The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-03-01
GARDENS OF SIDON.
SCENES e RARE 9EaUTY IN TIE CD
rHGH.CiAN CITY.

Appears Today-T..n Dre,sof Its People.
Their Garments and Their Arms.
The deWt.cors glittpred in the light Of
the jaSt rising sul. and the air wa heavy
with sweet doors If hundreds Of orange
and lemon trees with white blossoms.
The scene was a picture OF marvellous
fertility. Orange Tickets, yellow and
white with their double burden Of fruit
and flowers: lemon. apricot AMI fs trees.
in~tersprr<ea with the more tropical palm
and iate. al. growing in the greatest
luxariaace. At times we saw She Gi.cer
shaftlike leaves Of the banana. often 10
feet i'll length. An occasional mulberr.
orchard explained the presence of an en-
terprising silk mandatory near b..
Every few yards little brooks bab5lel
along, the absolute essential of this lux.
uriance.
1t is not strange that this paradise os
flowers and fruit IS much frequented by
the inhabitants of the crowded. dirty
town. No II can ride through these
fair gardens and fail 20 perceive why the
worship of the OLD Sido1ians was 80
closely connected with the grove. and
how from natures rich p~rofu-ion about
them they learned to worship the idea If
fertility, which was the essence Of their
religion. The ancient SiGon. too. was
not crowded down close by the sea. bat
was situated farther bac,; III the pla!A.
and thus was enriched by Il ring Of e;Ii-
erald.
On tie outskirts 81 tie gardens w,
came to the c~ataco,HLs of old S.tioa.
which have been excayalei by liz.
French. In the soft limestone rock cx-
tend long series Of connected chamber,
which have contributed IA few ri
statues, several sarcop1a-i and mun!-
mics to the very few meInantos which
We have of that enterprisiLg people
who secured their alphabet in Egypt
and carried it to Greece, and thus trags-
mitted. with certain changes. the letters
with which we communicate our 18th
century ideas. More Of the PstEatic ART
Of PhnIicia is to he seen today IN
Athens than III all Palestine. Their il
the MyctnfR room one can see the richly
inlaid daggcrs. the beautiful ornamcnts
uiia lItt la'SliillitS vi TIT DtuttI KUN
cups which We're also manufactured by
these artisans of oriental antiquity to
grace the temple of solomon at Jcrusa-
lem. Every ruin of that ancient world.
whether in Phnnicia or not. whc. lti.
bare bears ample testimony 10 the a.,i.!
AID enterprise Of this semitic nation Of
traders.
Leaving these cd tcmbs ard the
thoughts that they inspired. we Were
Don studying rhnnicia rs She appears
today. On our left extended the Lei9-
non range. while in the distance rose
Mount Her.non. clad in g~listtniag
like Pentelicus marble III the mid lay
sun. On tine right was the blue sea, i'll
to which we ere long took Il plunge. Be-
fore Us the narrow bride path extended.
now through fertile although only half
cultivated fields, now over a rocky prom.
ontorv. which often Juttea into the sci.
Habitations We're rare and generai!r
huddled together for protection against
the Arab incursions.
On the highways we often met these
modern representatives and probable de-
scendaIts of the ancient MiHiunites
Tall, muscular fellows, with tl.e dar.,
Semitic countcnance and black beard.
clad with the striped abba. "A sGuara
piece Of goat hair cloth folded aul sewel
above the shoulders, the chief garLacl.
OF the pdtriarchs and the mantle OF Eli
la,. tie ii-hbite. Underneath they wore
the kimbez. the long flowing tu4;e,
which appeared when they threw h;irk
tbeirabbas. About their heads was tight
ly wrapped the silizen kefiyeh. crowned
with the two heavy goat hair coils, which
enclrcied the tops of their heads ike 4.
la1Ee, black serpent. About the waist
was tightly bound the girdle, adorned
with huge, odd shaped knives, or. if he
be a civilized Arab. with pistols.
An ugly looking speer Is or - feet
long completed the outfit. an outfit wei
calculated to engender green envy in the
heart Of an American cowboy. A little
detonr enabled us to visit the black tcnts
of ketlar, the abode Of these perennial
campers out. 1t is Il rectangular edifce
II OF 20 feet long. supported on pole
which 10 or 80 centuries of inherited ca
perience has taught them to skillfulIg
place at exactly the right angle. This
palace Of thickly o goat hair
cloth is held in position by strong guy
ropes. The sides are raised or lowered
at will, according to the position of the
sun or the direction of the wind.
Within a curtain separates the WON.
ems apartment from the common re-
c~el4tion oo,n. The cooking outfit, like
the dwelling. is characterized by it se-
we're simplicity, since fortunately tfn
Arab does not demand "A many course
dinner, and long years of practice have
taught Linn to dispense with a super
fluffy of dishes. which is generally more
than n for a family.-Chicago Inter
Ocean.