Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-05-29

and working her jaws like some galvanized mummy.
Our dragoman was with laughter that il was
time before he could give us the gis Of her
Oh, yes!' she shrieked, you may laugh YOU dogs
you don't know any better You are nothing but dirt,
scarce ut to be spit upon Begone from here you grin
ming dogs before de6le my hands by scratching your
eyes oat What do pokng about here for Why
you stay at home where you are all dogs together
You want some bread, Ell? Ha! ha that's good! And
the ferocous old nag laughed 50 horrible with her
tootness jaws that we fam rode off to escape further
abuse.
In an hour to the stream Of zeita, where we
stopped to lunch From this point on to the village Of
Dum-mar is winding valley, highly fertile and pic
turesque, the road running along ledge at the base
the mounain the right the river ON the left its banks
covered with trees and springs gushing from
the rocks and running the road making one Of the
most refreshing combinations of agreeable sights we had
yet SEEN At length entered the village Of DUNN
the most beautiful spot the whole road from Baalbek
to Damascus, not excepting our fayorite Zebdene We
little of the houses for they nearly covered up
with trees and running vines; but the gardens wild and
uncutyated they are teemed with richness Of vegeta-
ton and the runoas old walls by the road side were
oyerrun with luxuriant vines and wild flowers As we
passed out of the village the bridge saw large
their chibouks under wide-spreading tree in
front Of Khan, with groups Of camels laden with
merchandise from Damascus feeding in the shade and at
short distance from the crowd Arab story
shouting at the top Of his voice the famous history
Hassan the Robber of Camels The bridge crosses the
river of Dum-mar, considerable stream watering q
fertile tract Of country above. Leaving the village we
had pretty hard ride up to the top the mountain call
ed Jebel 81 Nasir 1t here had the first Of
the magnificent plains of Harouna sight that
be forgotten one that is truly a joy forever.
In the midst of extensive wooded valley lay the
beautiful city of Damascus called by the Emperor Julian
the true city Jupiter the eye the whole East What
say of the first view Of Damascus the bright glow
ing paradise Of the ORIENT the famous city Of the
Calphate that from early youth had haunted in our
brightest dreams Of Eastern travel There it lay before
us at last outspread at the base Of Jebe Ell Nas upon
the broad plain embosomed in groves of olives and
cypress with its mosques and minarets and castles its
white domes and giant old gateways, rising from the
mass of foliage and gterng in the sunbeams like fairy
city of snow in garden 1t was enough to in
spire even practical fellow like myself whose mis-
sion in the East to rake up stern facts and expose all
visionary fances-enough say to strike poetry into the
determined foe romance On this
very spot or close by, it is said that famous Shek
whose tomb passed down, exclaimed on be-
holding Damascus :" will proceed further; / will
die here, for if go shall be unable to enjoy Para
disc" And enough he died. for there stands his
tomb Like the first sight of Constannope it is gorge
ousy oriental; different indeed in position but scarcely
less beautiful Surrounded by luxuriant groves, and
embosomed in gardens its white spires and domes stand
out with wonderful disncness and sumptuous profusion
from amid the waving Of green and aar on every
side from the base of Jebe Ell Nasr stretches the splendid
aT3L, G.
woods and villages while the one hand CLEANED the
bright waters of the river Burada and the Bahr Ell Mer
or Lake of the Meadow; and on the other the snow
capped summit of Jebel esh Sheik the ancient Hermon
and dim ranges of mountains doomed up from the plains
of Hawran and purple glow from the setting sun hung
softly the vast amphtheatre Of mountain and valley
giving more than earthly beauty scene that seemed
of itself the baseess fabric of vision Such is the ap
proach to Damascus, the righthand of the cities of
Syria
Here, before pass beyond the Mausoleum Of Abute
Nazr, the guide of the Prophet let us take long lin
gerng look the plain and drink deep into our souls
draughts of heavenly beauty; for within the walls of
Damascus, within the city Of the Sultan all is Of
" earth, earthly"
Descending by pass to the left of the Mauso-
luem Of Abute Nasr rode for about mile along the
base Of the mountain and then turned to the right into
me groves OF damascus. Here reality at gave q
check to enthusiasm All travellers bound to Damas
in search of the beautiful should take good look at
it from the summit of Jebe Ell Nasr and die as soon as
possible like the sheik but not 60 step further There
certainly nothing to die for within the walls Of Damascus
though good deal to produce DEATH the way filth and
disease Instead of handsome villas surrounded by flower
gardens and adorned with works Of art we led
expect from the view above, nothing but high mud
walls broken and dlapdated Getaways and trees
with dust with few breaches in the walls by the way
side exposing wrctched huts within the enclosure
rs dirty as mud and dust could make them There was
not the least attempt at ornament comfort visible
where sufficient cultivation sustain life lazy
dogs and azier Arabs lay basng the sun by the road
side, sharing mutually the Injuries of dust and es and
the whole aspect Of the neghborhood approached
Damascus, neglected and barbarous in the extreme
The narrow and walled roads crossed each other IN
all directions dust covering them 70 the depth Of six
inches and the air SO filed with it that we were
well nigh stied before we entered upon the principal
paved road leading into the city At the gate called by
the Franks the Porta di Baalbek, were stopped by
Turkish guards who entered into social CONVERSE
ton with our dragoman concerning business in Da
mascus, past history, and future prospects all Of which
seemed to afford them the highest satisfaction, as they
resumed their chbouks upon being paid the sum Of
half pasters or four cents and quarter, with evil
dent determination to remain satisfied with the nforma
lion they had received land the baasters all the rest
Of their lives and to stop smoking again any
account.
If our disappointment was great upon entering the