The Lands of the Saracen Author:Bayard Taylor Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. FROM JAFFA TO JERUSALEM. The Garden of Jaffa—Breakfast at a Fountain—The Plain of Sharon—Tin- Rulnji) Mceque of Ramleh—A Judean Landscape—The ... more »Streets of Kamleh—Am I in Palestine?—A Heavenly Morning—The Land of Milk and Honey—Entering the Hill- Country—The Pilgrim's Breakfast—The Father of Lies—A Church of the Crusaders —The Agriculture of the Hills—The Valley of Blah—Day-Dreams—The Wllderneu —The Approach—We see the Holy City. " Through the air sublime, Over the wilderness and o'er the plain ; Till underneath them fair Jerusalem, The Holy City, lifted high her towers." Paradisb Rbg.usud. Jebusalem, Thursday, April 29,1S52. Leaving the gate of Jaffa, we rode eastward between delightful gardens of fig, citron, orange, pomegranate and palm. The country for several miles around the city is a complete level— part of the great plain of Sharon—and the gray mass of building crowning the little promontory, is the only landmark seen above the green garden-land, on looking towards the sea The road was lined with hedges of giant cactus, now in blossom, and shaded occasionally with broad-armed sycamores The orange trees were in bloom, and at the same time laden lown with ripe fruit. The oranges of Jaffa are the finest iu Jyria, aud great numbers of them are sent to Beyrout. aud THE PLAIN OF SHARON. 49 other ports further north. The dark foliage of the pome- granate fairly blazed with its heavy scarlet blossoms, and hero and there a cluster of roses made good the Scriptural renown of those of Sharon. The road was filled with people, passing to and fro, and several families of Jaffa Jews were having a sort of pic-nic in the choice shady spots. Ere long we came to a fountain, at a point where two road met. It was a large square structure of limestone an...« less