Universitätsbibliothek HeidelbergUniversitätsbibliothek Heidelberg
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THE TOMB OF SAMUEL.

303

Whereby the reader will see, that whatever may
be his fate hereafter, a pilgrimage to the holy city
gives a man temporal honours, and has trans-
formed a republican citizen of America into an
" illustrissimus dominus."

With this evidence of my pilgrim character, I
mounted my horse for the last time at the door of
the convent. I lost my way in going to the Da-
mascus Gate, but a friendly Jew conducted me to
it; a Jew was the first to welcome me to the
Holy Land, and a Jew was the last to speed me
on my way from the holy city of Jerusalem. Paul
was waiting for me ; and for half a mile we passed
mounds of ruins, the walls of the old city having
extended some distance beyond the Damascus
Gate. In about three quarters of an hour, a little
to the right, we came to what are called the
Tombs of the Judges, excavations in the rock, one
of them full of water. I have no satisfaction in
the recollection of these tombs, for there I lost my
old companion, the terror of evil dogs, my Nubian
club ; which, since 1 bought it in Nubia, had seldom
been out of my hand. In about three hours we
were mounting Djebel Samyel, the highest moun-
tain about Jerusalem, crowned with the ruins of
Ramah, the birthplace and tomb of Samuel the
seer. A few Arab huts are around the ruins;
and a ruined mosque, the minaret of which has
fallen, is the most prominent building on the moun-
tain. We entered the mosque ; at the farther end
was a door locked, but with the key in it. I
 
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