The great pyramid passages and chambers

LETTER XT:

Hotel Fast, Jerusalem. Wednesday, 30th June, 1909.

DEAR BRETHREN,—The past few days have been rather dull, owing to the illness of John and Stanley. John is now well enough to sit up in his room, and we hope he may manage to go for a drive to-morrow to the Mount of Olives or elsewhere. Stanley is still in bed, and is very weak. The poor little chap has had a bad attack. You may be sure that we are all very careful as regards our diet. We boil the milk and water, and we are avoiding the fruit.

369 The mosquitoes in Jerusalem are very troublesome. The authorities have taken no measures against them. In Port Said and Cairo, on the other hand, the numbers are kept down by a periodical addition of petroleum to the swamps, drains, and other moist breeding places of these pests. At the pyramids, although we had a few bites, there are scarcely any mosquitoes, doubtless because there is no water sufficiently near (except at the time of the Nile inundation), but principally we believe because of the prevailing wind.

370 This morning, John was well enough to attend to Stanley, and enable Grace to accompany Jack and me to Bethlehem. We hope, however, to go there again, as John has a great desire to see the birth-place of the meek and lowly Jesus. In the early evening Mr. Jamal called and took Jack and me for a walk through the centre of Jerusalem. Among other places we visited the law courts. Off the court-yard in a large cell with an open-work wooden gate, about thirty prisoners were seated, men who had been taken in charge because they refused to pay more than their due share of taxes. The New Constitution had arranged that the taxes should be one-tenth the income, and this the men were willing to pay, and even a quarter more if need be. But the tax-gatherers demanded four-tenths, and as the men, or rather the 15 or 20 villages which they represented, refused, they were taken in charge to be tried.

371 Mr. Jamal spoke to them, and exhorted them with a parable. He said there was once a man who asked each of his sons, seven in number, to give him a stick. Binding the seven sticks together, he handed the bundle to each of the lads in turn, with the request that he should break it. They all failed. He then took off the binding string, and handing a single stick to his youngest son, asked him to break it. He did so with ease. All the other sticks were handed to this youngest son in turn, and were broken by him. Mr. Jamal explained his parable. If the men were united and of one mind in their resistance, the tax-gatherers would be unable to break them; but if they separated, they would easily be broken. They said he was right. This is the way they do in the East! The Jamals are a well known family in Jerusalem, Anis’ father and grandfather both belonging to this city.

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