Letters from Palestine: Written during a residence there in the years 1836, 7 and 8Paxton, J. D. (John D.)
Religion
Letters from Palestine: Written during a residence there in the years 1836, 7 and 8
Paxton, J. D. (John D.)
Palestine -- Description and travel
The Lazaret has a set of large rooms, formed into squares, and
surrounded with high walls. Attached to each room is a court, rather
larger than the room, and open to the heavens. There is a tank of
water in this court, and at one side, what is called a parletorio--a
place with a kind of wood grating, through which they may see and
converse with friends who call on them. Those in quarantine have,
during the day, free use of the court attached to their rooms, but
at night they are locked up in their rooms, their guardian with
them, and the key taken to the room of the head of the quarantine.
There is a kind of market in the Lazaret, or rather a shop is kept
there, at which most of the common necessaries may be had, and at
about a fair price. I engaged a man to send us bread and milk daily,
and was well supplied. Angelo as usual cooked for us and had the
general management of our table, and continued to have it nearly as
well furnished as when we were at Beyroot, and at about the same
expense.
We were a few times allowed to walk out as far as the sea-side,
but not without our guard. Nor were we allowed to go more than a
few rods from the walls. We much wished to take some walks in the
vicinity, but this was not allowed. There was, however, nothing rude
in their mode of denial.
The Lazaret is a new building, and not yet finished, and the work
is still in progress. It is made of a soft limestone, which is
brought in vessels and landed near the building. I observed that
females were almost wholly employed in unloading the stone from
these vessels, and the attendance on the workmen was chiefly, if
not wholly, done by females. There were small companies of girls,
from twelve to sixteen years of age, who carried stones and mortar.
They usually went together, and sung and kept a kind of time. Their
singing was in a kind of response to each other, and was evidently,
in part at least, extempore; as they often alluded to what they saw,
and to what was taking place about them. It reminded me of what is
called the corn-song, as sung by the slaves in the southern States.
They seemed cheerful, and are said to receive some wages for their
service.
Soon after we were in the Lazaret, Mr. Gliddon, U. S. consul, called
on us, and kindly tendered his aid in any way that might add to our
comfort while thus shut up in the Lazaret. To be twenty-one days
shut up in a room was tiresome, but not so much so to us as might
be expected. We had books--we read and wrote, and through the
kindness of our consul and others we received files of papers, which
let us know what was going on in that much-loved land, from which we
had been so long absent, and to think now we were about to return.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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