Smyrna times., 1896-04-01
LETTER FROM ROLAND W. BELL.
Interesting Description of Tyre, SidOn and
Beirut,

Beirut.
We are permitted to publish a letter
of Roland w. Bell, son of w. M.
Bell, of this town, which gives account
of his whereabouts on the coast of
Syria. The letter was written to his
mother, dated February gath, 1896:
Feb. 81, '96-Sea, Sidon. Sea and Beirut.
Arrived in Sidon about p. IN. Sidon,
without doubt, is the oldest city we have
visited Before leaving Smyrna there was
considerable talk of visiting both Tyre and
SldOn, but for some reason we did not reach
the former place. Tyre lies about twenty
miles directly south from here and is called
Sur. Sidon is called Saida. In the HOmeric
poems, Sidon Is spoken of as rich in ore and
the people as experienced and skilled i'll art.
Although Sidon had sent out colonies at an
earlier period than Tyre Hippo, Carthage,
etc., it afterwards became less enterprising
IN this repect than the sister city and even
seems to have acknowledged her supremacy
Il Kings V: 6; Eek. xvii: 81, while always
retaining a certain degree of independence,
as Kings of SidOn are spoken of (lSt Kings
xvi 81. During its dependency on the
Asiatic Empire, SidOn continued to be an
important commercial town. Sidon seems
to have been quite the bone of contention
during the earlier centuries. as it was seized
and raZed not less than eight times
In 1S40 the harbOr fortress was destroyed
by the allied European fleet. In 1860 the
Christians here were prosecuted at the IN
stigation of the Turkish Governor, Ahmed
Pasha, and no fewer than 1900 Christians
are said to have been massacred in the dis
trict of Saida alone
The present town of Saida occupies the
site of ancient Sidon. Like most of the
PhGnician towns, It lies on a prOmOntOry,
in front of which is an island. The town Is
=
a city as | have ever seen. The streets are
very narrow, and some of them barely per-
init two persons to pass each other. 1t diff
fers principally from Yafa i'll its clean
liness; Sidon being very clean and
Yafa being just the opposite. The pride of
SldOn Is its magnificent gardens, which
form broad belt around the town. Be
yOnd the green and fertile plain, above the
lower spurs, tower the snowy peaks of
Lebanon. Oranges and lemons of excellent
quality are largely cultivated and exported;
almonds and apricOts, bananas and palms
also grow here. The town now comprises
about $1,000 inhabitants The American
Mission maintains boys and girls school
and there are several Muslin colleges. The
little town contains few attractions. At the
north end of the town, bridge with eight
arches crosses to a small island, Kalat-al-
Bahr, where there are the ruins Of a castle
of the thirteenth century. Among the ruins
we notice large drafted blocks which prob
ably belonged to some earlier structure
The style of the present walls, with the in
serted fragments of columns, as well as the
pointed arches, are medieval.
The metropolis Of Sidon is situated in the
limestone rocks, but slightly elevated above
the plain, which We're once washed bV the
sea and are now covered by layer of earth
Several of the vaults have fallen in, while
others have been long filled with earth
The town affords a very pleasant and inter
esting mornings inspection.
Left about p. m. and arrived in Beirut
about p. III. The ancient name of the city
was Berytus. In the second century before
Christ Berytus IS said to have been de-
stroyed in consequence of a rebellion against
AntiochuS VII, but was shortly afterwards
rebuilt and named Augusta Felix. Beirut,
like Tyre and SidOn, has been the seat OF
many conflicts, and it also was b0mbarded
in 1910 and captured for the Turks.
Beirut is the most important commercial
town of Syria, while Damascus, Ia short
distance from herel is the largest. The
town il the seat of Greek Orthodox, bish.
op, a Marauite archbishop, a United Greek
patriarch and Papal Delegate. The town
is beautifully situated Oh the slopes of Ras
Beirut and st. Dimitri, facing the sea The
plain is covered with luxurant gardens
Beyond them the Hills of Lebanon rise rap.
idly, overtOpped by the snow clad submits
of the Sannlm and kenelSeh. The hills art
furrOwed by several deep ravines and Can.
OnS but are cultivate to considerable
height. The rosy tint of the mountains
contrasting with the deep blue of the sea
presents most picturesque scene by the
early evening light. 1t reminds one of ItliaI
scenery. There are about 100, 900 inhbabit
ants in Beirut and it has thirty-siX Christia!
churches. The Muslin element is gradually
being displaced by the Christians
The American Mission (Presbyterian) ha.
been laboring in Syria since 1872 land that
city Is the center of its operations. Their,
are now over 5000 members in this com
munltY. The total number of schools o
this mission Is over $50 with a membership
of over 6,000. 1t is certainly making very
creditable showing
Hardly think it probable that will get t,
Damascus owing to the paucity of the cur
rent coin of the realm.
Feb %, Beirut.-Went ashore this D. III
to go out to the Pasha of Beirut's Gardens
and to take a drive over the hills O
Lebanon. Enjoyed the drive immensel,
and was greatly disappointedin the gardens
| They are pretty to be sure, but my imagi
nation had been worked to such a pitch b.
our ''kmass" or guide that | expected fa
better. Lots of the people around her
think that the Garden of Paradise was il
this immediate neighborhoOd the lam
DelnS very Ieftle ana UIe Nefuufe luAUflant
| 1t may look very well to the eye of a Turl
| of the desert, but from an occidental poin
| of view, It does not amount to much along
side Of some of our California parks an
| gardens.
Nearly all of the Turks here land b
Turks l mean all of the population who ar
not Christian, embracing Kurds, Maronites
Muslims and their kindred tribes), are ais
MOrmons; and it seems that the more Wive
a man can support, the higher he rises il
the estimation of his fellow-men. A YER
pretty house ON the Damascus road wa
pointed out to us as being the house of
man with fourteen wives, while ON the op
posite side of the street, was one wit
seventeen.
In the evening, went to the Theatr
Cristal to see pantomime. There is sue
a variety of languages spoken in Beirut tina
a pantOmime is about the only thing tina
all can understand. Met several student
of the American college and spent a yer
pleasant evening with them.
Leave to-day for Tripoh, Syria, and fro1
there back to Mersyn for an indefinite per
iOd.