Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-03-17
TENURE OF LAND IL SYRIA.

During nv residence in Damascus tried
one or two villages in the neighborhood as
a summer retreat, and at length liked upon
a village called Msraba, az being at con-
venient distance from she city to ride there
in the morning and return at night. Find
ing. however, that the native houses were
scarcely habitable, determined to have
small house built close to, yet not over
looking, the village To carry cut my plan
I had first Of all to apply to the Vail
forpermission to do so. His Highness, with
an outburst Of Oriental liberalty, declared
his readiness to give me not only piece OF
ground, but garden as well. This / de-
clined with thanks, knowing the value OF
such an offer, but showed him on paper the
spot l had chosen, consisting of barren
rock, and asked him to send competent
psrson 20 the place to examine the site and
value IL, and at the same time gee from the
plan that none of my windows would over
look my neighbors. In the course of
few days | received a notice that a commits
sion of six officials would meet me on the
spot and settle the matter at once. pro-
vided a luncheon al frescO to which the
sheikh of the village was invited TO nego-
tiate on the part OF the villagers. After
long preamble, setting forth the value OF
land in general and of this spot in partlcu-
lar he offered at length to sell the site for
5000 piastres la piastre is 2i.) " Fifty
pi4stres" wrote down the scribe. "By the
life of your father it is too ittle-say
5000" Ssventy.fve, said the scribe.
9 Say 600 it is worth 5000.
One hundred piastres was the
sum agreed TO at lsst, and had the per-
mission to begin building at once. When
the house was half finished an order came
to stop, on this ground that it was built
over the tomb of Moslem saint, and that
the departed spirit might not relish the
vicinity OF Christians, and avenge himself
by doing us some bodily harm for which
the Vail would be responsible. After a
great deal Of trouble and Investigation his
Highness was convinced that the existence
of suoh q tomb was a myth. The next
charge brought against me was that while
i pretended to build house l was IN re-
atty building a convent in the midst OF
Mohammedan population. I had hard
struggle to convince him that Professionals
bad no such institutions. Now all these
charges had been trumped up by the eff.
Gals in the hope of receiving the usual
bride, which I was determined not to give,
having made up my mind to carry the bust
ness through honestly and legally. One
more effort was made to annoy ne, or
rather to force me to give the customary
" backsheesh, viz, that the house was
built over a road leading from the village
to the stream, to the great inconvenience
of the villagers. The Consul had at length
to interfere the Government engineer was
sent to investigate the matter and report
upon it, which was to the effect that there
was no vestige of road or foot-path in the
vicinity of the house. After this was
left in peaceful possession 80 far that no
one could turn me ont OF the house, but,
not having the title deeds, I could scarcely
expect to find purchaser in case I wished
to sell it. My next effort was to secure
the necessary papers. Month after month
applied il vsin for them. The Governor
pretended to be shocked TO hear that his
orders had not been carried out, he sent for
the scribe and threatened him with his
fercest displeasure if such an act of negli-
gence should ever again be reported against
him. The scribe pleaded a sprained wrist
as an excuse for the delay, but by the life
of the Prophst he would write the docu-
ment at once. I took a hasty leave Of the
Vail and rushed off after the scribe, de.
termined not to lose sight of him again
he had, however, disappeared. as if the
earth had swallowed him up. These scenes
were repeated over and over again, till at
the end of twelve months, having to leave
Damascus, | had to sell the house at
great loss, not having the title deeds. The
purchaser, the American Vice Consul,
trusting to his official position, hoped to be
able to succeed where had failed. L have
no doubt but that by following the usual
Oriental custom of bscksheesh, and divid-
ing SO or go among the officials, every
obstacle would have been removed to my
obtaining the title deeds of property for
which l paid the sum of les. Sd.-TRev.
w. Wright, in the Contemporary Review.