Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1857-05-02
NJ | S G L L L A N Y.
FROM THE EAST.
From Our Own Correspondent.

Beirut, January 25ih 1857.
Having lately made journey TO the famous
temple of Balbec and from thence TO the "Ce-
dars" and Tripoli, city famous in The history
of the Crusades, from which pursued my way
along the sea coast back to my starting point,
crossing ''that goodly mountain, Lebanon" twice
and at different sections and elevations, pro-
pose TO give you some notes which took by the
way. Few American travellers visit Balbec and
the wonderful plain of The Bekaa, limiting their
journeys 10 Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, the Jor-
dan, and the region about the Lake of Tberias,
while fewer still ascend TO The Cedars, the route
being out of the guar line Of travel and for
part of the way exceedingly PERCEPTIONS and
difficult. American readers can have no ade-
'quate idea of this glorious mountain, comparing
it as they must, and as ! was wont TO do, with
the rounded SUBMITS of New England where
as it is altogether original, there being moth
ing like it in all crealion-certany no, in this
lower sphere. Instead of grand cone or dome,
as it is often imagined, it is more than humid
red miles long, with spurs striking out in all
directions, all forms anu uiuieusivus,
while in elevation its highest peaks are about
equal to another Washington on the top of Mount
Washington. 1t adds 10 the wonder and in
terest Of Lebanon, that innumerable towns and
villages are perched upon its slopes, and the
SUBMITS of its spurs or sleep in its deep valleys,
containing population estimated a. four humid
red thousand. Upon my first excursions to
Lebanon, soon after my arrival in this country,
| confess that | hated the mountain, for the
mountain seemed to hate me-such bruises and
bisters, such torture of back, flesh, bone and
muscle, did it inaict Penitentially acknowledge
ing that this was not exactly Christian senti-
ment, as we'll as admitting my foloy, since in
the way of reciprocatlng thumps and knocks il
would obviously have the advantage, long ago
exchanged my hate for sentiments of admiration.
Glorious Lebanon Its history is the history
of the world its study the study of life If
/ may not bid it live forever, may it dwell in
my memory and stand before my eyes SO long
as may live.
Before commencing our journey, it may be
proper to give you The history and present con-
ditiun of the city which was our starting point
Beirut is city of great antiquity, and was
known, in the days of the Greeks and Romans,
under the name of Bery,us. Some have sup
posed it was the Berolh, or Berothah, or Be-
rothsi, mentioned in Samuel and Ezekiel which
David took from the King of Syria. But that
lis extremely doubtful, since the places named
in the same connection were evidently situated
in Cele-Syria, or the great plain between Leb-
anon and ntl-Lebanon, now known as the Be-
ikaa. Like great many other places in the
old world, its origin and early history are LOST
in the msts OF antiquity, and probably never
hp knntun Rut The Ut Ioaot ic
that it was city of great importance and re-
nown, long before the Christian era. Angus
tus made it Roman colony, and in honor of
his daughter, called il COlOnia FeHI Julie. II
still asserts, by the beauty of its scenery, its
admirable climate and the fertility of its envi-
Eons its ancient claim to the epilhet "happy;'
but it presents few architectural remains of the
greatness, opulence and the taste to which il
attained under the Roman Emperors. Some
OF the foundation works of The magnificent halls
erected by Agippa, the grandson of Herod the
Great, may still be seen in the north part of the
Town, cut in the solid rock, and over which the
waves now dash, having worn away, by thei
silent activity, the limestone which underlies
the whole cape, and once evidently extende,
some distance beyond the baths into the sea -
l have counted half dozen of these baths in {
row, while others are seen separated by small
distance. Here are also the remains, in The
same vicinity, of what some persons pronounc,
to have been theatre, erected by the sam,
Agrippa Here also Queen Helena, the moth
er OF Constantine the Great, previously assured
by superstition or faith, that she should discoy
er in Jerusalem the wood of the true cross OF
which the Saviour had been crncifed, thre,
hundred years before, erected a tower, which
was one of long line, extending from Con
stantinople to Jerusalem, on the tops of which
signal fires were to be lighted the moment tn,
discovery was made, and thus communicate III,
happy news from one to another, as by mag
petic telegraph, till it should reach the imper
ial city. This was not done, however, for he,
own Information solely, but out of pure benev
olence; and chapel is built in the Church O
the Holy Sepulchre, at Jerusalem, over The
spot where she sat watching the digging, ant
cutting, and explorations of the workmen, a,
they proceeded in their "pious work."
What gave greater honor and noloriety to tn,