Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-05-28
FROM MISSIONARY FIELDS.


to be quite stylish little place. and
here the police were extraordinarily
good. They called and got our names
and sent us an escort, II soldier, with
whom we might deposit little back
shish The country around HONS was
moderately good, though somewhat
hilly inplaces and good deal of rocky
land. A little further along the road led
us up over the mountain OF the Syrian
desert, these being low ranges formed
from the eastern slope of the Anti
Lebanon. the ravines being for the most
part dry. At Nebk we struck the road
to Palmyra and Bagdad. Here we
found a strip of land well cultivated.
Nebk Is Small town and has good
stream OF water. hence good gardens.
The people said It was good, pure
water. and we supposed 1t was, but as
we looked up the stream we saw the
people, donkey. dogs, or what not in
the stream together dipping out the
water. No one cared to dip above his
own feet or donkey; n was clenr and
fresh and what difference does 1t
makes. OFTEN we see the women who
carry water wade right into the
spring and stand in the water or pool
and dip up the water, which they were
fifst washing themselves ln-for house
use, The iilthiness of these people is in
describable.
At the village, we put up at next
Brother Maycock made discovery
that spoiled Brother Larsen's appetite
for the next day. Now Brother May
cock has an eye ofisn for the curious.
and he discovered he women in a little
hut baking. so he Invited himself to
look, accepted the invitation and
walked In. He found the good house
wife baking slap-Jack in a large
earthen vessel about the size OF forty
gallon barrel. Here the good baker had
and had had, hot fire on, made In the
bottom of the open vessel or large
crock. The fire, however. was made up
of the grass the cows and camels had
eaten a few days ago, and when the fire
went down a little she quietly reached
down little more Of this fabricated
fuel, while she quickly and skilfully
pasted the fiat cakes or dough on the
inside of the jar. This did not help the
appetite. But the climax was reached
when the baby, little child of year
or more, was seen wading around in the
coarse meal. Travellers being without
bread have to buy the bread or do
without. Now we try all and surely hold
fast to our methods as being the best.
We are satisfied OF its superiority. We
got our bread from ncighbor whom
we made ourselves believe had treated
the baking differently.
Once in while we find village
that seems more advanced than the
others, but as whole they are very
filthy and ignorant. 1T Is no wonder
that smallpox and cholera and fevers
OF various kinds rage in The summer
time.
The country Just north of Damascus
Is STRANGELY thrown up by eruptions In
former ages. The lodges are seen 10
run in various directions. Sometimes
when coming horizontally they will
suddenly be broken of and be seen to
stand upright as 1t were and thus form
great many curious curves and
crooks not often seen even in the
the hills and looked down upon the
valley of the Barada, the surround
| ings of Sham or Damascus looked like
n perfect oasis in the desert. Soon II
was seen that they had an irrigating
system. Canals and bitches were seen
| in all directions. It appeared to the
writer that the water might be more
carefully utilized. hence be made to
! cover a larger piece of land, hut the
people seem satisfied. They dig deep
trenches and throw the earth up
around the trees or vines, and then
| they fill the trenches full of water and
allow 1t TO stand in these pools to sink
| Garden spots are watered on the same
principle. One cause for this one may
suppose to be that the watel
supply is but light In tho
summer and as the land is
very nat IL would allow OF that method
and good deal of water can be turned
| on to stand there till 1t sinks. The
| grain itself around the city looked
| much of 1t very well. Coming along
| we saw some, of the country butchers
come in with muttons dressed fol-
market. some on horses. some on don.
| keys. The meat was laid across the
| animals rudely and frequently you
might see a dirty little Arab riding
along with couple of muttons on the
| same jackass, his dark skin ant
naked legs rubbing on the mutton moi
| disturbing him In the least. But /,
seriously disturbed our appetites 70,
| Damascus mutton for the time being
. But happily we forgot all about 1t ant
| when we got into Sham we ate ouI
little mutton stew with few new pc,
tatoes all right.
our trip from Aleppo to Sham II
seven days was made without any ac.
cident and with much pleasure to oui
little company. The fare was quit,
reasonable, and the weather good.
l T.