Road in the Harbor of Jaffa
The writer approached the shore of Palestine on the 10th day of March, 1863. He saw the yellow sands of the Philistian plain, the Judean hills veiled in the delicate mist, and the town of Joppa standing on its projecting headland, rising up house above house, with minarets and towers, and on every side of the city, green fields and pleasant gardens. Jaffa is called “The Port of Jerusalem,” but has no proper harbor, and it is only under favorable circumstances of wind and wave that a vessel may come to anchor and ship her freight for the city.
There is a little road or enclosure, sometimes called a harbor. It is beyond a dangerous reef that runs parallel with the shore, and the opening through it is only sufficient for one boat, and the noisy surf tumbling about the rocks around him makes the voyager exceedingly glad to reach the little space of quiet water beyond.
This was the only harbor possessed by the Jews throughout the greater part of their national existence. There is no other port along the coast and through it nearly all the foreign commerce of the Jews was conducted until the artificial port of Cæsarea was built by Herod. Through this road Hiram brought his rafts of fragrant cedar wood and pine for the building of the first temple at Jerusalem; and Cyrus, generations after, used it as a port of entry for the material of the second temple.
From various tourists we have thrilling accounts of the landings of travelers. It is the true monster who has devoured many Andromedas for whose deliverence no gallant Perseus was at hand.
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