Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-03-26

Appearance OF the ffehca AneamNAohN
.d-fa at Beirut, h,0 -fa,. Ell
Beirut claims especial attention, from its
connection with the massacres Of Syria. En-.
tefinf the bay we anchored among a feet OF
war vessels. mostly Turks, with two OF three
French. A single British corvette lay an
chored q long way off In a safer bay. The
other vessels of the English feet had been
ordered to the Adriatic, in view Of the un.
certainties Of European politics. Thus, the
French are left nearly alone in the defense
or protection of Syria. Ipresume Napoleon
does not regret his advantage, and doubt
less will make the most of Il. He. occupies
Syria, and you may depend upon II he will
never leave. You have been often informed
that he bias an army of a few thousand quar-
tered in the vicinity Of Beirut and among
the mountains Of Lebanon, | had the
pleasure Of visiting the French encampment
about Eve or six miles from the city, contain
ing, perhaps, four or Eve thousand French
and AlgeIians. ..1
I made the trip over a French road, in q
French omnibus. This road is the beginning
Of the road TO Damascus, aud means some
thing more than an effort to increase the
locomotive priveileges of the residents of
Beirut and Damascus. Very recently, | am
told by a gentleman long resident in Pales-
tine, Napoleon received a valuable present of
a fortress in the Lebanon mountains, from
lut WIG VI "a UtCtheGu I hehhs " udbtNtI
may he the future of the French occupancy,
the past and present is to be accredited to
the humane desire of the Emperor to sup
press the horrible butcheries of the Druses.
His own prompt action alone saved the I'M
butcbered of Syria, and his forces must
remain to insure their safety. But to re-
turn to the visit to the encampment. The
roads lay amid mulberry groves aud hedges
of cactus. Cafes for Turk and Frenchman
- 49, ,I,n, Ahax ov1 1aaNn vua1l
patronized, Notwithstanding they present
little of the attractiveness of the cafes Of the
Boulevards Of Paris.
The road was filed with French soldiers,
Turkish soldiers, Algerines, Bedouins, horse
men and footmen, donkeys and donkeymeu,
camels and camelmen, and women with
various costumes. Our French omnibus,
with its team Of mules and horses, and its
black Nubian driver, added to the strange
minglipg Of the European and the Oriental
the ancient and the modern, the stereOtypeC
and the progressive. We stopped in front o
a large French cafe close by the encamp
ment. Here a large band were e%nliveninl
the gay scene with martial music, and PEG
pie of ali pations were slipping their coffel
and smoking their "Sultanan or "Latakia
The main portion of the French are en-
camped in 1.-THE Pines a fine growth Q
pine trees springing out of naked sands
LllLIe ii dDl dITdURtmtul ID OD5Si " L
placing OF the tents.
The Freuchman, true to bis taste. seek
to ornament even bis camp, though like this
it be in a sand desert. Grass and flower
and running vines were growing aroun
the tents, and spaces were laid out in curve
and angles, and planted in various flower
and veIdure. Under French taste, even tn
desert blossoms as the rose. The campfire
were smoldering and the soldiers wer
sitting at their evening meal. Their tabl
was the ground and their seats the ground
and yet they contrived by digging a trenc.
around their table not to sit cross legge
like the Turk. Most of the tents are small
and afford only an Indifferent shelter fror
the Winter rains. Various trades neoessar
TO the camp were carried on, such as tailor
irg, harness-making, shoe making, black
smithing, &c.
The Algerine forces are encamped in th
open field, beneath the piercing rays of
Syrian sun. Their horses are in like man
ner tied out, exposed to all changes of tn
weather. They we're preparing their sur
pers at their scanty camp-ires, and 1t wa
amusing to see two or three of these will
Algerines squatting over their pot or par
smoking and chatting their Arabic, Will
every eye was fixed on the meal of potatoe
which they were eXtemporizing into fooC
Their dress is similar to that of the Bedouir
but their eyes are keener and their appear
ance l thought more s%prightly.
A Hungarian general remarked to me
that l had seen the "highest perfection G
military encampment;" this is a real arm
encampment, not the snowy demonstrate
of annual parades, and l am satisfied tina
many q young military a~spirant would b
thoroughly cured by a couple of months cor
inement lei e.-Letters from the Rev. DR.
Bag[ies,