea plea pleasing shig since leaving jerusalem before us lies an undulating du lating plain stretching far away northward encircled by hills no object on its surface to break the viem view around its borders are arc small email groves of orange trees and here and their clumps and rows of olives giving it the appearance of a european park the villages here as elsewhere in instead stead of being located on the plain are for security built on the crests of steep hills or high up p on oli the ac c ivle cf ece the people we now meet appear different in character manners and dress from those occupying the tiie country we have passed the they y look daring darlng and ferocious ready to commence hostilities on the slightest prOTO provocation CAtion catlon armed cap a pie with a long flintlock flint lock shot gun n a huge dagger sticking in the front ofu afu of their girdle pistols and a large knob headd headed club th they r lez led seem pleased in displaying these arms a and n judging from their sturdy at athletic appearance I 1 have no doubt th they cy could employ them to great advantage we frequently met these fellows armed in la this manner driving along a miserable looking looking half started starved donkey loaded proba probably y with all he possessed oss essed except his arms and shabby clot ciot clothing ting there Is however a cause cau sefor for this oddity A blood feud most likely exists between his family and bome some other family which commenced of years ago ego by their ancestors some person was killed and one of that persons family killed another in return then another was killed in revenge and thus it has continued until the present every member of the family is in danger and ilves lives in dread any moment the avenger of blood mood may pounce u upon pon him therefore he Is armed at all bo hours urs and in all places when leading his flocks on the mountain his donkey on the road or when plowing in the field held oft times having to flee ilee from house and home and abide with strangers this fearful state of things arises from the following ladof law of the koran horan 0 true believers the law of retaliation Is ordained to you for the slain the free shall die for the free I 1 suppose mahomet drew this from the old testament but failed to make the corresponding merciful arrangements cities of refuge the second night we camped in a lovely spot in the suburbs ol 01 nailous Na blous this city known in bible history as shechem posses ses sea the most charming and picturesque scenery of any site in palestine it is eru enu abed along the base of mount gerl Geri zim on the south side of a verdant valley sparkling with streams and fountains and decorated with olive ohve trees gardens and fruit orchards the cliffs hills and mountain slopes supporting terraces rising one above another in regular gradation erow era growing w narrow strips ot of waving grain together with fig olive and orange trees T the e valley Is 13 clothed in the richest foliage and vegetation viewed from different points the city with its white domed buildings and its mos mosques quess and towering minarets mina presents a charming picture nailous contains eight thousand inhabitants only five hundred of whom are christians the tho buildings are constructed chiefly of stone in style and general appearance are similar to those these la in Jerusalem rhe The streets as in all other towns in Palestin eare narrow crooked and extremely filthy the houses project over and cover them being supported on arches the inhabitants have the reputation of mistreating strangers especially ladles ladies prompted by curiosity no doubt they visited our tents bv by multitudes in turn we perambulated their filthy city experiencing perien cing no ill treatment in shechem she zein zern as we learn sacred history simeon and levi aven avenged ed the d dishonor I 1 honor of th ea r sis sister ter dinah by murdering the whole population of the city having first decoyed decayed them into complete disability or of defending themselves it was the first spot where abraham pitched his tent in ili canaan place of bechem at the oak of march jacob also aiso albeon on his return from mesopotamia pitched hl his 3 tent in this then pastoral region this is 13 the place where jacob sent his favorite sony song son joseph josepht to look after his ins brethren A certain man found mm him wandering in fhe the fielland fiel field dand and ans directed him to dotham about twelve miles north where they had bad removed here reho Beho boam was proclaimed king overall israel and not long afterwards the ten tribes revolted and made jeroboam the conof son of king hing and established She shechem chela chera as the capital soap cotton and oil are the chief productions at nailous Na blous the olive is extensively cultivated andis and Is seen around every village and hamlet clothed in mid winter with their soft sott gray foliage they always impart beauty and add an air of cheerfulness to the landscape the olive ohve is slow in its growth requiring from twelve to fifteen years before it begins to pay the expense ol 01 cu ti atlon it is long lived m hed fed one thou sand years yeara and upwards the older 0 ones 11 es have a remarkably venerable appearance with their great gnarled and furrowed stems especially when representing the tho last stages of imes imms WAs mos decline usually the fruit ripens in nr va ve aber or december and ii beaten off wilh with long stick stickland Fand sand and the use ot of ladders and gathered by women and children who carry it away in baskets on their heads headd to the press pres where the oil is extracted by an au apparatus quite rude and primitive the berries are placed in ili a round cavity excavated in a rock when a huge stone is rolled over them by oxen or manu manual al force the tho pulp is bou bound d u up in mats placed under the pressy press ieh ahli h 1 is forced down by a screw or heavy beam the liquor is partially heated the ane oil is then skimmed stam medi meds and put into skins or earthen jars from nailous shechem Shee hem bem to samaria our next principal point we pass through a lovely country over terraced hills hilla and winding through partially cultivated valleys with fields of grain two thirds grown and orchards of figs and apricots small villages are seen crowning summits of distant hills or perched high up tip their rocky ides sides seldom appearing latho lathe in the rich vales below fc amaria contains about sixty buildings with four hundred inhabitants it occupies a narrow rocky plateau dil uil midway dway tip up the side of the steep lofty hill in ili the midst of a gentie gentle shower showery we rode rede up to the tile through a narrow winding path clambering overlarge over large boulders and forked sloping conical shelving and slippery rocks halting a few minutes wo we then ascended to the summit summitt on which is an open arent areat area aren formerly surrounded by columns only a few of which are arc now standing in descending tho the mointa mountain ln wo we reached a place on its slope covered with magnificent ruins a quantity of columns 1 I 1 some bt anding standing others broken and lying 1 in fragments oer 0 cr the ground sixty or mome more of these pillars two feet in diameter eighteen in height are standing without their capitals deeply sunk in the ground it is supposed that these columns were designe designed d to decorate the principal street of the ancient eity city large quantities of hewn stone aro arc strewed round over the plowed fields Is and the orchards in the valley below and piled into the terraces which partially encircle the hili lull in viewing these immense ruins ruing I 1 was r minded reminded of tho the fearful prediction ot of micah 1 I wiil will make lR amaria as an heap nf of the field and a as plantings vs of a rin vin I 1 cuard ana and I 1 doten the stones thereof the fhe ref fer into the valley arndt 1 wiil will discover the lb LORENZO SNOW snow march 2 eaith cret cred dews yews leaving samaria we wind whid up a rocky acclivity and pass through nu an avenue of olive trec tree to a smart looking village lo 10 caged on a stony ridge our oar road now lles lies over low hills covered with dwarf oak and hawthorn through rich valleys abounding in wheat fields fig orchards and groves of venerable olive trees with gnarled and furrowed trunks clothed with gray foliage and along over hills whose terraced sides are covered with vineyards several villages are seen dotting the hill sides or crowning their lofty summits we passed through some come low winding ravines th these are the palies passes BO so often defended by the th ten thousands of ephraim and thousands of manasseh against their northern invaders in the midst of these hills the famous gideon the hero of manasseh was nurtured and reared through these passes he marched at the head of his little army against the who were lying in multitudes in the valley of jez reel we passed a large village surrounded by olive groves its inhabitants have a bad reputation it is said that they will not miss an opportunity of plundering the solitary iary lary traveler cheit when found in the neighboring glens giens I 1 en fri friday g y rth ith bec we camped in ped at jenin interpreted pre te d fountain of gardens pardons it con bains three thousand inhabitants chiefly mahometano Mahome tans the town is charm charmingly angly situated commanding a view of the great plain of Esdra elon eion 11 the low hills behind are overspread by shrubbery with here and there patches of olives around the town the landscape is clothed in rich verdure yarl vari variegated gated with flowers of aril nant rant colors also fine gardens encircled by hedges of cactus of immense growth and palm trees here and there raising their graceful grace ful fal heads the plain of Esdra esdna Ead melon meion elon eion the famous battle field of palestine stretches far away from fifteen to twenty miles to the base of the mountains below nazareth on one side enclosed by the hills of galilee on the other by the mountains of samaria the whole forming one vast unbroken expanse of verdure dinall in all ail this plain not ayli aTIl a village lagenor nor hamlet appear appears though they are seen dotting the slopes of the surrounding hills or perched on their rocky summits long strings of bedouin tents are arc here and there thil re strung along its borders and numerous flocks and herds are arc fattening on its luxuriant herbage rc looking arabs visited our tents in ili the thir evening whose appearance failed to impress us favorably respecting their future intentions our guards occasionally sio nally fired a gun during the night nigh indicating their presence and preparation for defense the following morning we passed over the plain of Esdra melon meion elon eion we now have a view aview of mount tabor dotted with oaks from base to summit and mount blount hermon in snow after descending sc a steep rocky ridge we ire wind through a dreary glen opening into the vailey valley ralley of nazareth we rode through the crooked filthy and narrow streets of the city of nazareth and pitched our tents near its borders the town is located in narrow ravines and on the narrow rocky declivities by which they are separated A little valley opens out before it about one mile long and one half mile in breadth en girdled by high bleak hills the valley is divided into small plowed fields in the centre of which are arc patches of gardens enclosed by hedges of cactus the franciscan convent is the most prominent structure then a mosque with its white tapering minaret looms up from among the lo 10 low w buildings the city contains four thousand inhabitants the larger portion of whom are arc christians nazareth is remarkable for being the home of the saviors boyhood the skenes scenes of his private life man many y wa ob objects acts and places are shown associated with the vir tir virgin and the savior the noly holy grotto where the angel announced to mary that she was favored of the highest the workshop of joseph in which jesus worked the table of christ ac but having little faith in their identity I 1 waive we rem remained alnea over sunday and next morning pursued our way loading leading over some fine valleys under moderate cultivation arabs were plowing the fields T their h ear plows and find mode of using them are remarkably mar kably simple and primitive this instrument ment consists of a crooked stick four indies in diameter ter shod with iron six inches wide tapered to a point a wooden peg through the top forming the handle ili in the middle of this stick the end of a small round pole is fastened the opposite end is attached to the yoke by strings oi 01 ropes the yoke is formed by a short straight pole with bows partly of or wood and partly of ropes it is placed upon the necks of two dwarfed wretched oxen or cows the size of our ordinary yearlings yearnings year lings ili in one hand the arab holds the handle of ills plow in the other flourishes a long stick by virtue of which the tho machine is put U t I 1 in motion and its velocity regulated tt works into the soil about four inches breaking brcak break inc the same in breadth the land under this mode of cultivation will yield per acre probably six or eight bushels under proper management it would produce ducq five times the amount we stopped at an arab village known in bibid history as cana of galilee |