Byeways in Palestine | Page 3

to eat oranges--the delicious produce of Jaffa.
Passing the Fountain of the Apostles, (so called,) we jogged along a
plain road till we reached a booth for selling cups of coffee, at the
divergence of the road Nebi Moosa, (the reputed sepulchre of the
prophet Moses, according to the Mohammedans,) then up an ascent still

named Tela'at ed Dum, which is certainly the ancient {3} Adummim,
(Joshua xv. 7)--probably so called from broad bands of red among the
strata of the rocks. Here there are also curious wavy lines of brown flint,
undulating on a large scale among the limestone cliffs. This
phenomenon is principally to be seen near the ruined and deserted
Khan, or eastern lodging-place, situated at about half the distance of
our journey. The name is Khatroon.
As we proceeded, our escort, mostly on foot, went on singing merrily,
and occasionally bringing us tufts of scented wild plants found in
crevices by the roadside. Then we came to long remains of an ancient
water conduit, leading to ruins of a small convent. In a few minutes
after the latter, we found ourselves looking down a fearfully deep
precipice of rocks on our left hand, with a stream flowing at the bottom,
apparently very narrow indeed, and the sound of it scarcely audible.
This is the brook Kelt, by some supposed to be the Cherith of Elijah's
history. Suddenly we were on the brow of a deep descent, with the
Ghor, or Jericho plain, and the Dead Sea spread out below. In going
down, we had upon our left hand considerable fragments of ancient
masonry, containing lines of Roman reticulated brickwork.
It was now evening; a breeze, but not a cool one, blowing; and we left
aside for this time the pretty camping station of Elisha's Fountain,
because we had business to transact at the village of Er-Rihha, (or
Jericho.) There accordingly our tents were pitched; and in a circle at
our doors were attentive listeners to a narration of the events of Lieut.
Molyneux's Expedition on the Jordan and Dead Sea in 1847.
Thermometer after sunset, inside the tent, at 89 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sleep very much disturbed by small black sandflies and ants.
Thursday, 10th.--Thermometer at 76 degrees before sunrise. The scene
around us was animated and diversified; but several of us had been
accustomed to Oriental affairs--some for a good many years; and some
were even familiar with the particular localities and customs of this
district. Others were young in age, and fresh to the country; expressing
their wonderment at finding themselves so near to scenes read of from
infancy--scarcely believing that they had at length approached near to

"That bituminous lake Where Sodom stood,"
and filled with joyous expectation at the visit so soon to be made to the
Jordan, and beyond it. Some were quoting Scripture; some quoting
poetry; and others taking particular notice of the wild Arabs, who were
by this time increasing in number about us,--their spears, their mares,
their guttural language, and not less the barren desert scene before us,
being objects of romantic interest.
At length all the tents and luggage were loaded on the mules, and ten
men of the village were hired for helping to convey our property across
the river; and we went forward over the strange plain which is neither
desert sand, as in Africa, nor wilderness of creeping plants and flowers,
as on the way to Petra, but a puzzling, though monotonous succession
of low eminences,--of a nature something like rotten chalk ground, if
there be such a thing in existence,--between which eminences we had
to wind our way, until we reached the border of tamarisk-trees, large
reeds, willow, aspen, etc., that fringes the river; invisible till one
reaches close upon it.
At the bathing (or baptism) place of the Greeks, northwards from that
of the Latins, to which English travellers are usually conducted, we had
to cross, by swimming as we could. {5} King David, on his return from
exile, had a ferry-boat to carry over his household, but we had none.
Probably, on his escaping from Absalom, he crossed as we did.
The middle part of the river was still too deep for mere fording. Horses
and men had to swim; so the gentlemen sat still on their saddles, with
their feet put up on the necks of their horses, which were led by naked
swimming Arabs in the water holding the bridles, one on each side.
Baggage was carried over mostly on the animals; but had to be
previously adjusted and tightened, so as to be least liable to get wetted.
Small parcels were carried over on the heads of the swimmers. These
all carried their own clothes in that manner. One of the luggage mules
fell with his load in the middle of