Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1849-02-07

In a recent publication. Mr.. Thompson,
American Missionary in Syria. describes a
ruined city not mentioned by any other
traveller. Syria we know has been the
seat Of many different nations. which have
in turn built great cities. which have again
been destroyed in some violent political or
commercial revolution. The renowned
city Of Damascus yet remains undestroy-
ed, the oldest city Of the world. All the
others are in ruins.
Mr.. Thompson was proceeding from
Aleppo to Mount Lebanon, when he ex-
plored the magnificent remains Of Apama.
file says:
Started nj sunset for Apamia. and in
five hours reached kulaat Seijar where
left my tent, and rested two hours. Cross
ing the Orontes and riding rapidly for three
and half hours, ! reached the ruins just
as the sun rose. These remains are more
dilapidatcd than those Of El Bara. but are
more grand and classic. The walls of
the city are. in most places. gone, and the
houses are all PROSTATE. Atthe northwest
corner. however, there is an excellent
specimen Of the wall standing. and por-
tons Of houses are TO be seen in many
places.-The north gate is almost perfect.
but is choked up with an incredible mass
Of large hewn stones which belonged to
the adjacent towers. The grand arcnue
extends from this to the south gate, in a
direct line. more than a mile long. The
avenue is one hundred and twenty three
feet wide, and throughout its entire length
it was lined by a row Of columns on either
side. The columns are Of the Corinthian
order, and very beautiful. The shaft is
twenty-five feet eight inches long. The
capitals three and half feet. and the
cornice three feet four inches. making the
whole height about thirty feet. They
stood only six and a half feet apart, and
stretched from gate to gate. one Of the
longest and most august colonnades in
the world. Including the recesses, OF
which there were several. the whole num-
Der Of columns must have been about
eighteen hundred. Between the colon
nades and the houses, were sidewalks
twenty four feet wide; and diameter OF
the columns was three feet, and the centre
was sixty-nne feet wide.
The streets appeared to cross at right
| angles, and at regular intervals. They
were colonnaded. and numerous groups
j of columns i'm different places. point out
the sites Of churches, temples. palaces.
markets. and other public ediices. About
the middle of the grand avenue is statue
! of Bacclus. in front Of building on the
east side of the street. 1t has been infen-
tionallv dcfaccd. but the right hand holds
wand. and the left still grasps a vine.
whose luxuriant leaves and clusters are
woven into a canopy. to shield his head
from the burning sun. Near this. the
columns are very peculiar. having at the
base a convex flute with square rib
b tween the flutes, while the upper half is
a bold strait concave flute. Some distance
further on is large column in the centre
of the avenue; but the details Of this won
derful avenue are too numerous and COM
plcated for my pen and page. One wan
ders from square TO square. amazed at the
amount and variety of the architecture
until the bcwildered mind ceases to note
particulars. The gates Gf the northern
one is an cxample) were truly magnificent.
With difficulty climbed TO the top. over a
prodigious accumulation of ruins. and
| from this lofty station. obtained a perfect
view of the ground plot of this once splen-
did city. 1t is now an utter ruin-no, one
house has been spared. .'The Lord hath
stretched over it the line Of Samaria, and
the plummet Of the house of Ahab. and
hath wiped il as man wipeth a dish.
turning it upside down.