Morning journal and courier., 1889-12-26

take our names, residence, destination, busi- ness, with variety of other equally imper- tinent questions. Our watohf1I tourist con- ductor soon called him one side, slipped a fee into his itching palms, when he aban- doned his Investigations, seemingly begun in the interest of the government. As the miserable Turkish soldier is half clad, ,, often going in rags waiting for promised uniforms which are seldom seen, without even his small salary being paid him, in sheer des- peration he is driven to bribes and petty swindles 'to keep soul and body within speaking distance of each other,n as an cratic Methodist preacher once put it in de- scribing his unavailing efforts to live on a low salary. ',,,'
 Tarsus traces it's origin to the period of Sardanapalus. It is certainly of very gre at antiquity. Many important events have transpired within it's borders. Situated on the right bank of the river Cyduns it is surrounded by an extensive and productive plain of great fertility. Like most eastern countries the houses are built of stone of g gloomy appearance, with fiat roofs, pre- crowded close to the streets, with meager display of primitive wares needed by the native population. Dark and dirty loaves of bread, flat as the proverbial pancake, were being baked before cracking fire of roots and branches of trees. An ample supply of grapes was displayed in the markets of which our party secured large quantity, which with some of the dark, freshly baked bread, constituted lunch, as Tarsus has no hotel.
 Camels, donkeys, and natives crowded the narrow and dingy streets. Evidently we were as great curiosity to the people as they were to us, as we drove through the principal streets in the quaintest of old" fashioned carriages. Droves of camels were arriving and departing while many of these homelY but faithful "ships of the desert were lying in the shade, sheltered from the fierce rays of the ruddy sun.
 St. Paul described Tarsus as "no mean city," Whatever may have been it's charac- ter during his day it presented squalid ,un- attractive and positively mean appearance to us. For the first time we witnessed an east ern Khan, at this place. It has rooms to ac- commodate the men of the caravap with an enclosed court and stalls for the animals below. In a similar spot at Bethlehem, the Saviour was born, there being "no room" for his family s'in the inn." Water, called by the Arab, t'the gift of God" is exceed ingly scare ,and poor in quality. But seven- teen inches of rain had fallen during the proceeding year, which fully explains the shrunken appearance of the river Cydnus and the Falls of Cydnus already described.
 Before our train left Tarsus a visit was mace 10 bu6 tTaultlOuAl tomU UI 0HIuHuopd- lus and also to the Mahomedan mosque where the prophet Daniel is said to have been buried. The American public school was in session and before leaving we had the pleasure of seeing e group of bright eyed little girls go out for a short walk under the direction of their teacher. Near by stood a plain Armenian church. According to tradition it is built on the site of the first Christian church in kLo o;k kha al hnsr r1ki ized. Out of the ancient dome large flock of fiuttering swallows flew as we entered the venerable structure. Among other relics a piece of Noah's ark is soberly placed on ex- hibition. The men and women sit apart, occupying mats on the stone floor. The priest is permitted to marry but once, but in no case must he be united to blood rela- offense. The Rev. Mir. Mclaughlin, mis- sionary. being away during the hot season, we were obliged to forego visit to him planned by some of the party.
 Our next landing was Alexandria, eighty miles distant. Before going ashore our hearts had been gladdened and our curiosity aroused by the appearance of the American flag, which was displayed above large building near the seashore. We were all of the opinion that 1t must be the headquarters of the United States consul until we reached the spot.
 It proved to be the liquorice root ware- house of the Stamford, Conn.,, Manufactur ing company. Here was genuine surprise indeed! Although seven thousand miles from home, we had stumbled upon the American flag, Yankee business house, and a Connecticut one at that, managed by men only thirty miles from our home.
 Mir. Daniel Walker, superintendent, cour- teously explained the operations of the com pany and gave us much interesting informa- ton regarding the condition of the country. The supply of liquorice root is obtained from the banks of the Euphrates, about three hours ride distant. It is brought on the backs of camels in loads of five hundred pounds each. Apparently the supply is in- exhaustable, as much of the root remains in the ground, which rapidly grows and spreads after the next rainfall. After being con veyed to the warehouse it is pressed into huge bales, bound with iron hoops and con- veyed by steamers to distant lands, where it is converted into liquorice paste, s1ch as is commonly seen in drug stores
 Mir. Walker is Scotchman by birth and has experienced many dangers and much rough usage among robbers, as he travels among the mountains to remote places in the interests of his business. However, he is as bold as a lion, and "none of these things move him." He goes we'll armed, is good shot and superb horseman. He has the eye of an eagle, with the celsrity and cau- tion of cat. In some combat in the near future he may fall, but the chances are that some of his foes will fall first. It is under stood that he has already winged one or two deadly assassins who attempted his life.
 But nominal wages are paid as rule in this portion of the Turkish empire. Mir. Walker stated that four and five cents day was all that the natives received. Even blacksmiths had received no more. The Stamford company pays about fifty cents for a day's labor, which seems to the impover. ished people small fortune. Laborers will carry from 400 to 500 pounds on their backs, about camel'a load. The Eaphrates is the Mississippi or Nile of the region, furnishing in many ways much of the scanty employ ment to be found. The river is navigable for 1, 100 miles and is 1900 miles in length.
 From Alexandretta to Latakia the sail was eighty miles more. On the coast the spot is pointed out where Jonah was thrown ashore by the fish that had devoured him. Much of the entire coast line Is tame and uninterest- ing, though the exceedingly quiet sea and distant Emountain ranges serve to render the trip delight. We pass near battle6elds, famous in history, where Alexander and Darius met in battle, and near the line of march of the fanatical and undisciplined Crusaders and many other noteworthy locali- ties. After receiving more freight and pas sengers, spending Few hours, we hasten on. An attempt to land our party was abandoned as the willy Turkish official wished to take all the passports with him, which would have made needless delay and served as an excuse for exacting additional and illegal fees.
 Larnaca, on the Isle of Cyprus, seemed a beautiful place from the decks of our steam. CT. But long tramps over it's hot roads, through beds of white dust which covered fields and travellers alike, speedily dispelled the pleasing illusion. Rude stone houses and walls of the eternal greyish white reflec- ted the mercilees rays of the sun. Ever and anon tall palm tree nodded us welcome, or huge cacti securely guarded groves of oranges and lemons from our presumptious approach. At wayside refreshment room forty cents was asked for two glasses of lem- onade for members of our party within one hundrad yards possibly of the spot where