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CHAPTER XXVII.

TURKEY AND THE HOLY LAND.

General Grant and party arrived at Jaffa on the morning of Sunday, February 10, having spent just one month on the Nile and vicinity. Upon landing, the visitors at once went to Vice-Consul Hardegg, and there found welcome and entertainment. There was a little archway of flowers and branches over the road, surmounted by the inscription, "Welcome, General Grant," and all the town was out to do him honor. After visiting all the places of interest, General and Mrs. Grant, with four of the officers of the Vandalia, prepared to visit the Holy City. Having obtained three ciumsy open wagons, each drawn by three horses, they drove out of the town into the plain of Sharon, It was too early in the season to see Palestine in its glory, but the plain was rich and fertile. The party reached Ramleh at about sundown, and remained over night, resuming their journey at six in the morning. Passing from the plain of Sharon into the country of Joshua and Sampson, the road becomes rough and stony, and the carts go bumping, thumping over the worst road in the world. The fertility of Palestine lies in the plain below. Around and ahead, the beauty of Palestine, the beauty of Nature in her desolation; no houses, no farms, no trace of civilization but the telegraph poles. The first biblical view is the ruins of Gezer, once a royal city of Canaan. Passing through the Kirjath Jearim, the valley of Ajalon and the scene of the .

great battle between David and Goliath, the valley is deep

and the brook still runs a swift course. This was the last, ravine this side of the heights of Jerusalem, and one of the strongest natural defenses of the city. At this point General Grant was met by a troop of cavalry, representatives from all of the Consulates, delegations from the Americans, Jews, Armenians and Greeks, resident in Jerusalem - in all quite a small army-and, instead of quietly entering the city as he had expected, he was commanded to enter as a conqueror, in a triumphal manner.

Arrived at the city, General Grant was at once called upon by the Pacha and the Consuls. The Bishops and the Patriarchs all came and blessed the General and his house. The Pacha sent his band of fifty pieces in the evening to serenade the ex-President. The Pacha also gave a state dinner, which was largely attended. Early the following morning General Grant stole away, before the reception ceremonies, and walked over the street Via Dolorosa, con. secrated to Christianity as the street over which Jesus carried His cross. The General lived while in Jerusalem within five minutes' walk of Calvary, and within sight from his chamber. The first place of interest on this street is the Coptic monastery. Here Christ sank under the weight of the cross. At the ruins of the Hospice of the Knights of St. John; here is where Jesus addressed the women who followed him. A few steps further and we are at the house and tomb of Veronica, who wiped the blood from Jesus' holy brows, and left His image on her napkin. Descending a slippery path, and at the corner is the house. against which Christ leaned, overcome by agony. You see a dent in the stone. This dent was made by the hand of our Lord, as He stretched it out to support His burden. It is smooth and dark with the kisses of millions of believing lips.

The next house is that of Dives, the rich man. At this corner Simon of Cyrene took the cross and carried it a

part of the way. In front of the house of Dives is a stone, and over it a hovel. The hovel was the house of the beggar; the stone is where he sat in quest of alms, and under this archway Jesus stood and pronounced the parable which is found in the sixteenth chapter of Luke. Here the road makes another bend, and we pass a broken column, that must at one time have been a stately ornament. The column broke where Jesus sank upon it, and the fissure is clear and deep. We keep on until we come to a church, a bright, new church, with an arch overhanging the street. This is the church of Ecce Homo. It was here or hereabouts that the road to the cross began. There is a barracks on the site of Pilate's judgment hall. We go into the church. Behind the altar is an arch, and under this arch Pilate stood when he delivered over Jesus to the Jews and washed his hands of innocent blood. Here, in an enclosure, was the whipping, the crowning with thorns, the decoration with the purple robes, and here also Jesus took up the cross, which He carried to Calvary.

We can readily see, as we retrace our way up the Via Dolorosa, that it must have been a rough and weary road to one rent and torn and bleeding and crushed under the cruel burden of the cross. Even to the wayfarer, in full possession of his faculties, it is a tedious task to climb the hill of Calvary.

After finishing the Via Dolorosa, the visitors kept on outside of the gates and over the valley of Jehoshaphat. Crossing the brook Kedron, the very brook hallowed by our Lord's holy and sorrowful footsteps, and ascending the hill a short distance, they come to a walled garden. Here Jesus knelt and prayed, and made holy forever the Garden of Gethsemane. The good monk gathered some flowers for Mrs. Grant, and for the others twigs and leaves from the "Tree of Agony."

The party climbed the Mount of Olives to the summit,

and entered the chapel, said to be the site of the Ascension, now a Moslem mosque. From its minerets one can look far beyond to the land of Moab, the valley of the Jordan and the Dead Sea. Here a French princess has erected a tomb, and around the walls of which is the Lord's Prayer in thirty-two languages.

Resuming the walk over a hill, they came to the vil lage of Bethany, where Jesus lived when He preached in Jerusalem. Here was Lazarus, His friend, whom He raised from the tomb. Here lived Mary and Martha, whom Jesus loved. Riding under the overhanging ruins of the dwelling in which Jesus found home, shelter, friendship, love, they walk around Bethany, which is only a collection of ruins and hovels.

Passing over the graveyard where Lazarus was buried, they continue along the road that leads to Jerusalem again, by the road sloping at the base of the mountain. It was over this road that Jesus rode when He entered Jerusalem on an ass. At the head of the hill, Jesus wept over the city and prophesied its destruction.

Entering the city by the Damascus gate, it was but a few minutes before General Grant and party reached their hotel. The walk had been a long and weary one, yet full of interest, every moment awakening a memory of the noblest moment of life, and every step taken had been over hallowed ground.

Leaving Jerusalem, they visited Damascus, where their stay was made enjoyable by the attention of the Turkish officials.

On March 10th General Grant and party arrived at Athens, and were escorted by three Greek ironclads, a large crowd witnessing the landing. On the 9th they were presented to the King and Queen of Greece, and a grand banquet given in their honor on the 10th. The ruins of the ancient temples and the Parthenon were brilliantly illu

minated. On the 13th General Grant entertained the King of Greece at luncheon on board the United States Steamer Vandalia, and also lunched with the King on the 14th at the American Legation. The General's reception had been enthusiastic and hospitable.

General Grant reached Naples on Monday evening, and proceeded at once to Rome. Here he was visited by Cardinal McCloskey, Lieutenant-General Count Sounaz, King Humbert's Aid-de-Camp, and all the dignitaries of the government, diplomatic agents, and prominent citizens. On the 25th, Minister Marsh gave a grand banquet and soiree in honor of General Grant. The foreign ministers, members of the cabinet, and most of the American residents were present. Several days were spent in visiting places of interest.

On May 5th, General Grant arrived at Tarn., where he met with a hearty and enthusiastic reception, and on the 7th returned to the gay French capital. On Thursday the Ex-President paid visits to President McMahon, the Prince of Wales, Duc'd Aosta, the Duc Saxe-Coburg, the Prefect of the Seine, and the Prefect of Police. On Friday he called upon the English, Turkish, Swedish and Japanese Ministers; in the afternoon he drove to the Bois de Boulogne and witnessed a game of polo, in which he took a lively interest. On Saturday the General and Mrs. Grant and their son visited the Exposition. He was received by Chief Commissioner McCormick and staff, and by the Commissioners from the various States of the Union, Minister Noyes, Consul-General Torbert and wife, and the leading ladies and gentlemen of the American colony in Paris.

The American marines were drawn up in military array, and gave the party a military salute on their arrival at the American section.

The General and his party then examined the whole American department in detail. They spent a good deal

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