Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-01-19
Chr FREEMAN.
Asia Minor.



offered her beauties to our eye in thre'
ranges of light on her hills. as we tool
the little boat in the eve for the steame
anchored half mile distant. The Mess
ageries line have boats with complete
appointments, cleanly and pleasant, will
excellent table. Next day after leaving
B. we anchored about Il mile off Tripoi
so called because the ancient Sdonians
Artbians and Syrians had separate quar-
ters. The bay is excellent, and the view
of the place from the steamer appears as
two cities. with Il quarter of mile be-
tween them unoccupird. The Lebanon
presents noble view here. 1t comes
down to the sea in seven ranges, and
reminds Us of the Adirondack as seen
from St Albans.
There are running through the city OF
Tripol street cars, which in fact is the
commencement of an English railroad
designed to 90 through northern Syria,
and reach Bagdad some day, so that the
British can have railroad connection with
India. The work is only delayed by
Moslem changing authority, which does
not understand in its subordnates or head
the value of these modern enterprises OF
capitalists, or some of them are seeking to
be made suddenly rich by the offer OF
backhcesh. The love of money is here
evidently the root of all evil.
Now put before YOUR mind the practical
business stale of things in the east. The
English have that business in Egypt, which
they would gladly turn into cotton and
jute field. to benefit their manufactures at
home. The German takes the business of
the road and field in Palestine; the French
lower and mountainous Syria, while the
English seek the northern plains. Rus
sian and Austrian contend with French
and English for mail and business lines of
steamers on the Mediterranean. Study
the home resources of these nations, and
their manifest destiny. You will then be
able to make some prophecy of what will
become of the Mohammedan empire when
the sick sensual man dies. And he is
dying. There are governments independ-
ent of him within his empire. The Leba-
non district does not pay him taxes, nor
receive any aid from him in war. The
Maronites are under the protection of the
French. The adjoining district of Damas
Gus is under the sultan. So it goes. More
on this anon.
We ought to have mentioned in our last
the name of DR.. Henry Jessup in connec-
tion with Beirut He has been there
also twenty five years in mission work.
He breaches in Arabic at o'clock Sab
bath mornings, and in the afternoon has
an Arabic Sabbath school of three hundred
scholars. His brother, DR.. H. Jessup, is
at Tripoli. Although in the mission work
only fifteen years, besides his religious
labors, he has twenty-five schools in the
Lebanon Syria under his direction. The
influence of these American workers eX-
tends from Cairo Egypt, on the south to
Antioch, on the north, the place where
the disciples were first called Christians
1t is exceedingly gratifying to observe and
receive benefit from their moulding power
rs manifest in The manly, substantial char
acter of the graduated Syrian.
Oar next halt on the Syrian coast was
at Latakia, known Us Lrodicea by the sea
and often confounded with the inland LII
odcea of the seven churches. This town
exhibits more MUsem minarets than any
other on the sea coast. 1t is beautiful,
situated on IA rocky shore, with three
plateaus Of land receding and rising above
each other, and then all crowned with the
high overhanging Lebanon range. The
Lebanon terminates II few miles north into
st. Lawrence valley. Persian merchants
came aboard here for the first time in our
travels.
We made the most northern port of the
Syrian coast, Alexandretta, which is the
port OF Aleppo, few hours distant east OF
the Amanus mountains, which range COM
tioch, twenty three hours distant laying in
the valley north east of the Amanus
range. This bay is the ancient Isis bay,
the river of that name emptying into It,
where Alexander first met and defeated
the Persians. Alexandretta was founded
by him. 1t is only port for large in
land business. There are ten or twelve
consul flag stafs, houses all gabed and
rooted except three or four fiat ones; has
good wharfage for goods, none for steam.
ers, which anchor full mile from shore
mountains, and the place is reported to u,
as unhealthy. The mountains look as il
covered with snow, but it is only the lime
stone ridges d, sttute of vegetation for &
mile and IL half from their submits. A.
the white cloud reflects the suns rays they
become so snow white that one can hardly
escape the delusior that he is tracing a
long snow line unbl oxen to the Tauru,
range.
We came next to anchor at Messina,
small town of no special importance. Foul
hours away is rarsuS, Pauls birthplace
and it once contained n school of philoso
ply of some emnence. A good carriage
way runs to it now, though formerly tho
way was very low and muddy and full o
malaria.
We have taken on board recruits FOL
Constantinople. AS they came in scows
they looked as garden of roses on the
sea, in their many colored turbans and
robes A nearer view shows hard com.
pany Of assassln-looking men, from the
hills aud wales of this mountain region
They have no swing of victory" abou
them, but the anatca look of intense
unity in ignorant or false religion. O
how untruth and error hurts men. Womb
that all listened to Him who is the truth