New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-09-25


to the Anti Lebanon. The miller and two or
three peasants who were living in this lonely spot
were Christians.
TIE next morning we commenced ascending the
Lebanon. We had slept just below the snow-ioe,
for the long bollows with which the ridge is clovcn
were filed up to within a short distance Of the
glen, out of which we came. The path was very
steep continually ascending, nov around the bar
rem shoulder Of the mountain, now up some ravioe,
where the holly and olive still furnished, and the
wild rhubarb plant spread its large, succuent
leaves over the soil. We had taken guide, the
day before, at the village Of Dayr el-Ahnar, but
as the way was plain before US, and he demanded
an exorbitant sum, We dismissed him. We had
not climbed far, however, before he returned, pro-
Tossing to be content with whatever we might give
him, and took int another road, the first, he
said, being impracticable. Up and up we toiled,
and the long hollows OF sno lay below US, and the
wind came cold from the topmo,t peaks, which
began to chow near at band. But low the road,
as we bad surmised turned toward that we had
first taken, and on reaching the next hight we
saw the latter at a short distance from US. IL
was not only better, but shorter road, the rss-
n
give the greater effect to his services In order to
return to it, as was necessary, there were several
dangerous sno fields 10 be passed. The angle Of
their desct mt was so great that single false step
would have hurled our animals, baggage and all,
mupy hundred feet below. the snow was melt.
ing ard the crust frozen over the stTea ms below
was so thin in places that the animals broke
through and sunk to their bellies. 1t were need
less 10 state the number and character Of the
apethtmas besto wed upon the guide. The impas.
sive Dervsh raved Mustapha stormed; Francois
burst out in n fightul eruption OF Greek and
Turkish ostbs, and the two travellers. though not
las hope and believe) profinely Inclined, could
not avoid using few terse Saxon EXPIRE ssions.
When the general indignation had found vent, the
men went to work, and by taking each animal
separately, succeeded, at imminent hazard in get
ting them all over the snow. We then dismissed
the guide, who, far from being aba,hed by the dis
covery of his trckery, I'D the impudence to fol.
'ow us for some time, claiming his pay. A few
more steep pulls, over deep beds of snow and
patches Of barren stone, and at length the summit
rdgs-a sharp, white wall, shining against the in
tense black-blue OF the zenith-stOod before us.
We climbed toilsome zig gag through the snow,
hurried over the stones numbering the top, and
all at once the mountains {, II away, ridge below
ridge gasbed with tremendous chasms, whose bot
toms were lost in blue vspor, till the last Nights,
crowned with white Maronte converts, hung
abo G the sea, whose misty round bounded the
vision. | have seen many erander mountain
views but few so sublimely rugged and broken in
their features. The sides ofthe ridges dropped Off
in all directions into sheer precipices, and the few
viIages we could see were built like eagles nests
on the Drinks. In a little hollow at our feet was
the aacred Forest Of Cedars, appearing ike patch
of stuntei jumpers. IL is the highest speck OF
vegetation on Lebanon, and in winter cannot be
visited, on account of the snow. The summit on
which we stood was about 900 feet above the
sea, but there were psaks on each side at least
| 900 feet higher.
We descended by a very steep path, over occa-
sional beds Of snow, and reached the Cedars in an
hour and a half Not until we were within a
hundred yards of the trees, and below their level
was | at all impressed with their size aud yenera-
ble aspect. But once entered into the heart Of
the little wood walking over its miniature hills
| and valleys and breathing the pure, boIsamic
haatons of the trees, all the disappointment MS
| ing in nv mind wss charmed away in an instant
There are about three hunJr~ trees, in ALL many
of VIII oh aie Of the last century's growth but ut
least fifty Of them would b. considered grad in
| au, fortst. The patriMchs FIVE in number,
| aud are undoubtedly as old as the Christian Era
| ifnot tie rye Of Jlomon. The Expresses in the
| galten of Monte zumi at Charultepec are even
! older and grander trees, but they are as entire
| and she ptly US ever, whereas these ara guarded
ard twisted il to wonderful forms BY the storms Of
twert, centuries, and shivered in some places by
lightning. The hoary father Of them all, nine feet
in dian eter stands in the center Of the grove,
little knoll, and spreads his ponderous arms,
! each tree in itself over the heads Of the many
generations that have grown up below, as if giving
his last benediction before decay. lie is SCARED
less with storm and lightning, than with the
knives Of travellers, and the marble crags Of Leba-
non do not more firmly retain their inscriptions
than his Stony trunk. Dates Of the last century
art abundant and ! recoeOt tablet inscribed
"Souard 1870" around which the newer wood
has grown to the hight Of three or four inches.
The seclusion o. the grove, shut in by peaks of
barren snow, is complete. Only the voice OF the
nightingale singing here by day light in the solemn
shadows, breaks the silence. The Maronte
monk, who h las charge OF a little stone chapel
standing in the midst, moves about like shade
and not before you are ready to leave, brings his
book for You to register your name therein.
wa, surprised to find how few of the Gro *d that
s1pually overun Syria reach the Cedars, which,
after BaIbec, are the finest remains of antiquity
in the whole country.
After stay Of three hours, We rode on to Eden,
whittier our men had already gone with the bag
gage. Our road led along the trink OF trsmehd-
GUS gorge, a thousand feet deep, the bottom Of
which was only accessible here and there by haZ-
ardous foot.paths. On either eide, long shelf Of
| cultivated land aioned in an IN The tnn and the