and endeavoured to lead their minds to Him as a refuge in time of trouble."" MUDNOMPILLY. ELIZABETH JOSEPH, BIBLE-WOMAN. The Rev. J. Heeren says: "There is every reason for the Bible-woman and her supporters and friends to be encouraged, for where before the visitor was obliged to go uninvited, she is now asked to renew her calls, and to make them oftener. Those who before looked upon her as a suspicious person, a fortune-teller, or one whose object it was to destroy caste, and cause shame and disgrace to those who would listen to her, now ask her to come into their houses, and are willing and ready to listen to the message of the Gospel; but in her daily visits she meets with all sorts of people and hears all sorts of reasons why they cannot become Christians. Some Brahmin women told her they were not sinners, and they do not care to hear about Jesus Christ." PULHAMPET, CUDDAPAH DISTRICT. MARTHA REUBEN, BIBLE-WOMAN. Martha has been visiting many villages, and going into the houses of women of different castes, reading to them the Word of God, singing Christian hymns, and conversing with them on religious matters. She says in her Report : "In a street here there is a Mussulman's house; the women of the family requested me to see them as often as I can. One day when I went, I stood at the outer door and called the head woman. "She asked, "Who are you?' "I am the woman named Martha, who came to see you before.' "She immediately asked me to come in, and called some of her female friends. We then began to talk about our religion. "She asked, 'How did God make the world?' "I read Genesis i. Afterwards, I told her and others who came to listen the story of salvation by Jesus Christ. I then sang, 'Invitation to sinners,' very quietly, smilingly, and earnestly; these women heard the Gospel. At Palconda, a village near a hill of the same name, there is a temple at the top of the hill where many people go to worship their God. The women are very wild; I said to them, 'Believe on the true God!' 666 “Ah!' said they, 'we have a god at the top of the hill.' "Is it stone or gold?' I asked. "Oh! it is stone.' "Can it speak?' "We never heard it; but, one thing, if we make vows they are fulfilled.' "I told them it was a vain thing to worship idols, and directed them to Jesus as the only Saviour, and sang a hynın on idol worship. "They said, 'See what new sense this woman has.' "At Gunta Bosoor I went to see a nice old woman who had been ill for some days. She said that the owner of the house had died, had died in the house where she is, and that that man had become a devil, and caught hold of her; she had made vows to many doctors, but she was no better. I advised her to try and forget these thoughts and trust in the true and living God. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. I talked to her about the Saviour for a little while, and she said she would believe in Him. Poor woman! in a week's time she died. "This terror of evil spirits is very common among the natives; they are at times so terrified they dare not pass a well, or a tank, least a devil should catch hold of them. If a Bible-woman with the Gospel in her hand is the means of directing these poor frightened ones to Him who can say to them in gentle loving words, 'It is I, be not afraid,' it is worth all the cost and all trouble. 'The Light of the World' can alone destroy 'the powers of darkness."" THE UNITED PALESTINE EXPLORATION SOCIETY. PROFESSOR A. L. RAWSON, of the Oriental Topographical Corps, has returned to America from a seven months' tour in Egypt, Palestine, Cyprus, and Moab. He carried home with him several important inscriptions, dating from three to fifteen centuries before Christ, and confirming Old Testament records. During his absence he completed a geological survey began by him on a former expedition to the East, and made arrangements for a collection illustrating the natural history of Syria. From the New York Observer, November, 1874: THE CAVE OF ADULLAM. THE Palestine Exploration Fund again held its meeting in London on the 23rd of June, 1874, and were able to report the official survey of 3,000 square miles of the Holy Land, or about one-half of Western Palestine. This survey includes not only map-making, but plans and sketches of every important site. The ancient roads and aqueducts are traced, the geology and natural history of the country studied, and the traditions of the people carefully collected. Some fine tombs have been discovered by Lieutenant Conder. The tomb and summer palace of Herod has been examined, and a survey and plan made of the tombs of the Maccabees. The system of caves, in which must have been the cave of Adullam, has been also explored; and the site of Gilgal, in the Jordan valley, fixed with great probability; the site of Enon has been verified; the places mentioned in Gideon's pursuit after the Midianites can now be followed on the map, and Lieutenant Conder believes that he has identified the rock Oreb and winepress of Zeeb. Each of these places has its own interest for Bible readers. THE CAVE OF ADULLAM-in which David took refuge from Achish and from Saul (1 Sam. xxii. 1), and to which his brethren and all his father's house went down to him from Bethlehem, where he was also joined by a "discontented" multitude, in debt or distress, till he found himself captain over 400 such men—has been variously supposed to be traced in one or other of the caverns in the valley of Shefelah, between Gath and Bethlehem. The limestone cliffs of this whole locality arepierced with caverns. Lieutenant Conder's description and sketches of one of these, the cave of Turnaymiych, is very graphic : "Leaving the ordinary road we descended into a narrow ravine, between steep and rocky hills, the path alternating between loose shingle and slippery slides of rock, beside dense thickets of the dark pistachio bushes, with here and there a cistus, amid its carpet of thyme and mint, shining out from the dark rock ledges. We saw traces of ancient terraces in the now silent tangled wilderness, and soon came upon an opening in the shelving rock which one might easily have passed without seeing it. Descending rapidly we found ourselves in a great round vestibule, measuring about 160 feet in diameter. "The height is greatest at the sides, where a passage leads round to other compartments. In one of these the roof is supported on stalagmite columns. One is in the shape of a man with a helmet. Seen in the lurid light of half day and half candles, it seemed to introduce to a succession of caverns, pillars, and pendants glistening like silver. The most striking feature of this cavern is a narrow winding gallery supported by pillars of stalagmite, which leads to a long tunnel ending in a natural well over sixty feet deep. The Mohammedan peasantry, who are here extremely strict on moral points, make this the death-place of those who offend. The tunnel slide is extremely difficult to descend; the well is now dry, and about fifteen feet across. Any one who approached it heedlessly, or in the dark, must inevitably meet with his death. "This cavern suggests itself as a likely site for David's hidingplace. We can fancy the 400 discontented men in distress or debt who stole up the stony ravine to join the outlawed chief, poor ragged sunburnt fellows, seated round their smoky fires, or stealing in and out of the damp, gloomy recesses of the cave. The place was admirably suited for defence from its inaccessible position and unseen entrance, as well as the great mass of earth fallen before the door, round which in a narrow passage the invader must advance. "On the other hand, there are objections to this site because it is now so unfit for human habitation. Everywhere the sound of dropping water is heard, and there is a damp, hot atmosphere throughout the place. To live or sleep there for a night would result in an attack of fever or ague." Sketches of another cave called Kharaytun were made also by Lieut. Conder, in which the atmosphere was dry and airy. "It resembled a rabbit warren in the extent and intricacy of its passages. The main objection urged against this being David's lair is its position, too far eastward. A steep rugged zigzag descended to it, past a broad ledge of rock leading to a drippingspring, the water collecting itself in two little rock basins. Turning off the zigzag to another ledge of rock, we reached a large chamber 60 feet long and 40 feet high. Low steep passages, to be descended on hands and knees, lead to other large chambers. The greatest length of this cavern is 550 feet. The rock is hard and white, and the whole recess seems formed by water action." M. Clermont Ganneau is in favour of still another cave, six miles further south than the first described, called Aydelmia. In either such wild stronghold we can now better realize the feelings of David as he has expressed them in the 57th and 142nd Psalms, and his looking up to God in his trouble while his soul was "among lions"-his rising early, nevertheless, to sing his song of praise, which, after the lapse of 3,000 years, is still "sung among the nations "his prayer to be brought out of prison, and his sure faith that God would remember him. These are the best memories that attach to the Cave of Adullam. WHO WILL COME TO OUR HELP? We are somewhat uneasy at the relation between our current funds and our present undertakings. For the first two months of our new year, comparing them with the two first months of last year, there is a decrease in receipts of all but 6007., and a decrease in the monthly expenditure of only 20%. This disproportion it is evident cannot be continued, and must immediately be acted upon. Yet we are so sorry, when the work of true Bible-women with anxious souls is more wanted now than ever in London, to break up any well-working district, and transplant at this period of the year the agent to the country. The London women are most fit for London work. Bible-work is the root from which we find all other good work is ready to spring and grow. We are careful whom we take, but how can we close the list in these days to the fresh workers God may send, thereby cutting off our own supply for the vacancies in our present number which during the year will be sure to arise ? Our NURSE FUNDS also are coming short. For November and December, 1874, the receipts were 3057.; in 1873, 3967.; expenditure in 1874, 4627.; in 1873, 4867.;. and trust that our little book now in the press, called "NURSES FOr the Needy," may find its way into a circle of new friends. We do not, however, lose faith that- "In some way or other the Lord will provide— It may not be my way, it may not be thy way, FOR LONDON BIBLE AND DOMESTIC FEMALE MISSIONS. |