Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-06-26

many beautiful summer homes where
wealthy Syrians go during the hot
months. The entire Lebanon region
is more western in its appearance than
any other section Of Asia Minor. 1t
has a Christian governor, alone of all
the Turkish provinces. We saw num-
erous well-built farm houses and some
modern agricultural machinery.
Turning aside from the railway we
made visit to Baalbec, with its
strange ruins. This city is 10 the Leba-
non basin, upon a green plain fringed
by the brilliant SHOWS of the Leba-
mons. Here are the wondeful remains
Of some mighty heather structures.
The Temple of the Sun was thous-
and feet in length. Six Of its huge
columns yet stand. The decorations
OF the lesser temples are very ornate
and splendidly preserved. When these
temples were built and why, no one
knows. They are more beautiful
though less massive than those at
Thebes In Egypt, and will take rank
among the wonders Of the world. In
the sub-structure of the great temple
are three stones, each over sixty feet
in length. In the quarry mile dis
tant is an even larger stone-seventy-
one feet long, thirteen feet wide and
fourteen feet high-long enough to
construct a bridge Of the single stone
across Broadway. This is probably
the most immense quarrled stone slab
known to man.
The railway winds down as slowly as
1t climbs the mountains and 1t Is late
on Saturday evening when the Glass
comes into Beirut, after its memorable
Journey through the land Of Israel.
From this point we take ship fol
Smyrna, near which thriving city we
viii see Ephesus with its reminders Of
the great apostle to the Gentiles.
There is much of interest every
where in a journey through Palestine
The customs of the people are so differ
ent from those of the western world
their speech, dress, action are so un'
like anything met with In other coun
tries that every day affords new and
Entertaining scenes. Not only is the
Bible narrative given a new and more
vivid color, but the scenes are inter
esting to him who does not hold to the
Bible as the message of God to man
The land itself is striking. Within
its limits there is every variation ant
every formation OF land represented
'iHere may be found in close juxtapo
sition,' said DR.. Selah Merrill, tht
consul of the United States at Jerusa
lem, 'Sea and desert; alpine heights
and phenominal depths; fertile plaini
and barren wilderness, rolling down
and upland pastures; terraced slope.
and deeply SCARED lava beds; park
like stretches and bleakast woodlands
valleys OF Edenic beauty and darl
canons suggestive of the shadow o
death; rivers and lakes; snow-cla'
heights and depths Of tropical hea
and luxuriance; fee bound stream
and steaming fountains; shady glen
and interminable wadies; open glade
aud impenetrable iungles Of cane-il
short every feature Of natures dlversl
fed handiwork, which is suggestive 0
the beautiful, the picturesque, tn
sublime.
The course OF the country is in
Justice and ignorance. The Turkisl
government Is barbaric. Its officials
as a rule, are dishonest, cruel, exact
ing, and rule the people with a rod Q
iron. There is nothing in commel
between the Arabs and the Turks ez
lcept their religion-both being Nc
hammedan. The Turks are in decid
ed minority as to numbers and tn
race is degenerating because Of tn
persistent practice of unmentionabl
vices. At Jerusalem we saw the IN
auguratlon Of the new Governor. Th
supreme court vent out to meet him
one Jew, one Christian, one Moslem-
and all the Turkish troops eseorte
him to his Official residence. TheI
are two political parties in Turkey
the young and the old party, th
former liberal, the latter conservative
As the one or the other obtains 18th
ear" Of the Sultan at Constantinopl
the governors Of the various province
are changed. Even in Turkey "t
the victor belongs the spoIlS "
As In all Moslem countries, exceT
among the poorerpeasantS, the wome
cover their faces. A group Of finel
dressed women, attired in white e,