One priest is from Greece, and knows Greek; the rest understand only Turkish, though they perform their service in Greek, repeating the words, parrot-like, without understanding them.

Messrs. Fisk and King represent the Arabs as exceedingly profane in respect to the divine Name, using it with very little reverence, and continually invoking it in confirmation of trifles and falsehoods.

They now began to witness some cultivated fields, and a degree of verdure, for which the sandy hills of the desert were gratefully exchanged. About the middle of the next day, which was Friday, and the twelfth since leaving Cairo, they had a shower of rain. Soon after they crossed the valley of Zaaka.

Entrance into Syria.

After riding nine hours and a half, we pitched our tent at Bur el Khoor, a large plain covered with grass and shrubs, on which several large flocks of sheep and goats were feeding, under the direction of Arab shepherds and shepherdesses. We walked up to the top of a sand hill near our tent, where we had a delightful view of the plain. After being so long in the wilderness, this view was indeed cheering. We have now just left the dominions of Mohammed Ali Pasha, and entered modern Syria. Whether we are yet within the limits of ancient Palestine, or not, we do not know. The valley of Zaaka is no doubt a torrent in the rainy season.

Pos

sibly this is the river of Egypt. See Gen. xv, 18, and Josh. xv, 4. If so, we are already in the promised land. While in the desert, we have found comfort in singing,

Guide me, O thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land.

From the top of the hill, near our tent, we lifted up our eyes and looked "northward and southward, and eastward and westward," and thought of the dangers we had escaped, and of the prospect before us. How trying it must have been to Moses, after wandering forty years in the wilderness, to be told that he must not enter the good land which his eyes beheld. In the evening read the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th chapters of Deuteronomy, which were extremely interesting to us at this time. We are now entering the land of Canaan.

Saturday, 19. In the morning we found that some bold Bedouin had made his way into our encampment, and carried off a saddle. Mustapha went out, and, finding a Bedouin, charged him with stealing it, and began to chastise him. He gave a

ins made their appearance at a distance. The surrounding country was full of them; and, as all would be likely to unite together in case of a disturbance, it was thought prudent to leave them in quiet possession of the saddle, and to proceed as soon as possible. At 6, the caravan moved off the ground. As we proceeded, we found a gradual increase of vegetation, and cultivated fields became more frequent. At half past 10, we passed a well of water and some ruins. Two pillars of grey granite were standing. The place is called Rofa. This is probably the ancient Rophia, which was the first town in Syria, Rhinocalura (probably El Arish) being the last in Egypt. At half past 11, after crossing a mountain which is called on one of our maps a continuation of Mount Seir, we came to the village Khan Yoanas (the Inn of Jonas,) the first village we have seen in Syria. It is surrounded by gardens, and is inhabited by Mussulmans, who have a tradition that the Prophet Jonas once was here. East of it on a hill is another Mussulman village.

From Khan Yoanas we travelled several hours over a wide and beautiful plain, filled with herds of camels, sheep and goats, which were generally tended by Bedouin women. This is the ancient land of the Philistines. Here we were continally harassed by the Bedouins, who seemed to spring up like Hydras in every corner. First came 10 or 12 armed with swords and matchlocks. Their dress was merely a turban on the head and a piece of cloth tied round the waist. They met our guide and camel drivers, took each other's hands, kissed, and had all the appearance of friends. It was, however, soon found that they wanted money. Our guide told them they must exact nothing from us," because we were Englishmen; for we travel with English passports, and though we tell our attendants that we are Americans, yet they know no difference between us and Englishmen, having never before seen Americans, or heard of Ameri

ca.

The name of Englishman is so much respected even among Bedouins, that we were not molested. For two hours, however, as we moved along, our attendants were engaged in loud and violent disputes with these and other companies of Bedouins, who came up after they went away. They extorted a few dollars from the Armenians and Greeks, and at last took an ass from one of the Arabs. Our shekh knew all these free-booters, and it is prob ably owing to his acquaintance with them, and his faithfulness to us, that they were so easily satisfied, and that we met with so little trouble from them. He says most of the Bedouins are much worse than

these, and yet he called these Satans (Shaitan.)

Under a large Sycamore tree we saw women and children threshing barley on "the ground with long sticks. Near by was a shepherdess tending a large flock, with her crook in her hand, and the skin of a lamb, having the wool on, thrown over her shoulders for a shawl.

Respecting the Southern Boundary of Canaan.

It is difficult to ascertain the limit, which divided the ancient Canaan from Egypt. God said to Abraham, Gen. 15:18, "Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates." In Josh. 15:4, it is said, that the border of Judah "went out unto the river of Egypt." The question is, what was meant by the river of Egypt. D'Anville places it, on his map of ancient Egypt, within about 10 miles of Katich (Casium) and more than 30 from El Arish (Rhinocalura.) We crossed no river, nor any stream of water, however small, between Cairo and Gaza, but we passed the beds of several now dry, one in the valley of Zaaka, another called Silgah four hours, and a third two hours, before reaching Gaza. This last is probably the brook Besor, which David passed over with 400 men in pursuit of the Amalekites, who had smitten Ziklag, and whom he found "spread abroad upon all the earth, eating, and drinking, and dancing," where he "smote them." 1 Sam. 30:16,17.

Country of the Philistines.

At half past 5, after riding 11 hours and a half, we arrived at Gaza; took two small dirty apartments in a large filthy khan, and put up for the Sabbath, thankful that we were not among deserts of sand, or bands of Arab free-booters, so as to be obliged to travel on the Lord's day. Gaza is the city whose gates Sampson carried away, and where he slew 3000 Philistines at his death. We had no very good opportunity to judge of the population of the place, but probably the estimation, given by geographers, of 5000, is not far from the truth. Mussulmans never take a census, unless it be an enumeration of the houses in order to tax them. The city stands on a little elevation. The houses are all built of stone, but make a very mean appearance. The scenery around is beautiful.

At Gaza they found a number of Greeks, and a Greek priest, to whom they gave 13

copies of the Scriptures, and sold 25. But one present knew the Greek language, and to him they gave a Testament. The priest said, that the church had been built twelve centuries. They left Gaza on the forenoon of Monday, April 21st.

We crossed a bridge over the bed of a small river, now dry; and then passed through groves of olives, and fields of grass, wheat, barley, and tobacco. The plains were agreeably diversified by gentle elevations and small valleys. Five hours and a half from Gaza, we saw on our left the village Mijdal, near the ruins of the ancient Askelon, which is now uninhabited. Such at least is the information given us by the Arabs. After riding eight hours and a half, we pitched our tent near the village Esdood, which, from its situation, and from the similarity of the name, we presume to be the ancient Ashdod. It consists of 100 or 150 of what the people call houses, miserable cabins and holes, built of stone, covered with branches of trees, and roots, and these again with earth, so that vegetation appears every where on the tops of them. The place is inhabited wholly by Mussulmans.

Tuesday, 22. In three hours and a half after leaving Esdood, we passed Yibua, a village something smaller than Esdood. In riding through this ancient country of the Philistines, we have seen, at a distance to the east, a range of high mountains. On the west, a range of small sand hills ran along between us and the sea. The country around us was green and beautiful, and the soil of a good color, which might, no doubt, be made very productive by proper cultivation. At present, however, the grass, and crops of wheat and barley are of but a small growth. We saw few villages, and those few are small. There are no scattered houses. The population appears not to be great.

Jaffa.

In ten hours and a half ride after leaving Esdood, they arrived at Jaffa; and, word being sent to Mr. Damiani, the English consul, his Dragoman came to procure them admittance into the city. They took lodgings in the consul's house, which stands by the sea-side, and, as is supposed, at, or very near the place, where Simon the tanner lived, and the Apostle Peter was lodged. At evening the table was served by a man of Greek origin, who was 100 years old, and had been 80 years a servant in the family of Mr. Damiani and his father.

On the 24th they left Jaffa on mules and

asses, and, after a ride of four hours, arrived at Rama, or Ramla, the Arimathea of the Scriptures, where they took lodgings for the night in an Armenian convent.

Approach to Jerusalem.

Friday, 25. At half past 5 we set out for Jerusalem, comforted with the hope, that this was the last day of our journey. In about two hours, we saw a Bedouin horseman sitting on the ground, a little before us, with his horse feeding by his side. As we advanced he rose, and boldly put himself in front of us all. The Christians, who were with us, and who rode forward, stopped and turned from him, as if he had been a lion. As soon as Mr. Damiani told him who we were, he let us pass quietly, but tried hard to get something from the rest of the company. He got nothing, however, except a trifle, which the mule drivers gave him, in order to be on good terms with him hereafter. At 8, we crossed a hill, and then entered a valley, which we were half an hour in passing. Soon after this, we came among the mountains. Here we saw, at a distance, a camp of Bedouins. As soon as they saw us, one of their horse-men rode on swiftly, as if to interrupt our path. He came into the road before us, halted, and looked at us again, and then rode off. Had we been Rayahs (i. e. Christian subjects of the Grand Signor,) he would not probably have left us without money. For some time our.road lay along the bed of a brook, in a deep ravine, with mountains of rocks rising up like Pyramids on each side of us. By degrees the ascent became more steep, till we reached the height of these ragged mountains, where we had a good view of the plains between us and Jaffa. It was often with difficulty that our beasts could walk, on account of the badness of the road, and the steepness of the mountains. These mountains are covered with small shrubs, suitable for goats, of which we saw several large flocks. There are no forests, but in the vallies and on the sides of the hills are many olives and fig trees. At a place called Sareen, two or three fierce, armed Bedouins appeared, and began to demand tribute. We rode on very carelessly, bid them good morning, and inquired after their health. They began to talk loudly, and ordered us to stop, but we rode on, and they did not attempt to stop us by force. When the native Christians and Jews pass such places, they have no way to get along, but to satisfy the rapacity of these plunderers,

A little past noon they came to a village, which Chateaubriand calls the village of Jer

emiah. A little way from it, was a pure stream of water, flowing out of a rock, where they stopped to quench their thirst, and eat some bread and fruit.

Thence we pursued our journey over a road impassable for camels, and very difficult for mules and asses. After crossing a high mountain, we passed through a deep valley, where is a small village called Kaloona. The mountains here are of a peculiar formation. They seem almost as if built by the hand of man, and rise gradually, step by step, like Pyramids. Each step, however, is so fastened into the "Everlasting Hills," as to show you that it was placed there by the hand of Him, who existed "before the mountains were brought forth." On these steps, which are sometimes three or four rods wide, and sometimes only a few feet, you see soil, which produces shrubs, and, when cultivated, vines, figs, and olives. The country continued the same till we were within half an hour of Jerusalem, when all at once Mount Olivet and the Holy City opened to our view. Thus it is often with the last hours of the Christian. He is obliged to pass over a rough and wearisome way, where he is continually exposed to the attacks of enemies, till near the close of life,―till his feet are about to stand within the gates of the New Jerusalem, and then he is favored with some bright visions of the place he is

soon to enter..

Reflections on Mr. Parsons.

As we drew near the city, we remembered how our dear brother Parsons, when wars and rumors of wars obliged him to leave the place, turned back his eyes, as he ascended the hill west of Jerusalem, and wept, and said, "If I shall find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again, and show me both it, and his habitation." Alas for us! these words were fulfilled in a much higher sense, than he then anticipated. We cannot for a moment doubt, that he did find favor in the eyes of the Lord; and though he was not permitted to return to the earthly Jerusalem, yet his divine Savior has given him an infinitely higher felicity, even that of seeing and enjoying the bliss of that Eternal City, in which the divine glory dwells.

They enter the Holy City.

With feelings not easily described, about four o'clock, we entered JERUSALEM. The scenes and events of 4,000 years seemed to rush upon our minds; events, in which Heaven, and Earth, and Hell, had felt the deepest interest. This was the

place, selected by the Almighty for his dwelling, and here his glory was rendered visible. This was the "perfection of beauHere ty," and the "glory of all lands." David sat and tuned his harp, and sung the praises of Jehovah. Hither the tribes came up to worship. Here enraptured prophets saw bright visions of the world above, and received messages from on high for guilty Here our Lord and Savior came in the form of a servant, and groaned, and wept, and poured out his soul unto death, to redeem us from sin, and save us from the pains of hell. Here, too, the wrath of an incensed God has been poured out upon his chosen people, and has laid waste his heritage.

man.

Messrs. Fisk and King took lodgings in a Greek convent, called the Convent of St. Michael the Archangel, situated but a little distance from the place where it is supposed the Lord Jesus was crucified. Their windows looked out upon the Mount of Olives, from whence he ascended to glory, and where he commanded his disciples to "go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Mr. Wolff took lodgings with his brethren the Jews.

it is not now easy to distinguish; at least, we see nothing which corresponds entirely to the description of it given by Josephus. There is a hill between Zion and Moriah, which corresponds well to the east part of Acra. Josephus says, the Valley of the Cheesemongers, which divided Acra from Zion, went out to Siloam. This applies precisely to the hill in question; but Josephus adds, that Acra was in the form of a crescent. This does not apply to the hill of which we speak. Possibly, however, this hill may have been anciently connected with what is now the west part of Zion, and separated by a small valley from the city of David. Before Titus besieged Jerusalem, it had been captured five times, and once "demolished entirely by the Babylonians." Titus spared the west wall and three towers, "but for all the rest of the wall, it was so thoroughly laid even with the ground, by those that dug it up to the foundation, that there was left nothing to make those that came thither believe, that it had ever been inhabited." And since the time of Titus, Jerusalem has been often plundered, and at least partially destroyed. In the space of so many ages, it is to be expected, that some vallies should be filled up, and some hills levelled. It is, also, extremely difficult to trace little ascents and descents in an area covered with build

Christian Brethren in America;-Pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified, even as it is with you; and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.

DESCRIPTION OF JERUSALEM,

By Messrs. Fisk and King.

JERUSALEM appears, in a general view, to be situated on the side of a mountain, descending toward the east, where it is divided from Mount Olivet by the valley of Cedron. The summit of the mountain is considerably higher than the city, so that in coming from Jaffa you arrive near Jerusalem before you see it.

On a nearer view of the city, you perceive that it is built on several hills; viz. Zion at the south-west part, Calvary at the north-west, Moriah at the south-east, and || Bezetha at the north-east. According to the ancient descriptions of the city, it included another hill called Acra. This hill

part of what seems now to be Zion, was formerly a part of Acra, or not, it is difficult to decide. The Jews at present call the whole hill Zion. We shall, therefore, speak of it as such, and give the name Acra to the hill, which lies between Zion and Moriah.

The south wall passes over Mount Zion, near its summit, so that a great part of the hill is without the city. South of the hill is the deep valley of the son of Hinnom; the same valley, turning north,bounds Zion likewise on the west. The vallies, which separate it in the city from Calvary on the north, and Acra on the north-east, are not deep. Moriah has on the east the deep valley of Cedron. On the south of it, without the city, is a little elevation, which is marked on D'Anville's map as Ophel; thence the descent is steep, till you come to the fountain of Siloah. The vallies north and west of Moriah at present are not very deep. Calvary was perhaps only a small elevation on a greater hill, which is now the north-west part of the city; but the name is now given to the whole hill. Bezetha is separated from Calvary by a wide valley; and east of Calvary is the dividing valley between Moriah and Bezetha, in which is the pool of Bethesda.

We have viewed Jerusalem from different stations, have walked around it and within it, and have stood on the Mount of

Olives with Josephus' description of it in our hands, trying to discover the hills and vallies as laid down by him near 1800 years ago; and after all our research we compare Jerusalem to a beautiful person, whom we have not seen for many years, and who has passed through a great variety of changes and misfortunes, which have caused the rose on her cheeks to fade, her flesh to consume away, and her skin to become dry and withered, and have covered her face with the wrinkles of age; but who still retains some general features, by which we recognize her as the person, who used to be the delight of the circle in which she moved. Such is the present appearance of this Holy City, which was once "the perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth."

Jerusalem, as to general form, may be called a square, or rather a rhomboid, for the north-east and south-west angles are acute, and the north-west and south-east are obtuse. The east wall is nearly straight the whole length. On the north and south sides, the wall makes a bend outwardly, and on the west side it makes an inward bend, so that it would not be very inaccurate to call the city a heptagon. There are, likewise, many little irregularities in the wall.

Near the bend on the west side is Jaffa gate, called, also, the gate of Bethlehem and the Pilgrim's gate and Bab el Khaleel [the gate of the Beloved, i. e. Abraham.] On the south side is the gate of Zion, called also the gate of David. On the east side, near the pool of Bethesda, is the gate of Stephen, called likewise the Sheep gate and the gate of the Virgin Mary. On the west side, between Calvary and Bezetha, is Damascus gate. These four are the principal gates of the city, and are always open from morning till sunset. There are two other small gates, which are opened only occasionally. One is on the south side, a little west of Mount Moriah. Maundrel calls it the Dung gate. The Mussulmans call it the gate of the Mogrebbins. The other, which Maundrel calls Herod's gate, is on the west side, and goes out from Bezetha. On the east side of Moriah is a seventh gate, or rather a place where there was one when the Christians possessed the city, for it is now completely walled up. Maundrel calls this the Golden gate.

We measured the city by paces, and the following is the result:

The total is 4279 paces; and allowing five paces to a rod, this gives 856 rods, or about two miles and two thirds, for the circumference of the city. Maundrel meas

ured the city, and judged it to be two miles and a half in circumference. According to Josephus, it was 33 furlongs in circumference before Tites destroyed it. Mount Zion was then included, and the city seems from his description to have extended further north than it does now. The wall of the city is high, but not thick. From counting the rows of stones we suppose the height, in different places, to be 40, 50, and perhaps 60 feet. There is a castle, with two towers, on the west side, a little south of Jaffa gate, to which travellers have given the name of the Pisan's Tower. For a little distance, near the north east corner, there is a trench without the wall, but now nearly filled up.

In regard to the population of Jerusalem, the following estimate seems to us as probably correct as any one we have heard, viz.

The Jews themselves say, that they have only 600 families of Sephartim, or Spanish Jews, and 25 families of Ashkenasim, or Polish Jews. But some think the Jews more numerous than the Mussulmans. They occupy, however, a much smaller part of the city than the Turks and Arabs. The Armenians live in and around their convent on Mount Zion; the Greeks and Catholics have their convents and houses on Mount Calvary. The Turks and Arabs Occupy Bezetha, and all the eastern part of the city, and have scattered dwellings in every quarter. The Jews live in the dust between Zion and Moriah.

The

whole area of the ancient Jewish Temple on Moriah, which now encloses the mosque of Omar, is walled in, and none but Mussulmans are allowed to enter it on pain of death. In and near it are four minarets. There are two others on Bezetha, one on Acra, one on Zion, and two on Calvary placed on opposite sides of the Holy Sepulchre, like the two thieves on the right and left of our Lord.

The Jews have a number of synagogues, all connected together, in the quarter where they live. The church of the Holy Sepulchre stands on Calvary. The Catholics have one convent on the same mountain. The Greeks have twelve here, and one near Zion gate. The Armenians have

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