Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1911-03-03

(6 days. until | reached it again
but one glass full and that was
imported from Europe. The ma
tiveS drink the Nile water freely
for they seem to be immune from
typhoid fever, but for us it was
dangerous. We arrived at the
boat in time for dinner and plen-
ty of good water q p. n.y. Sat-
urday, March 5th, the boat left
Alexander for Jaffa.
March 9th. Sunday. Arrived
at Jaffa at 6. a. m. we only stay
ed here an hour as we return on
the IL of March, therefore | will
leave the description of this
place until we land. We called
here to let off such passengers
who were going to spend IL days
in Jerusalem. W sailed for Bey-
rauth, the port of Damascus. We
arrived there at 6 p. m. Sunday
March 9th. Beyrauth this city
is situated an a beautiful bay in
the shape of hills, that tower up
and up for miles, with the great
mountains beyond with the snowy
tops of Lebanon.
The houses are built of white
limestone with red tiled roofs. 1t
is quite a modern city with pop
ulation of over 100000. We left
our beds at 5 a. m. had break
fast at 6 o'clock took boat for
shore and boarded the train at
{ o'clock and paid a fare of
about $3.50 to Damascus, a nine
hour journey by rail. The rail-
road following the river Barada
over thea nti Lebanon and the
plateau of COeleSque, crossing the
Lebanon near AinSafar at an
elevation of over 1900 feet. The
decent from Lebanon to DamaS-
Gus and the ascent from Beyrauth
(by a cog wheel road affords a
beautiful view of the snow COW
eled mountains. 1t is wonderful
how the people of this country
till and terrace the mountain
side, In every shaded spot, olive
orange lemon, and other fruit
trees are planted, many of the
trees were in bud and others
bearing fruit. 1t is a long ride
In this slow train, crawling up
and dOlding back going down
the mountains. We arrived in
Damascus at 5 p. m. Damascus
IS one of the oldest cities in the
world and the largest in Syria.
with a population of about 2OO,-
600. The fasteners call it the
Pearl of the East" and "The
Eye of the DeSert." They say
that here Adam was made from
the clay taken from the banks
OF the river ALBANIA and that the
Garden of Eden was in this To-
cality. The beauty and fertility
OF Damascus are largely due to
the abundance of water suppl
ed from the stream of anti-Leb-
anon. The river Rarada inter-
SectS the city in a rapid current
and by unadverSable system of
channels and pipes, its waters
are not only conveyed through
evTy quarter but into almost
every house, supplying that first
requisite of eastern life and lux
ury. We set out from the hotel
DE Orient with a guide to see all
the traditional places in Damas-
Gus; the street called Straight.
now the street of bazaars. the
house of Judas, and the house of
Ananias, and part of the wall
where st. Paul was let down in
a basket when his life was threat.
ened by the Jews; the great Mos
que Omagade which stands in a
large square of ground in the
center of the city, was once a
Christian Cathedral where it is
SAID, is buried IN the crypt the
head of st. John the Baptist, as
| stood looking at this wonder.
ful piece of workmanship, | not.
iced a woman with her face un.
covered standing close to the
tomb with a child about 5 or