In recent years Latin pilgrimages from western Europe and America have been increasing. Bands of Christians come from Italy, France, Spain, and the United States. I was in Jerusalem when the first pilgrimage was made by a body of Christians from America to the Holy City. More than one hundred men and women from all sections of the United States, under the leadership of the Bishop of Tennessee, took part in the Latin celebrations in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Many of these pilgrims are extremely superstitious. Most of them believe that every spot pointed out by the monks is the actual locality of the event alleged to have occurred there. They walk over the Holy Land with staffs in their hands, and kneel down and kiss the places where they believe Jesus trod. They even kiss the stones of the streets of Jerusalem, forgetting or not knowing that there have been three or four Jerusalems buried below the site of the present one. I have seen pilgrims crawling on their knees through the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Creeping into the vestibule, they kiss the Stone of Unction upon which it is claimed the body of Christ was anointed for burial. Near the Stone of Unction is the spot on which it is said the Virgin Mary stood while Christ was on the cross. It also is worn away by kissing. Going on into the great rotunda and turning to the right we reach a church belonging to the Greeks at the front of which stands a column as high as a chair and about as big around as a four-gallon crock. This is the centre of the world, and is honoured as such. I saw Russian peasant girls kissing it, and farther on observed them kissing holy place after holy place until it seemed to me that their lips must wear out. Kisses are pressed upon these spots by thousands of mouths every day, and if every lip leaves its microbes all the diseases of the world must be in the bacteria here. It is hard to estimate the value of the offerings the pilgrims lay on these shrines. Those who come are of all classes, and some bring the savings of years. The poor lay their pennies in the hands of the priests and drop them in the slot boxes which may be seen at almost every corner. There is much gold, and there are treasures in precious stones. A life-sized image of the Virgin Mary which I saw in the Greek church was covered with diamonds. The image was made of wax, and was dressed in satins and silks. Its face was painted. An oval pearl as big as the end of my thumb hung on the forehead, while on the waxen fingers were a score or more rings. Some of the rings were set with diamonds, some with sapphires and rubies, and others with opals. Opals in Palestine are looked upon as the sign of good luck and not bad, as with us.