Haifa; or, Life in modern PalestineOliphant, Laurence
History
Haifa; or, Life in modern Palestine
Oliphant, Laurence
Palestine -- Description and travel
Ignorant of the language, the country, the methods of agriculture, the
manners and customs of the inhabitants, who regarded them askance, and
unused to the climate, their faith and powers of endurance were taxed to
the utmost. Not only did they persevere with the most unflinching
resolution at Haifa, but extended their operations to Jaffa, where at
that time a colony of American Adventists, whom some of your readers may
remember, and who had emigrated there about twenty years ago, was in
process of dissolution. Purchasing the remains of their settlement, a
new group of the Temple Society established themselves there. Since then
two more colonies have been formed, one at Sarona, about an hour distant
from Jaffa, and one in the immediate neighbourhood of Jerusalem, where
the leader, Mr. Hoffman, at present resides.
The united population of these four colonies amounts to about one
thousand souls, besides which a few families are also established at
Beyrout and Nazareth. But the largest settlement is at Haifa, where the
society numbers over three hundred. These now, after fourteen years of
vicissitudes, appear to be entering upon a period of comparative
prosperity. They have not long since completed a twelve years' struggle
with the government for the legalization of the titles to their land,
which the authorities endeavoured to prevent by throwing every possible
obstacle in the way; and while the question was pending they were
compelled to pay their taxes through the nominal native owners, who
assessed the lands at four times their actual value, putting the balance
into their own pockets. All these difficulties have, however, at last
been surmounted. They now hold their seven hundred acres of fine arable
and vine land free of all encumbrance, and their well-cultivated fields,
trim gardens, and substantial white stone mansions form a most agreeable
and unexpected picture of civilization upon this semi-barbarous coast.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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