The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-08-24
NEW SERIES-NO. 344.
The City Of Damascus-.Its Great An.
tiquity--The Late Massacre Of Chris
tiaNS There.

The City of Damascus--Its Great An
tiquity--The Late Massacre Of Chris
tians There.
The massacre at Damascus, where five
hundred Christians including the Dutch Con-
sul were massacred, and the American Con-
sui wounded, gives renewed interest to the
history of that ancient city. The Philadel-
phia Bulletin supplies some particulars,
which we subjoin:
Damascus was an important place at least
as early as the time of Abraham, so that it
is not less than four thousand years old.
Etymologsts dispute about the meaning of
the name. 1t was the ancient capital of
Syria, and was thus the quntessence of the
quick-witted race it represented. 1t is
called by some the most ancient city in the
world This is, no doubt, Eastern exagge-
ration, 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 vivid
imagination. A celebrated epistle of an an
cient writer calls it ''the great and sacred
city of Damascus, surprising every city,
both in the beauty of its temples and the
magnitude of its shrines, as we'll as the time
illness OF its seasons, the limpidness of its
fountains, the volume of its waters, and the
richness of its SOIL Its people call it "a
pearl surrounded by emeralds.' Of all the
cities of the East, it is perhaps the most
oriental.
1he descriptions of Buckingham are not
considered entirely reliable. But there has
seldom anything been written with human
pen more beautiful than his picture of the
plain of Damascus. He compares it to an
English seat in the country, surrounded by
an immense park. The visitor inquiries for
the family, and finds that they have been for
year in Italy. Meanwhile the place has
been most delightfully."- unkept. Its rich
cultivation is everywhere partially grown
up; the trees untrimmed and dipping their
branches in the sparkling rivulets the roses
grown almost into trees and covered with
innumerable blossoms. Everywhere is seen
rich verdure, lHxurant growth, with but
such touch of wildness as to give the fin.
ishing grace to the landscape Such, he
says, is Damascus 10 the bloom of the year.
Damascus was conquered by David, who
made it tributary. After being held by
Solomon, it revolted, and afterwards was at
the head of thirty and. two kings. 1t was
subsequently taken by Assyria and Persia.
After the battle of Issus, it fell into the
hands of Alexander the Great, and Pompey,
annexed it to the Roman Empire. After
being celebrated for its wealth and splendor
under the Greek Emperors, it was con-
quered by the Saracens, and became for
time the capital of the MOhammedan world.
The scepter of Islam passed over to Bagdad
but Damascus is still famous in the history
OF Saladin.
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 barbarity, by Tamerane,
and fially fell into the hands of the Turks
under Selim I. 1t possesses, too, high
moral interest for on that beautiful plain it
was that st. Paul "became obedient to the
heavenly vision"
Among the points of interest connected
with this famous city is Damascus blades,
SO malleable that they might be bent to
right angle without losing their elasticity
SO keen that they could sever down or gauze
floating in the air, or divide iron without
destroying their edge. For ages the secret
OF their manufacture was unknown. Gen
eral AnoSsof, in the Ural Mountains, how
ever, scceeded, in quite recent times, in max
ing sword which seemed to equal the best
Damascus, with blade of retculated liues
such as always appeared on the finest
Damascene blades-in broad stripes, and
showing bright glded 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 the secret died with
AnOssoff, as these swords are not now made
at Damascus
Another point of interest is the famous
Damask stuff. They are properly silk,
though sometimes made of other fabrics.
Large quantities of silk are still manufac-
tured, and the Damask roses have lost moth
ing of their immemoral beauty.
There is at Damascus a considerable
trade, both with India and Europe. From
Indiaare brough by the Persian Gulf, Bas
sora, Bagdad, and AIeppo, spices, cotton
goods, coarse and fine muslins, and gold
stuffs. English goods come through Bey-
rout and Tripoli. The people are Moham-
medans, Druses, Oriental Christians, Jews,
&c. The population is about one hundred
Thousand.