Page:Travels from Aleppo, to the city of Jerusalem, and through the most remarkable parts of the Holy Land, in 1776.pdf/18

 all had a safe descent, we rode chearfully back to Elisha’s fountain, formerly bitter, but he throwing down a handful of salt the waters became sweet. Here we lay till four o’clock, and the heat of the sun being over, made for Jericho, and arrived about five, where there are now only a few poor cottages; we pitched by Zaccheus’s tree. The inhabitants are most Aarabians, and some few Greeks. Here the captain of the village came to welcome our Bassa and his people, mounted upon a mare valued at a thousand livres, mares being only in esteem among them; Here we reposed under a rotten hedge, till about four next morning, having a little pleasure in our companions, the gnats and other stinging creatures.

We proceeded then for the river Jordan. We observed before, that the uppermost spring of this noted river is in mount Lebanon, about 12 miles north of Caesarea Philippi. After it has run about 13 miles north to the south, it receives a considerable branch, which under ground proceeds to the lake Phiala. About 16 miles farther south, it forms the waters of Merom, or Lake of Samechon, which is near four miles broad, and 7 long. After running about 19 miles farther south, it forms the lake of Genesareth. which is about 23 miles in length, and 5 in breadth. From thence it runs southward through a long valley, whose air is unwholesome, and most of it desart, till it loses itself in the Dead Sea. Its whole course is about 160 miles. It anciently overflowed its banks in March or April, by means of the melting of the snow on Lebanon and Hermon; but as we were told, does not so now to any degree: the reason assigned is, that its channel is now sunk very deep. Before it enters the Dead Sea, its ordinary course is not above 30 yards in breadth, but is exceeding deep, even at the very edge of its inner bank, and the stream is strong and rapid. It has an outer bank about the eighth part of a mile distance from the other; such, it seems, was its breadth when it was swelled. The banks of a great part of it are so covered with thickets, that in many places one cannot see it till at the very brink of it; and in those thickets lions were wont to lodge, but were driven thence by the overflowing of the river, at which seasons they wandered about, and were dangerous to such as dwelt near the river. After we had satisfied our curiosity by swimming, &c. our guard advised us to be gone, in case the Arabs should come upon them; therefore we all made ready, and set forward for the Dead Sea. About two hours after, in our way to the sea, we passed through a most cursed barren place, not having so much as a green herb, or a pile of grass, and the face of the earth covered with salt, and tho’ dry, yet our horses sunk up to the knees. I am persuaded that this is the Valley of Salt, mentioned in a Kings xiv. 7. We came now to the Dead Sea, being about 50 miles in length and about 15 over. There is not a place from whence the