The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1861-11-30
A visit e. Ancient Tyre.

An9 prepare loT heavenly Morning!
A Visit &c Ancient Tyre.
Mounting our horses at II A. NJ, we
passed out Of the south east gate, en- route
for ancient Tyre. Our path lay along the
western border of the plain Of Phenicia,
winding through groves Of olives and be-
side private gardens rich in fruit trees and
blooming with flowers. In three hours
We reached the Scala 7yriOruD., "Tyrian
Ladder" forming the boundary line be.
tween Phenicia and the Holy Land. This
LrOm0ntOry is the most southern root Of
Lebanon, with white base dipping into
the sea. The path over it is xigzag, and
10 fancy resembles . winding fight Of
steps. The descent down the opposite
side was rough and broken, now over low
mountain spurs, and again through q de-
file leading out to . noble plain. Occa-
siOnaly we passed over bits Of an old Ro.
man road. now ID ruins. Just before
reaching lskanderiyeh, in the mountain
raviDes to the east, we saw company Of
French soldiers excavating buried city,
which had neither name nor story. They
had succeeded in opening one temple and
several elegant sarcOphagi. AS yet no
inscription had been discovered 70 reveal
the history Of the unknown city. In hall
an hour we came to the white cliffs Of
Ras el-Abiad, or the PrOmOntOrium Album
Of the ancients. This is ons Of the widest
and, at times, most dangerous passes on
the Phenician cOast. The path is cut in
the white limestone rocks five hundred
feet above the level Of the sea the sides
Of the mountain are perpendicular, and
the waves dash wildly against their base.
Huge boulders had fallen from the cliffs
above, and others seemed ready to follow.
From the highest point we pass We gained
our first view Of the plain and peninsula
Of ancient Tyre. Descending rapidly to
the plain below, the drcariness Of our
pathway was relieved by the glorious
appearance Of Hermon, whose snow cap
ped submits were bright in the evening
light, while the plain over which we rode
was darkend by the shadows of the cir
cumambient mountains. Travelling on for
hours over the deep sandy beach, we
passed Asset Ain in the dusk Of the
evening, but too late to examine those
celebrated fountains. and we pushed on
and entered Tyre at 10 o'clock at night.
The next day was the holy Sabbath, and
in the absence of Christian church, we
found it profitable to mediate upon the
numerous prophetic illusions to this ven-
cradle city. Few cities can boast of q
higher antiquity, Of grander editices, or of
greater renOwn, than Tyre. Originally.
K upa 40 Eoundad t.v thn DL,on:os..~ =.
by the Romans, and again restored by the
Crusaders. The ruins Of its marble cas-
ties, Of its splendid palaces, of its triple
walls and gateways Of its lofty towers
and spacious harbors, are now seen half
buried beneath the drifting sand or wash
ed by the restless waves. II was q very
"strOng city" in the days of Joshua It
was the ally Of Solomon, and the coveted
prize Of Shalmanezer, Eebuchadnezzar
and Alexander the Great. The cradle of
commerce, Tyre became the Mistress Of
the seas; her merchantmen traded in ev-
cry port in the known world, and from
her thriving shores she sent her sons, dot
ting the coasts of Europe and Africa with
furnishing colonies. Nothing can excel
the accuracy Of detail and the elegance Of
graphic description Of the 9th chapter Of
Ezekiel on the wealth and glory Of Tyre /;
and now, after the lapse Of twenty five
centuries, her scattered ruins attest the
truth OF prophesy. Her walls are de-
stroyed, her towers broken down, her
stones and timber are in the midst OF the
water, and her ancient Cite is ~ place for
the spreading of nets in the midst Of the
sea-" Entering q small boat, we passed
out Of the inner basin into the larger har-
Dor, and in almost every direction we saw
immense red granite columns lying pros
trate beneath the surface Of the clear wa
ter, and others imbedded in the solid rock
or cemented together by some powerful
agent. In the southeast corner Of the
town, are the remains Of the church built
in the fourth century by Paulinus and
cOnsecrated by Eusebius, and in which
repOse the dust Of Origen and of the En-
peror Frederick Barbarossa. Six miles to
the east Of the town is the tomb of King
Hiram. It's an imposing mausoleum,
hewn out Of the solid limestone rock, some
IS feet long, 8 wide, and 9 high, and sur.
mounted with q pyramidal lid feet 10
thickness; It rests upon . pedestal Of
hewn stones 10 feet high, and being To-
Gated on hill, commands . view Of the
city Of the great king and Of the sea be.
yond. On the north side Of it is . large
vault in which, no doubt, the dust Of the
god Hiram once repOsed. Around IL the
country 10 strangely sOlitary-neither an
Gent ruin nor human habitatiOn Is near.
but standing alone, Il 10 alike venerable
relic Of the past and impressive monument
Of the loneliness q death.--COr. Neso
York NethOdist