The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1901-06-26

horseback riding, and more time for Da-
mascus and Beyrout. l east my lot in
with the'latter class aud considered did
a wise thing. And would Just say here
to any one contemplating Palestine
camping tour that it is not satisfactory
to rush along as most parties do. Few
tourists are sufficiently accustomed TO
horseback riding to endure the daily
rides of twenty to thirty miles. Many
get too tired and worried TO enjoy the
passing scenery while others are SO taken
up with the care of their horses over the
rough roads even to see the country at
all. 1t is much better TO 90 leisurely
along and leave out many other things
that are interesting. This, of course, is
not the American way Of doing things.
Those of us who remained behind in
Damascus felt we had been amply
repaid in the study of the sights of that
ancient city which the others were
obliged to miss.
The. distance from Damascus to Bey-
raut by rail is 81 miles and takes all
day. In the main it follows the high
way, crossing it in many places. The
eastern railroads are always an interest
ing study but this one surpassed any ]
had yet been on. On account of the very
heavy grades they use the rack and PIN
ion, on the Abt system for about twenty
miles of the way. Their speed averaged
about eleven miles per hour, and this
gave us ample time to see the country
through which we were passing. We
followed the Abana River toward its
source in the mountain along a mos;
charming valley where were growing in
luxuriance all kind of trees common TO
that climate and soil. The olive seems to
be the chief of all, it is cultivated every
where and flourshes like the green bay
/ tree. 1t is the most long lived of all
| trees if We believe the stories they tell
OF the ages OF some of them. Many of
them are said to be 500 years old while
some are said to have reached a thous-
and. One is inclined TO take these state
ments with considerable allowance.
Distance lends enchantment TO the view
and story never grows less 10y repeti-
tion, And then also think the natives
are inclined to play upon the credulity of
the tourist and take advantage of his ig-
norance. Most tourists are good subjects
for this and seem willing to take for
truth every thing that the guide says. A
few more travellers of the Mark Twain
type would do much toward compressing
some of these stories into reasonable size
for deglutition. For instance, Noahs
tomb, shown on the way, is over one
hundred feet long. While the patriarch
lived to be good old age there is no evil
dence that in stature he kept pace with
the passing years. But after all may be
it is all right. We would not be satisfied
without seeing wonderful things and
| hearing marvellous tales. Is it not for
this we travel thousands of miles, and
pay out good gold which the natives
love so well, endure hardnes as soldiers,
and enrich the native flea and mosquito
with good fresh American blood. The
Orient may be behind in age in some
things but he knows how to entertain
strangers, aud is never taken unawares.
| One of the surprises to me was the
sharpness of these people. Their men tai
acumen in driving a bargain, their
knowledge of human nature, and facility
in the use of the limited English yocabu-
larry they possess is marvellous. Like
the street Arabs of our city they have
early learned to take care of themselves.
Alter leaving Damascus our way led
through the beautiful plain that sur
rounds the city. The snow covered Leb-
anons were soon reached and we began
their ascent at speed so slow that we
had ample opportunity to take in the
ever charming scenery. They lacked
some of the beauty we would expect TO
find because of the absence Of trees and
one might almost say of the higher ones,
vegetation as we'll. Whatever there is is
so small that from distance their peaks
stand out naked and barren against the
sky. They are cultivated however al
most to the tops and as we approached
Beyrout their steep side bore the richest
olive orchards. Stones are plenty and
terraces are built all the way up, some
times leaving not over fifteen or twenty
feet for a row of trees. These stone walls
are usually about five feet high and serve
to hold the soil which would otherwise
be washed into the valleys. This last
was so manifest in the hills round about
Jerusalem. From the highest points
reached the view was grand and in places
l never expect to see the like again.
But it is not the Lebanon OF to day the
Traveller sees alone. If he sees only this
he sees but little. The eye of sense
must be aided by the recollections of days
long gone by, when they possess a charm
all their own. Once these barren hill
tops were crowned with the most beauti.
ful trees on earth. 1t was from Lebanon
King David got lumber with which tc
build his palace of cedar. II was from
these same mountains that King Hiram
got the cedar which he presented to Sol
omon for the building of the Temple.
But how are the mighty fallen! 1t is
said only very few groves Of these
noble trees that "have been regarded as
an object Of unrivaled grandeur and
beauty in the vegetable kingdom" have
escaped the ak Of the builder and ruthless
hands of the peasant. One of about 400
trees is the most noted. This grove lies
far back in the mountains in secluded
recess surrounded by the highest peaks
of the snow clad Lebanon and so difficult
] of accacs that ,,yn bad mt tho ti,,o 10 goo