The Hillsborough Recorder

The Holy City.

The following letter from a correspondent for this paper, is, in our view, well worth reading. The description given by the writer of his visit to the Holy City, is well written and full of interest.

Letter from an officer in the U. S. Navy to his friend in the city of Washington.

UNITED STATES SCHOONER SHARK,

Jan. 23d, 1834.

Before our departure from Cairo, we re-visited Cheops, and examined the Sphinx in its neighborhood. This monument, you are aware, represents the colossal bust, or rather the head and neck of a female, to which tradition attaches the body of a lion couchant; but of this fact we have no satisfactory evidence, and the truth lies so deeply buried in the sand, that conjecture must long continue to supply the place of it. This extraordinary relic is about sixty feet in height, somewhat dilapidated, and supposed to be coeval with the most ancient of the pyramids.

I regret exceedingly that we were unable to explore the interior of Cheops, as I understand it is subdivided into numerous highly finished apartments, embellished with the richest variety of marble, and some curious specimens of the rude sculpture of the times. Among the latter, the effigies of its royal founder, and his architect, are the most conspicuous.

After a hasty re-survey of the citadel, the cemeteries, and the magnificent environs of the city, we embarked on the 5th of August for Alexandria, where we arrived in safety at the close of the fifth day, equally delighted with the novelty of our tour, and the generous hospitality of the high authorities of the empire. A repetition of visits of this nature cannot fail to impress the Pasha with the power and enterprise of the United States, and finally cement the most amicable relations between the two countries.

On the 10th, we sailed from Alexandria along the coast of Syria, and landed at Jaffa, or Joppa, on the 13th of August. This ancient city, once the principal seaport of Judea, dates its origin almost as far back as the erection of the Tower of Babel; it is said to have been built but two or three centuries after the huge deluge, under an efficient government, its harbor would be cleared of the accumulations of sand, when rendered navigable by larger vessels: and Jaffa might again become the active commercial emporium of the upper Mediterranean.

As Jerusalem had been recently captured and pillaged by the Bedouins, who are a wandering indolent race, bound by no social or political ties, and ever ready for adventure, the Commodore deemed it prudent to procure the escort of a guard before we set out for the sacred capital of ancient Judea. Mounted on horses and mules, we passed through a highly cultivated country, and reached Ramla, the ancient Arimathea, at an early hour in the evening, where we lodged the next night. This town is pleasantly situated on a gentle elevation, and twelve miles from the Holy City, and is only remarkable for its ruins, and, as some writers say, the tomb of St. George, the patron saint of the English crusaders.

In the morning, we took leave of our hospitable entertainers at the Latin convent, and after a perilous and fatiguing ride over the summits and through the gorges of the mountains, we arrived under the lofty walls of Jerusalem as the bright, full moon was wheeling over the surrounding hills. With as little delay as possible, the gates were thrown open to us, and our numerous cavalcade was forthwith conducted to the Greek Convent.

Transported by an enthusiasm which the holy relics, and the ground on which I stood were so eminently calculated to inspire, you may possibly conceive my emotions, but it is in vain for me to attempt to impart them on paper. Not an object within the enlarged boundaries of the city, but calls up in the mind the memorable events of the Christian era, and impresses the fallen daughter of Zion. Though now desolate and dark, with an interest far transcending all the cities of the earth.

Jerusalem is situated in a mountainous region, and rests on a sub-stratum of soft white free stone, but partially covered with red earth. It is supposed to have been founded by the high priest Melchizedek, about two thousand years before the birth of Christ. He gave it the name of Salem. This name ill assorted with its destiny. It has been the victim of a thousand sieges and revolutions, and her blood-stained hills are still red with the slaughter of her first conquerors, the Jebusites. The conquerors bestowed upon it the name of Jerusalem, which it has retained ever since. The original temple was destroyed in the year of the world 3416, or about four hundred and seventy years after the first one was understood to have been founded, and again in 70 A.D. by the Romans, at the end of a long siege and his prinus muneris. There once of a town boundary and defeat, that has since passed through many more changes of a conqueror and is fully humbled.

To me probably the most interesting part of the city is the Valley of Jehoshaphat on the east, west, and south, many of the interesting objects of sacred history, which were formerly without the walls, are now included within them.

Immediately after our morning meal, we repaired to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, an immense structure, erected in the early part of the fourth century, by Helena, mother of Constantine. It covers the summit of Mount Calvary, and encloses, and sanctifies the places of the Saviour's sufferings and degradation.

The building has been more or less injured by time and revolutions: but is now in very good repair. Rich donations from Christian princes and devotees everywhere embellish it: but the Turks have control over all here, and until very recently, exacted a tribute from visitors and pilgrims to the Christian shrine. They, however, generally respect the motives that prompt to pilgrimages, and I must acknowledge that, for Turks, they treated us with marked civility.

Among other sects, two or three Catholic Priests perform service in this church: which is opened at stated periods for the exercises of devotion, under the various religious rituals of its several possessors. Here the unbloody sacrifice of the mass is celebrated on the very spot, consecrated by the bloody sacrifice of which it is commemorative. You may well imagine that on entering this holy edifice, my feelings must have been powerfully affected. I was indeed overwhelmed with the awful sublimity of the place. There at the entrance of the vestibule, was the stone on which the sacred body of Christ had been placed for embalmment after the crucifixion. Here the place of the passion: there the aperture in the rock in which the cross was set, now enriched by a massive plate of silver, embossed with allegorical illustrations of his death. Here we beheld "where the rock was rent," and there the Holy Sepulchre. This splendid mausoleum stands in the centre of a rotunda, whose dome is crowned by a radiant cupola. It is superbly coated with damask hangings, richly embroidered with gold. It encloses the sarcophagus, and immediately in front a small chapel has been erected to commemorate the spot where the angel is supposed to have appeared to the two Marys. In advance of this is the seat where the Redeemer is said to have been temporarily interred. It is six feet square and eight feet high, entirely lined with marble, and hung with azure silk. Flowers bedewed with rose-water, are strewed around the apartment: and over the slab, where the body lay, are suspended forty or fifty ever-burning lamps, wrought of gold and silver of the finest workmanship. These are the gifts of distinguished individuals of the various sects of the Christian church.

In the aisle north of the sepulchre, is the place where Christ is supposed to have appeared to the Magdalen, the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, the place where he was tortured with the crown of thorns, and the pillar to which he was bound, while being scourged in the Court of the Judgment Hall. The mound on which the cross was planted, retains its original elevation, the surface having been sufficiently graded to admit of a smooth marble pavement. It is about the height of our land of dance, and is approached by a flight of stony steps. Over the altar in round fourteen lamps, which are constantly burning. While we were there, different sects, through the spacious altars of the Church, to the performance of their several devotions. In passing through the Via Dolorosa towards the Mount of Olives, the Holy monk pointed out to us the Dungeon in which the Saviour had been imprisoned, and the hall where Pilate presided in the Judgment Seat. The ruins of the house of the Roman Governor now constitute a portion of the Turkish Seraglio.

From the top of the Mount of Olives, the supposed place of the ascension, we had an extensive view of the Dead Sea, the river Jordan and the surrounding country. Immediately at our feet lies Jerusalem, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Sepulchre of the Virgin Mary, the brook of Kidron and the pools of Bethesda and Siloam in the valley of Jehoshaphat. The brook Kidron and the pool of Bethesda are nearly dry: but the pool at Siloam affords abundance of excellent water, which supplies the city and the surrounding country. In Grand Cairo, Alexandria, and all Egypt and Syria, water is carried in goat-skins on the backs of greater asses, or in large skins and cans, which when filled, resume the shape of the skin, from which they may have been kept.

The tomb of the Virgin in a magnificent chapel, spacious and tastefully ornamented, and covered with the same care. The scene at Gethsemane is only remarkable for the agony of Christ and prayer in Judaea, but it is at this day designed for night joy needs, which, we wad, woge torrid at the birth of our Saviour, the Fathers have a demand a der existence. A. D. son, and one of them three these were his last at the period of the deluge. As pond h Moege now meegpee the site of the Temple, no Christian foot can enter there in safety. I ho neh m truefer sno ethee resigo he he, or ab pre hs tan.

A very small one as ht at the Mob duns a Cmar enmone on the summit. On the south side the city is a deep valley or ravine, called Gehenna, or Hinnom--probably the valley of the son of Hinnom, spoken of in Holy Writ--where the offal of the town was cast and consumed by a constant fire: hence, in the opinion of many, the derivation of the word Hell.

The Olive tree everywhere abounds in this country; among the rocks and on the sides of the Mount of Olives, they flourish luxuriantly. The valley of Jehoshaphat is covered with them, and they add to the solemn seclusion of the tombs of Jehoshaphat, Absalom, and Zachariah. These mausoleums are cut on the face of a solid rock, and appear to have had no entrances; at least two of them are constructed thus.

Bethlehem is built on a hill of a very uneven surface, and contains a population of 1500 or 2000. The stable, the birth place of Christ, is of the construction of modern stables, containing stalls, &c., and one is pointed out by the Monks as that in which he was born. It is cut out of the soft rock of the country, after the fashion of stalls generally, and is no otherwise remarkable in its appearance, excepting the small embellishments with which it is surrounded. An extensive church and convent cover the place, and the stall is decorated with the sumptuous trappings of devotion. At the convent we were entertained with great kindness. Thirty eight of us partook of an excellent dinner, prepared by the venerable Fathers, who all, save the superior, waited upon us with every attention during the repast. The Pasha and his son had recently been there: and, as we were informed, had troglodytically shared their hospitality: it is said, moreover, that he is indifferent about the Mahomedan faith.

In these countries, where inns are unknown, convents supply their place, or rather continue to be used for one of the principal purposes of their establishment --the entertaining of the wayfaring man, especially the pennyless stranger. The revolt in the city of Jerusalem, which had but a few weeks before our arrival been subdued, caused several thousand of the citizens to retreat for refuge into the principal Franciscan convent. So great a crowd produced the plague in the establishment, which kept it under quarantine during the three days we tarried in the town. We therefore had to put up with inferior accommodations at the Greek convent: but as Pilgrims to the Holy Land it was unbecoming in us to complain at trifling inconveniences: and so we thanked the Monks for their courtesies, and wended our way to the ships again.