1

very few years, unheard of and unknown, and situated in the midst of the land of the enemies of Israel; though for many ages possessed by the wild Arabs, neither of Israelitish nor of Christian faith, yet there, on the top of Mount Hor, where he died, is the tomb of Aaron, a memorial on the spot. In contradiction to positive evidence and existing facts, skeptics have denied the ancient fertility of Palestine. But as the fruit of the land was of old shown unto the Israelites, similar evidence may be adduced from "the gleaning of the grapes," though the vintage is done. "Galilee," says MalteBrun, "would be a paradise were its inhabitants an industrious people under an enlightened government. Vine-stocks are to be found here a foot and a half in diameter, forming by their twining branches vast arches and extensive ceilings of verdure. A cluster of grapes, two or three feet in length, will give an abundant supper to a whole family."* From the opposite extremity of Palestine, Laborde thus presents us with a grape or two of an enormous cluster.

The progress of population in America has supplied a practical refutation of the objection which skeptics theoretically adduced against the Mosaic account of the rapid multiplication of the human race, and the early establishment of kingdoms after the era of the deluge.

"As regards the actual progress of population in the primitive ages, the example of the United States furnishes a very important experimental parallel. The white population of these provinces amounted in 1790 to 3,200,000, and has been