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Article NOTES ON A VISIT TO SAIDA IN JULY, 1869. Page 1 of 3 Article NOTES ON A VISIT TO SAIDA IN JULY, 1869. Page 1 of 3 →
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Notes On A Visit To Saida In July, 1869.
NOTES ON A VISIT TO SAIDA IN JULY , 1869 .
By Bro . CAPTAIN WAIUIEX , H . E . From the quarterly stitement of the Palestine Exploration Fund . Bro . Warren has contributed so many accounts of his researches in the east , which possess the greatest interest to the Masonic Archtsological Student , that we readily
transfer to our pages the following article : — The journey up from Jerusalem to Beyrout , overland , in the summer time , has two advantages to those who can enjoy riding in the full blaze of a Syrian sun for several hours every day . 1 st . The days being so much longer and the roads dry , a journey that takes the whole day iu winter can be
accomplished by noon . 2 nd . All the under-vegetation being burnt up , any architectural remains can be examined without difficulty . Starting on llth July from near Jerusalem , without tents , and provided with letters to the several Turkish governors , and ( through the kindness of M . Gaimeau )
with introductions to the various Latin convents , I arrived at Beyrout in eight days , including one clay ' s detention at Saida . On the second day , at Jenin , midway between Nablus and Narazeth , we found no accommodation whatever ; but , the soldiers having lately moved down to Beisan ( where a block house has been built ) , we were able to get
possession of the chief room in the deserted serai . AVe arrived at Nazareth on the third morning about eleven o ' clock . I paid a visit to Dr . Yarton , to whom Dr . Chaplin has confided the care of the meteorological instruments of the Palestine Exploration Fund at this station . It is gratifying to see how much interest he takes in this work ; audit would be very desirable to send some more mercurial barometers oat to Jerusalem so that Dr . Chaplin could supply Narazeth and Gaza .
The observations at the two hill-stations , Jerusalem and Nazareth , as compared with those at Jaffa and Gaza , will be of great interest ; as will these again compared with those taken by Mr . Eldridge in the totally different climate of Beyrout and the Lebanon . I understand that observations wore taken at Saida by the American missionaries for several years . It
would be desirable to obtain permission to examine these , and publish what would be useful . Next day , from Narazeth early , I passed Sefurieh . There are several interesting remains about this town . I examined the square tower at the top of the hill , and do not think the lower stones ara in situ ; they have sunken marginal drafts , and some stones are 2 ft . 6 in . iu
height and 4 ft . in length , but they are somewhat carelessly worked , and very inferior to those in the Haram Area at Jerusalem . It was interesting to find a Phoenician sarcophagus used as one of the corner-stones of this tower . I enclose a sketch of it , and also of a pedestal lying near . Passing on through Kana-el-jelil and Jafat ( Jotopata ) , I arrived early in the day at Akka ,
and paid a visit to the pasha : he was extremely obliging , and gave me orders for visiting every place in the city . I was very much struck with the air of bustle and stir about Akka after Jerusalem . The Turks and Arabs are certainly moving on in this part of tho empire . At Jerusalem , Nablous , aud Akka they ars extensively repairing the serais of the pashas ; but , at the latter
place , the people have led the way by repairing the mosque , and ( putting aside the nature of the . style ) it is really very thoroughly repaired . Tho change after the neglected , dilapidated Haram Area of Jerusalem to this little compact mosque of A-kka is complete ; the interior of the building new and clean , the floor carefully covered with new matting , tho court outside well paved and swept , the fountains flowing with water , and the whole
Notes On A Visit To Saida In July, 1869.
area filled with palm and other trees , so as to have a shade all round , and giving a charming air to the little place . The master-gunner of the garrison took me all round the city walls . He appeared to have a peculiar satisfaction iu showing every place which had been damaged by the English or French . It was rather disagreeable to
see the waves dashing into breaches in the walls made so many years ago ; but yet it shows a higher state of vitality when the mosq-. ies and houses are repaired in preference to the city walls . Next morning I was much interested in the aqueduct which should carry water into Akka . Half a mile before reaching the citj' it has occasion to cross a hollow piece
of ground , the water is carried along in two earthenware pipes on the surface of the ground , and at intervals it is forced up hollow columns of masonry open at the top , so that a minimum pressure , due to the height of the column , is exerted upon the pipes- Unfortunately , one of these columns is out of order , and the water , in a stream sufficient to supply a city double the size of Akka
, only serves to irrigate a little piece of meadow land . 1 have been told by Dr . Barclay to look out for a solitary column on a hill to the right , somewhere near Neby Daood , aud went over to a village iu that direction to inquire about it . With one exception , the people gave evasive answers , and roundly abused the only man who seemed inclined to be communicative . I have found
before , in the plain of Pkilistia , that the people are more suspicions and less frank than tho mountaineers , and that the only way to get information out of them is to make assertions , when they will contradict you if you are wrong . Wo had to leave the place without finding what we wanted ; but a mail followed us , and , as soon as he was out of sight of bis comrades , told ns that the only large standing column was at Hamsin . As we rode on we saw it standing up by itself on the top of a small hill , and on examination I found it to be the same as is spoken
of in Dr . Thomson ' s "Land of Israel , " page 83 . I send a sketch of it , with the mouldings ; the dimensions were not accurately taken . The capital I could not find , but there is a twelfth stone of the column lying near . Passing the Easel-Abiad , the Scala Tyriorum ( where tho path has now been made quite easy ) , there is on the right the village of Monsurah , where I have been told
recently a small pyradid of black stone has been found , apparently to commemorate some victory . This stone is saiel to have a sq-iare base , the sides being equilateral triangles .- no inscription was found on it . AVe passed out of our way again to visit Hiram ' s Tomb , as I was anxious to see if there were any masons' marks ou the stone . I could see only two—one is a Christian
cross of the Byzantine type at the western end , of which I have got a squeeze ; it appears to be ancient . The other consists of a square and compasses , very recently and rudely cut , apparently by some enthusiastic mason , who should have learnt the proper use of his chisel before he attempted such a task . We did not arrive at Tyre until after sunset , and
having to get into Saida early next day , I had to leave without examining the old walls . After passing the Nahr-el-Kasimiyeh about one hour , and when opposite to Neby Sur ( called by a fellah there Neby Tiir ) , 1 noticed on the left , close to tbe sea-beach , some upright stones , and on coming up to tbem found them to form a rectanglethe sides nearly facing the
, cardinal points of the compass . The stones stand about four feet above the sur f ace , and arc about two feet by one foot thick ; they stand nearly upright , and are from six to eight feet apart ; about twenty feet to tbe east is one solitary stone ; tho north-west portion of the rectangle is wanting . The story given was that they had been men turned into stone by tlie curses of Neby Tilr . I was
struck by the fellah calling the Neby "Tiir , " because he called the city " Siir . '' In the " Handbook for Syria" ( Ed . 18 ( 38 ) , we find , page
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Notes On A Visit To Saida In July, 1869.
NOTES ON A VISIT TO SAIDA IN JULY , 1869 .
By Bro . CAPTAIN WAIUIEX , H . E . From the quarterly stitement of the Palestine Exploration Fund . Bro . Warren has contributed so many accounts of his researches in the east , which possess the greatest interest to the Masonic Archtsological Student , that we readily
transfer to our pages the following article : — The journey up from Jerusalem to Beyrout , overland , in the summer time , has two advantages to those who can enjoy riding in the full blaze of a Syrian sun for several hours every day . 1 st . The days being so much longer and the roads dry , a journey that takes the whole day iu winter can be
accomplished by noon . 2 nd . All the under-vegetation being burnt up , any architectural remains can be examined without difficulty . Starting on llth July from near Jerusalem , without tents , and provided with letters to the several Turkish governors , and ( through the kindness of M . Gaimeau )
with introductions to the various Latin convents , I arrived at Beyrout in eight days , including one clay ' s detention at Saida . On the second day , at Jenin , midway between Nablus and Narazeth , we found no accommodation whatever ; but , the soldiers having lately moved down to Beisan ( where a block house has been built ) , we were able to get
possession of the chief room in the deserted serai . AVe arrived at Nazareth on the third morning about eleven o ' clock . I paid a visit to Dr . Yarton , to whom Dr . Chaplin has confided the care of the meteorological instruments of the Palestine Exploration Fund at this station . It is gratifying to see how much interest he takes in this work ; audit would be very desirable to send some more mercurial barometers oat to Jerusalem so that Dr . Chaplin could supply Narazeth and Gaza .
The observations at the two hill-stations , Jerusalem and Nazareth , as compared with those at Jaffa and Gaza , will be of great interest ; as will these again compared with those taken by Mr . Eldridge in the totally different climate of Beyrout and the Lebanon . I understand that observations wore taken at Saida by the American missionaries for several years . It
would be desirable to obtain permission to examine these , and publish what would be useful . Next day , from Narazeth early , I passed Sefurieh . There are several interesting remains about this town . I examined the square tower at the top of the hill , and do not think the lower stones ara in situ ; they have sunken marginal drafts , and some stones are 2 ft . 6 in . iu
height and 4 ft . in length , but they are somewhat carelessly worked , and very inferior to those in the Haram Area at Jerusalem . It was interesting to find a Phoenician sarcophagus used as one of the corner-stones of this tower . I enclose a sketch of it , and also of a pedestal lying near . Passing on through Kana-el-jelil and Jafat ( Jotopata ) , I arrived early in the day at Akka ,
and paid a visit to the pasha : he was extremely obliging , and gave me orders for visiting every place in the city . I was very much struck with the air of bustle and stir about Akka after Jerusalem . The Turks and Arabs are certainly moving on in this part of tho empire . At Jerusalem , Nablous , aud Akka they ars extensively repairing the serais of the pashas ; but , at the latter
place , the people have led the way by repairing the mosque , and ( putting aside the nature of the . style ) it is really very thoroughly repaired . Tho change after the neglected , dilapidated Haram Area of Jerusalem to this little compact mosque of A-kka is complete ; the interior of the building new and clean , the floor carefully covered with new matting , tho court outside well paved and swept , the fountains flowing with water , and the whole
Notes On A Visit To Saida In July, 1869.
area filled with palm and other trees , so as to have a shade all round , and giving a charming air to the little place . The master-gunner of the garrison took me all round the city walls . He appeared to have a peculiar satisfaction iu showing every place which had been damaged by the English or French . It was rather disagreeable to
see the waves dashing into breaches in the walls made so many years ago ; but yet it shows a higher state of vitality when the mosq-. ies and houses are repaired in preference to the city walls . Next morning I was much interested in the aqueduct which should carry water into Akka . Half a mile before reaching the citj' it has occasion to cross a hollow piece
of ground , the water is carried along in two earthenware pipes on the surface of the ground , and at intervals it is forced up hollow columns of masonry open at the top , so that a minimum pressure , due to the height of the column , is exerted upon the pipes- Unfortunately , one of these columns is out of order , and the water , in a stream sufficient to supply a city double the size of Akka
, only serves to irrigate a little piece of meadow land . 1 have been told by Dr . Barclay to look out for a solitary column on a hill to the right , somewhere near Neby Daood , aud went over to a village iu that direction to inquire about it . With one exception , the people gave evasive answers , and roundly abused the only man who seemed inclined to be communicative . I have found
before , in the plain of Pkilistia , that the people are more suspicions and less frank than tho mountaineers , and that the only way to get information out of them is to make assertions , when they will contradict you if you are wrong . Wo had to leave the place without finding what we wanted ; but a mail followed us , and , as soon as he was out of sight of bis comrades , told ns that the only large standing column was at Hamsin . As we rode on we saw it standing up by itself on the top of a small hill , and on examination I found it to be the same as is spoken
of in Dr . Thomson ' s "Land of Israel , " page 83 . I send a sketch of it , with the mouldings ; the dimensions were not accurately taken . The capital I could not find , but there is a twelfth stone of the column lying near . Passing the Easel-Abiad , the Scala Tyriorum ( where tho path has now been made quite easy ) , there is on the right the village of Monsurah , where I have been told
recently a small pyradid of black stone has been found , apparently to commemorate some victory . This stone is saiel to have a sq-iare base , the sides being equilateral triangles .- no inscription was found on it . AVe passed out of our way again to visit Hiram ' s Tomb , as I was anxious to see if there were any masons' marks ou the stone . I could see only two—one is a Christian
cross of the Byzantine type at the western end , of which I have got a squeeze ; it appears to be ancient . The other consists of a square and compasses , very recently and rudely cut , apparently by some enthusiastic mason , who should have learnt the proper use of his chisel before he attempted such a task . We did not arrive at Tyre until after sunset , and
having to get into Saida early next day , I had to leave without examining the old walls . After passing the Nahr-el-Kasimiyeh about one hour , and when opposite to Neby Sur ( called by a fellah there Neby Tiir ) , 1 noticed on the left , close to tbe sea-beach , some upright stones , and on coming up to tbem found them to form a rectanglethe sides nearly facing the
, cardinal points of the compass . The stones stand about four feet above the sur f ace , and arc about two feet by one foot thick ; they stand nearly upright , and are from six to eight feet apart ; about twenty feet to tbe east is one solitary stone ; tho north-west portion of the rectangle is wanting . The story given was that they had been men turned into stone by tlie curses of Neby Tilr . I was
struck by the fellah calling the Neby "Tiir , " because he called the city " Siir . '' In the " Handbook for Syria" ( Ed . 18 ( 38 ) , we find , page