The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-07-24

all time and which NaomRn not unnatur-
ally preferred TO all the waters Of Israel.
The habitations of men must always have
been gathered around IL, as the Nile has
inevitably attracted an innumerabie popu-
! lation to its banks. The desert is fortit-
cation round Damascus. the river is its
! life. For miles about it is a wilderness Of
gardens with roses among the tangled
strawberries and fruit on the branches
overhead. Caravans of laden camels come
and go from Bsgdad and Mecca as of ola;
oriental merchants sit and smoke over
their costly bales in dim bazaars; drowsy
groups sip their coffee in kiosks overhsng-
ing the river, and all the picturesque
costumes of the east mingle in the
streets and crowd the khans. Mar
bic minarets, golden crescents glitter
ing on massive domes, towers and
terraces of level roofs rise out of sea Of
/ foliage: white palaces and harems shine
with ivory softness through dark green
groves which smiles in depth and leagues
in circuit girde this city TO which Paul
was lourneying when miraculously con-
rerted by a great light from heaven.
The population OF Damascus is placed at
$50. 600 nine-tenths of whom arc Mohom-
medans, notorious for their fanaticism
against foreigners. Our own party was
assaulted one day by some water carriers
In 1.-THE street called straight There are
about 5000 from the lost tribes and the
balance are made up mainly by Christian
Greeks. Among other sights they point
out the house of AnRnias and Naaman the
leper, while the great mosque is said to
contain the head OF John the Baptist.
During the recent attack of cholera here,
there were 700 deaths ia the hrst two
weeks, and sixty days later 3, 900 more vic
tins had followed their predecessors on
that star lit road. Here, as elsewhere, the
towns contain many Russian refugees OF
the chosen race, and gaInt and wretched
they are indeed, tue very reverse of the
generally handsome and energetic Hebrews
of our own city mo soap goes with this).
The autocrat of Russia car Of the oppres-
sion, he should be termed, mas caused much
unmerited misery TO that people and many
dlspassionate travellers would not be sorry
to see his own populace peeled and scat
tered in turn.
JoURSEyING TO TURKEY.
But soon grew weary of Damascus and
one pleasant day took ship at Beyrout and
set sail for Turkey, when the ever-fresh-
ening breeze blew US on towards the island
OF Cyprus ana Rhodes and Smyrna, at all
Of y hica places brief stops were made
The Jays were pleasant and the nights
perfect with the Mediterranean moon up,
broad. round and bright and with scarcely
ripple on the sea TO break the path of
light she made across the waters. Passing
through The Grecian Archipelago and
the Dardenelles, we went up the Golden
Horn. entered the Bospborous and lay to
OF STEAMBOAT, with the innocent white
walls OF tue Seralio cleaning among
lemon groves What tales of romance,
love, lust blood aud treachery those walls
could tell of It's inmates; but when a girl
enters that harem ner face is never seen
again, she is as dead to the world as If the
grave had already closed above her; fair
llmbed women with fettered feet 10
profane the sanctity Of the narem is
crime so deadly III tue cast
that no mercy is shown 20 intruders, while
the inmate offending, though the offense
be mere indiscretion, is hurried to her
doom with pitiless haste; fierce. vindictive
speed, rude force and savage pain close the
story OF her life.
CUSTOMS OF THE COUNTRY.
Our Austrian Lloyd steamer came into
view OF Constantinople about daylight.
There Is no city in the world presenting
finer exterior view than that Of the capital
OF the Ottoman empire. A passport is de-
manded and custom house inspection fol-
lows, and that is either careless or caprici-
Gus according TO the amount of bacxsheesh
given or ..greasing; done, that being the
alipowerful regulator in the east. The Gus
tolas prohibit the entry OF the following
-