her, could she resign all in this world? She looked a moment at her child, a little fat rosy girl sleeping beside her, and then she breathed, scarce audibly, "My husband." For a moment she seemed to struggle with the ties of nature; her husband would be left unloved among ungodly companions, and her child an orphan. It was a hard struggle, but it was soon over. Lifting up her eyes and hands to heaven, she exclaimed, "I am the Lord's." I have seen others since who felt no difficulty in such a sacrifice the dark valley occupied all their thoughts. But Sarah had a heart, she was one worthy of love, and capable of loving. To her it was a sore trial, but what will not Faith enable us to do and endure? By it some subdued kingdoms, some wrought righteousness, some obtained promises. These are but different effects of the same principle; that principle consists in forsaking all else and trusting God, and this enabled Sarah to forget the world, and die in peace. She lies buried in the churchyard of T. Let me stand once more over her early grave, and read the epitaph of her grassy resting place, "The last remains of a believer lie beneath one in whom heavenly love was stronger than the affection of a wife and a mother. She became a lover of Jesus. Sweet be thy slumbers, sainted Spirit. They who have thy faith will minister of their abundance. They who have thy hope will supply enough. Sisters on earth will discharge thy duty. The Father of the fatherless will bless thy child."

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R.

SUNDAY SCHOOL ANECDOTES.

A BOY in my class, one afternoon, was intently watching the Superintendent lighting the gas. The pipes were full of air, and the gas at first seemed dull, but soon got brighter and brighter, till at last it came to its full height. Teacher," said he, "is not that gas like sin in a person's heart, growing bigger and bigger every minute?"

A little girl was reading to her teacher, the 14th Psalm; after reading the first phrase of the first verse, "The fool hath said in his heart there is no God," she paused, and looking up into her teacher's face, quietly observed, "Teacher, I wonder who the fool thought made him ?"

A Sunday school teacher was talking to her class on the subject of the final judgment; as she was referring to the fact, that Jesus would be the judge, and that it was to him we must give account of our words and actions, one little girl looked up, and said in a quiet solemn tone, "Teacher, I should be ashamed to tell Jesus all I have said."

The Teacher in his Study.

PHYSICAL FEATURES OF THE HOLY LAND AND THE ADJACENT COUNTRIES.

ARTICLE III.

ONE of the most remarkable features in the physical geography of the Holy Land, is the deep valley, which descending from the slopes of Anti-Lebanon, divides Palestine Proper from the eastern part of Syria, and stretching nearly due south for about 250 miles, terminates at Akabah, on the Red Sea. Sinking gradually but constantly for a distance of 100 miles, it reaches a depth of 1300 feet below the level of the Mediteranean. Within this singular trough lie three lakes, connected by the river Jordan, which flows through the two smaller -Lakes Merom and Tiberias-and is finally absorbed by the largest, the Dead Sea.

This last, which will furnish our present subject, is in no part of the Bible called the "Dead Sea." It is mentioned for the first time in Gen. xiv. 3, under the name of "Salt Sea," (so named by reason of the unusual saltness of the water,) then in Num. xxxiv. 3, 12; Deut. iii. 17; Josh. iii. 16; xii. 3; xv. 2, 5, &c. ; in some of these passages it is termed the "Sea of the Plain," from its occupying the fertile plain, on which the five cities stood, that were destroyed by fire from heaven. It is also called the "East Sea," Ezek. xlvii. 18; Joel ii. 20. as forming the eastern boundary of Palestine. By heathen authors it is mentioned under the name of Lake Asphaltites, because bitumen and asphalte abound on its shores, while the Arabs call it "Bahr Lut," the "Sea of Lot," and " Bahr Mutneh," the "stinking Sea." The term "Dead" is a modern epithet, aptly expressing the utter dreariness and lifelessness of the whole scene.

The unusual stillness which characterizes this Salt Lake, is caused by the great density of the water-which contains one-fourth of its weight of salt, and is much more sluggish than the ocean-and the lofty precipices which for many miles tower over it on either side, to the height of 1000 or 2000 feet; those on the eastern, or Arabian shore being the most abrupt. Into this deep hollow the sun pours down his rays with scorching power, and although a few trees and shrubs are found in sheltered spots near the streams that flow into the sea, yet when the scene is viewed from a commanding spot, the general aspect is that of utter barrenness and desolation, and the eye wanders over an endless succession of sun-burnt rocks, while the mountains of Seir on the south present a back ground of rugged hills massed

together in the wildest disorder. The obscurity which hangs over the early history of this great saline lake, and the fearful event of which it is the witness, have invested it with a peculiar interest, and have given rise to the fabulous reports which at one time were so generally received. It was thought that the waters of the Salt Sea were of such deadly nature, that no living creature could remain in or near them; that it emitted smoke and pestiferous vapours which for ever hovered over its gloomy surface, that birds attempting to cross it fell dead in their rapid flight; it was even asserted that some remains of the overthrown cities of the plain could still be seen through the sluggish, but clear water. As no visible outlet existed to carry off the waters of the Jordan, they were ingeniously got rid of by an imaginary underground passage into the Mediterranean, the surface of which is now ascertained to be 1300 feet above the level of the Dead Sea. The report that a wooden bowl dropped into the sea by a pilgrim, had been after some time, picked up on the shore of the Mediterranean, gave rise to this notion.

The Jewish writer Josephus, speaking of the Dead Sea, estimates its length at fifty miles, modern travellers have variously stated it at from thirty to forty-five miles, but as only a few have actually performed the circuit of it, we need not wonder at their contradictory reports. The usual mode of visiting it, was to proceed by way of Jericho to the bathing place of the pilgrims in the Jordan, thence across the sandy plains, to the bay at its northern extremity, and either to return by the same road, or ride some miles along the western shore to the Convent of Santa Saba, in the wilderness of Engedi, and so round to Jerusalem. To none of these travellers, perhaps, was the Dead Sea the sole object of their research, but merely one amongst the thousand various things they felt bound to give their attention to. Hence the imperfect knowledge of this region which has so long prevailed.

Within the last few years, however, fresh efforts have been made, and with more success, to arrive at a correct and satisfactory acquaintance with this geographical problem. The most enterprising of these was made by the ill-fated Costigan, an Irishman by birth, and well fitted for his arduous undertaking by his intimate acquaintance with Eastern manners and scenes. His only companion was a Maltese sailor, whom he hired to assist in navigating a little open boat, which with great trouble he had brought to the Dead Sea. They spent several days in rowing along shore, once or twice crossing from side to side, taking soundings as they went. In a few days the terrible heat of the sun, together with hard labour and bad water, overpowered Costigan, who was soon seized with fever, and it was with great difficulty they got back to the northern shore. Here the sailor left

Costigan and went off to procure assistance; meanwhile some missionaries at Jerusalem, having heard of his misfortunes, had him conveyed thither, but it was too late, he died soon after he arrived. When questioned as to the results of his labours, he refused to tell anything then, saying they should know all when he recovered. The few memoranda he had made were found too scanty for any one but himself to make available.

Another partial survey was made by an American-Lieutenant Molyneux—who, after finishing the principal work assigned to him— the navigation of the river Jordan-spent two days and nights on the Dead Sea, taking soundings and making such observations as his time allowed. In this instance as in the former, fatigue and anxiety brought on fever, which proved fatal to the enterprising traveller.

To the American government belongs the credit of sending out an expedition for the express purpose of obtaining an accurate scientific knowledge of the Dead Sea. The journal written by the commanding officer, Lieutenant Lynch, is a valuable work, which we would strongly recommend to our readers. The map which accompanies the work being in many places marked with the various depths, is exceedingly useful and instructive.

The party were carried in two copper boats, well provided with arms and ammunition, as well as with all the necessary instruments for taking observations. On entering the sea they encountered a smart breeze, and the heavy waves dashed against the boats with such force that the men compared the shock to the strokes of a sledgehammer, while the spray left a slimy coating of salt on everything it reached. It was thought that wooden boats would have been stove in by the violence of the waves. As soon as the wind ceased, however, the heavy waters suddenly fell calm, and within half-an-hour from the time when they were so roughly handled, they were gliding over a surface smooth as glass.

The northern end of the Sea is about six miles broad, the beach low and shelving, composed of pebbles and muddy brown sand. It is strewn with driftwood of all sizes, some mere bushes, others larger than those that are found in the valley of the Jordan. These were probably trunks of the oshour or asheyr tree mentioned by Irby and Mangles as growing in the eastern shore of the sea, and reaching to a size of eight inches in diameter; it bears a fruit answering to the description of the "apples of Sodom." Whatever these trees may be they lie on the shore as bare as skeletons; some incrusted with salt, others blackened as by fire, giving the last touch to the dreariness of the scene.

The shore continues flat for some miles southward, until the sea increasing in width, approaches the mountains so closely as to leave

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but a narrow strip of land-in some parts none--at the foot of the precipices. The form of the sea is an irregular oblong, rounded at both ends, its total length is forty-one miles, the extreme width is about ten miles, the average eight miles. The depth varies considerably; at the northern extremity the shore is shelving, and the sea shallow, but opposite Ain Feshkah-the first encampment, eight miles south of the Jordan-the soundings shewed ninety fathoms at a quarter of a mile from the Arabian shore, which seems throughout much more abrupt than the western side. The greatest depth recorded by Lieut. Lynch, is 1278 feet. The bottom was found to consist principally of soft mud, yellow, blue, grey, or brown, with crystals of salt. Two miles from Ain Feshkah is a very remarkable ravine, with perpendicular sides, called Wady-en-Nar, or Valley of Fire, through which the brook Kidron flows into the Dead Sea. Not far from hence are several caves among the rocks of Ain Jidy (Engedi? 1 Sam. xxiii. 29), partly fortified by a rude stone wall, the largest capable of concealing twenty or thirty men.

At a distance of twenty-five miles from the north shore the width of the sea is reduced to about five miles by a peninsula jutting out from the Arabian coast, presenting a rude outline of the human foot. Its extreme breadth from north to south is seven miles, and its beach is fringed with canes, tamarisk, and oshour trees; these are covered with a salt dew, greasy to the touch, as also to the eye. Here the depth of the sea suddenly decreases, and in some maps a ford is marked, said to be used by the Arabs when the waters are low. Indeed Captains Irby and Mangles mention having seen a small caravan emerging on the opposite side,-themselves being then on the peninsula-and from being able to discern that the men rode on asses, they calculated the distance from shore to shore at one mile.

Now the American map shows at this point a width of five miles, and a depth no where less than two-and-a-half fathoms, clearly unfordable by any animal. This discrepancy is characteristic of the different accounts of the Dead Sea, and can be explained only by the supposition that the American expedition made their survey when the water was high, and Irby and Mangles when it was low; the latter speak of the high-water mark being a mile from the edge of the water. Then, supposing an equal distance on the other side left bare by the sinking of the sea level, and adding these two spaces to the mile of water across which they saw the caravan, we get a width of three miles, which looks more like the American idea of it. Southward of the peninsula, the sea expands into a rounded basin, eight miles broad, and ten miles long, in its extreme dimensions, known as "the Back-water." The whole of this immense sheet of water is very shallow, its greatest depth not exceeding eighteen feet, while along