Juft without Zion gate, is the church of the Conaculum, where they pretend Christ inftituted his laft fupper; but this is converted into a mofque, and no Chriftians are permitted to enter it. Near it are the ruins of a houfe, in which the Virgin is supposed to have died; and at fome distance from it the fpot where a Jew arrested her body, as they were conveying it to the grave; but the hand withered with which he touched the bier.

At the bottom of Mount Sion, is fhewn Bathfheba's pool. And at a small diftance from thence, is the Potter's Field, called afterwards the Field of Blood, which is inclofed and converted into a charnel house.

On Mount Olivet are fhewn feveral caves, with intricate windings, called the Sepulchres of the Prophets, and twelve arched vaults, where it is faid the apostles compiled their creed.

At the top of this mount is alfo fhewn the place of our Saviour's afcenfion, where anciently flood a large church; and exactly under the cupola is a hard ftone, on which is fhewn the print of one of his feet. This chapel of the afcenfion, however, is now used by the Turks as a mofque.

In short, there is fcarcely a spot rendered illuftrious by the actions or fufferings of the Divine Author of our religion, that is not identically pointed out. The piece of ground, where Judas betrayed him, is ftill regarded as a terra damnata, by the Turks as well as the Chriftians, who unite in detefting the fcene where fuch an infamous piece of treachery was acted. A mofque is erected over the pretended spot, where formerly ftood the Holy of Holies.

Bethlehem, which is honoured as the birthplace of Chrift, ftands two miles to the south of Jerufalem; but at present is an inconfiderable place, though much vifited by pilgrims. It has, however, a church, erected by Helena, in the form of a cross, which is yet entire. The roof is of cedar, fupported by four rows of columns, each made of one entire block of white marble. Under the church is fhewn the cave of the nativity, and the manger in which Chrift was laid. Here is alfo the chapel of St. Joseph, the reputed father of our Lord.

The wilderness of St. John, though very rocky, is well cultivated, and produces plenty of corn, vines, and olives. In this track, they fhew a cave and fountain, where, they fay, the Baptift ufed to exercise his aufterities. Between this and Jerufalem, is the convent of St. John, and ftill nearer to that city, is the convent of the Holy Cross, fo called from a belief, that here the tree grew of which the cross was made.

Nazareth is now a small village, fituated in a kind of hollow, on the top of a high hill. The church is partly formed by a cave, where it is faid the virgin received the falutation of the angel. It is remarkable, that almost all the extraordinary transactions, mentioned in the fcriptures, are faid to have paffed in caves; though the circumftances of many of the actions require a different fcene. Hence we may juftly doubt of the reality of the spots; but while they serve to recal the ideas annexed to them, the effect is the fame.

In Nazarath they also fhew the house in which St. Jofeph lived, and where our Saviour was fubject to him for thirty years. This fpot is likewife dignified

dignified by the ruins of one of St. Helena's

churches.

Mount Tabor, on which the transfiguration is supposed to have taken place, is a high, round, and beautiful fpot. The afcent to the top takes up an hour, and here we find a fruitful and delicious plain, of an oval form, about two furlongs in length, and one in breath. It is almoft wholly encircled with trees, and anciently had walls, trenches, and fortifications, the ruins of which are ftill visible. The top of Tabor affords a moft delightful profpect, commanding a view of the Mediterranean, and the fine plains of Galilee and Efdraelon. Three caves are ftill fhewn, formed to represent the tabernacles Peter propofed to erect.

To the eastward is Mount Hermon, and at its foot is feated Nain, where our Lord restored the widow's fon to life. Due eaft is the fea, or rather lake of Tiberias, and close to it, a steep mountain, down which the swine ran and perished in the water. Towards the north, is what is called the Mount of the Beatitudes, where Christ delivered his fermon. Southward is a view of the Mountains of Gilboa, so fatal to Saul.

Of the various early accounts of the Holy Land, we have chofen to give a rapid view; they indeed can never cease to intereft the really devout, or the fuperftitious bigot; but where impofition is fo palpably displayed in tracing many important fcenes, and fo few remains of unqueftionable antiquity are now visible, it is painful to separate the drofs from the ore. We truft, however, enough has been faid in this place to prove that Paleftine correfponds with the defcription of it in holy writ, and that it would

ftill be a "land flowing with milk and honey," in the hands of the induftrious and enlightened. The religious and the political tenets of the Koran, are alike inimical to human happiness and the exertion of mental or corporeal powers. Under their baneful influence, man lofes his energies, and the earth its fertility,

JOURNEY

JOHN BELL, ESQ.

FROM

ST. PETERSBURGH

то

PEKIN.

With an Embaffy from his Imperial Majefly, Peter the Great, to Kambi, Emperor of China.

HEN the mind of man is once warmed with a favourite object or purfuit, difficulties only ferve to give new refolution, and every nerve is ftrained to accomplish the end in view. The defire of vifiting foreign countries, though not a very general paffion, is one of the ftrangeft that can feize on the imagination; and fancy, fertile in expedients, under this paflion, fo difficult to be gratified, converts every talent into the means of forwarding the purpose of the heart.

Mr. Bell informs us, that it was this ardour to vifit feveral parts of Afia, particularly thofe that border on the dominions of Ruffia, which induced him to folicit a recommendation to Dr. Erikine, chief phyfician and privy counseller to the Czar Peter I. By this gentleman's influence,

and