64 Poetry-Cum. Co. Bible Society. furniture, made it the greatest won- Newspapers.-The Postmaster general, in his recent Report, says, "there are more der, that mortal eyes ever have seen, than 560 newspapers printed in the Union, or will see in this world. Should all and it has been estimated that on an average, the princes of Europe concentrate each newspaper office sends 300 papers, weektheir wisdom and their treasures, they ly, in the mail. Some country papers may not send weekly in the mail, more than from could not erect a fabric, so rich, mag-40 to 100 papers, but some offices are known to send from ten to twenty thousand." nificent and glorious, as Solomon's Temple. There were five particulars, which constituted the principal glory of this house of God: The ark and its furniture, the cloud of the divne presence, the holy fire, the Urim and Thummim, and the spirit of prophecy. These tokens of the divine favor were gradually withdrawn from the first temple, and as the Jews afirm, were never enjoyed in the second. CHAPIN. To speak thy praise aloud, are often seen. With zeal like thine, to labor in its cause; N. Y. Observer. Cumberland County Bible Society. The treasurer of the Bible Society of Cumberland County acknowledges the receipt of 86 through the hands of the secretary, as a Donation to the society by the Rev. George Duffield. He also acknowledges the receipt of 12 dol. from Benjamin Anderson Esq. who was appointed a collector of the arrearages due the society in his respective township. We hope those other gentlemen who have been appointed for the same purpose will exert themselves, and make returns as soon as practicable. Communicated. AGENTS. Mr. James Laughlin, Newville. Thy cause with truth and reason firmly pure, Mr. Paul Geddes, Fannetsburg. From age to age must ever stand secure. For blessings brighten as the take their flight;' Mr. Henry Bell, Westchester. M'Connelsburg. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY FLEMING AND GEDDES, Every Friday, at two dollars per annum. G. Religious Miscellany. No. 5. "Say ye to the daughter of Zion, behold, thy salvation cometh." Vol. III. Condensed for the Boston Recorder, from the | whose mediation, and, if our informaMissionary Herald for February. PALESTINE MISSION. JOURNEY OF MEESRS. FISK AND KING his former authority. Near Shoobreh we met a crowd in the street composed principally of women and children following some soldiers, who were leading along a number of Arabs with their hands hound. They were weeping, and shrieking, & crying, "My liver! my liver!" We found, on inquiry, that the young men had been pressed as soldiers, by order of government. The process is this. -Government sends out men to the villages with orders to return with a certain number of soldiers. They go and seize the first promising young men they can find. One young man had fainted, and an old man was carrying him off, followed by women who rent the air with their cries.--Wel had scarcely left this crowd before we met a man carrying a corpse on a mule, probably to bury it. It was merely wrapped up in a little mat of reeds. The whole was a piteous and affecting scene. April 2.-Made a visit to the Ewir Beshir at his retreat on the banks of the Nile above old Cairo. He has with him a number of attendants and soldiers from Mount Lebanon, Druses and Maronites. He incurred, some time since, the displeasure of the Porte and an order was sent for his head. He, however, found a safe retreat with the Pasha of Egypt, through tion is correct, by means of a present April 3.-Called on Osman Noureddin, the President of the Pasha's College. We gave him some literary pamphlets, and Erskine on the evidences of Christianity in French. He treated us very politely, but received Erskine's work with a look, which showed that it was not very acceptable. Called likewise to-day on the Armenian Bishop, Gregory. He gave us a letter for Jerusalem. [Messrs. Fisk and King were in Egypt about three months, during which time they distributed, or gave away for distribution, 3,700 Tracts. They also gave away 256 copies of the Bible or parts of it, and sold 644 (in all 900) for 2378 piastres, or about 183 dollars. [We now commence the description of their journey from Cairo to Jerusalem, in the course of which they passed through the same desert, though not through the same part of it, which the children of Israel passed through when escaping from Egyptian bondage to the promised land of their inherit ance and rest.] Commencement of the Journey. Monday, April 7. 1823.-Soon after sun-rise an Arab Shekh came with our camels. We had engaged 13, and were to pay six dollars and a half for each, for the journey from Cairo to Jaffa. Four were for ourselves and servant, one for our guide Mustapha, one for water, one for provisions, four for our trunks of books and clothes, and two for the books of the Bible So ciety and the Jews' Society. We had purchased four goat skins and four leather bottles, in which to carry our water. We had hoped to find a caravan going through the desert, but finding it not likely that one would go for some weeks, we prepared to set out alone. till we were almost out of sight of the caravan, we stopped to rest under the shade of a tree. Here we felt the force and saw the beauty of the comparison, "like the shadow of a great rock in a weary land."-The caravan came up in half an hour, and we went At one, after riding seven hours, course N. and N. E. we pitched our tent on the road near the village Bil on. bes. Found the thermometer in our tent at 85 deg. In our room at Cairo it had been for some time from 70 to 76 degs. We have hitherto had fertile fields on our left hand, and the barren desert on our right. In looking off upon the desert we have observed at a distance the appearance of wa ter. The illusion is perfect, and did we not know that it is a mere illusion, we should confidently say that we saw water. It sometimes appears like a lake, and sometimes like a river. As you approach it, it recedes or vanish es. Account of the Caravan. the At 9 o'clock we took leave of Mr. Salt and his family, and rode out of town; and after arranging our baggage, commenced our journey at ten in regular order for Syria. As we Thus are the hopes of this world started, a Turkish Dervish and two and the objects which men ardently or three others joined our caravan. pursue, false and delusive as We passed a little way from Mata-streams of the desert. rieh, and the obelisk of On or Heriopolis. Till one o'clock we rode in Wednesday, 9.-Bilbes being the the edge of the wilderness, with its last village before crossing the desert, immense extent stretching away to our attendants were employed in gettthe right, and the fertile plains of the ing things for themselves and their Nile to the left. At one our road led beasts, and we did not set off till half us into the fields, but still near the past nine. Several Turks, Arabs and desert. At nearly 4 o'clock, after Armenians here joined our caravan. riding more than five hours course, E. After entering the desert, we counted N. E. we pitched our tent on the sandy the persons belonging to the caravan, plain near the village Abu-Sabel.and found the whole number 74, with Here a number of Mussulmans and several Armenians joined our caravan. They had been waiting at the village for a caravan to pass, with which they might go through the desert. In the evening we observed the monthly concert of prayer. 44 camels, 57 asses, one mule, and one horse. Several of the camels are loaded with merchandize, and most of the camel-drivers perform the whole journey on foot. At half past 2, after riding 5 hours, we pitched our tent on the plain callTuesday 8.-We arose at 5, anded Rode en Wolton. Thermometer at 6 resumed our journey. At 8 we in our tent at 79 deg. Asked the passed a village in a grove of palmDervish Hadgi Mustapha, what a DerAt half past 11, having rodevish is. He replied, "One that eats on with our guide, trotting our camels what he has to-day, and trusts God trees. for the future." "Are they priests?" || ry water in were new, and have given "They are among Turks what priests the water a reddish color, and an exare among Christians." "Are they ceedingly loathsome taste. monks? or can they marry?" "Some marry, others not, as they please." Journey in the desert. Its Most of the time to-day we have been rising a gentle ascent, course E. & N. E. We are now in the desert out of sight of the inhabited world. appearance however, is not so perfectly barren as we expected to find it. Almost every where we see thistles, grass and flowers growing out of the sand, though thinly scattered, of stinted growth, and of a dry and withered look. When we stop, we select a good spot for our encampment, raise our tent on its two poles, and stretch out the ropes and fasten them to the earth with pins, and then arrange our trunks and boxes of books, so that they serve us for tables, chairs and bedsteads. [In the evening they found, that the butter, which they had put up at Cairo for their journey, had, like the manna which the Israelites kept over night, 'bred worms,' so that they could not eat it. Thrice, during the forenoon of the next day, the passports of the different companies composing the caravan, were demanded, by Arab soldiers. patrolling this part of the desert for the purpose of stopping travellers who were destitute of passports.] Far off on our right hand, we saw a range of mountains. Our course in the morning was nearly E.; afterwards it varied to nearly N. Our road hitherto has been alternately loose moveable sand, and hard sand mixed with gravel. [The singular combination of events described in the following paragraph, took place during this day.] After some refreshment, we took a Persian Testament, and Genesis in Arabic, and went to Hadgi Mohammed, the Dervish. We sat down with Thursday 10.-When the caravan stops, the camels are turned out to feed on the thistles, weeds and grass which the desert produces. At sunset they are assembled and made to lie down around the encampment. Yesterday afternoon four of them which carried merchandize for an Ar-him on his blanket spread on the sand, menian, went off, and could not be with the sun beating on our heads, found. Two or three men were des- and then showed him our books. He patched in search of them. This reads well in Persian and Arabic. Of morning they were not found, and we the other Dervishes not one knows arranged our baggage so as to give the how to read. While we were reading Armenian one of ours. The rest of with him, most of the Dervishes, and the company, also, gave him assist- several Turks and Armenians gatherance in carrying his baggage, and weed around and listened. Mohammed set off at seven. Saw a mountain at read in Genesis, and said it was very a great distance on our right, and a good. Another Turk then took it, village far off on our left. In the and read that God rested on the 7th course of the day the four camels day, and said angrily, that it was infiwere found at a distance, and brought delity to say that God rested. Mr. into the encampment at evening. At Wolff tried to explain, but to no pur2, after seven hours travelling, we pose, till he said he had given such a pitched our tent at Mahsima.--Ther-book to the Mufti of Jerusalem, who moneter in the tent 84 deg., in the sun 104 deg. Here is a well what we call here in the desert good water. The goat skins, which we took to car said it was good. This argument silanced him at once. We gave the book of Genesis to Mohammed. While we were sitting with him, Elias, the it. After riding six hours and a halfwe pitched our tent on the plain of Loolia, near a well of miserable water. The thermometer in our tent stood at 99 deg. The country we passed was full of sand hills. The wind some times blew the sand over the hills like snow in a storm. This has been a dreadful day. On the Shore of the Mediterranean. Wednesday 16.-Turning from the sea shore, and passing a mountain of sand, we came in a little while to El Arish, a village situated in the desert. After riding ten hours and a half, we Maronite began to beat his mother, because she did not cook his victuals as he wished. Mr. Wolff went to him and reproved him severely for such conduct. The Turks said tauntingly, 'He is a Christian.' We were glad they heard Mr. Wolff's admonition, in which he showed them how inconsistent his behavior was with the commands of the Gospel.-The unnatural man at length relented, and went to his mother and kissed her hand in token of acknowledgment. Towards evening two Turks had a dispute which finally led to blows. Hadgi Ibrahim (the Anakite) interfered, and by loud words and a few blows, set-pitched our tent on a plain near the tled the quarrel. After this the Der-village. Our shekh belongs to this vish Mustapha became very angry place. When he and his attendants with his ass, and like Balaam fell to met with their friends, we had an opbeating him, and concluded by calling portunity to observe a curious mode him a Jew. of salutation. They took each other [During the next day, they beheld by the hand, put their foreheads toseveral flocks of sheep and goats, gether, and smacked their lips, but guarded by Bedouin shepherds, and without bringing their faces in contact. feeding on the scanty vegitation which They repeated this joining of forethe wilderness affords. One of the heads and distant kissing 4 or 5 times, flocks from which our travellers pur-saying, 'Peace;' 'Well?" Thank God;" chased a lamb, contained about 300 'How are you?" "Thank God;' 'Peace.' sheep and goats. The shepherd and 'God give you peace.' 'God bless you." two boys were spinning cotton with a small spindle, as they walked about surrounded by the objects of their care. They also met a caravan of 150 camels going to Cairo. [As they proceeded in a northeasterly direction they found less vegetation, and more sand and hills, than heretofore.] In conversation with the Greek, who is from Tocat, he told us that there are in that place 100 or 150 Greek houses, a bishop, six priests, & two churches. 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 Monday 14.-Hitherto we had gen-understanding them. erally enjoyed a refreshing north wind, which has served to mitigate the heat, and rendered our journey less tedious than we had feared it would be. This morning a strong scorching from the S E. commenced; it was indeed distressing. The air sometimes seemed as if it issued from the mouth of an oven. Many of the Arabs bound a handkerchief over their mouths and noses, as a defence against [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, |