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N attractive little volume, with the above title from the pen of MRS. SARAH BARCLAY JOHNSON, daughter of DR. J. T. BARCLAY, author of the popular work entitled "The City of the Great King," has been recently published by James Challen and Sons of this city. The following sketch prepared after an attentive perusal of its pages, with the accompanying illustrations taken by permission from the work, is presented to the readers of the Home Journal, with the hope that it may prove interesting and instructive.

Mrs. Johnson, in visiting the Holy Land, first landed at Beiroût in Syria, and traveled thence southwardly along the Mediterranean coast through Sidon, Tyre, Acre, Cæsarea to Jaffa or Jappa, where she leaves the sea, and a half day's ride brings her to Jerusalem. The journey from Beiroût to the Holy City, along this interesting route is described in a graphic manner by the fair tourist and the account interspersed with several amusing incidents. At Sidon, she and her party received a call from Ibrahim Nukley, the Consular representative of the "stars and stripes," who inquired very earnestly after the welfare of our present Secretary of State, whom he termed "Sultan Cass," and who some time ago it seems made a tour of the Holy Land and impressed the Orientals very favorably. At the ruins of Ahtfit, her pride was brought low by a tumble from the ambitious filly which she rode, and over which she had claimed a complete mastery until this humbling mishap. At the filthy mud-village of Tantura the party was lodged in a room with horses, mules, donkeys, cows, cats, rats and fleas, the last named of which she considered decidedly the least civil lodgers in the catalogue. Fortunately, however, for the world, she says, "there is a certain plant growing hereabouts, as we afterwards learned, which instantly paralyzes these

nimble-footed gentry. A portion of the powdered leaf not exceeding a pin's head, if placed in their vicinity, will instantly prove fatal to them."

Her first glimpse of the Holy City is thus described: "A sudden view of swelling domes and towering minarets rising dimly in the distance, causes us to check our horses and raise our hearts and voices in gratitude to God, while we gaze upon Jerusalem as she sits aloft, begirt with battlements.' Some of the devout pilgrims of our party fall down in the dust, silently breathing forth the fullness of their joy; and all seem to realize the absorbing interest of the moment; for it is an era in our lives never to be forgotten."

After a night's repose in "the city of the Great King," our author sallies, "Bible in hand, to visit the interesting localities in and around Jerusalem, held in such veneration by Christian, Jew and Moslem." In their peregrinations she and her companions pass many towers and churches, tombs, pools and ruins, and turn at length into the Via Dolorosa or mournful way, along which the Saviour is said to have carried his cross as he went out to be crucified. Spanning this street is the Ecce Homo Arch, seen in the accompanying cut, on which it is affirmed, confidently, our Lord stood when Pilate showed him to the people and cried, "Ecce Homo!" "Behold the man!" One of the houses hard by is the one from which the Wandering Jew is said to have started on his never ending pilgrimage, and in the stone wall not far off is shown an indentation which is seriously alleged to have been made by the Cross of Christ when resting against it! Every reader knows how much faith to put in the numberless traditions of this kind in reference to localities in Jerusalem and Judea. They are, as a general thing, manufactured by Roman Catholic Monks for the purpose of extorting money from superstitious pilgrims in various ways, and are utterly unworthy of credit. Yet it is a comfort to the intelligent traveler to know that he is in the vi

After wandering through the city, visit ing the various sacred localities and hearing the marvellous traditions connected with them, our author becomes "weary of the confined air and crowded streets, and longs for the green fields and the pleasant walks to be enjoyed outside the walls." She accordingly makes her exit through the Jaffa Gate and commenced her explorations among the suburban localities. She passes the Upper Pool of Gihon and comes to the veritable tree on which Judas is said to have hung himself, which she thus describes: "It stands on the ruins of the house of Caiaphas, and its size strikes one as rather diminutive after a growth of eighteen centuries; we therefore look upon it with rather an incredulous eye, albeit so admirably adapted to the purpose by its gibbet-like shape." In

Aceldama, whose earth is said to consume the flesh of bodies committed to it in fortyeight hours! A portion of this space is called the Hill of Evil Council,' where Judas and the betrayers of our Lord, consulted as to the manner in which they might take Him." But we cannot of course follow the author in all her wanderings about the Holy City. Nor can we detail the events of her visits to Gethsemane, Olivet, Bethany, Bethlehem, Jordan and the Dead Sea. To be appreciated, these chapters should be read. Her stay of three years in Jerusalem afforded her ample opportunities for becoming familiar with spots dear to every Christian heart, around which hallowed associations hover and sweet thoughts cluster. But her prolonged residence gave Mrs. Johnson another advantage, rarely enjoyed by an American lady, and which she improved

Olivet. "Never were we happier," says our author "than when living in this primitive style. The summer passed rapidly away, but the emotions that there thronged upon my soul will never be forgotten. Often did I realize that I stood on Holy Land, and my heart went out in communion with the mighty dead. There, in that very pathway, leading directly from the city to Jordan, by way of Bahurine, David went up, weeping as he fled from his vile, rebellious son, and looking back with wistful eye on his beloved capital, he worshiped at an oratory just there, near our ruined castle. Up that path yonder by Gethsemane, 'David's greater Son,' our adorable Redeemer, often toiled at the close of the day, as he

left the heaven-abandoned city, to seek repose in Bethany. 'Twas on this mountain that the Shekinah lingered when it left the Temple! Yonder, on that conical summit, the last conference was held with the Apostles, as the Son of Man was parted from them, and ascended on high, leading captivity captive." With such scenery around her, we are not surprised that the season passed away rapidly and pleasantly.

But an important incident of that first summer's encampment was the removal of the Pasha and his Harem for the benefit of their health, to the village crowning the top of the mountain, and consequently not far from our author's residence. "Soon after their arrival," says she, "as in etiquette bound, (it seems the ladies will

practice their etiquette to the ends of the earth,) "I called to pay my respects. The queen of the harem, who is a beautiful young Circassian, handed me her own elegant narghileh to smoke! I received many other marks of favor, and was frequently assured that my visit afforded them great pleasure.

"They were not long in returning my visit, a messenger, however, being first sent to say that the ladies earnestly requested the gentlemen to leave the house. (Curious ladies these!) This was of course complied with readily, and we endeavored to please our distinguished guests. Even after this they were frequent visitors at our encampment, notwithstanding its humble appearance, for it was a small dilapidated house with two rooms and a stable (!) so constructed, that the stable was the hall of entrance! A tent was pitched near the door, of rather greater pretensions, being highly decorated with figures of white and green."

Through Mrs. Johnson's Turkish acquaintances, she obtained the privilege of visiting the Mosque of Omar and the Tomb of David, to neither of which, "infidel dogs" are allowed access by the haughty Musselmans. But she being an "infidel dog," had to become one of "the faithful" in appearance at least, in order to obtain this privilege. Her Turkish friends invited her to make the metamorphose, and furnished her the proper apparel for the purpose from their own wardrobes. When equipped in their costume, however, she was like David in Saul's armor, and it required considerable practice before she learned to keep her ponderous slippers on her feet, and a vast white sheet in which she was enveloped, around her body. Her awkwardness afforded infinite amusement to the Turkish ladies, who thus showed that they could laugh--slaves as they are. At the risk of her life our author ventured into the Mosque of Omar, which occupies the site of the ancient Temple of Solomon, and afterwards into the Tomb of David, which stands just

outside the Zion Gate. Had she been discovered to be a Christian by the Turkish guards in these adventures, her head would have paid the forfeit.

A safer adventure was to attend a Turkish wedding to which she was invited, where she witnessed their tedious and noisy ceremonies, and drank their coffee and sherbert until her head ached and her ears roared terrifically! The bride in the case was nine years old and the groom twelve! Rather precocious couple that!

Another of her adventures was a visit to a Turkish bath, where she was nearly scalded and flayed with hot water and coarse camel hair gloves, on the hands of attending slaves. (If our author had ever been shampooned by some monster-ofa-barber's man, she would not have minded the Turkish scrubbing she received.)

On another occasion Mrs. J. was invited to spend a day with the family of the Bash Catib, whose office is next in rank to that of the Pacha. Of course he had an extensive harem, and she obtained what she terms a Peep into a Turkish Harem." Her description of this "Peep" is racy and instructive. A part of the entertainment consisted in dancing, which was performed, not by the guests and their entertainers, but by hired dancing girls. "For in the East," says the authoress, "dancing is considered far beneath any but the poorer class, who make a trade of it and charge a certain sum for their services on festive occasions." What a contrast do those unenlightened women of the harem present to the educated belles of our country, many of whom contend that dancing is the most refined accomplishment! The annexed woodcut gives the reader an idea of what Mrs. J. saw when she peeped into the harem. In reference to the dancing girls she says, "Their dancing consists in a few undulating movements of the body, not ungraceful, and accompanied by castanets and tambourine."

"My European dress," says she further, "caused the ladies of the harem much

amusement, and they were not satisfied until we had exchanged costumes. A mirror was brought into requisition, in which they wonderingly surveyed the change wrought by the sport. A large number had assembled to see the lady from the New World,' and they were very curious to know something about the manners and customs of my country. Great was their surprise on hearing of the liberty enjoyed by their western sisters, which strange to say, although I used all the terms of enthusiasm my knowledge of Arabic could command, they did not seem at all to covet! They could not conceive of a woman possessing a SOUL! On asking one of them what would become of her after death, she replied, 'I shall be put under the ground-no more.' And your husband,' said I, will he be doomed to the same fate?' 'Oh no,' she sadly replied, 'he will be taken above and there enjoy all the delights of paradise.' Such is the

Mohammedan belief. I left them, feeling more grateful than ever for the light I enjoy and the hope of a blissful immortality."

The condition of women in all heathen or semi-civilized countries is deplorable, and her condition in Palestine, under cruel Mohammedan rule, naturally made a deep impression on Mrs. Johnson's mind. She had ample opportunities for ascertaining the ignorance and bondage in which they are held. "There is but one Turkish lady," says she, "on my list of acquaintances who can boast of her ability to read and write!"

Other startling facts and incidents are recorded by our author, calculated to move a heart of adamant to commiserate the degraded condition of Turkish and other Oriental females, and to labor and pray that the influence of the gospel may soon penetrate these gloomy lands and elevate woman to her proper position in