Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, No. 450, page 59 by Various Authors
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which rises above the east shore of the Dead Sea, when I saw before me a fine plum-tree, loaded with fresh blooming plums. I cried out to my fellow-traveller: 'Now, then, who will arrive first at the plum-tree?' and as he caught a glimpse of so refreshing an object, we both pressed our horses into a gallop, to see which would get the first plum from the branches. We both arrived at the same moment; and, each snatching at a fine ripe plum, put it at once into our mouths, when, on biting it, instead of the cool, delicious juicy fruit which we expected, our mouths were filled with a dry bitter dust, and we sat under the tree upon our horses, sputtering, and hemming, and doing all we could to be relieved of the nauseous taste of this strange fruit. We then perceived, and to my great delight, that we had discovered the famous apple of the Dead Sea, the existence of which has been doubted and canvassed since the days of Strabo and Pliny, who first described it. Many travellers have given descriptions of other vegetable productions which bear analogy to the one described by Pliny; but, up to this time, no one had met with the thing itself, either upon the spot mentioned by the ancient authors or elsewhere.--Curzon's Visits to Monasteries in the Levant.
INVOCATION.
Creator of the universal heart In nature's bosom beating! Life of all forms, which are but as a part Of Thee, thy life repeating! Soul of the earth, thy sanctity impart Where human souls are meeting!
Bright as the first faint beam in mercy shewn Unto the barren-sighted, Where, on the yet unbroken darkness thrown, A sunny ray hath lighted, The glory of thy presence streameth down On us, the world-benighted.
To us the shadow of the earth is given, And ours the lower cloud; But though along its pathways tempest-driven, Our hearts shall not be bowed, While yet our eyes unto the stars of heaven We lift, and pray aloud!
Not with the prayers of long ago we pray, With red raised hand beseeching-- Not with the war-voice