The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1890-02-28
DR.. TALMAGD'S TRIP.
A Brief Sojourn in the Ancient
City Of the World.
THE VIEW FROM MOUNT HERMON

shopping UnOer DlmcuItles-Ine stree
Called STANDARDIZATION and CAMEL
Meat.
LIVERPOOL, Jan. 25.-Dr. Talmage, In
q recent letter to his multitudinoui
friends, has described in his own peculiar
style our strange and interesting expert
ence while sheltered from the inclemency
Of the weather beneath the roof of one Of
the many mud houses that constitute the
ambitious Bedouin settlement know az
"The Village of the Sum-" So exceeding.
ly solicitous of the reverend gentleman's
welfare were the two dusky wives of oul
amiable host, that their bright eyes were
continually employed watching his move
ments from an opening in the wall at the
further end of the hovel. large enough to
enable them to alternately poke their
heads into the room itself, until the
candles were extinguished and the ensu-
ing darkness rendered futile further
efforts in that direction. 1t was our first
night in Syria and never to be forgot
ten 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 the pursuit by Abraham of
Chedorlaomer, and many centuries after
Of Saul's memorable journey while on
his bloodthirsty mission to prosecute and
extirpate the early Christians
We assembled a shoulder of Mount Her
mon. eight thousand feet above the Med
iterranean sea, and near the reputed site
of the scene of TRANSPORTATION. From
this great elevation we enjoyed the COM
mand of our best view of Palestine.
The Jordan and the Dead sea were
plainly visible, while before us in the
distance lay Damascus, shaped like a
spoon, and surrounded by those beau
tiful olive and orange groves which
give color and substance to the claim
that the garden of Eden occupied that
very site. At our right Mount Hermon
continued to rise five thousand feet
higher than the place on which we were
standing. A large portion of the snow
browning it's summit finds it's 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
the inhabitants more intolerant than
villages that lie between Mount
n and Damascus, or more devOut
religious duties. The sight of a
I'M .aediately results in all man
anifestations, of displeasure and
!, and any EXPRESSION rejecting
mmedanism is sure to result jim
l0sion of wrath. Everywhere we
ID Moslems engaged in prayer, and
journalistic are they in their devotions
shat they keep a strict account of the
number of prayers offered, and should
for any reason or other there be an omis-
sion of the numerous 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 al
the customary gait, we wired for car
riage to come and meet Us at Katana
near which, the inhabitants insist, is the
site of Saul's marvellous vision and mirac
ulous conversion to Christianity. While
there may be some doubt as to the par
ticular spot where that ever memorable
event took place, there can be no ques
ton as to it's having occurred somewhere
in that immediate neighborhood, no other
road leading from Jerusalem to Damas-
Gus. With the aid of the carriage, which
came promptly as ordered, we were en-
abled to accomplish our object; and
while the setting sun was gliding the
housetops and minarets we rode along
the banks of the ALBANIA, that divides Da-
mascus it's 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 luxu-
rance of the foliage of the gardens along
which we passed to enter the city defies
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 ma
jestic trees planted on either side, present
a 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
minutes thereafter we found ourselves
comfortably housed in the finest hotel
Damascus can boast Of And no mean
hotel it was. In fact, it was the first no.
tel since we landed at Joppa that had a
comfortably warmed dining room. At
ter q sumptuous dinner we fingered
a while at the table and engaged
with the host in most inter-
esting conversation, in the course
of which he vehemently expatiated
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 win
dows facing the street unless they were
closely latticed, and hence the front
rooms are almost entirely dark. Imme-
la-A.,- 1H Sl,o I;usnp rrsOu1 no showed