THE GREAT GENERAL. 41

the camp in safety, and told Joshua all that happened
to them; and as a sign that the Lord had delivered
the land into their hand, they said that the inhabitants
fainted because of them. LEarly in the morning Joshua
rose, and he and all the people of Israel removed from
Shittim, the place where they then were, and en-
camped beside the river Jordan. Before taking Jericho
they must cross the Jordan, for they were on the east
side of the river, and Jericho is on the west of it.

Johnnie. Was there a bridge across the river, grand-
father ?

Grandfather. There is no mention made of a bridge,
and we have no reason for supposing that there was one,
but the contrary.

Johnnie. But could they get across without, was it
broad ?

Grandfather. It was broad at the season that they
were crossing it. It was the time of barley harvest,

“which in that country is in spring, in the month Abib,
which begins about the middle of March. The melting
of the snow on the mountains swelled the streams, and
caused the Jordan regularly to overflow its banks at that .
season. Joshua told the priests to take up the ark
and go before the people, and he told the people that
they were to follow the ark of the covenant of the Lord
their God.

Johnnie. Was the ark a large thing, grandfather ?

Grandfather. It was two cubits and a half long, a
cubit and a half broad, and the same in height. Reckon-