Show LETTER FROM beyrouty Bey routh april 17 1898 according to 2 samuel 8 6 5 6 we find that damascus was conquered by king david it is a very ancient city chy the ox origin agin at the city is not now known but that it is a very old city is made plain by the many legends afloat concerning its origin and of the great men that have lived in or around the city adam abel noah elijah and many more modern prophets are sald said by edans to have been re residents id en t abell of sham the blood of righteous abel to is suld said to have been spilt on the hillside north of sham and as an evidence the red ledges there are shown which are said to have been stained by his innocent blood the country around sham for miles is one grand orchard filled with olive fig and apricot trees there are of course others but they are in the minority largely A few apples may be seen but they do not do well here but in the high mountains of the anti le banos they are said to do well A few pears and a few plums may be selen seen pomegranates are also quite plentiful peaches are here but not plentiful almond trees do well and the fruit is eaten as soon as it is well formed long before it is ripe vegetables peculiar to the orient are found here in great quantities after visiting the different shrines and curiosities of the ancient city and after attending to some business matters relating to our mission we left sham one beautiful morning on the beyrodt damascus and chauran railroad for beyrodt Bey rout the road is built up the barada river clean to its source in the anti lebanon where it crosses a summit and leads into the valley of the becala the train winds along this stream through charming dells della and well watered or now and again some ancient ruin or bringing in view some thrill thrilling in g mountain scenery many planes the arabs may be seen wo working aking their lands in their primitive way men women and donkeys the whole family at work at something villages were formed at frequent intervals either in the canyon or on the mountain side for the mountains where soil is found are very fertile and ahe climate here to is delightful grapes and mulberry trees grow in great abundance in the anti lebanon are found many fine valleys where cattle goats and sheep are found grazing in great numbers mount hermon to the left or rather west of the city of sham was waa quite white with snow even this late bowing the snow fall to have been very heavy this winter has been very cold all over turkey and syria and many people have in consequence suffered a great deal the railroad after r making a long curve towards the north turns suddenly west and soon lands it in the valley of el benaia this rich and broad valley is very fertile but is cultivated much in the same way aa the rest of syria with the exception that a good part of the land is laid out into mulberry groves for silk culture after crossing the valley of el bakala the road leads up to lebanon at a very steep grade so steep is the grade that the ordinary locomotive is insufficient wh wherefore the company has had to put on the cog wheel system consisting of a third rail in the middle which is a cog rail into which a wheel of the engine is made to fit thus keeping the drive wheels from switching with this assistance the locomotive does fairly good work and the speed is reasonable when the grade is considered on both sides of the lebanon the view is most beautiful to the east and southeast one obtains a birds eye view of the benaia with the anti lebanon and hermon on the background on the hill sides are fine vineyards and odd looking villages toward the top snow capped peaks and cool air looking along the mountain side pure little streams of water can be traced from their source trickling over the rocks and winding their way into the litany and thence into the oe mediterranean after reaching the summit 1487 meters above the sea level one soon catches a glimpse of the nean whose broad expanse to is like a huge glass spread out before the eye at the base of the mountain lies bey rout with its orchards to the east its harbors and ships to the north and a huge sand hill to the south descending sc the east slope of the mountain the scenery to is ever changing the train seems as though it to is going carelessly down the mountain slope looking one way and one may see a whole mountainside mountain side laid out in well cultivated vineyards on the other mulberries olive groves apricots apple peach and plum trees may be seen growing many of which are just putting forth their bloom others just pushing forth their leaves and for every mile one descends the change of climate and of springtime is quite perceptible pinion pine and cedars are seen here and there in large groves and among all this vegetation may be seen villages old and new summer resorts of all styles ancient and modern every hill and every valley seems covered with houses on the very mountain ridges on the peaks everywhere buildings are seen and cultivation of the soil Is taking lakind place some three and four thousand nd feet above sea level yet within five miles of the sea the sight made a lasting impression on our minds it was one of the most pleasant days of our travel the eve never tired for turn where you would the attention was called to something new in nature and its gift as well as in the works of man that had been spent on that historical mount for centuries the people have seen their days of pleasure and their day of pain as 98 well many a bloody battle has been fought on those hills and many a brave soldier has lost his life in the defense of his native hill no one need wonder why it is so well loved by all for its advantages are many P P F HINTZE |