The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-05-10
IN THE sYRIAf MouRrAIHs.
4i.c.l.s

>4t.s4ss Se.es
 Perhaps me course s3os, ,o he atvooa- ted Tor strangers is a a-.sureis .ns taeI. which can be Hs1asee "lth coHioTg proporicEate 10 expense. oF iause ho have roughca !; through os.ss or Nof- wesian campai T. a,.d afc To; a'raid ot good musCaI<.r eNerGiSe and plenty Il. there Is no valia ieason why waking toar nigh, Ipt e,e lace extremely agree able. The experiment. has already eeen made with sscce>s a.ong some of the mos. usual oaIes, and n'igh, be Fepe4;ed anywhere in Syria or tAlesuEe. The greaies. dit -uty wouii doabtiess be to md dragon.an whose dignity would suffer hum 10 walk, and 2 -on' proH,se would probably save :o be effected 5y which a baggage mule should be pro vided on winch he intsk; Tide while the Englishmen walked. This reversal q: the order of things would also shock hls sensibiiities and IL Is to be feared that his moral courage would in the end sucoun5 10 the frequent necessity ot explaining 10 curious native minds that hIs emp.ot CTS are not poor. but mad kvtn after the dragonlan Is found. 100 mu.h authority must not be gwen Co h.ai. sni all ar engagements should be careteay super
 vised by ,he toa.Ist The provision teE the way SIll De e,y stulr rlc. If mule Is taken he : .n Calry | tent and bedding bu, these aTe rGts aeeessafy. ard an Ashan:ee hamI .ez and ral.Say = vii. answer ai! purposes. on i..c i.i : n.s. Tn high spots where there iz ao dread ei lever, nothing IS pieAs .ntef than 70 ne under ,he or.E t. sy4rs. md 5; other tunes, when recourse io si...Ke hospitality be comes needfsl. swing ng bed. is ated from surrounding contact, will be iotrd 10 possess very appteclacle advantages. There $ that. or rather those, a0ou, Syf- ian mattresses whicss vii generally nur- der sleep. For drinking, . little or spirit may be carried. but the taste soon accustoms i,selt 10 the clear :feSn water. The country people fare Will always be good enough for hansrs man, and ap- petite IS not often wanting ., seyeI&! thousand feet above sea-leyri. Although meat is not procurable every cay. kids are to be haa Tn most of iAe villages. and the fresh baked bread with cio;ied cream and scented honey ~.i Dc hard 10 ind faul, with. Rice ls ever reaoy. and, as all Syrian mount2ineers seem 10 be born cooks, after iher fashion, there will sel dom be need to complain.
 bat then the travellers fashions must be modified ;o agree with those oi his hosts He will learn 10 dispense ele- gan,ly with knife and fork, and 4uire the art of pouring quart of water oown his throat without touching the Jug with his lips or taking his breath. He will also need d great e.as.3esgy oi the knee joints 70 sustain hun through a universal lack Of chalrs. and wil! otherwise have to fall IT SlIh the customs of the noun tain If he wishes really 10 enjoy himself and to learn something of the ac,uallties of the life of those around him The riding traveIer will not excise so much n- terest as the walker. and will be looked upon with suspicion as a suaggler from the annual spring invasion. The usual tent and cook viii naturally render him independent of all personal intercourse with his surroundings, except such IS his own sympathies may promp, him to seek. 4 great deal, again, depends upon the dragoman, and fo. excursi ons of the kind some of the more modest English-speak ing natives, who would scarcely lay claim to dragomanic honors will be foLad the better guides. These are difficult 10 hun; out. however. being invariably regarded with the same lealousy by the cleo. of the guild as are the denkcy-boys of Cairo. The ordinary dragoman IS averse 10 see ing my gentleman friendly relations with any one but himself ard probably he has eogent reasons tor wishing that his charge should continue long 10 enjoy the bliss of ignorance. The usual :erms in the winter season GOT tao persons are from three pounds upward per diem with cook and tents. Abou. sovereign Of this goes for necessary expenditure, 4bou, ten shiilings for useless display. and the other thirty shililngs Is clear proa,. Four or i've francs day, exclusive Of horse hire, vill keep single man. who should know enough Arabic at hrst-and a ~ery little will sut1ice-to ass; h.s gay, ass food and shelter. He =iii be s-rpr.zed to ind how soon the enforced practice will glve hia iiuency Of tongue, and the trip will become daily more interesting
 4 month es 90 spen, in the North l1e- banon would never Dc thrown away. The scenery Is very ~Ild. ard a; times, of striking beauty. The country also teens with remains ot the highest archaoaoglcal interest, which have been but neasEey examined as ,et. Among o1ac. enigmas- still We believe Cnsolsed, the traveller ~iA be able 10 exercise his ingenuity on the extraordiray rock inscriptions of :he formula Arooruul quatuo. genera cetera priva,a. which occurs more than one hundred times. There are many others in the kesrorac still unpublished which seem 10 have escaped explorers in aa iE- expLcable manner. From Aka 10 By bios, along the course oi inc Nahr Iora- him or river of Adonis, the country still contains many relics of .he cal. of the Fzsorite of Venus, a-d those of Aka