New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-07-14


and contains nothing OF the old oidon except
few stones and the fragments OF mole extending
into the sea. The fortress in the water, and the
Citadel are remnants Of Venetian sway.
We rose in dark and cloudy morning, aud con-
tinued our way, between fields of barley com
pletely stained with the bloody hue OF the poppy
and meadows turned into golden mosaic by bril-
liant yellow daisy. Until noon our road was over
a region Of alternate meadow land and gent'e
though stony elevations, making out from L%oi,
non. We met continually with indlcatouS "
ancient power and prosperity. The ground wa,
strewn with hewn blocks, and the foundations u
buildings remain in many places. Broken ''
phagi lie half buried in grass and toe gray 'o'n'
If the hills are pierced with tombs. Inc Soi',
though stony, appeared to be naturally ier'ne' anu
the crops of wheat, barley and lentllS were very
furnishing. After rounding the promontory winch
erros tbe southern boundary OF the Gull oil SIdon,
900 ,ods for an hour or two over plain nsar the
80. .nd then came down to a valley which ran up
among the hills, terminating In natural anPn'-
theater An ancient barrow, or tumulus, NOBODY
knows of whom, stands near the sea. During the
day noticed two charming little pictures. One,
a fountain gushing into broad square basin OF
masonry. shaded by three branching expresses.
Two Turks sat on its edge, eating their bread ana
curdled milk, while their horses drank out OF the
stone trough below. The other, an old Mahomme-
dan with green turban and white robe, seated at
the foot of maiesti; sycamore, over the hisn
bank of stream that tumoled down It's oeu Vi
white marble rock to the sea.
r 4 pndU
on which the modern Soor is built, is rich black
loan, which little proper culture would turn into
q very garden. 1t helped me to account for the
wealth of ancient lore. The approach to abe
town. along a beach on which the surf broke with
continuous roar, with the wreck OF Greek YES
sci in the foreground, and stormy sky behind,
was very striking. We rode up the sand-hils
back of the town, selected good camplng-place,
and then set out to see the ruins. The remains
of the ancient sea.wal are still to be traced for
the entire circuit of the city, and the heavy surf
breaks upon piles Of shattered granite columns.
Along a sort of mole, protecting an inner harbor
on the north side are great numbers OF these
columns. | counted fifteen in one group, some OF
them fine red granite, and some of the marble Of
Lebanon. Theremains Of the pharos and the for
tresses strengthening the sea. WALL were pointed
out by the Syrian who accompanied us as guide,
but his faith was little stronger than mine. He
even showed us the ruins of the jetty built by
Alexander by means Of which the ancient city,
then insulated by the sea, taken. The re
mains of the causeway gradually formed the pro-
montory by which the place is now connected
with the main land. These are the principal indi-
I,,N 10 IN,
formed as that the Arabs, in digging among the
sand-hills for the stones of the old buildings which
they quarry out and ship to Beyrout, come upon
chambers, pillars, arches and other objects. The
Tyrian purple is still furnished by muscle fund
on the coast, but Tyre is now only noted for its
tobacco and mill-stones. saw many of the latter
lying in the streets of the town. They are cut out
from species of dark volcanic rock, by the Be-
douins of the mountains. There were half a doz-
en- small coasting vessels lying in the road, but the
old harbors are entirely destroyed. Isaiah's pro-
phecy is literally falfed: Howl, we ships of
Tarshish for it is laid waste, so that there is
house, no entering in"
On returning from our ramble we passed the
house of the Governor, DavoOd Agha, who was
dispensing justice in regard to lawsuit then be-
fore him. He asked us to stop and take coffee,
and received us with much grace and dignity. As
we rose to leave, slave brought me large bunch
of choice flowers from his garden.
We set out from Tyre at an early hour, and rode
along the beach around the head of the bay to
the Ras el-Abiad, the ancient Promontorium AL
bum. The morning was wild and cloudy, with
CLEANS of sunshine that fla she'd out over the dark
violet gloom of the sea. The surf was magnif.
cent, rolling up in grand pillows, which broke and
formed again, till the last Of the long, falling
fringes of snow slid seethIng up the sand Some
thing of ancient power was in their shock and
roar, and every great wave that plunged and drew
back again. called in its solemn bass "Where are
the ships of Tyrel where are the ships Of Tyre 2"
| looked back on the city, which stood advanced
far into the sea, her feet bathed in thunderous
spray. By and by the clouds cleared away the
sun came out bold and bright, and our road left the
beach for a meadowy plain, crossed by fresh
streams and sown with an inexhaustible wealth of
flowers Through thickets Of myrtle and mastic,
around which the rue and lavender grew in dense
clusters, we reached the foot of the mountain and
began ascending the celebrated Ladder of Tyre.
The road is so steep as to resemble staircase
and climbs along the side of the promontory, hang
ing over precipices OF naked white rock, in some
places three hundred feet in hight. The mountain
is mass of magnetism limestone, with occasional
beds of marble. The surf has worn its foot into
hollow caverns into which the sea rushes with
dali, heavy boom, like distant thunder. The sides
are covered with thckets Of broom, myrtle, arbu-
tus, lex, mastic and laurel, overgrown with wood
bine and nterspersed with patches of sage, laven-
der, hyssop, wild thyme and rue. The whole
mountain is heap of balm; bundle of sweet
spices.
Our herses' hoofs clattered up and down the
rounds of the ladder, and we looked our last
Tyre, fading away behind the white hem of the