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

during the wheat harvest. as mem
toned In I Samuel, ~: IL, IS. are OF
very rare occurrence. Heavy deWh
usually fall at night, even in the hight
of summer; but this IL not the case on
the desert. Toward the end OF Octo-
Der clouds begin to rise. and the rainy
season is sometimes ushered In by
several thunderstorms. This IL the
first or former rain of the Bible 0Deut'
II: II. joel. 2: 2D, which sOftens the
parched up soil to such an extent that
the husbandman can pillow II Docem-
Der, january and February are gen
orally stormy and rainy. the rain tax
ing the form Of snow among the higher
mountains. The latter rains" fall
ing In March and April promote the
growth OF the crops.
The variations OF temperature In
Syria are very considerable. In the In
terror us well as in the hill land Of
Palestine aud the mountains further
north, the thermometer often falls be-
low the freezing point. At DhmascuN
(2,26j feet above the sea level.) Jertlsa-
lem t25gi fecO and even at Aleppo
u,li3 feeO snow falls almost
every winter. though It usually
lies no longer than Il day. East of
the Jordan, however. snow lies for sew
eral days, and on some of the noun
tain peaks Of Lebanon oil the year
round. The highest temperature ever
recorded at Jerusalem was Din August,
lSSD 1l2 degrees Fair, the lowest 20
deg. Fair. (January, 1860. The
climate Of the valley Of the Jordan is
much hotter.
The population of Syria is estimated
at about two millions, OF which about
65C,OOO live within that area of country
which is generally called Palestine
Ethnographicnlly. the population con-
sists of Franks. Jews. Syrians, Arabs
and Turks, or. according to religions
Of Mohammednus, Christians and Jews
and several other sects. The Franks
Oruropeans) who are residents Of Pale
slime form a very small proportion Of
the population. Distinct from them
are the so-callcd Levantlnes-Eurc-
peans Especially Italians and Greeks
or descendants Of Europeans. who have
entirely adopted the manners NJ the
country. The Jews. who remained In
the country after the destruction of
Jerusalem were hut few in number:
most of them who now reside in Pale
stine are compare lively recent settlers
from Europe. BY Syrinns is meant
the descendants Of all those people who
spoke Aramnic at the beginning Of the
Christian ora. with the exception Of
the Jews. The native Christians are
mostly descendants Of the population
which occupied Syria before the prom
ulgntion Of Mohammedism. The es
| Enlistment of El-Islnm MS the state
religion Of Syria caused number Of
Christians (Syrians and Crseks) to ems
brace II. while others held fast to their
own religion. Tire Aramaic language
gave place to the Arabic. The Arab
| ian population consists Of hadarl, or
| settled, and bedawi plural bedu). or
nomndiC tribes. The latter are most
~ Of pure Arabic blood; while the set
tied population Is Of n very mixed orr
gin. The Beduins are professedly
Mosler1s; but ms rule, their solo care
| is for their nocts. and their predatory
| expeditions. They nre the direct de-
| scendants of the hplf-s0vag" nomqds
who have inhabited Arabia from time
| immemorinl Their dwellings, consist
| Of portahle tents made nf black gorts
| hair II le supposed that tho black
| tents of Todnr." mentioned IN Solo
mons Song Z; r. was made Of the same
| material. The Turks are the official
| part Of tho community. and are not
| humorous IN Syria. thcy nre clnssed rs
| intellectually Inferior TO the Arabs but
| IRE shrewd and far-seelnE. Arab is
| the language NJ the country hut
French Greek. Italian. Russian. Eng
! lish etc. Ia also spoken. Most Of the
business men and many others speak
several languages
ANDREW JENSON