Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-02-11
HEll0P0LlS AID sAALsEC.

4. In a letter to the London Times,
Isabel Burton gives these details:
''The temples are, doubtless, the main
attraction, but they are not every
thing, at HeliOpolis. A day may well
be devoted to the following pro-
gramme: Walk up the hill to the
southeast of the Kala'ah, examining
the remains Of the western wall about
the gate now called 'BauWaber Dau-
ris,' or Ell Sirr.' Visit the rock
tOmbs and ~sepulehral caves, the
remains OF the small temple and
Doric columns, and the Saracen
kubbat, or dome, under which lies
melek ell Amjad, Of the SeijHnRan
dynasty. From the high point the
view Of the ruins and of the valley is
absolutely charming. Descend to the
nearest mGkIG (qu7rries) and measure
every q does with different re-
sults-the Hajar el hableh, or 'preg-
nant stOne,' as the huge unfinished
block is called. Our measurement
was seventy feet long, fourteen feet
two inches high, and thirteen feet
eleven inches broad. 1t was doubtless
cut and prepared for building, but not
detached from the quarry 80 n end,
and the extraordinary sight makes
you eXclaim, Something must have
frightened them away before they had
time to carry it OF. Ride to the Kub-
bat Dauris, the Wall, named from a
neighbOring village; its eight columns
Of fine granite have doubtless been
removed from the classic building.
thence proceed to the other quarries
to the north OF the temples.
81 may here remark for the benefit
of unmr UnnnrQN rnaHdrq fhoE no nnn
can form a conception of the size of
the stones used for building HelipOlis,
unless they have seen them. The
three famous ones measuring sixty
feet, sixty-three feet eight inches, and
siXty-three feet lOng-eaeh thirteen
feet in height and breadth, and raised
10 q height OF twenty feet or more
take away ones breath, and compel
one to sit before them only to get
more and more puzzled, and TO think
how very superior in stOne-lfting and
transporting the pagans may have
been to US in 1870. !
"Atter rome indirect miles nearly
due west (2797 m8gnetic) of the ruins J
you stake the source of the Litani, on !
River Of Tyre, and of the Ash (OrOntes), .
which rise at the eastern foot Of the {
Lebanon Outiers, within one short !
mile Of each other. On the way you I
can enter the tents Of the TurkOmans, '
who, though wandering about Syria 9
since the DAYS Of the Crusaders, have o
preserved, like their neighbOrs, the 8
NuWar (gypsiesl their ancestral Ian {
ana customs. From the sources q
turn to the northeast and see the Ka- q
mus Tyad, named from 8 neighbOr- v
ing village, evidently a memorial q
like that Of Alilamus, still q
standing at Palmyra. Thence, across q
the northeastern quarries, cut in steps q
like the Egyptian, to the eastern wall 9
Of Baalbec. This must be carfulIy u
examined and its difference from that d
Of Tadmore, a succession of mausolea, Y
should be duly noted. i
"MOst travellers will now gladly q
return to their tents. II unwilling to re
a second day, they will re- u
mount about two pm, and to follow e.
1p to its source the little mountain q
Avn Lujuj. Il the weather be e
100 cold, they can descend the Maj @
en-, or shaft, explore the tunnel with ~
magnesium wire, and extend the sub =
erranean journey as far as the iron @
loOr reported by the natives. WeJ.
Cund the prospect peculiarly unin- ~
R~etracing steps down the q
Nadl, and visiting the tOmbs Of the y
eudal house Of Harfush, you strike ~
he valley Of the Baalbec waters at 70
It the source known as the RasheI
Ayn. This is by far the quiesesf and
be protest spot for pitching tents, IA
ut most people prefer, as we did, for ~
convenience, to eneamp amid the 10
Examine the two mosques, ~
- - k.sNN 49, H. Mall II L INK
Izad, son of the celebrated Melek Ell LEI
)hahir, and the smaller, 'Jami Ell ~
lelaWiyeh,' dating, rs the inscrip- y
on shows, from A. II. 679, and IN
rected by the Melek ell Dhahir him So
III. Tx
t'ThOse who have spare time might an
v a little digging in the mOrtuary IOV
sverns, which riddle the soft ehalky me
if on the proper belt of the river sur
alley. Even at Baalbec little has been 20
One in the way Of fOU5Nes. The gem I'M
al visitor stays q day, and after Ors
at the temples goes on his snr
ay rejoicing that ne has done mis- 9eL
Nj. JOyau, a young French uUe
fist, Grand Prix de Rome who, = y
nployed by his government, spent TIM
months in measuring and mod SUI
ing the temples, seems to have made sWl
cross cut on the south Of the re- anO
aiming six columns which mark the mo-
eat temple Of Baal. There has,
been no work on a grand u
ale. and 1 am convinced that exea- ford
.tions would produce valuable re- it is
Its. Lastly, as the sun is shining thel
hind the giant wall in front Of Won der
pass down the valley Of the Ras neai
Avn to the tents or houses. and Won gOeS
end the supplementary ride. useC
: In fine weather nothing can be had
IRE delightful than this excursion. oft L
e clear, crisp, pure air at an eleva- scriI
q Of three thousand feet above sea or b
ell. the abundance Of water more ton
endid than glass; the variety. the coca
and the glorious associations huni
the view; the sublime aspect of the
ruins browning the fertile waller, sacre
| backed by the eternal mOuntains; with
manifold contrasts of stony brown ouS
ge, barren yellow fiat, l1xuriant II "
dure Of irrigated field and orchard, q
not least-the- ermined othel
OF Herm0n, Sannin and ARR
nan (the cedar ridge), thrown out 1t
} such relief by the diaphanOus DR..
. sky that they seem to be within the
non shOt-if these things VIII not ofere
sly a travellers tastes, / don't ers, |