The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-23
DOCTOR TALMAGE'S TRIP.
FINAL LETTER CONTAINING
MUCH OF INTEREST

,sh housekeeping Under Difficult
.ss-The "Street Called Straight
Davotion and Camels Meat = At
church on Christmas Eve-A Call at
1arnica, Cyprus-Moody and Senkey
=, Modern Greek-Ephesus and It's
wonderful Ruins - Mytilene - The
crack Archbishop and the Turkish
Governor
LIVERPOOL, Jan. 25.-Dr. Talmage, in
,oca,t letter to his multitudinous friends,
hos described in his own peculiar style our
strange and interesting experience while
sheltered from the inclemency of the
,roather beneath the roof of one of the
many mud houses that constitute the am
bitioI,s Bedouin settlement known as "The
viuage of the Sum-" So exceedingly
,olicitous of the reverend gentleman's
velfare were the two dusky wives of our
.miable host, that their bright eyes were
eontinualy employed watching his move
ments from an opening in the wall at the
fnrther end of the howell, large enough to
enable them to alternately poke their heads
into the room itself. until the candles were
extipguished and the ensuing darkness rem
5ored futile further efforts in that direction.
It was our first night in Syria, and never
to be forgotten night it was.
Early dawn the next morning found us
in our saddles ready for the journey to
damascus, the most ancient city on the
face of the earth. We were on the most
ancient of all highways, once the scene of
tbe pursuit by Abraham of Chedorlaomer,
x,-.oe oft Of Ne
ALE Journey while on his bloodthIrsty mis-
son to persecute and extirpate the early
CHRISTIANS.
We assembled shoulder of Mount Her
mon eight thousand feet above the Med
ierranean sea, and near the reputed site
Of the scene of TRANSPORTATION. From this
great elevation we enjoyed the command of
our best view of Palestine. The Jordan
srd the Dead sea were plainly visible
while before us in the distance
lay Damascus, shaped like a spoon,
and surrounded by those beautiful
olive and orange groves which
give color and substance to the claim
that the Garden of Eden occupied that -erv
site. At our right Mount Hermon continued
TO rise 5000 feet higher than the place on
which we were standing. A large portion
of the snow browning this summit finds its
way daily to Damascus there to be favored
with lemon and orange and pineapple and
melon, after which it is served in the
daintiest of dishes to the inmates of in
Vulnerable harems. Nowhere in all Syria
ere the inhabitants more intolerant than in
the villages that lie between Mount Her.
mon and Damascus, or more devout in
their religious duties. The sight of chris
tian Immediately results in all manner of
manifestations of displeasure and contempt
and any expression rejecting on No
hammedauism is sure to result in an
explosion of wrath. Everywhere we
found Moslems engaged in prayer, and so
journalistic are they in their devotions that
they keep strict account of the number of
prayers offered, and should for any reason
or other there be an omission of the numer-
Gus prayers required of the faithful, at the
very next devotional exercise the service is
repeated as often as may be necessary to
make up for the deficiency
AS it appeared quite evident that we
could not reach Damascus travelling at the
customary gait, we wired for carriage to
come and meet us at Katana, near which,
the inhabitants insist, is the site Of Saurs
marvellous vision and miraculous CONVEX
sion to Christianity. While there may be
some doubt as to the particular
SPOT where that ever memorable event
took place, there can be no question
as to its having occurred somewhere
in that immediate neighborhood, no other
With the aid of the carriage. which came
promptly as ordered, we were enabled to
accomplish our object; and while the setting
sun was gliding the housetops and minarets
we rode along the banks of the Abana, that
divides Damascus its entire length.
The first impression one gets of Damas-
Gus is an exceedingly favorable one, and
the principal approach to it is perfectly
beautiful. Even in December the luxuri-
ance of the foliage of the gardens along
which we passed TO enter the city defes
description, and the deep glades, with
their pretty houses, the roofs of which are
below the level of the well graded road,
which is completely shaded by majestic
trees planted on either side, present
scene that an ADLER pen than mine may
shrink from describing. A Mohamme-
dan mosque stands at the very entrance of
this approach, and here daily are fed the
poor Of the city at the expense of the
church. 1t was already quite dark when
we entered the city, and within a few min
utes thereafter we found ourselves COM
fortably housed in the finest hotel Damascus
can boast Of. And no mean hotel it was.
In fact, it was the first hotel since we
landed at Joppa that had comfortably
warmed dining-room. After q sumptuous
dinner we fingered awhile at the table
and engaged with the host in a most
interesting conversation, in the course
on the intolerance of the Turks and
the innumerable obstacles they put in his
way. Among Other things they refused
him the privilege to have windows facing
the street unless they were closely latticed,
and hence the front rooms are almost en-
tirely dark. Immediately off the dining
room he showed us another about fifteen
feet square, which was rendered absolutely
useless by an order of the governor to wall
up tie windows. If the Turks daredsto do
1t they would repeat, be said, the massacre
Of 1860, when over 5000 christians were
ruthlessly slain by merciless hordes, who
llrst set fire to their houses and then hewed
them down as they fled from the flames.
Although the largest of the cities of Tur-
Key in Asia, Damascus is likewise one of the
dlrtiest and most fanatical; and yet, in
spite of its filth, it is very attractive. Its
Dazars are wonderful, and contain the
most beautiful fabrics in bewildering pro-
fusion. But shopping is not enjoyable, as in
our American cities. The ladies Of our
party were spit upon and frequently treated
with other expressions of marked contempt
because they appeared unveiled on the
streets. Even the Turkish women join the
men in these demonstrations, and visit to
any OF tue shops was sure to draw curious
crowd. Deformities of all kinds are shame
iessly exhibited, and specimens of elephan-
uasls, which causes limbs to swell to almost
Incredible proportions and covers them