The eastern clarion. [volume] (Paulding, Miss.) 1837-1863, 1859-02-05
VOLUME XIII. NO. XVII.

enabled to reach anything in his store
You may stop. if you please and make /
purchase of this venerable old Turk, for .
the sake of his venerable heard II is a /
fine piece OF silk that he offers. and he |
begins by asking Just three times its value. /
II you are wise, you viii offer about one !
sixth OF what he demands. and thus after /
a good deal OF wrdngling. an unnecessary /
display OF clOqucncC. with some rising on /
your part and considerable falling on his I
a bargain i effected he then, according I
the Eastern custom, treats you to coffee
and pipes, so taking youJ seat beside him,
you may, whilst slipping from a cup not
larger than an egg shell, the fragrant Mo
| cha, observe the motley crowd that Is pass
| ing in the streets before you-veiled wo-
| men gliding along like so many ghosts
! long necked camols loaded with bales of
! merchandise, all the way from Persia
! turbaned eunuChs leading about their pre-
| ciOus charges from the hagcms-wIld look
| ing Bcdouius, on wilder looking stecds,
| dashing through the crowd-all these
| form picture that can be imagined but
! not vel described.
Dut tn, cL.ys lt.a,atoi N--aaeoas j. Its
gardens. which through circle Of thirty
miles hem it on all sides. Unlike the
gardens Of Europe, they owe nothing to
art, and all to nature. Fruit and forest
trees and damask roses. untitled and un-
trimmed. grow together in beautiful CON
fusion, while the Pharphar and Ahana
rivers of Damascus running hither and
thither. greet you with their merry voices
on every turn. The principal Of these
gardens is one in the suburbs of the city.
which the Mahometans call Paradise:
they may well style il SO. for a more en-
Il. H.
The pharpar flowing down from Mt Her
mon, fingers here for awhile, dividing into
number of streams and forming innu-
merable cascades and tiny lakes The
banks are carpeted with the sottest turf
while the trees grow so thick that their
interlacing boughS form canopy which
the suns rays strive in vain TO penetrate.
A vast crowd Of Moslems are usually as
, >embled here. lounCing upon carpets or
he green turf, and lazily slipping their cot-
fee whilst listening to the song birds, the
: murmur Of the waters or the notes Of the
guitar. There will be too. the protes- ion
alstorv-tcler who seated above the crowd,
= cntertains them with stories from the Ara
bian Nights. which be either reads or Ie-
e peats from memory. Hcis now telling the
] wondrous tale of Aladdin and his lamp
? | now the beautiful story Of Naaman and
2 | the little Jewish captive maid. How his
| eyes light up as he goes on, and how his
2 -warthv listeners hang upon his words :
But il is at night the place should be seen
= 1t then changes to q fairy scene such rs
we read OF in Eastern story. but which you
!. never expected to see. As twilight comes
e on. the crowd increases. A thousand tiny
lamps suspended from the trees throw
s their varied light upon the sparkling wa
5 ters: the birds have ceased their warbl nCs
hut the softest music blended with Otht
murmur of the streams now steals tortl
upon the tranquil air and rs YOU reclint
n upon the green sward inhalng the deli
cious fumes of your Norg5le, looking NJ
through the orange blossoms at the stars
'e you feel that the Mussulman is not fa
p wrong when he calls it Paradise and that
save the Eve nothing is wanted to max,
- it really SO. We visited this place eacl
y ! evening during our stay at Damascus. anC
,diir | think may safely say we were mad
u happier if not better men. by this fore
~ taste of Elysum.
-. MahOmmotan happiness, however, is al
" of the sensual kind, and the gratifcatio
= of the senses Is the distinguishing char
N acteristic of all their customs. Promcnad
!" the streets and the most delightful PEI
:. fumes that Araby can furnish, greet 70
y wherever you 60. Enter a house, and yo
- are made to recline on cushions soft
::tn down. and whilst soothed by the low mu
~ mer of fountains that eush forth in Il
- midst Of flowers you viii hchsuded rir
@ the smoke of which IS inhaled throug
~. rose water. The American motto Tin
~ is Money" finds no favor in the Fast
~ Life such as it is, the Mussulman enio
W to the fullest, and his paradise after deal
VI Is little more than a continuation of Il
~ earthly one, for there the harem is on
." changed for the society of hours, who q
described as being very beautiful, wi
large, lustrous black eyes, and statu
IL equal to that Of a palm tree. Each 20
S Moslem is to have sixty Of these girls, wi
~ three hundred servants to attend him,
-. feringthe most delicious meats and dTinl
&C He is to stroll through gardens watered
- streams that run wine, repOse upon t
~. banks of flowers, and listen to the nj
; ,Sit ravishing music. What wonder, The
ii'6s that in a country like the East the Moslt
-. creed should find so many followers!
~ In company with an American missiC
H. airy, we spent one day in walking arou
'"e the city. The repoJted scene of St. Pau
- conversion was pointed out, as also I
~ ~ house Of Ananias, the high priest.
y gave a gloomy account Of the cause in t
!" - region During twelve years but one C
ii"5 1 vert had been made, and him the fanatic
W lnu inhabitants compelled to leave the city