JERUSALEM.
JERUSALEM, February 23, 1890.
The rest overnight at Ramleh, at the hotel there, kept by a German,
formerly of Buffalo, N. Y., proved very refreshing, and in the morning
we took our fine carriage, and driving rapidly over the excellent road,
reached here at 5 P.M., having had a very enjoyable trip.
Coming near the Jaffa gate our driver ran against a heavy-loaded camel,
and caused him to tumble almost into our carriage, but he fell partly
under it, and the wheels ran over one of his legs and broke it. The
owner of the camel, a big Turk, when he saw the mischief, sat down by
the side of the road and wept. The carriage stopped at the Jaffa gate,
and we walked to the new hotel, a large handsome building of stone, all
the halls being paved with marble. It was so very cold that I had a
fire made in a small stove in my room. Here, as in all the countries I
have lately visited, fuel is very scarce and dear; that used here was
the roots of trees.
At last the dream of a lifetime has been realized, and I have been on
the top of the Mount of Olives, to me the most interesting spot on
earth. It had been raining, making the slippery stones of the streets
very disagreeable. Accompanied by an excellent guide, I walked from the
Jaffa to the Golden Gate, along the street of "Solomon and David," and
mounted a small good-natured donkey, who carefully took me over a rough
road to the top of the Mount. Thence I looked upon the scenes so often
described in the Bible, rendered more impressive to me from the thought
that on the very spot where I was, must have stood David and Solomon,
Christ, St. Peter, Paul, and the Apostles! They must have looked down in
their time, as I did, upon the winding Jordan, the Dead Sea, Bethlehem,
and the mountains and valleys beyond. The other view was towards the
compact walled city. It seemed to me that I could see the great army of
Titus encamped on the hills beyond the Jaffa Gate, preparing to assault
it with their battering-rams. The scene was a very impressive one. After
admiring the beautiful church lately erected by the Russians, on top of
the Mount, I passed down by another and rougher path, and rode entirely
around the city, the guide carefully explaining every thing as we rode
along. The Mosque of Omar, built on the spot where Solomon's temple
stood, is a splendid edifice, the outside being made of various-colored
tiles, and the inside of mosaic work, with the most exquisite
stained-glass windows.
At length we got away from this almost enchanted spot and went through
the markets and bazaars, which do not differ much from those of other
Oriental cities: narrow dirty streets, small stores, and crowds of
long-bearded old men, exactly as you see represented in all pictures;
women, black, brown, and white, with their faces modestly covered, but
barelegged and nothing on their feet except sandals; even these were
often left off.
We took a carriage and went to Bethlehem, five miles from Jerusalem, and
attended religious services held in various churches by the Russians,
Catholics, and Copts. Every thing we saw was of great interest, the view
from the hill superb, and the people and scenes on the way wonderful to
behold.