The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1860-08-25
The City OF Damascus--Its Great Anti
guity--yhc late Massacre of Christians

quity..yhc late Massacre Of Christians
| Damascus was an important place, a,
least early as the time of Abraham &C
that it Ia not less than three thousand
years old. EtymoloSists dispute about the
meaning Of the name. 1t was the ancient
capital OF Syria, and was thus the quin,-
essence Of the quick-witted race il repre-.
sented 1t is called by some the most an
cient city in the world. This is, no doubt
Eastern exaggera;ion, but the fact that
everything said by the orientalists about
this famous capital, Is exaggerated, only
shows how strongly its real attractions
! had taken effect upon their Imagination
A celebrated epistle Of an ancien, writer
calls II the great and sacred city of Da-
mascus, surprising every city. both in
beauty of its teruples and the beauty Of
It's shrlnes, as well is the timelness of its
seasons the limpidness OF its fountains
the volume Of It's waters, and the richness
Of It's soil" It's people call il pearl
surrounded by emerald" ..Df ali the
cities Of the East, it is perhaps the most
oriental
The descriptions of Buckingham are
no, considered reliable But there has
seldom anything been writtentvith human
pen more beautiful than hk picture of the
Fl;t e. s, nasaaseps r.. lie H:.S,sa ss-.a.a
=
by an immense park The visitor inquiries
for the family, and finds they have been a
year IN Italy, meanwhile the place has
been delightfully."- unkept Its cultivation
IS everywhere partially grown up; the trees
untrimmed aud dipping their branches in
the sparkling rivu!ets; the roses grown 81
most into trees and covered with enumer
able blossoms Everywhere is seen rich
verdure, luxuriant growth, with but such
a touch of wildness IS - give the finish
ing grace 10 the landscape. Such. he say.
is Damascus in the bloom Of the year.
Damascus was conquered by David who
made it tributary After being held by
solomon. it revolted, and afterward was
at the head Of thirty y-and-twokings 1t
was subsequently taken 10y Assyria and
Aersia After the battle of Issus, it fell
into the hands of Alexander the Great,
and Pompey annexed it 10 the Roman En-
pire After being celebrated for its wealth
and splendor under the Greek Emperors,
il was conquered by the Saracens, and be-
came for time the capital of the No
hammedan world The sceptre of Islam
passed over TO Bagdad, but Damascus is
still famous in the history of Saiadin.
1t was besieged by the Crusaders in the
twelfth century, but they failed to take it.
Later, still, it was captured, with circum-
stances of great barbarty, by Tanerlane.
and finally fell into the hands of the
Turks under Selim l. 1t possesses too. n
high moral interest, for on the beautiful
plain il was that St Paul became obe-
dient to the heavenly vision"
Among the points Of interest connected
with this famous city are the Damascus
blades, so malleable that they might be
bent 10 n right angle without losing their
elasticity; so keen that they could sever
! down or cause floating in the air, or divide
! iron, without destroying their edge. For
ages the secret Of their manufacture was
unknown. General Anossotf in the IRA
mountains, however succeeded, in quite
/ recent times, in making a sword which
| seemed to eqnal the best Damascus, with
a blade of reticulated lines-such rs al
ways appeared on the finest Damascu:
blades-in broad stripes, and showing g
bright gilded reflection. He cut through
gauze handkerchief in the air. and cleft
bones and nails, feats which cannot be
performed with the best English steel
Anderson. in his recent travels in Siberia
states, however that secret died with An
o.soff, as these swords are not made a
Damascus.
Another point Of interest is the famous
Damascus stuffs They are properly silks
though sometimes made OF other fabrics
Large quantities Of silk are still manufac
turcd and the Damascus roses have los
nothing of their immemorable beauty.
There is at Damascus a considerable
trade both with India and Europe From
India are brought by the Persian gull
Bassora, Bagdad and Alleppo, spices, co,
ton goods, coarse and fine muslins AM
gold stufis. English goods come throug
Beyrout and Tripoli. The people are Nc
hammedans, Druses, Oriental Christian.
Jews, &c. The population is about on
! hundred thousand