here, exploring its monuments, our distinguished topographer was joined by Mr. Smith on the 28th of February, 1838. This gentleman was an American missionary, who had spent many years in the East, and became accordingly-from his familiar acquaintance with the Arabic language, his knowledge of the native character, as well as his experience in Syrian traveling-an invaluable ally in the mission which his colleague had undertaken. It appears that Dr. Robinson had not contemplated the eminent services to the cause of sacred topography which he afterward found himself capable of rendering. He had never dreamed, he tells us, of anything like discoveries in a field that had been overrun in all ages by so many inquisitive pilgrims of religion and science. Aware, too, that Schubert, an eminent German geologist and botanist, had only just preceded him, he and his associate neglected to take with them all the scientific instruments requisite for the determination of the physical aspects of the regions through which they passed. On reaching Sinai, however, en route to Palestine, they found out their mistake; and every subsequent stage of their journey proved that much of interest and importance had been left unobserved and undescribed by their forerunners. Leaving the land of the Pyramids, Messrs. Robinson and Smith made their way to Mount Sinai, and thence to Jerusalem, which they entered on the 14th of April. About a month afterward, excursions to the Jordan and to Petra were planned. They started from Hebron on the 10th of May-a beautiful season for such a trip. The course they pursued took them through Bethlehem, and the districts of Tekoa, Ziph, Carmel, and Engedi-scenes consecrated by some of the most singular events in sacred story. These regions, from their wild and rugged character, were regarded as the most insecure in Palestine, being inhabited by Bedouins of the worst character. Every attempt being made to intimidate the travelers by terrible stories of danger, they thought it prudent to engage an escort from the suspected tribes. The result proved the wisdom of their course, for the sheikh and men, whose services had been secured, honorably fulfilled their contract. The first view of the sea was gained from the summit of a perpendicular cliff over On hanging Engedi. Descending here a terrific pass, the travelers reached the celebrated fountain of Engedi, in the vicinity of which they spent the night. the following morning at daybreak, regaled with the songs of innumerable birds, they rose, and, after re-climbing the hills, pursued their way along the western shore toward the northern or Jordan end of the lake, where, for a time, we quit them. About a fortnight later, the same travelers, attended by a different escort, might have been seen again defiling from the gate of Hebron, and taking much the same direction as that formerly pursued by Irby and Mangles. Their destination was Petra, while the southern extremity of the sea was to be examined on their way. The next expedition of any note was of quite a different character from the one just referred to. This consisted of a renewed attempt to navigate the Dead Sea by means of a boat, which was conveyed overland from the Mediterranean coast to Tiberias, and then launched upon the Galilean lake, with the intention of floating it down the serpentine Jordan. The mission was intrusted to Lieut. Molyneaux, and was executed in the month of September, 1847. The voyage down the Jordan the first probably ever attempted-was a series of alarms, disasters, and calamities, terminating at last in the attack and plunder of the boat, and the dispersion of the seamen. After enduring severe sufferings and privations, Lieut. Molyneaux, and his servant Toby, contrived to reach Jericho, where they appealed for assistance to the governor of the castle. From this Turkish official, Molyneaux procured four well-armed soldiers, accompanied by whom he went in quest of his lost com rades; but he failed to discover them The aid of the authorities of Jerusalem was next invoked, with no better success. Meanwhile, Molyneaux, in a desponding and gloomy mood, had the boat borne to the mouth of the Jordan, and there launched afresh, when he and two attendants ventured upon the waters of the sea, with considerable trepidation. Here he continued, rowing about, for two entire days and nights, without once disembarking. This brave officer, too, like the unhappy Costigan, fell a victim partly to the anxiety and fatigue of the enterprise, and partly to the malaria of the inhospitable sea, a protracted fever having been brought on, which terminated his life soon after and every living thing, exhausted, retired reaching England. Undeterred by the issue of these two experiments, in eight months from the date of the last, an American expedition, under the command of Lieut. Lynch, was heroically renewing the undertaking. With such melancholy examples of fatality before their eyes, it was a bold thing on the part of this band of earnest men to repeat the attempt. In this case, however, they had the advantage of numbers and suitable equipments. from the withering heat and blinding glare of a sun unscreened by mist or cloud. Eight days after leaving the Lake of Galilee, the adventurers entered the open portals of the Sea of Death. Many important observations and discoveries were made, during their labors, which extended over a period of twenty-two days, besides a further period of nine days, during which the commander took an excursion to Kerak and Petra; on their return from which the company repaired to Jerusalem, and thence to Beyrout, where the vessel soon arrived which was to bear them back, laden with valuable scientific spoils, to their native land. Not all of them, however; for, unhappily, one of the devoted band, Mr. Dale, was carried off by the same low nervous fever that had previously stricken down Costigan and Molyneaux. As we approach nearer to our own day, intelligent visitors to this doomed site thicken. Close upon the heels of the expedition from which we have just parted, followed a company of Frenchmen, headed by M. de Sauley, a distinguished savant, and whose knowledge of the Arabic language proved of incalculable advantage to him. A severe domestic bereavement led him to seek solace in his sorrows in foreign travel, which he wished to turn to account, After procuring the necessary authorization from the Sultan at Constantinople, the scientific adventurers at once departed, and reached Beyrout toward the close of March, 1848. From Beyrout, the party coasted to Acre, where they finally disembarked, and landed their equipments. Among these were two metallic boats, composed of copper and galvanized iron, which were fancifully designated the "Fanny Mason" and the "Fanny Skinner." The first night in Palestine was spent on the shore, beneath the shelter of tents; and in the morning several important additions were made to the party, for the purpose of increasing its strength and efficiency. All preliminaries arranged, the boats were borne on the backs of camels across the hilly country to the Galilean lake, upon the bosom of whose waters they were low-by presenting some scientific fruit to the ered in the presence of a crowd of won- academy of which he is an eminent memdering spectators. Now that the actual ber. expedition was about to commence, the party was divided into two squadrons, one of which was to proceed by land, and the other by water; at the same time keeping so near to each other as to be able to render mutual assistance in case of danger. On the afternoon of the 10th of April, the little fleet started. It forms no part of our purpose here to narrate the incidents of the perilous river voyage. Contrary to all former impressions, the Jordan was found to pursue a most tortuous course, flowing through an extent of two hundred miles, while in a straight line the distance between the two lakes is not more than sixty miles. The bed of the stream was also found to be broken down in many parts, thus forming a succession of rapids and falls exceedingly dangerous to navigation. As the party neared the vicinity of the Dead Sea, the atmosphere became intolerably sultry; the occasional vegetation assumed a more tropical character; VOL. VI.-37 Another motive that influenced his mind was, a desire to afford to his son, just leaving college, an opportunity of finishing his education by an enlarged acquaintance with men and manners in other parts of the world. After much consideration, he resolved to undertake a scientific pilgrimage to the Dead Sea. Companions were soon found who were willing to join in the exciting and somewhat perilous trip. On arriving at Jerusalem they were hospitably entertained by M. Botta, and on starting for the sea their number was swelled by M. G. de Rothschild, who resolved to share the honors of the visit. These, with the addition of seventeen Arab guardians and guides, and the servants of the travelers, formed an imposing and daring band, and indeed great need there proved in the sequel both for courage and endurance. The extent of the shore traversed by M. de Sauley and his comrades, approached nearer to a complete circuit of the sea than had ever before been accomplished. Starting from Jerusalem, they passed through Bethlehem, and taking the pathway by the convent of Mar Saba, came upon the western shore near Ayn-Fechkhah, at which fountain they encamped during the first night of their sojourn here. From that spot they moved in a southern direction along the entire western coast traversed the swampy plain at the south end of the sea-and then pursued almost the same course as that taken by Irby and Mangles-returning in the same way as far as the supposed site of ancient Sodom and Zoar, where they left the sea, and struck across the country to Hebron, by the route followed by Messrs. Robinson and Smith. On a subsequent occasion, the north-western portion of the shore, omitted in the former journey, was examined, from Jericho to Ayn-Fechkhah, | in the neighborhood of which M. de Sauley believes he has discovered the ruins of Gomorrah. He has also contributed many facts and arguments calculated to settle the long-discussed question as to the exact situation of Sodom and Zoar. If his conjectures be correct, it is singular that the very names of several of the perished cities should have survived, under an Arab form, to the present day. About seventeen days were spent by the travelers in these explorations. II. Having thus glanced at some of the more eminent modern travelers who have explored this remarkable region, we shall next endeavor to convey to the minds of our readers as vivid an impression as possible of the aspects and phenomena of the shores of the sea. In doing this, we propose to traverse the entire circuit of the lake, embracing an extent of one hundred and twenty miles, recording our observations as we proceed as familiarly as possible. Of course, in passing along such a lengthened line of scenery, the most that we can do is to select and depict such features as are of commanding interest. We shall freely and gratefully avail ourselves of the services of those who, at great cost, and much personal danger and privation, have preceded us, and left their guiding footprints in the rugged pathway. We at least, in our easy peregrinations, need incur no risk from the hostility of the Arabs, the malaria of the sea, or the break neck insecurity of mountain-passes. We shall enjoy all the excitement of the adventure without sharing any of its alarms and losses. The course which we propose to pursue in our imaginary trip is as follows:-Commencing at the northern point of the sea, we will pass along the western shores, in the direction indicated by a line on the accompanying map, till we reach the opposite extremity, when, sweeping across the plain at the south, and continuing our travels over the eastern shores and hills, we complete the circuit by arriving near the point from which we started. If the reader will keep the map before him while the panorama of Dead Sea scenery is passing before his eyes, it will aid materially in fixing in the memory a clearer impression of particular localities. Supposing our party, then, duly mustered and equipped, we issue, on a beautiful morning in the middle of January, from the eastern gate of Jerusalem, and, passing through scenes of sacred interest, press onward to the banks of the Jordan opposite Jericho. From the character and wealth of the vegetation in the region hereabouts, we infer that the climate of the valley of the Jordan is decidedly tropical, bearing a great resemblance to that of India. Quitting this charming part of the river, we enter upon a muddy plain, destitute of vegetation, and presenting the very image of desolation. Across this plain the ordinary road pursued by pilgrims winds. Let us take heed how we tread, as it was somewhere here that the horse rode by De Sauley, in 1851, sunk up to its nostrils in the miry soil, from which he and his charger were with difficulty extricated. As we approach the northern shore of the lake, we find branches and trunks of trees scattered about in all directions at high-water mark, some looking black. as if charred by fire, while others are white and sparkling with saline incrustations. At last, after a toilsome march over this unpicturesque and arid waste, we arrive at the northern edge of the sea, which we approach within about fifty yards. At a short distance from the shore is a small islet, covered with the remains of very ancient buildings, and thought to have been coeval with the catastrophe which destroyed the Pentapolis, and which, it is not at all improbable, have given rise to the idle tradition that the ruins of Sodom have been seen under the sea. These re mains are called Redjom-Looth, or Lot's This name, Goumran, suggests the probaMass of Stones. Continuing our course between meager and blighted shrubs, over a light soil covered with pebbles, and dead carbonized bushes that snap at a touch, we presently behold the Canaanite mountains gradually approaching nearer to the beach, so as almost to bar our progress. Pressing on, however, close to the sea-margin, we soon fall in with some remarkable ruins, covering a considerable extent of ground, and presenting the appearance of great antiquity. As Ayn-el-Fechkhah (the Fountain of the Stride) is in this neighborhood, let us turn aside for a brief space, and refresh ourselves with its welcome waters. Gladdened by the sight of the bubbling spring, and the copious stream that flows seaward from it, we rush toward the spot with an eagerness which only oriental travelers can fully understand; but, alas! for our panting animals and our thirsty selves, we find that the water, so beautiful to the eye, is bitter and hot to the palate, and evidently impregnated with sulphureted hydrogen. After slaying a lizard of extraordinary size, and attempting in vain to beat off a greedy army of musquitoes, we leave part of our escort with the beasts and the luggage, and sally forth to inspect the ruins just noticed. An extended examination satisfies us of their importance and vastness. Not only do they lie scattered over an immense track, parallel with the beach, but extend far inland through a valley-the Ouad-Goumran. 37* bility of these vast ruins being the remains of GOMORRAH-a site that has never before been identified. Indeed, until the beginning of 1851, the ruins do not seem to have been visited by any modern traveler. De Saulcy was, we believe, the first to direct attention to them. Let us try and give an idea of their character and ex tent. The first mass of ruins that attract our attention by their singular appearance consist of enormous blocks of unhewn stone, forming the foundation of cyclopean walls at least a yard in thickness. The outlines of seven distinct pavilions or dwellingrooms can be distinctly made out. These habitations were evidently attached to vast inclosures, the use of which will, perhaps, never be determined. Whether they were used for sacred purposes, or whether they were mere parks, in which cattle could be collected at night, M. de Sauley confesses himself incompetent to decide. In favor of the former hypothesis, he remarks that in a building, most probably appropriated to religious uses, discovered by him amid the ruins of Hazor, as well as in the temple of Gerizim, he found pavilions similar in every respect to these, and disposed in exactly the same manner. Advancing still further along the coast, we cross a wide boundary ditch, evidently constructed by human labor, and beyond which ruins again appear, in an abundance that would seem to indicate the skeleton remains of a great city, of which the vestiges before referred to probably formed a suburb. All the remains in this locality betray a strange and barbarous style of construction, characteristic of a very remote period, and cover an extent of about four miles. In no writer, ancient or modern, is there any reference to a city having stood on this spot; from which, and other circumstances, M. de Sauley affirms his strong conviction that this is the true site of Gomorrah. The elements necessary for such an overthrow are evidently all around us, and as we pass along we perceive the faces of the mountains on our left are here and there hollowed out into a kind of circus, in which extinct craters are visible, while huge mounds of sand below may easily be taken for volcanic ashes. Still onward-over ground covered with fragments of flint, the view of the sea partly obstructed by cane-brakes, from which we now and then start partridges and other birds. We also pass from time to time huge stones, planted in the form of the segment of a circle, and which are regarded with religious veneration by our Bedouins. They are a counterpart to the Druidical cromlechs of the western nations. Several of our curiosity-hunters pick up now and then pieces of bituminous stone, which burn like cannel coal, and are manufactured into cups, rosaries, and other articles, for sale to pilgrims. Some of the rocks on our left are veined with this combustible material. One of our party, more adventurous than the rest, climbs a neighboring height for the purpose of surveying the strange scene around us; and he reports to us on his return that such is the marvelous number and wavy appearance of the insulated hillocks, rising in all directions, that it seemed as if he were standing in the midst of a stormy sea suddenly turned into stone. The next object of interest to us, from its hallowed associations, is the Ravine of Fire, (Wady-en-Nar,) through which the waters of the sacred Kedron empty themselves into the Dead Sea. Often have we, in imagination, crossed that bridge which spanned its bed, and led to Bethany and Gethsemane; and we now see the spot where it terminates, and lays its murmurings to rest forever in the molten flood surging so heavily at our feet. This ravine is a deep gorge, towering at least twelve hundred feet above our heads. But as our long journey has yet barely commenced, we must not be tempted to linger here. Turning our faces southward, then, we again pursue our way, over light fine sand, in which we sink at every step. The surface of the sand is efflorescent, from the salt with which it is saturated, while multitudes of black-looking trees, the collection of centuries, are half-buried in the soil. The greater part of this floated forest has probably been contributed by the wood-fringed Jordan, during the annual rainy season. A little further on, the shore disappears under a tangled cover of gigantic reeds, reaching to within a few yards of the cliffs. Their presence is owing to a magnificent fountain of sweet warm water, peopled with myriads of shells. Several beautiful kingfishers are fluttering over the rivulet, which is known to travelers as the Brook of the Little Morass. Shortly after quitting this agreeable oasis, we are told by our guides that the further passage of the beach is impracticable, and that we must climb the hills to reach Engedi. This disconcerts us not a little. However, remembering that De Sauley and his followers were compelled to do the same, and hoping to enjoy a glorious prospect from the Judean heights, we submit to the necessity, and begin the perilous ascent. The road is execrable, and is strewed with the bleaching bones of camels and of men. Part of the route is called, appropriately enough, "Breakneck Valley," which the army of Ibrahim Pasha once passed with a considerable loss. The poor animals rebel, and shake with terror at the fearful abysses which yawn at their feet; the Bedouins, however, scramble along like monkeys; and, happily, we all, after an extraordinary succession of escapes, reach the mountain path, and press on to Engedi, awed by the spectacles of sterile grandeur that everywhere salute our gaze. At length, without any disaster, we reach the identical spot from whence Dr. Robinson caught his first view of the sea, reposing at least fifteen hundred feet below. The prospect embraces the whole southern half, including Usdum, and part of the northern half. Directly opposite to us is the mouth of Wady Kerak, at the head of which, Kerak, with its castle, is visible on a high precipitous rock. The waters, viewed from this eminence, have a decidedly green hue, as if stagnant, while |