American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1858-08-19
ESTABLISHED IN 1920
pama.eas--.I.s Outside ana iasids.


Mr. Williams Of 1tiOa Herald writes;
Damascusis called "a the magniloqueut
lsnQu.9e Of the Orient, the Eye Of tts
Esst.' It Is said that when the Prophet
6rat behsId II tirom tlss summit Of the west
ern hills, he turned aside with The remark
that as It was given to man 20 hsvs Ons
Paradise. be should not ehoOss his onearth
By msuy. Damascus is believed toocrupy
the spot where the biooi Of righteous Abel
vas shed, aad on 4 n1untlin not very far
to the westward, tradition points out his
tomb.
Bet if Damascus is the fairsst Ct towns
without. Il 10 no less foul within. OF oil
ciries I have eyer seen, It is the Jirtiest
aud most unwhoiesome, From tts mo-
ment you enter It's walls, you forget that
.uch thing rs flower or green Geld ev<
er existed. Clouds Of dat ara perpetual
" Hying over the stfee,1. binding and
choking the Wsyfarsr. The streets them
.elves afe a miracle Of dirtiness and mar
rowoess and ioriuosity and bad odors. -
Piles Of flth Al e Teeking IN the N m1s' prom
inent tho on zhfares; dead oats aad dogs
are fottin4 on every side; oxen aud sheep
.nd calves sre being slaughtered in tie
middle Of the streets: and every horor. con
caiyabls and inoouceivsble, rins riot. Halt
'he persons you meet are sore eyed; or
blind, or cripple. or deforned In some way
or other. Beggars buzz and chatter about
you ny The hundreds. and dog you W err
ever = 90. Dos in every stage OF dis
ease and decay--soms dead, some dying
sone sleeping dogs affected with the
scurvy, dog. ro:tinG with Ieprosy eogs in
the last stage ofoptbalmia--5ogs far gona
into sIeeline,' are wing about 40 thick
that with difficulty you pick your way
These NANCY wretcheI bayn'tenough vital.
uy left to move out Of the way, but rather
suffer themselves to be tro ldsn under foot.
aud niangled and murdered by the iron
hoofs Of your horse. They sleep all the
day and howl all the night They dou't
seem to have any owners, orany homes
but the strse,s, They dine on dirt and
offaIl and the refdse OF butchers stalls. and
leai a precArious life Of it altogether
Yet with all its dirt and sqNhIr. DAM
sscusi is one Of the wsalthiest cities in the
world. He who sees only ITS narrow
streets an its squslid million has lrtis
conception Of the spendor and magnif-
cencs Of It's more lordly mansions. The
private palaces cf Damascus are perhaps
unrivaled 10 the world. Here. Of all the
cities Of the East, is the ma asni6cence Of
Oriental life most strikiugly exhibited
Let me describe to you the interior of
Damascus house, two or thf.e Of which.
through ths courtesy Of the Russian Con-
sui, was permitted to visit. You enter
through a meaa looking door in mud
wall, into kind Of lodge. where porters
and other domestics are lounQing. Pass.
ing through this. you ore admitted into a
spacious quadrangle paved with marble. in
the centre Of which fountain is gushing
/, up its crystal current, cooling the atmos!
phere and lulling the senses by its musical
Aow. Around this fountain are lemon aud
orange trees. AMI evergreens and flower
ing shrubs. Running around this quad
{. rangls is en- arcade, supported BY slender
J, column. giving admission TO tie lower a.
!. partments, which are elahorste'y painted
$ and gtlded, Rich carpets and diVans and
cushions of damssk and velvet, emb' 'oid-
cred with gold covers the floors. A side
}. passage from tie open court, leads TO the
s harsm whi;h ha, court appropriated to
e itself In soma OF the larger apartments,
}. fountains Of marble and alablster are play
: ing.
n The air even al midday is deliciously
o dool. and is laden with the fragrance d
the fruits and flowers. Swallows and tame
pigions are fitting about aud carroling q
. mong the trees. The hotel at which l al
9 stopping. (kspt by one Dsmetri. Greek.
g is one Of the best specimens Of privais
r palace id Damascus. A noble fountain il
! paying before me al write. and the per.
J. fume OF orahgs blossoms fills the air. My
e room is richly furnished. azd the door anC
v window casings and ceiling. are beautiful
T. ly carved and gilded. 1t looks out upol
the marble paved court below. wherS ser
wants and drsgomen and merchants AM
travellers, are promiscuously lounging.--
! This house. by the way. has history
= It was Sned by an intimate friend OF I
70 brshim Pashs. with whom that renowned
hero was accustomed to stop whenever h
a came to Damascus. One day the Pssh
Is found this friend ocnspiring against him
5fI whereupon he very coolly cut off his hea'
"a and OOn6stieated his property. I don
rs know how it came to doat into the hand
a of bis present proprietor; but the palsc
that once entertained Pasba, now enter
tains travellers.