Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-09-22

Thursday June %, 1896. arose
carly and took my last walk through
the city of Damascus before breakfast
stepped off Straight street which !
found to be about 1900 yards long.
The west end for about one.third Of It's
ontire length is arched over The
average width of the street is ehout
twenty five feet At q. m. LETT the
hotel and walked 10 the railway sta
ton unattended, not wishing to be
taken in by the numerous dragorleh
and carriage drivers who offered their
services. At Sis n. m started on my
return trip to Beyrout where W. mr.
rived Mt p. IN. after rather uh-
pleasant ride. the day being very not
Among the points Of interest whlch
had not noticed on my ride two Gays
hefor4, l may mention the village Of
Kcrak Nuh, situated in the valley or
Berla'a, north of Celeb, where the
Moslems show visitors the tomb OF
"the Prophet Noah" II Is only l3l feet
long. 1t appears that after the
Christians legan to hunt for AM 10
cate places of historical interest, that
the Muslems concluded to 20 t'em
zone better" hence they seem ITO
know" the exact spot where eyriy
thing has happened from the days OF
Adam down to the present time. And
they claim that many actually LelieVe
their statements. Unfortunately for
them, perhaps your correspondent IS
rather skeptical and is not included Ia
that number
ON my arrival in Beyrout I found
thousands of people congregatcd
around the harbor 10 witness the nrrlN-
al OF several thousand Turkish troops
on their way from Smyrna and other
places to fight the Druses In the in
terror. But the government Is so poor
that they can hardly procure transpor-
tation for their ragged and mar
starved soldiers. In Beyrout the Of
flclals are trying to collect the taxes
in advance In order to meet the cur
rent expenses of the war and for other
purposes.
Friday. June 90. l called again on
the American consul In Bcyrout. Mr.
Thos. II. Gibson, who treated me very
kindly and gave me much valuable m
formation about the country that |
was about TO visit, and through which
he had made several trips himself Al
10 o'clock noon ! boarded the little
English steamer Prince George, ana
half an hour later sailed Tor Halla'
about 81 miles down the coast. me
Arab bontmen got almost into light
nronp themselves to get Mt me in or
der to earn the pnltry sum OF enc
beshlIlt (about II cents) for taking me
10 the steamer. The day was peauu-
full and the sen smooth. and the Noy,-
age was very interesting to me indeed
AE our course lay close to the shore
the ever changing scenery of the
Phoenecnu coast was plainly visible
from my seat on the bridge where
four other FIRST class" passengers
Franciscan monks bound for Gideon
- also had their seats one
of them could talk German. and hnd-
ing out that could understand him IL
mart. he took great pains to tell me al
he could about the interesting country
lying within our view, There are sew
eral villages on or near the coast ne,
tween Beyrout and Sldon. We arrived
of the latter place C2S miles from Bey.
rout by sea) at p m. and anchored
between the city and the little rocky
island called FL Jezireh.
The Arabic name for Sldon Is Saida
From n distance and also from oul
place of anchorage the town looked
quite imposing. The harbor Is als'
Interesting. From the north end %
the town a bridge with eight arches
crosses to the small island of Kala
el-Bnhr, where there are ruins of tn
18th century. These ruins looked quit
grand from the shlp's bridge. Aroun'
the island. particularly on the south
west side, are remains OF quays bull
of large hewn stones. The town i
surrounded by n wall, and ruin
abound IN all directions.
Sldon was one OF the Oldest cities II
Palestine. having been founded by tn
eldest son of Canaan, who was tn
eldest son OF Ham tGen 10:l5). 1t i
situated on an elevated peninsula
which projects considerable distanc
into the sea. The environs Of the cit,
are overspread with n luNuriant Vege
tntion, and covered with beautiful or
chards and gardens. Sidon, like Tyre
20 and nnwnTfnl ItNnI
once commanded an extensive trade
with the principal cities and nation
of the old world. The Sidonites wer
noted for their commerce, their skill !
architecture, philosophy, astronomy
and navigation Their idoatrY an
wlckedness drew upon them the FIRE
uuent denunciations of the prophets
Geek 2S: 2l-24: joel 3: i-0. But tn
retributive vengeance of heaven fe
upon them less severity than on the
neigiibors of Tyre. Sldon is stu
town of about 1900 inhabitants, an
the hnrbor. though now much choke
with sand. still enables them TO mair
tain some trade and commerce wit
the cities of the coast. The Savior
motive in returning to the coast {
Tyre and Sidon was, perhaps, to e'
cape from the power Of Herod and IN
malice of Herodlas. Like John III
Baptist. whom they had slain. Jesu
had become known as n preacher {
Righteousness, and was now In tur
sought by the wicked king. In the re
Eion of Tyre and Sidun Jesus was 81
tirely beyond the jurisdiction or tn
Herod in the tctrarchy Of Herod Phil
the lawful husband Of Hcrodlas. Hei
cd Philip is universally described as
prince.
After stopping at sldon about tire,
quarters of an hour. anchor was lifte
and we sailed for Sur, the anclcr
Tyre. situated about twenty four mil,
further down the coast. We arrive
at this historic place at p, m. an
cast anchor Immediately north Of Il
town,
The ancient city Of Tyre was sltuat,
near the northern line of Gulllee. abol
one hundred miles northwest from j
rusalcm and thirty miles from the 81
OF Galllec, II was built along u
coast and on q small island a sho
distance from the shore Such wi
the strength of itg position, and su,
resources, that n sustained about z
before Christ Siege nf 1--WE years fro
the Asyrians, who abandoned the effo
as hopeless. Nearly two huudr
years later 1t sustained selge again
the Bnhylouinus FOR thirteen years al
still later by another couple Of cent
Tlcs n maintained a defense again
Alexander the Great Tor seven montl
who finally reduced the city by castl
up mound against n and running O
mole 20 connect II with the ma
land. In the age of King SolomJ
Tyre had hnen founded about n hu