sephus says, the Valley of the Cheesemongers, which divided Acra from Zion, went out to Siloam. This applies precisely to the hill in question; but Josephus adds, that Acra was in the form of a crescent. This does not apply to the hill of which we speak. Possibly this hill may have been anciently connected with what is now the west part of Zion, and sepated by a small valley from the city of David. Before Titus besieged Jerusalem, it had been captured five times, and once demolished entirely by the Babylonians. Titus spared the west wall and three towers, 'but for all the rest of the wall, it was so thoroughly laid even with the ground, by those that dug it up to the foundation, that there was left nothing to make those that came thither believe, that it had ever been inhabited.' And since the time of Titus, Jerusalem has been often plundered, and at least partially destroyed. In the space of so many ages, it is to be expected, that some vallies should be filled up, and some hills levelled. It is also extremely difficult to trace little ascents and descents in an area covered with buildings of various heights. Whether the west part of what seems now to be Zion, was formerly a part of Acra, or not, it is difficult to decide. The Jews at present call the whole hill Zion. We shall therefore speak of it as such, and give the name Acra to the hill which lies between Zion and Moriah.

"The south wall passes over Mount Zion, near its summit, so that a great part of the hill is without the city. South of the hill is the deep valley of the son of Hinnom; the same valley, turning north, bounds Zion likewise on the west. The vallies, which separate it in the city from Calvary on the north, and Acra on the north-east, are not deep. Moriah has on the east the deep valley of Cedron. On the south of it, without the city, is a little elevation which is marked on D'Anville's map as Ophel; thence the descent is steep, till you come to the fountain of Siloah. The vallies north and west of Moriah at present are

not very deep. Calvary was perhaps only a small elevation on a greater hill, which is now the northwest part of the city; but the name is now given to the whole hill. Bezetha is separated from Calvary by a wide valley; and east of Calvary is the dividing valley between Moriah and Bezetha, in which is the pool of Bethesda.

"We have viewed Jerusalem from different stations, have walked around it and within it, and have stood on the Mount of Olives with Josephus' description of it in our hands, trying to discover the hills and vallies as laid down by him near 1800 years ago; and after all our research we compare Jerusalem to a beautiful person, whom we have not seen for many years, and who has passed through a great variety of changes and misfortunes, which have caused the rose on her cheeks to fade, her flesh to consume away, and her skin to become dry and withered, and have covered her face with the wrinkles of age; but who still retains some general features, by which we recognize her as the person, who used to be the delight of the circle in which she moved. Such is the present appearance of this Holy City, which was once 'the perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth.*

"Jerusalem, as to general form, may be called a square, or rather a rhomboid, for the north-east and south-west angles are acute, and the north-west and south-east are obtuse. The east wall is nearly straight the whole length. On the north and south sides, the wall makes a bend outwardly, and on the west side it makes an inward bend, so that it would not be very inaccurate to call the city a heptagon. There are, likewise, many little irregularities in the wall.

"We measured the city by paces, and the following is the result:-West side 768 paces; south side 1149; east side 943; north side 1419; total 4279 paces.

"Allowing five paces to a rod, this gives 856 rods, or about two miles and two thirds, for the circum

ference of the city. Maundrel measured the city, and judged it to be two miles and a half in circumference. According to Josephus, it was 33 furlongs in circumference before Titus destroyed it. Mount Zion was then included, and the city seems from his description to have extended further north than it does now. The wall of the city is high, but not thick. From counting the rows of stones we suppose the height, in different places, to be 40, 50, perhaps 60 feet. There is a castle, with two towers, on the west side, a little south of Jaffa gate, to which travellers have given the name of Pisan's Tower. For a little distance near the north east corner, there is a trench without the wall, but now nearly filled up.

and

"In regard to the population of Jerusalem, the following estimate seems to us as correct probably as any one we have heard, viz. Mussulmans 10,000--Jews 6,000-Greeks 2,000-Catholics 1,500-Armenians 500-total 20,000.

"The Jews themselves say, that they have only 600 families of Sephartim, or Spanish Jews, and twentyfive families of Ashkenasim, or Polish Jews. But some think the Jews more numerous than the Mussulmans. They occupy, however, a much smaller part of the city than the Turks and Arabs. The Armenians live in and around their convent on Mount Zion; the Greeks and Catholics have their convents and houses on Mount Calvary. The Turks and Arabs occupy Bezetha, and all the eastern part of the city, and have scattered dwellings in every quarter. The Jews live in the dust between Zion and Moriah. The whole area of the ancient Jewish temple on Moriah, which now encloses the mosque of Omar, is walled in, and none but Mussulmans are allowed to enter it on pain of death. In and near it are four minarets. There are two others on Bezetha, one on Aera, one on Zion, and two on Calvary, placed on opposite sides of the Holy Sepulchre, like the two thieves on the right and left of our Lord.

"The Jews have a number of synagogues, all connected together, in the quarter where they live. The church of the Holy Sepulchre stands on Calvary. The Catholics have one convent on the same mountain. The Greeks have twelve here, and one near Zion gate. The Armenians have three convents on Mount Zion, a large one and a small one in the city, and another a little without Zion gate, where, it is believed, the house of Caiaphas stood, in which Jesus was arraigned, and where Peter denied him. The Copts, Syrians, and Abyssinians have also each a small convent. The houses are of stone, most of them low and irregular, with flat roofs or terraces, in the middle of which usually rises a small dome. The windows are small, and those toward the street have usually strong iron grates for defence, and then fine wooden grates to prevent the women from being seen by those who pass. The streets are narrow, and most of them irregular. There are but few gardens in the city.

"Jerusalem is seen to best advantage from Mount Olivet. We however see most of the city from the terrace of the convent where we lodge. The temple is seen to the best advantage from the terrace of the governor's house. Here is seen, not a single mosque, but a collection of mosques and oratories. The two principal buildings are called El Aksa and El Sahhara. Around them the vacant area is covered with green grass, interspersed with paved walks and trees, which furnish an agreeable shade to the loitering Turk. Ali Bey has given a good description of the temple, and its various buildings, and of the foolish opinions of the Turks concerning them.

TO REV. DR. PORTER, ANDOVER.

"Jerusalem, April 28, 1823.

"My first letter from the holy city shall be to my revered instructors and beloved brethren at Andover.

"I have now spent four days in the city where David lived and reigned, and where David's Lord and King redeemed the world. The house I inhabit stands on Mount Calvary. My little room has but one small window, and this opens toward Mount Olivet. I have walked around Zion. I have walked over Calvary. I have passed through the valley of Hinnom, drunk of the waters of Siloam, crossed the brook Cedron, and have been in the garden of Gethsemane. The next day after my arrival I made my first visit to the tomb of my Lord. I did not stop to inquire, whether the place pointed out as his sepulchre is really such or not. If in this there is any delusion, I was willing to be deceived for the moment. The church was full of people, but though surrounded by them I could not suppress my feelings. I looked at the dome which covers the tomb, and thought of the death and resurrection of my Lord, and burst into tears. I entered and kneeled by the marble which is supposed to cover the spot where the body lay. My tears flowed freely, and my soul seemed to be moved in a way I cannot describe. I dedicated myself anew to my Lord, and then offered up my prayers for my father, brothers, sisters, and particular friends.

"I implored a blessing on Andover, and on all missionaries, and ministers, and on all the world. It seemed then as if Jesus Christ the Son of God had really suffered, died, and risen from the dead. The period of time that has elapsed since his death, dwindled as it were to a moment. The whole seemed present and real. O what sufferings! what love! Dear brethren, it was for us he died. Shall we not then live to him? He died to save us from sin. Shall we not then avoid sin in all its forms? He died to Can we then be unwilling to make efforts and undergo privations to save others? If you think I have made any sacrifices, or undergone any ships, I assure you I forgat them all when in the

save us.

hard