cavities. In one place, pegs are fastened into the wall at convenient distances, that are no doubt used to ascend to the small caves we saw near the roof. I could have wished to examine them, but our force was not sufficiently strong. A more convenient place for the resort of a banditti can scarcely be conceived; and I can never hear of a robber's cave, but my thoughts will immediately fly to this solitary ravine in the mountains of Galilee. In about two hours more, the road passed by the foot of a very high precipice, near which we counted a dozen eagles, and one of them had a nest in its mouth, the contents of which were probably intended as a morsel for its young. There is a tradition that the sacred vessels of the temple were buried here by Jeremiah. The path along which we rode is steep and dangerous, and in one place a considerable part of it had given way, and rolled into the valley. In another hour we arrived at Saphet, and took up our abode in an olivegrove. An Arab came to us with a long complaint against a Jew, and showed us a portion of his beard, that he said had been violently torn from his chin. The delinquent Jew is under the protection of another Jew, who was born at Gibraltar, and consequently enjoys the privileges of a British subject: presuming upon this, a Jew, the servant of a Jew, had dared to beard one of the faithful, in his own land; and from this little circumstance may be inferred the amazing extent of British influence. SAPHET. THE town of Saphet is situated upon one of the highest eminences of Galilee, and is thought to be the KITRON of Scripture, a city of Zebulon, which the Israelites were unable to subdue. It may be seen from a great distance, and on this account it may be that it is said to be "the city set on a hill," that was pointed at by our Saviour in his sermon on the mount. The apex of the hill is occupied by a castle, a very formidable structure, and of great antiquity. It must have been proof against assault under the old system of warfare. The erection in the centre was formerly capable of affording accommodation to a large garrison, as appears from the mass of ruins around it. The centre tower is still in existence, and looks like a gaunt old warrior mustering his best courage to bid defiance to the enemy, but a few balls from the eminence opposite would soon tumble it into ruin. It was once in possession of the knights-templars, and was taken by the renowned Saladin, after a protracted siege. Some prisoners were confined in one of the rooms, who intreated us to intercede for them with the governor. A venerable old man, who was guarding them, told us he had acted as guide to the French army during their occupation of the country. The town is built upon the low hills that surround the castle, and is divided into separate quarters by the little valleys between them. There is another castle, of less extent, and apparently not occupied. The governor's house has a respectable appearance. The inhabitants, including all classes, may amount to 8000. The houses are built upon the slopes of the hills, so that the streets above are, in many places, formed by the roofs of the lower tier of dwellings, and the passengers are sometimes in danger of obtruding into the privacy of a family against their own wish. The gardens are principally used for the growth of vines and olive-trees, and indigo-dying appears to be a common occupation. I observed several females lamenting over tombs recently constructed, some of whom were refusing to be comforted because their children were not; and there was scarcely one of these memorials of the dead beneath that was not ornamented, either with flowers or some other token of grateful remembrance. The affection of the mother for her child appears with peculiar strength in these countries, where the love of the husband has to be received in portions divided among many. There are numerous places in this neighborhood that are venerated as having been in the possession of the patriarchs, such as the wells of Isaac and the cave of Jacob; but no reliance can be placed upon these traditions. Not far from the castle is an old bath, now in ruins, that has once had several apartments attached to it, and been a place of some splendor. There are a few Christian families resident here, but the Jews form the greater proportion of the inhabitants, as they consider the place to be sacred. For this they have several reasons. Some of their most celebrated rabbies were buried not far distant, and they expect that the Messiah will establish here the capital of his kingdom. They have a printing establishment, which I visited; but the master was absent at the time. He has two presses at work, and two others in the course of erection. His type and furniture, I was told, were all made here under his own direction. The execution of his works is respectable, and there are near thirty persons employed in the different departments of composing, press-work, and binding. The roof of the castle, to which we were allowed to ascend, commands a most extensive prospect. We saw the greater part of the sea of Galilee, with the mountains of Bashan, the range of Carmel, and the hills near Nazareth. We took the bearings of all these places, but I neglected to preserve the account. On the north and west the view is obstructed by mountains of higher elevation than the hill of the castle. FROM SAPHET TO DAMASCUS. I HAD some difficulty in procuring horses to convey me to Damascus. There are three roads: one was said to be obstructed by snow, another was distant, and the third was said to be infested by Bedouins. After some delay, the last route was chosen. My companions departed for Beirout about day-break, and I was once more alone, with the most dangerous part of my journey yet before me. Some smart showers fell in the morning, against which my only defence was the trunk of an old tree. At noon, April 30, the horses being ready, I and my servant, accompanied only by a guide, began inspired account of the wild ass has been thought to be descriptive of the habits of the Bedouins, "Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass? Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the bar of the city; neither regardeth he the crying of the exactor. The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.' Job xxxix. 5-8. We were passed by a long string of camels, on their way from Damascus to Egypt, laden with the treasures of the east. to ascend the hill to the northeast of Saphet, and in little more than an hour we found ourselves in the plain of the sea of Galilee. There were no houses in sight from the hills, but in different places we could see the shepherds keeping watch over their flocks. We soon came upon an encamp-ren land his dwelling. He scorneth the multitude ment of Bedouins. I counted about fifty tents. As we approached the place, ten or twelve girls came towards us, dancing and singing. Two of the stoutest of them seized hold of the bridle of the guide's mule, and he had some difficulty in rescuing it from their grasp. Two others came toward me for the same purpose, but as they approached, they seemed unable to tell what to make of me, and gave back. I was a little afraid lest we should be under the necessity of treating them roughly before they would allow us to pass, in which case the men would have interfered, and the consequences might have been serious; but I was soon informed that it was one of their festival days, and all they wanted was a present. I never saw a more merry group, and their rosy cheeks and open countenances reminded me strongly of the country girls of England. I gave them no present, as I knew that it would be only the signal for fresh importunities. There was a poor fellow close behind us, who appeared to come off less easily than ourselves: he took up stones to defend himself, but they held him by their united force, and he was still in confinement when we left the camp. The tents are all of a dark color, and from a distance may be called "black, but comely," like the tents of Kedar. There is a division formed by a hanging of coarse mat, on one side of which is a private apartment, and the other side is open to the breeze, but they probably admit of some alteration in more severe weather. The camp is guarded by large dogs that ran to wards us with great fury, but were calied away by the men. In two hours from the foot of the hill, during which our animals were sorely annoyed by gnats and flies, we arrived at a bridge over the Jordan, called Djiser Beni Yakoub, or bridge of the sons of Jacob. We slept at night upon the banks of the stream. There were several persons assembled near the bridge, and five camels, but as they had none of them fire-arms, it was agreed that we should all wait here one day, in the hope that by additional arrivals a more respectable caravan might be formed. I was not sorry for the detention, as it gave me an opportunity of copying out the notes of my journey from Jerusalem, and my servant was able to wash me a few clothes. The bridge has three arches, the stream is very rapid, and nearly the same breadth as in its more distant course. A tax of three piastres is imposed upon every loaded camel, two upon every mule, and one upon every ass. The tax was last year farmed for 20,000 piastres. I was much interested by watching the movements of the Bedouins, great numbers of whom crossed the bridge during the day in their gayest apparel, on their way to escort a bride to the tent of her intended lord. They scour along the plains at full speed, their flowing garments floating in the breeze; the rattle of their horses' hoofs is heard upon the ground, and in another moment they are away and away, like the wind. The On the opposite bank of the river is an extensive khan, or caravanserai, in ruins, an account of which may serve as a general description for buildings of this kind. It is square, and about thirty feet high. There is a large open area, or court yard, in the centre, for the animals, in the middle of which formerly stood a building upon pillars, used as a place of recreation by the more respectable travellers. Around the area, and open towards it, are arched rooms, in which the goods were deposited for the night, and the animnals might be admitted into it in inclement weather. At the corners are closed apartments, used as eating and sleeping-rooms. trance-gate is still perfect, and is lined with iron. Near the top of the wall are loop-holes for defence, and in cases of necessity it might stand a good siege. It is probable that it was in some similar place our Saviour was born, and there being no room for Joseph and Mary in the inn, or private apartments, they were compelled, on account of the influx of strangers into the city, to occupy an open court with the animals and goods. The en Between the bridge and the sea of Galilee, which may be about four miles distant, there is an old fortress, for what purpose built I cannot tell, unless the Jordan be sometimes fordable at that place. About two miles to the northward is Bahr-el-Houl, or "waters of MEROM," four miles broad and six miles long. The banks are low, and the whole presents the appearance of a marsh. A few miles from this lake stands CESAREA PHILIPPI, now called Baneas, and long supposed to be the source of the Jordan. It is the Dan of the Old Testament, in which Jeroboam placed one of his golden calves, and was at the northern extremity of the land of Israel, from whence the expression "from Dan to Beersheba." No additions having been made to our party, May 2, we proceeded on by ourselves. The road was over an extensive plain, diversified by low hills, with many single trees scattered over it, principally of thorn; but though abounding in excellent pasturage it is forsaken by man. The stones are collected together in some places, and there are many signs that it was once under cultivation. There are the remains of a paved way, which we crossed and recrossed several times, but it is not now used by travellers. The land on the eastward of this part of the Jordan belonged to one of the half-tribes of Manasseh, and in the time of our Saviour included Decapolis and Iturea. We had not travelled above five hours when an alarm was given that a party of Bedouins had appeared in the distance. We endeavored to hide our animals behind a mound of earth that was DAMASCUS. near, but camels have necks so long that it is a that all eyes were directed towards me as I passmatter of no small difficulty to conceal them.-ed through the crowds, but no one said any thing We placed ourselves in the best posture of de- to me, good or bad, before I arrived at the house fence we could, and scouts were sent forward, of a gentleman from Scotland, to whom I had a letwho crept along by the trees, and came at inter-ter of introduction from his brother in Alexandria. vals to report on appearances. There were eight Bedouins, all on horseback, and they came in the direction in which we were standing, but when at a little distance they turned off towards the south, probably without having observed any of our party. A merchant from Saphet had been murdered here a few days previously, because he had dared to shoot one of the horses of the Bedouins, in defending himself from an attack. The pacha of Damascus had ordered reprisals to be made upon them, for which purpose there was then a considerable force in the field, and we were thus in the midst of a mortal feud. We soon afterwards passed a Turcoman encampment. The men and women are more respectably dressed than the Bedouins, the tents are more comfortable, and the flocks more numerous. They are said to be peaceable, and we passed among them without fear. We remained for the night in the open air, near an extensive khan in ruins. On our north was Hermon, covered with snow; on the west, a lower hill, with the tomb of Ali Abou Nuda on the summit, and on the southeast the plain extended as far as the eye could reach. This plain is mentioned by Ezekiel as "the coast of Hauran," and even in times comparatively recent it was considered from its fertility as the granary of the Turkish empire. I felt the cold severely during the night. Therm. at sunrise, 42. There was now less luxuriance in the pasturage of the plain, May 3d, as we passed along within sight of the snows of Hermon, at a distance of about 20 miles from its base. The road was for a mile over one continued rock. We saw several extensive flocks of sheep, attended by their shepherds, some of whom were trying to beguile the solitude by playing upon a reed. I rested about two hours under the shade of a tree, near a respectable khan that was the first public building I had seen in the country in a tolerable state of repair. It contains a mosque, a fine stream of water runs nearly round it, and several families reside within its walls. From this place cultivation is more general. We crossed the same stream several times, and the road was often on its banks. A woman and child, and five camels, perished here last winter from the snow and cold, in attempting to cross the plain. We slept on the bank of a stream, near a small village. We were roused by our guide at midnight, May 4, and pursued our journey, though with some difficulty, by the light of the moon. I could distinguish a strong castle on our left towards the dawn, when we passed two villages. I entered Damascus with some fear, as the inhabitants have a rooted antipathy to all Christians, and especially to Europeans, and are only prevented from injuring them by the strong arm of the law and as the political circumstances of the country were then very precarious, I did not know whether the individuals actually in power would be able to protect me in case of insult. I had to traverse the whole length of the town before I arrived at the quarter allotted to the Christians. I fancied DAMASCUS is one of the most ancient cities in the world, being the same place that is mentioned in the history of Abraham. In has been called "one of the four paradises of the east," and "the right hand of the cities of Syria." The emperor Julian, in one of his letters, mentions it as being "the true city of Jupiter, the eye of the whole east, pre-eminent in every thing-in the elegance of her sacred rites, the happy temperature of her climate, the beauty of her fountains, the number of her rivers, and the fertility of her soil." It is said to contain 180,000 people, and even 300,000, with the villages in its immediate neighborhood. It was for many centuries the capital of the kings of Syria. The city is long, but of inconsiderable breadth. On entering it I passed through a street upwards of a mile long, and broad in proportion. In the principal streets there is scarcely a single building that does not display some taste in the manner of its erection, and the mosques and public edifices are without number. There is nothing very splendid in the appearance of any one particular place, but there is a charm produced by the purely oriental character of the whole, that tells powerfully of the days of the caliphs, and gives something like reality to the fictions connected with their history. The houses are built of bricks burnt in the sun, and are composed of light-colored clay. In the narrower streets they have a mean exterior, but within they display all the magnificence of the east. A narrow passage opens into a court, surrounded by buildings, the walls of which are painted with alternate lines of blue, white, and red.— In the centre is a marble fountain, and the air is scented with flowers, or shaded with trees of curious or beautiful foliage. At one side is a recess that reaches to the roof of the building, entirely open towards the court, and spanned by a broad arch and round it are splendid cushions, upon which visiters are received and the members of the family assemble during the hours of recreation. The rooms are finished with great care, having paintings upon the wall, and illuminated sentences from the Koran, and in some instances there is no part to be seen that is not wrought in Arabesque. The streets are nearly all protected at their entrances by strong doors. The mosque of St. John is the principal resort of the Moslem worshippers. It was built by the caliph Walid, in 717, and seven years' revenue of the whole caliphate is said to have been consumed in its erection. The bazars are exact representations of all that we are accustomed at home to attribute to places of this description. Among the multitudes who throng them are persons in almost every possible variety of dress. The rich turbans and flowing robes of the respectable merchants are finely contrasted with the rude sheep-skin covering of the mountaineer and the dark abba of the wandering Arab. The ladies dress in plain white when they walk out in the streets, and it is only when making purchases in the bazars that their faces can be seen. I was taken into a large building on horseback, and I became somewhat , alarmed, as I at first supposed that it was a mosque, and knew that I must pay dearly for such a presumption. The roof was composed of a large dome, the windows of which were formed of glass cut in different shapes, and protected by a trellis work of iron, and under the centre was a marble fountain. I soon found out that it was nothing more than a khan, a place somewhat similar to the exchanges or halls of commerce in Europe. The Damascus blades are no longer of superior value. The principal manufacture is silk. An immense number of persons is employed in making up dresses, as it is from this place nearly the whole of Syria is supplied. The city has given name to the Damson plum, the Damask rose, and the Damask silk, as they were all originally brought from this place. into seven streams, which are carried through the city. Numberless rills pass through the gardens, and to these they are indebted for their fertility. They are adorned with walks, summerhouses, and fountains, and the ladies spend in them a great proportion of their time. They are here in some measure free from the restraints of the harem, and they appear to have great merriment in making their remarks upon passing objects, and perhaps in attempting in their way some little witticism or severe irony. An incredible quantity of fruit is annually preserved, and exported to the city of Constantinople and other parts of the Turkish empire. The place is still shown where Saul was arrested by the voice of Jesus, as well as the house of Ananias, the house of Judas with whom Saul lodged, and the wall whence the apostle was let down in a basket. The rivers of Abana and Pharphar cannot now be traced. often unknown to any but the executioner, and the bleeding corpse is allowed to remain some time exposed in the vestibule of the palace, as a terror to all similar offenders. I crossed a bridge, whence the females who are unfaithful to their lords are precipitated into the water, sewed up in sacks. This barbarous practice is said to be by no means uncommon. I visited the ruins of the palace of the late governor. The people rose up against him, being irritated by his extortions, overpowered his guard, levelled his palace with the ground, and massacred him and the whole of his family and dependants. The pachalic of Damascus at present includes the whole of Syria. It was expected that Ibrahim Pacha would make it the seat of government. The law is administered with the utmost strictDamascus is situated at the foot of one of the ness, and in the most summary manner. The ranges of Hermon. Upon an eminence that over- criminal is sometimes arrested, tried, condemned, looks the city there is the tomb of a sheikh. The and executed, within a very few hours of the perold man was approaching the place from the di-petration of his offence. The head is struck off rection of the sea, and the road by which he in the presence of the governor, at a given signal, came was one continued scene of desolation, with the exception of a few trees in the hollows, where the melting of the mountain snows had swollen the water into streams. In a moment, without any token whatever of what was to follow, he caine to the verge of the precipice, and beheld at his feet the pure white edifices of Syria's magnificent capital. He started back, as if struck by the sight of an angel, and exclaimed, "I will die here; I will proceed no further lest I be unable to enjoy Paradise." Tradition assures us that he kept his word, and never entered the city. From this situation the view of the city is one of the most interesting that can be conceived. The clay of the houses seems transformed into marble purity by the illusion of the distance, and the whole appears like one congregated mass of minarets, turrets, and domes. Surrounding these, to the extent of many miles, are gardens presenting a mantle of the most gorgeous green, the uniformity of which is relieved by the dark cypress trees that rise from among them in all directions. There are few objects upon earth that come nearer to the ideal form that the mind gives to the New Jerusalem. The plain extends as far as the eye can reach, and at the time I mounted this elevation, and looked upon the enchanting sight it commands, the sky and the clouds were exhibiting those varied tints that make any prospect beautiful, and rendered this almost divine. I could just distinguish the waters of the Bahr-el-Margi in the extreme distance, by the reflection of the sun's rays from their surface, which added all that was wanting to the perfection of the scene. In the Canticles, the nose of the bride is compared to "the tower of Lebanon, that looketh towards Damascus," and may not this expression refer to the prospect from this place, and mean, surrounded by beauty? The waters of the river Barrady are divided The people were disaffected towards Ibrahim Pacha. When under the nominal government of the Sultan, they could act according to their own wishes, as they were so far removed from the seat of power, but they are now ruled with a sceptre of iron. Ten days before my visit to the city there was a report that the pacha had met with some reverses, and though the men had been forbidden to carry arms under pain of death for the second offence, they now carry them concealed under their clothes. Had the intelligence proved to be true, they would probably have made an attack upon the governor and his guard, and they swore that the Europeans should be the first to fall. The force of Ibrahim amounted to 2,000 Egyptian soldiers, encamped near the city, but the inhabitants are noted cowards, though they brag at so brave a rate. The people of Damascus have long been celebrated for their bigotted attachment to Islamism, and for their hatred and persecution of the professors of all other religions. Their principal source of revenue has been from the pilgrims, who assembled here from the interior provinces of Asia to form the caravan for Mecca, and remained here some months. The number has sometimes amounted to 70,000. Last year and the present LEBANON.-BAALBEC. no caravan was formed, in part owing to the dis- | spirit of this people will also be changed, and that tracted state of the country, and the commerce of each one will ask in humility, "Lord, what wilt the city suffered much in consequence. No Eu- thou have me to do?" ropean was allowed, even within a few months of my visit, to wear a white turban in public, or ride on horseback, and I am told that a brother missionary of my own society, the Rev. J. Cooke, was compelled to enter in disguise, and in the darkness of the night, during the early part of the year 1824. I wore the prohibited badge, and rode several times through the principal streets and bazars, and though there might be a few murmurings in an under-tone, I received no open insult. The change has arisen from the greater protection and encouragement that Europeans derive from the new government, which I trust will lead to nobler results than the mere setting aside of a few sumptuary regulations. The kind friend whose hospitality it was my privilege to experience, is connected with a mercantile house in Manchester, He, his brother, and a friend, had retained the European dress, which afforded no small amusement to the natives, particularly the hat, as they compared it to one of their cooking utensils. Mr. T. is one of the excellent of the earth. He is supplied with bibles from the British and Foreign Bible Society, and at his khan has sign-boards to announce the sale of this inestimable treasure in at least a dozen different languages. When he walks out he carries a bible under his arm, which being different in its form to their own books, attracts attention, and affords him an opportunity to introduce it to the notice of the people. Some time since a sheikh read a few sentences in it in the bazar, and then publicly expressed his high admiration of its contents. The governor of Syria bought a copy, and other great men of the city accepted the Scriptures as presents. The people have already begun to make a distinction between real and nominal Christians: the latter they call Nazarines, and the former are designated by a word that signifies "followers of the Messiah." There are about 4,000 Christians in the city, who live in a quarter by themselves. By some of the early missionaries a great number of Bibles and Testaments were distributed among them: these were afterwards collected by the principal of the Roman Catholic convent, and all committed to the flames, and it is said that three whole days were employed in that infamous occupation. When an English traveller arrives at the convent, he is first asked if he be a missionary, and then if he be concerned in the distribution of Bibles, and if he answer in the affirmative, he is refused admittance. All persons connected with this good work are excommunicated. Notwithstanding the efforts of Satan thus to hinder the spread of divine knowledge, some seeds have been sown, both among Mahomedans and eastern Christians, that it is hoped will, before many days, bring forth good fruit unto the Lord. There was a man of Tarsus who came towards this city, "breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord," and a similar spirit appears yet to work among the people; but as we know that the same individual soon afterwards "preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God," we have encouragement to believe that the I LEFT Damascus a little before noon, May 7, and was taken by our guide some distance on the Beirout road, until we came to his own village, which was probably done for his own convenience. The friend I employed to hire our animals, made an agreement for them by the day, and not for the whole journey, which is generally the cause of endless disputes. I was accompanied by the brother of my late host, who was desirous to visit the ruins of Baalbec. We ascended mount Hermon, not far from the town, and as the sun was shining in its full strength, we saw the extensive prospect it commands to the greatest advantage. Hermon formed part of Anti-libanus, and in ancient times it was inhabited by the Hivites. The road was over hills and through valleys, and in some places was very steep. The mountains are barren, but the banks of the streams in the defiles are covered with gardens and fields, which afford by their rich green a fine contrast to the bare rocks above them. I had usually looked upward to see the villages we passed, but here they were beneath us, and the flat roofs of the houses being covered with grass, they had very little of the appearance of human dwellings. In about two hours from leaving Damascus we had a shower of hail, which continued near forty minutes: the stones were by far the largest I ever saw, and my horse was alarmed by their pelting upon his skin so fast and so thick. Hail-stones are a common allusion among the inspired writers, but the only instance recorded of an actual shower within the borders of the Holy Land, was at the defeat of the Canaanites under Joshua. We slept at the village of Firazeit, and were accommodated in the house of an Arab, as the ground was too wet to allow of sleeping in the open air. The female part of the family consisted of a young wife, and the daughter of a former wife. The good lady kept her old man in complete subjection; for though he was willing to assist us as far as he was able, the frowns from his better half soon taught us that we could expect from him but little, and must receive that little by stealth. In the room in which they slept one part of the floor was raised into a kind of platform, and in the lower division the horses were accommodated. There was a fire-place in the corner, and some sheep-skins spread before it, on which sat the master and mistress of the house, and the other members of the family sat at a little distance. The men ate their food by themselves, and I partook with them. The principal ingredient was lebn, or sour milk, and the taste was not disagreeable. Each had a small wooden spoon, and we all dipped into one common bowl. From an inspection of the corn and other provisions in their store, it appears that their circumstances are comfortable; they have also changes of raiment for inclement weather and for holyday occasions, and seem to have all the necessaries of life that would be possessed by small farmers in England. |