Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-05-29
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
NOTES OF TRAVEL IN THE OLD WORLD.
Written for The National htelhgencer bya Citizen
Of Washington
LETTERS FROM JERUSALEM BAALBEK.

TO have social chat with the patriarch, who repre-
scented to be very hospabe and intelligent 1t is
situated down toward the lower part of the town. not far
from the Temple Of Santa Barbara. The entrance is
through diapidated courtyard which a sort
of carayanseri for and mules and the convent
little better than the Of the novels around it, except
that il is larger and higher There is church attached
to it of ancient and runous appearance, with few
tawdry and miserable pictures in the interior
Greek monk, who acted cicerone told US that
this church contained the most valuable relic Of any
church In Syria that IL was not commonly exhibited TO
strangers but he would take the liberty Of showing it to
excelleaces Having thus excited curiosity, he
proceeded with great caution and solemny to draw back
small black curtains that covered hole in the wall
and by degrees revealed the hole which cased
around with black frame and covered with pane of
glass; but candidy confess could nothing in it,
could after the perseverng inquiries all round,
ascertain that any body else had any thing that
there any thing there to be 1t good deal
like Of the wonderful things is called upon TO adj
mire and then in Italy-you 60 great way to see
them and expected be in raptures but for Life
ysu can't find out what all the talk is about there is
thing to be We paid pastre however, for the in
formation and would recommend all travellers who go
to Baabek to do likewise; they may something pro-
baby bone Of the that Baalam rode, reflected
image of the face with its full complement Of ears
Turkish fashion with low platform extending round the
walls three SIDES, upon which spread rugs of
every variety of color. There chairs any
other furniture except few bad prints and good sup
ply ofchbouks hung up around the walls 1t was great
nuisance to be obliged take off shoes, all
casions no matter hew many houses went into how
dirty they were, how cold it was whether there
rugs the ground mats, or what most common,
puddes of mud dragoman protested that if kept
shoes it would be mortal offence the inmates of
the house. was often disposed rebel against this in
sane practice; but you know when one is in Rome he
must be romantic; when one is in Syria he must bear
with serious inconvenience the least of which is
keeping up good understanding with the natives by
keeping your feet bare
The bishop, venerable man, with a beard of patri-
archal length, received with great kindness and
diay. He said it seldom he had the pleasure of
meeting american travellers there and regretted that
had taken up quarters in the While we
we're talking coffee and chibouks brought in by
domestic, and gracefully presented to in the oriental
style. As it is characteristic of the East may as well
tell you the in which one is honored on paying
visit You the room, furnished as above stated
with rugs al round, make your bow, and politely
toned to seat that is TO seat on the floor If you
do it, You squat down much like tailor as posi-
ble if you can't you stretch both legs and get your
IT.
if you know how odd it feels The form of salu
taton depends pretty much the relative rank of each
party Where there is much ceremony is merely bow
and the hand placed the breast where the cvty
is intended to be very marked in the native FORM the
vster makes dive at the hem Of the hosts garment
he would catch up and kiss it. but the host percev
ing the intended honor, dives down the
prevent it, and If by accident catches the hand Of
his guest and helps him up with pa of the way; when
each touches his breast mouth and forehead with his
own hand sometimes repeating the dive, but his Is only
when is electioneering for Office, calls
borrow few hundred piastres in which he dives
down great many times
Supposng you to be seated now servant enters bear
ing tray upon which several cups of coffee about
the size Of and these handed round and pre-
sented with graceful bow to each ster The coffee is
as thick as chocolate and lodge your throat
but after while learns ike it. Chbouks then
brought The stems are about six feet in length and the
bowl being placed on the ground in little brass pan at
the proper distance the mouthpiece is whired around
dexterousy by the domestic who calculates the distance
SO nicely that he brings within the sixteenth Of inch
Of its destination The smoking begins, and if you have
good Djehe Latakia tobacco, it is ny friend the
English captain says, quite stunning Conversation goes
on between the whfs aud is lively SUCH
lion can be where naturally thinks in English
municates his ideas to his dragoman in Italian French
has them translated into Turkish Arabic Greek and
learns the result in about ten minutes from the time Of
starting often after good deal Of difficulty got out
joke and made my interpreter understand the fun bear
ings Of it, when he would work. jabbering in
horrible unknown tongue taking long tell that the
whole thing would quite escape my memory, and 1t was
only in about quarter Of hour after that explosion
Of laughter would sartle out Of my cloud of smoke
for joke is stale trAng not TO
laugh in the East As made it point however never
to talk French Italian Yusef where there pro-
liability Of these languages being understood, (by which
means passed for rather learned man. he nslated
from English in the present case. The worthy patri
arch felt good deal interested In the fact usually an
nounced BY Yusef in terms Of great pomposty that had
travelled long way and had been IN California The old
gentleman had heard fabulous accounts Of Calfor-
MIA and after EXPLANATIONS Of wonder at seeing be-
fore him live person from that strange land he deliver
ed himself follows " 1t is wonderful country know
thousands Of miles of away the other side Of London
They dig up whole mountains Of gold there and catch FISH
without eyes God Almighty kills them because they are
wicked also food is The is very hot; there
is great thirst likewise burrow holes in the ground
the rats. Oh don't want TO 20 to California
1t is bad country. Better stay here in Baabek and
praise God" thought too, and desired Yusef tell
his that it would be better for him to 20 to
California if he had any notion that way in fact that he
would do much better retaining benighted Arabs in
Baalbek than digging for gold the banks Of the Sacr
mento and would find more fertile harvest in his own