"From this spot we ascended to the floor of the church and were taken to Golgotha, or Mount Calvary, by an ascent of about fifteen feet. Remember that everything we have mentioned is under the roof of the church, or, rather, of the different buildings that have been erected to make up the church. An architect who goes through it can readily perceive that the construction was not all of the same period, and that several men must have planned the various portions. The first chapel on Mount Calvary was erected by the Emperor Constantine, but it has been rebuilt two or three times, so that little if anything remains of it.
"The first chapel we entered in this part of the church was that of the Raising of the Cross. They showed us the hole in the rock where the cross stood, and about five feet on either side were the crosses of the two thieves. The cleft in the rock, mentioned in Matt. xxvi. 51, was pointed out in this chapel, and then we went to the next where Christ was nailed to the cross, the positions being indicated by pieces of marble in the floor. Beyond this is the Chapel of the Agony, which is reached by a short stairway; it is a small chapel, and belongs to the Latin monks, while the Chapel of the Raising of the Cross is the property of the Greeks.
"Every day when the church is open to the public a good many pilgrims come there to worship at the sepulchre of the founder of Christianity. At Easter and other festivals the number is very large, and sometimes the building is densely crowded. For a long time the Moslems used to make all visitors pay heavily for the privilege of entering the church, but of late years they have not been permitted to extort backsheesh. We went there at an hour when the church was closed, and were, consequently, obliged to pay the custodian before the key was produced.
"We did not go to the cistern of the Empress Helena, as it would have prolonged our stay somewhat, and our time was limited. While we were in the Chapel of the Finding of the Cross the guide told us the tradition of how the Empress Helena, the mother of Constantine, directed the excavation, and was present when the three crosses were unearthed. A woman suffering from an incurable disease was brought and placed upon two of them without any benefit; as soon as she touched the third she rose and walked away in perfect health. By this it was determined which was the true cross, and from that time its fragments have been distributed among the cathedrals and churches of Europe and other countries."
[Chapter XXIII.]
IN AND AROUND JERUSALEM.
We will continue the account of the sights of Jerusalem, as given by Frank and Fred in their journal:
"One of the first places we asked for after the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was Mount Zion, which we reached by a short walk. On our way we passed through the Street of the Christians, where there are several bazaars; they are much inferior to the bazaars of Cairo, and the display of goods does not amount to much. The guide took us to several shops where carvings of olive-wood are sold. There is a great variety of these articles, and some of them are of great beauty and high price. To judge by the number and extent of the shops, we should think that the principal occupation of the inhabitants of Jerusalem is the manufacture and sale of wood-carvings.