An Adventure in the Holy land.
‘
Those of our readers (and they are many) who remember
the Rev. Dr. John Leyburn, for many years the favorite pastor of the
Tabb street Presbyterian Church, of this city, will be interested to learn that he has recently met with quite a romantic, but exceedingly unpleasant adventure, in the
Holy Land.
For some months past
Dr. Leyburn has been engaged in making a tour of the old world, and arriving at length in
Jerusalem, started, on the 26th of December last, upon a visit to the
Dead Sea and the river
Jordan.
He was accompanied on this trip by
Mr. C. F. Low, of
Minnesota; and they were attended by an experienced dragoman, and, for a guard, a mounted Arab sheik, and another Arab on foot.
On the morning of the 27th, when they were riding up the valley from the
Dead Sea to the
Jordan, they encountered two suspicious looking Arabs, with one of whom the sheik pretended to transact some ‘"love- charming"’ business.
About an hour and a half passed away, and both gentlemen had bathed in the
Jordan, and were lingering upon its banks, when suddenly the attendants jumped to their feet and gave the alarm of the approach of robbers.
Not twenty steps off a row of lances glistened over the tops of the bushes, and, in another instant, a party of savage Bedouins, armed to the teeth, confronted the little party.
Aiming their lances point blank, they rushed directly towards them, and it seemed that their doom was sealed, to be massacred on the spot.
The party, however, stood firm, in the very face, as it were, of death, and the robbers perceiving that they would make no attempt to escape turned aside their lances, and leaping from their horses, rushed upon them, stripping them, without ceremony, but rather with demoniac ferocity, of money and clothing.
Mr. Low attempted to defend himself with a revolver, but it missed fire, and most fortunately, for had it accomplished the purpose of his aim, the blood of the Bedouin would have been avenged with his death.
He was stabbed in the cheek, in the rencontre, and overpowered.
His clothing, with the exception of drawers and socks, his money and gold watch, were taken from him, and the dragoman and
Dr. Leyburn were stripped of all but their underclothing.
Luckily,
Dr. L., by the advice of friends, had left most of his valuables and money in
Jerusalem for safe-keeping.
The foot-guard had taken to his heels the moment the alarm was given.
The poor muleteer had scarcely a rag left upon him.
The robbers gave back to the sheik his clothing and trappings, when he put out for
Jericho, as he said, to bring soldiers, the robbers having disappeared.
The muleteer followed, and, says
Dr. L.,‘"
Mr. Low, the dragoman and myself, with a donkey, an umbrella and a hat, were all that remained."’ In this plight, they made their way in the best manner possible down into
Jericho.
Their joint loss was between six and seven hundred dollars. The intelligence of the robbery spread like wild fire, and the Pasha being put in possession of the facts, promised a speedy and uncompromising vengeance.
The robbers were nine in number, and the two suspicious Arabs first spoken of were doubtless their spies.--
Petersburg (Va.) Express. ’
