| Show 1 IL o i 1 I I JENSONS TRAVELS l I Monday Juno 2 f 1P6I > called again I i on Mr Gibson the American consul In I < e > rout mil assisted me In dinning 1 f A up n I Contract ulth a muleteer for tnk 10 Ine me through Svrla and Valentine In l I twenty five dais lor n reasonable sum tt of money but after every preparation 1 l II I had been made for starting In the I aft rstoonjile manan Arab of courflor I 13 r I backed out tir loading that lit told i been drafted for a soldier but the truth I tnt fu r was no doubt that lie was afraid I on f i i his own account to undrtaho tho Ions JI journej ns we would have hail to puss through one corner of the country In hallted by the Druses who nt tin present time are nt war with the Turkish Ill i Turk-ish government The news line lust t reached lleyiout that six hundre Turkish soldiers fail been our p fined 11 1 find killed on the desert i couth of Dn range a In Consequence 01 which thcrewas cneuene ill thee wus great excitement In Urn city The DruB have been In a state of rebellion P re-bellion for rome time and the govern I 5 ment la I calllnK In Its troop from Armenia Fmrn and other plarrB togo I to-go to the bjrlan desert to give the rebels dreulful vunlshmint The In 1 habitant 01 ft ho Island ot Cre are al 1 0 In a mate 01 rebellion 1 the Sultan it I has i his hands full at the prome nt tin I tie Dlu the Armenians Got I Cretans anti others who are dlisutlslleil I dot With Turkish rule would or could unite upon n general effort It Would lo an 14 fas > matter for them to throw off thi q Turkish jolc but these oriental lien i I pie are to terribly I mistrustful of each V i other nnd so exceedingly jealous of one another that they prefer to BO It sin A 4 tie I handed Call thus subject them I I Pelves to holele slalrhtelg hy Turkish army r During the dAY I cured n Turkish 4 parsport for vlaltlntr the Interior ard I toward evening I took n long walk out 11 to Jose Drlout tile extreme outer point of tho peninsula on which tho 0 city of liryiaut Is I situated In my rambles through the town I happened i to Bases the soldiers barracks Just as n A 4 company of troop were arriving from Ill I I the frontier with n number of Druen Ile son era III Tuerdaj June 21 The muleteer bay I I Ins gone hick on his bargain fur which I I afterwards flit thankful I decided to Inake III make a visit to Innmscus by I rail A French company hale built 11 ralhoail 111 over the mmtllin 01 Ihnnon from lq I Ie > rout to Damascus which him been In active olcatlon for uvCr 10 years I Consequent I lift ln > hotel HearTjUlm I the mornlns T and proceeded to the I station which Is I situated Immediately j east of th city of nj rout The train ell at 1145 a m and after HklrtlitK itm the bluRs on the right with due mul I berry gr0vea and sample oriental country coun-try real ences on our Jeff l a Emil reached the home or the Lebanon range l the train cllmbnl with considerable dlf flculty ns the grade Is I very ftiip The i rod 19 I it narrow guage one and there are lackandl Inlon Dictions at different I differ-ent points where the grade Is I steepest k As we climbed very slowly the speed It at times beIng that eif an ordinary American oxtcnm too Involved I from Al her 01 Arablan villages perched on the mountain sloie some OT thm IC I If surrounded with extno vlnoyard olue groves and orchard Many 01 1 tho slopes tire Irrigated and nearly vfhro are seen traces 01 n 11n j population lu past ores as the Blopei oro terraced for Irrigation purposes rim ly to the Summits t I AIr i traveling about 25 miles wo to reached the summit 01 1I > non The railroad here passes through n long tunnel right under the Kahn Mlzhlr i whIch stands on the top of the I < tba l I non Inss 5000 feet above the sea level lev-el 1 Standing on the top of the Bum 0 mil and looking back we see the Me dlterranean for the last time unit as lye now procet tied doodn a Iep grade i me soon Obtained n till a few 01 tM I IF broad valley 01 the Dkll leyond rlme the AntlLhnu and 10 the V south the snowy peak 01 Mounl lice til mOi I 905 feet above the Pea level ro the nrth the eye rnngem n rr n T 5 the region of Jlr allsk where Inter eating ruins exist We Seen reaChed tln X 8htora town 01 some Importance Fit 41 Ila red at rown I eastern hne or the 1e J banon mountains arid In the ronowmd f Jill alley This Is I a line fertile valley resembling n table land lying I between Lebanon and AntlLlbanus I Lbnn Is I about 40 miles Ions Jtrt I smith Al to notthenst and pern MS 8 I Miles file oil till average Towards 01 al the southwest It 10 houlo1 hy the Stairs 01 the Tomal Nlh twin I of Nina through the rock of which I the Litany the main river of the valley I val-ley forces Its way with difficulty on Its run toward the Mediterranean Into In-to which u discharges Its wnteri at n point about flvo miles north of Tjre The Valley ot letters was anciently Valy ently called coelesyrla Hollow nlOI Syria n Wine which however Is I general I used by the classical authors nrrnly In the book of the Maccabees and In 1 tho third book of Hzra to doll nato all the detrlet 10 tile louth ul Selucl to tit the exception 01 1hoenlcln The Ilekaa alley Is I much less licitly cultivated now than In I ancient times still there nre cls goo ille number 01 towns and via g In Ihe valleys one or hloh I a Zhleh volth I about 1600 ole inhabitants situated north I abut II 01 Flitern In the mid at 01 euber ant vegetation 310 ret AbOve Evil level illam Zhdanl the railroad Ilm I t urns tit the cast acrove the valley it End after crooning the LItAnY ve blOll comments to nsceiid the slopes of ntl Ubanns Iollowlng the windings of I a mal Stream through n enyon w I Emil reacd the I top ot tho I rang t which Is I less I lofty than the Lebanon in AM tnin A in deending tot tot I 1 11WeAl tile licadwatels tit tile Ilarada I river which nl first Is I wry mal but becomes n stream of about the San sire tin th Ozdel river hlore It leaves the mountains to uater the I hilsty lands of the great hrl As we travel dov n tile Valley 01 the Unmd we 111134 through n number or villages site rounded b fruitful fields and line orchards Near one of the called BuK a tradition dating back to the I sixteenth century points out the Neb > tlabll n the pot where Cain slew his ept I brother Abel according to th Jorn V raton We arrived at the Harmkl nation Immediate west of amd cus at 4 pm having spent D 4 fallen In raveling the 157 kilometers or IJ miles from Ilcjrout to Damascus I ly Ihe aRon road the diatative Is I only 901i Biller I hich 1 Is still I traveled by v5 I passengers In I carringt3 I In one day tilt same ans In I the ralay cars Tills is I the only rnmuj In the world that Ii I I know or hr the hore can coin pet successfully with the loomotl engine In lulnt of speed On my arrival fit Damascus t put UI at HMO dOrlnt at took is long evening walk I too I the tot or tile lie r1 Mountain label 1llur whIch Is I bituated bulk II the Suburban village or StIIh13rh 1 I I About four miles northwest of amn I us I rtuchid the top of the nioun Mla just a the sun it I sup podl I 1 bi rated UK summits of Alitl Llbinui t I rn Inform uJ ellt ICALI urn hnur 1 i 4940 l f net alrtvi m a level I or 1 6SO feet li Ui nigher tiall Damascus is held aneroid I J tb Miullnm as they claim that r IbrHuue ben Itainid tho doetilne of 1 unity of Gold j Tory also anert I i I hat Adirn oin Bell hire I I and Mo lammnl ii I mi I to have lsltid 010 i 11 lure but nit I bav enti n d Dama I us Th i rt n mitts p rtly f t 1 edJInh r K lad it color Ll ri t o th It I rd tht It ont Inc it 1 able i ained 1 ave n In win h th d it b J > I I I if the murd I Al 1 wu htalt 1 n I I I she tot of the mountain I where stands Al Small buldl < E called the Rubber ftAl onNa dome or Ictory command the nest view In tha nrlehhnrhn of Imosou The city lies streti hi d out alone a feet encircled 1 by Its broad I green belt of teeming egetntlon Tot To-t e wt and north extend th harrl illWhits 01 Anti Llbn nits In the dltal t at appar the Tuhnl and ooiiii A vol 1 enl INk 01 1In to the outh In the etlm distance tire vllhlo the mountln 01 If Saran where tile Driles are defying the Turk nt the jult prt time find nearer firs Jolol A 1 Joint and Jelie Aswad to the north H at Uts Iount Harmon Ate returning to Dmcu I 10 myself In tire Ihlnth 01 narrow crooked nnd trthul tilts cooke air Irregular I streets IIr wandering quIetly about for n coupk ot hours studying the masteries of LIT first real Oriental city I Her 111 Ito I I-to d my way to the hotel and en jo > ed I a good nights rest My coy little bedroom which was on tin ground floor ornenect to n monllnt inner OUr 01 Tell Ili tile con ter played a beautiful fonntoln Sue roard Told ly trees End flovil Wednesday June 21 I took 0 long morning walk through that mrtof Da mascuuwhlch In I called the Mel < neon Itn I mainly or One street about n mile long The low < > nestor > buildings lining the street the long learn sea coming In from the desert and the 101y dom 0 net rations 01 drivers and Bhop keepers were all Oriental features fea-tures new to mo The Camels don keys mules nnd bordes Seemed to be almost Innumhl an they with heavy burdens pAsed i UI I and down that long street a Ill to spoink of Bhep nrds leading their flocks of all ep mil goats as In d dlr it old the barking dog the veiled Women tin peculiarly lnd IIdill the ragged children begging beg-ging for hckhlh and many other thing whlili made up n picture never to be forgotten I next took I walk through the more central part of the clti goB all through the Muslim arid fur Into the Christian quarters In trying to go ever tho Rrounds of the great mOIU cld tilelt0MAIVY11de Mosqu or JOll rlUonlo In r blc I was turned bad b > the soldiers who allow all Muslims to lass but no Christians The mosque Is I partly In ruins being much damaged ID I n fire In 1S03 After vIsrtlnK the American vice lonmil who ny the wu > Is t clerk of the llrltlsh consul I engaged a dlomun to pilot nw around 10 the afternoon In Ills tomlun I vlled the Supposed house of Aniunas where there Is a small lloman Catholic chapel chap-el also the premises outside the city wall uloed to have once I1nnged to Natiman tile STIn An King 6 I is I at ireent oceupid 1 by lepers one of which inn after me trying to lay hold of m > coattail In order to Bet more baiBhbrli We also veiled the Urel cemetery hro I was flown the front 01 StOore the 1 man wh being jailor nl the time according to tradition helped 1nnl to escape fmin I the city Near by Is I the traditional spot where Paul was let down I over the town wall In I basket by the disciples Ily guldi also took me thioiigh the Jewish quarter which I Feems 10 10 thp dlrtlt part 01 the city und huw1 me the I Inside 01 n mot elegant private residence In tile Christian quarters I Finally I sent through the street called Straight tilt of is I over a mile noYhlrds In length and real twothird of the WiY through the main city from Cast 10 1t unit I continued to rumble rum-ble through the streets lsltln bazaars anti other places 01 Interest I till n Ito hour I Damascus 10i 1M tin capital of Syria I anti ties on the west margin nl The great Syrian desert Mountains oro near on three ildcs but eastward the flat desert extends ns far a the eye can reach From the mountain gorges 01 AntlLlbonu on the wet ver1 franks dcent to the nhuta the later tlltlnt UInic the lrula 011 or an It was called by the Greek the Cholho gulden stream Al the otlum hlh writer the plain Bar Damaseum flow Into tho mca ed I lrdow LakeP lying about I miles eat 01 Damascus In spring anti Ell Amer theme silken are or consider a bid size 1 and are visited h 1 numerous IIuln In autumn arid w Intel they the mere morusses The nnla Corresponds cor-responds with the ancient Amuno or About while the southern Creole 11 Awaj the crooked Is I the ancient Phpar he oter wr considered I Nanman better than al the watIM or Israel It Kings 6 12 At the outlet > of Its Koriro the Ilaruda divides Into sol Irnoh two of which are used for distributing water In numerous numer-ous conduits throughout the city hl tile rest are mplod In Irrl gating the orchards The numerous fountains In the interior or the houses are supplied from tho llanida besides which many houses have wells drink with a view to Obtain atr for drink trig purposes In summer most of the Inhabitants live on fruit hence the numtei of fruit Hands In the city at this time ot the your I julgd be tt fnlt tvitnall r li 1jes Io I lost I If tile fitilt volas n I us compared wlh mtlnn fruits el tire Mom sort melons and 1lum how vcr being on exception to the rule OaIng to the lofty sltua 111 01 tile tool float Is I nol nn common In v later but fire 1loe uro unknown The city con Airline several dleonl quarlAm Th JovIsh junitelm In the Boutheut part 01 the Illvolit still Ifestis In the days 01 tile A Iule near the tOt vo hlh Is I collect a tlalght t or an I In I still called Dtb Ilustnkim Act SL I T fill north nf this extends the largo V I tn quarters where thn lunALS nr n cIW anti poor and falsity 01 ho oil a are In f rt noun cond I thin partly I wing to the events of ISO The other parts of the town are Muslim Including the Mellanwhlch Is I oecupld bj piasints alone The present l form of Damascus In I not unlike that of a spoon the handle Ulng 1 the Jons Mi illan sir el Just mentioned The ancient an-cient wallls halo born removed except on the east and outlat aides votterv they till stand In I more or less I per fest mute of preservation According to flat government statistics Damascus lind JJI < > 750 Inhabit t alit In USS Of theme luOlT Were Muslims 4211 or tllibn OretkH 3978 Greeks 13J Ar men Inne tS1 United Unitarians 34 Unltid Syrians 3M Mun > nltn 91 Ho man Catholics Cl 1roteslants unJCJd Jews 1 la computed that the Mus I find have In all J4S mosques and cot bXrs In Damascus hlch was on a great center for Irnlng hull Is noIr no-Ir und by Cairo 1g V lit 311 if the I Jl 01 Damascus lre deacend unto 01 I a wh wAre Settled hr i Inn In-n < ent times and tire not recent Amil grants 10 them of Patent Ile Thy hate fourteen Synagogues Wihin the lust few yearn the Christians hale made A great efforts to raise the etuml aril of location but thy have so far rot been very ouocelul The Di mOean are very road 01 their city 3an 01 the members or the several creeds are noturlouI fanatical and since the Middle ague their character ha hon generally reputed to bo InSolent In-Solent and novolnt Tho DaOa cone 110 14 I proud and Ignrnt II the un tlmo He feels the superior tj ot the West and vented his wrath nl being disturbed In his rigid Conner > atlsm against tho native Christ Chris-t fans 1lruln Industry hlolY In trolucd by Christians hit nMost entirely ulnulhr the nt Y mn tlAoma ljtoic A Araho hud lonc ron sldered thmI uprlur to tilt other nations and the lrunMtnn that they have omo Into contnct uith 0 culture undenlabl superior to their own rend thom Jnlou a nnd runUal Instead of stimulating them to greater exertin rlol From n cry early prlod namu had heu ogld1 hy Ih Aal n nn art fly eleIOI JI laIhr I foretaste 01 nit the jo ys 01 hvn Is I obtlnhe In neordnce h tbe Krordln description give In the Iorn the Arabs picture to thnlv Iradl ISO Irolowlng the original mllnln or tbe od an nn olhI Irlrd hy streams of flowing water bel the most dIlou fruits fire over ready to drop Into the mouth This Ideal BO mly approached far the Arabian pn Insula appeared to I the Mtln or thaI orl rIlon to hu I < 11 at D8nn cuts and the city and Its urronndln gardens the s > called Ihutn are ai rordlngly lavishly extolled by Arabian Poets From I modern Knrope and 1 Rn American point 01 view these pralsis seem nhtlnd The hla n district 01 cuntf exlrdln Iward tho east find South or Lonmascus for I distance 01 ahout nine still doc not iln the eyes of the traI nppar quil to many parts of Annerion England l or France There a re Indeed several dol riot In the valleys or Utah that swei letter Pat moro humul than the ell viron 8 or nOcu As t b a city I lies 2126131 fiet tileavel Ili ell o ve I spriner I does not begin her t IH Mftrch find It In Tint till Alay that r lldt The l In In full I leaf and ill I vln el llml enhroltl from tree tn feet or Ptill later vo lien the Invite opt cot trees In the ml1 or their rich carpet 01 green herbage IOar their countless golden fruits arid the panic granets tire In the perfecton of their Illampnen that the gardens arc truly beautiful Th MtlVO cU Dimas com rihJlnm nUhouh the name or DlmlBhk Is I not unknown I to them Dnmnsrim II frequently mentioned In the Illble from the time 01 Abraham Abra-ham to the conversion or Iaul lAYIng lAY-Ing out upon the desert aot 01 the mountains In the Tit real line or tmlp and travel between lie Duphrt and the Mdlterraneanan Irr1at ta tlon letneei the enst anti the wet crRn Innurelabl Is hal I continued for lour thousand years to unlon1 at her pates o they d to 1 Yet the wealth ot the at Ind Irmloo wlthuut nnm her have encampd wlIJout on her plains or swell In fury over her pursuing pur-suing or putstled In the Hush of conquest con-quest or lenzy nl defeat The nrnilesoi illeo Mncvah and Babylon of Igrt anti Israel 01 Greece and I tome who jn long uolon imir0alled hy turn their hot nt Damancus have pad away with the Amildrem to which they belonged But this venerable city ptlll Hands out upon the desert like nn ancient pillar lono and lofty amid the note or agcP ANDREW JRNRON |
