Excerpt from The Latter-Day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 64: April 10, 1902

On the 11th inst. We started on a four days' trip by carriage to the Sea Of Tiberias and return. A railroad which was projected to connect with another road to Damascus, was built some years ago for eight or nine miles out of Haifa, but on account Of an insufficient supply of funds for the extraordinary disbursements necessary, the work was stopped. Probably the future will see the completion of this desirable road. For the German Emperor's visit new highways were constructed through Palestine, which, however, since then have received no care.

We drove in about four hours to Nazareth, passing through several fine valleys on the way, the first one, the Plain of Acre or Of the Kishon, being the most fertile in Palestine. As we mounted the hill slopes just before reaching Nazareth a View Opened out below and before us that is one of the finest imaginable. Away to the south and east and west stretched the beautiful Plains of Esdraelon and J ezreel, the patchwork of strips Of velvet green fields and rich plowed land making it appear very pretty. Some of the most noted mountains of Scripture surround it, namely, Mount Carmel, the' Gilboa Mountains, Little Hermon, Mount Tabor and the' hills Of Nazareth. The river Kishon, that ancient river of the Song of Deborah, runs through the center. The valley was the great battleground Of early Israel. There the victory of Barak over Sisera was won, there Gideon with his three hundred defeated the Midianites, and Saul and Jonathan there met death.

Nazareth is a town Of about ten thousand inhabitants, two-thirds of whom are Christians. It is invested with a peculiar charm on account of the associations with the early life of the Savior. He undoubtedly walked through most Of its streets and one spot in particular - Mary's Well, the only spring in Nazareth - mhe is sure to have visited more than once with His mother. The women go to-day, as they doubtless did 1900 years ago, to the spring with great earthenware jugs which, after being filled, are carried homeward on their heads. They are, in general, considered the best looking and the most grace ful of any in Palestine. We paid visits to the site Of Joseph's and Mary's house, enclosed by the Church of the Annunciation; to the site bf Joseph's workshop; and to the synagogue where, it is supposed, the Savior first made known His great message to His own city. (luke 4: From a distance we saw the precipice Over which the Jews tried to cast Jesus. In the Church of the Annunciation the house Of Joseph and Mary is not shown, because, as the Franciscan monk who acted as guide told us, except for two or three stone steps and a grotto at the back of the house, the building was some 700 years ago miraculously transported into Italy. In the grotto, however, the spot of the visitation of the Angel Gabriel to Mary is shown.

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