How I Spent My Five Week's Leave.

HOW I SPENT MY FIVE WEEKS' LEAVE .

Being a Journal kept during cm Excursion to Syria and Palestine in the month of May , 1868 . ( Continued from page 445 ) ,

LEAVE MALTA UPPER BETHOEOB" TO JERUSALEM . Rising betimes next day , ( May 6 th ) , we go in a body to visit tho Mosque of Omar or Habbet es Snkhrah , "the dome of the rock , " which to my mind is far the most interesting building in

Jerusalem . This is in the interior of the temple area , and is by some supposed to be on the site of the temple itself ; this I believe is not possible , as the temple must have been further south . Mr . Fergusson ' s theory is that this is the identical

circular church , erected by Constantino over the sepulchre of our Lord , and this would appear not impossible . This beautiful building is octagonal , each side being 67 ft . long ; its beautiful proportions and noble dome , render it by far the most

striking object in a view of Jerusalem from any quarter , and its commanding situation , crowning the very summit of Mount Moriah , and standing unencumbered by any other buildings in the open Haram area , adds to the effect . The dome is of wood , covered with lead , and is surmounted by a tall gilt crescent ; the lower part of the building is

of marble , in different colours . The interior is very gorgeous ; the dome is all gilding and tracery ; the walls in the upper part are pierced with fifty-six pointed windows filled with most beautiful old stained glass . A corridor runs

round it , about 12 ffc . wide ; on its inner side are 8 piers and 16 marble columns of the Corinthian Order , within this is another corridor 30 ft . wide , with more columns on the inside , which support the dome ; the latter is 66 ft . in diameter .

Immediately under the dome is the celebrated rock , which occupies the greater part of the space beneath the dome ; it is about 60 ft . across and 5 ft . high , a broad irregular mass of limestone , which forms the projecting summit of Mount

Moriah . The Jews used to come and wail over this rock in the fourth century . It is greatly venerated by the Mahometans , who show on it the footmarks of the Prophet ; also the marks of the fingers of an angel who held it clown , to prevent it following the Prophet , when he took his nocturnal journey to Heaven ! traditions quite

as well authenticated as those of the church of the Holy Sepulchre . This rock is thought by many to be the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite , and subsequently the site of the altar of burnt-offering . We visit an excavated chamber

on the S . E . side , called the " Noble Cave " which some think might have been the sepulchre , over which Constantino built this church , while others say it received the blood , from the burnt offerings above . The Mohammedans show it as the

praying place of Abraham , David , Solomon and Jesus . One finds it so with every sacred spot in this neighbourhood , that so many different traditions are invented , and antiquaries quarrel over little topographical details , one gets quite bewildered ,,

ancl knows not what to believe . I think the best way is to disregard them all , and making oneself thoroughly acquainted with the everlasting hills , and sites which cannot be disputed , to fill in the remainder of the picture from one ' s own ideas and impressions .

We now leave the Mosque of Omar , and putting on our boots again ( for you would no more be allowed to wear your boots in a Mosque , than your hat in an English Church ) , we cross tha Acca in a southerly direction to the Mosk el Aksa ,

which probably was the church of the Virgin , built by Justinian in the sixth century . The building is very extensive , and contains many curious and beautiful columns , arches , etc ., in different styles however , some Saracenic , some

Roman , and some probably very old indeed . This might be expected , as the structure became a Christian Church or a Mosque according as it was in the hands of Christian or Moslem . When the Crusaders captured the city , a portion of it

was assigned to the new Order , which from this received the name of Knights' Templar . We next explore the long passage which leads down by a flight of steps and a steep subterranean avenue to the south gate , which is now walled up .

Each side of this tunnel is faced with immense blocks of Masonry with the Jewish bevel . After viewing the Golden Gate , a comparatively modem erection , with however some curious columns in it . We pay a pretty heavy Bakshish for privilege

of entering these sacred precincts , to an old Sheik , who with his son , has been our escort , and bears the credit of being the most avaricious man in Jerusalem , which is saying a good deal ! From the S . E . corner of the Haram on the wall , we have a view of the Mount of Offence , where