(Photo: Johannes Hülsen, Berlin.)
The next day—Monday, the 31st—the consecration of the Church of the Redeemer in the Mâristân will take place; the ceremony will be somewhat imposing, as a large number of clergy and distinguished personages will be taking part in it. The list of representatives who will be present reads as follows:—The members of the Evangelical Church Council specially formed for the Jerusalem expedition; the representatives of the German Evangelical Ecclesiastical Governments; the invited Foreign Church Corporations; the Knights of the Order of St. John; the invited representatives of the missionary societies who are working in Palestine and Syria; the Gustave Adolf Society; the whole of the Evangelical Church in Jerusalem; their Imperial Majesties and suite. I may say that everyone present who has gone out from Germany will wear a decoration that has been specially designed, known as the Jerusalem cross; these, in fact, will be worn the whole route of the journey. The military element will be in the minority, consisting only of about sixteen men, eight of them belonging to the Imperial Body Gendarmerie, and eight to the Kaiserin's bodyguard; these, however, will not travel up with the Imperial party, having gone out from Berlin some little time beforehand to accustom themselves to the habits of the country.
THE NEW LUTHERAN CHURCH, JERUSALEM.
Immediately subsequent to the ceremony at the church the Kaiser and Kaiserin will start for a two or three days' visit to places of interest around Jerusalem, commencing by riding to Jericho, which will take about six hours. The Imperial party will halt there for the night, camping at the foot of Jebel Harantel.
On the succeeding day visits will be paid to the Dead Sea and the Jordan, the latter one of the most wonderful rivers of the world, with a history running through the entire Bible. Various other places of much interest will be seen, and then their Majesties return to Jerusalem, going back to the coast by train, and taking ship again at Jaffa for Haifa.
From here they will visit Nazareth—which is memorable as the home of Jesus. It is still a flourishing place, partly built on rocky ridges. There is a Latin chapel which is supposed to be built over the workshop of Joseph; also a small chapel known as the Table of Christ, which is merely a vaulted chamber containing the table at which the Saviour and His disciples sat. Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee will be visited. Bethsaida, the birthplace of some of Christ's disciples, and other small places in the vicinity, will each come in for a share of attention.
A PRESENT-DAY VIEW ON THE JORDAN.
Proceeding northward, the expedition will view other places, but none, perhaps, so beautiful as one at which they will make a brief stay—Damascus, the oldest city in the world. It is situated on the western side of the great plain, at an elevation of two thousand two hundred and sixty feet above the level of the sea, and is beautiful beyond all description. On an elevated part of the Anti-Libanus, which rises to a height of nearly four thousand feet, there is erected a dome of victory, from which the best view of the city and the seven rivers can be obtained, as also of the white-streaked mountains, the chocolate plain, and the rich and varied colours of the foliage of the trees. Within the city stands a citadel and a palace. Damascus has seventy mosques, and about one hundred and fifty other places of worship in addition; and each of the principal religious communities occupy different parts of the city. In the same way different industries are carried on, each in their own quarters exclusively, having their own bazaars for the sale of goods. The place is highly prosperous, and its appearance is, as I have said, extremely beautiful. Thence the Kaiser and Kaiserin will journey on to Egypt, seeing Alexandria, Cairo, and going up the Nile; but here space forbids us following them.