Mr. Wallace, from whose book the foregoing items are gleaned, in telling of a fight which took place at one stage of the service, describes it as “a mass of wriggling, struggling, shrieking priests and soldiers, each apparently endeavoring to do all the possible injury to whomever he could reach. * * * But the fight went on.  Greek trampled on Armenian, and Armenian on Greek, and Turk on both.  Though doing his very best, the commanding officer seemed unable to separate the combatants.  The bugle rang out time after time, and detachment after detachment of soldiers plunged into the melee. * * * This went on for fifteen minutes.  Just how much damage was done nobody will ever know.  There were a number of bruised faces and broken heads, and a report was current that two pilgrims had died from injuries received.”  This disgraceful and wicked disturbance is said to have been brought about by the Armenians wanting two of their priests to go with the Greek Patriarch as far as the Chapel of the Angels.  And it is furthermore said that the defeat of the Armenians was brought about, to some extent at least, by the muscular strength of an American professional boxer and wrestler, whom the Greeks had taken along in priestly garb as a member of the Patriarch’s bodyguard.  It is not surprising that Mr. Wallace has written:  “The Church of the Holy Sepulcher gives the non-Christian world the worst possible illustration of the religion of Him in whose name it stands.”

As I was going through the city, I saw a camel working an olive press.  The poor blindfolded animal was compelled to walk in a circle so small that the outside trace was drawn tightly over its leg, causing irritation; but seeing the loads that are put upon dumb brutes, and men too, sometimes, one need not expect much attention to be given to the comfort of these useful servants.  Truly, there is great need for the refining, civilizing, and uplifting influence of the gospel here in the city where it had its earliest proclamation.  I also visited two grist mills operated by horses on a treadmill, which was a large wooden wheel turned on its side, so the horses could stand on it.  I was not pleased with the nearness of the manure in one of these mills to the material from which the “staff of life” is made.

The German Protestant Church of the Redeemer is a fine structure on the Muristan, completed in 1898.  The United States consulate is near the Austrian postoffice inside of the Jaffa gate.  I went there and rested awhile, but saw the consul, Selah Merrill, at his hotel, where I also met Mrs. Merrill, and formed a favorable opinion of both of them.  Here I left my belt, checks, and surplus money in the care of the consul.