sures," containing relics and MSS. of immense value.

There are three Minarets to the mosque, and it is usual to ascend one at least. The Minaret of the Bride, Madinet-el-'Arus, is the most ancient, and commands the best view. It is ascended by 160 steps. The view is magnificent. The Minaret of Jesus, Madinet 'Isa, is so named from a legend that when Jesus comes to judge the world He will descend first to this minaret.

The Castle, one of the prominent objects in the view of the city, is large and imposing, but not strong. It was built in 1219.

THE BAZAARS are larger and finer than those of Cairo or Constantinople, and are well supplied with goods of Oriental manufacture, each class of goods having a bazaar for itself, as the Saddlers' Bazaar, the Silk Bazaar, &c.

The manufactures of Damascus used to be important, consisting of silks, cotton, coarse woollen cloth, jewellery, saddlery, and arms, but her productions now are little more than sufficient for local consumption. Before 1860 her looms were reckoned at 3000, while now they barely reach 1300. The manufacture of the famous Damascene blades has long ceased to exist. The Christian Quarter still shows traces of the terrible massacre of 1860, when the Druses entered the city and destroyed about 6000 houses in the Christian Quarter, killing from 3000 to 5000 persons. The Protestant Mission is in the Christian Quarter. The Jewish Quarter is across the "street called Straight," from the Christian Quarter. Some of its residents are very wealthy, and admission to view the apartments in some of their houses may be obtained. There are many tombs and mausoleums, some of them very

striking. Near the great Mosque is the tomb of Saladin. Frequent allusions are made to Damascus in both the Old and New Testaments.

St Paul was converted on his way hither, and when the governor under Aretas the king, kept the city of the Damasceneswith a garrison" (2 Corinthians xi. 32, 33), sought to apprehend Paul, he was let down in a basket through a window and escaped his hands. There is no doubt that there were many synagogues. here, for St Paul, when he went unto the High Priest, "desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues (Acts ix. 1, 2). During the residence of Paul here "he preached Christ in the synagogues that He is the Son of God

and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ (Acts ix. 20-22). Christianity flourished here so extensively that in the time of Constantine, the Great Temple was converted into a Christian church.

Damascus is the most ancient city in the world. Josephus attributes its foundation to Uz, but whether it dates so far back or not, it is certain that it was a place of consequence in the days of Abraham.

Interesting excursions may be made in the environs of Damascus, one being to Jobar, a Moslem village two miles beyond the walls, the spot where Elijah was fed by the ravens. Another excursion is to Salahujeh and Kasiun, the former of which is celebrated for its magnificent view. At Kasiun, the Moslems declare that Abraham had the unity of God revealed to him, and here Mahomed stood "whilst yet a cameldriver from Mecca, and after gazing on the scene below, turned away without entering the city. 'Man,' he said, 'can have but

FROM DAMASCUS TO BEYROUT VIA BAALBEK.

Cook recommends that this journey be made as follows:"Camp the first night at Surghaya, and reach Baalbek about the middle of the following day. Stay there the night, and for a few hours of the next morning, then on to Shtôra, and camp either there or on the slope of Lebanon, and the next day at Beyrout; or, if time permits, the journey may be made by Salahîyeh and Kasiun, then stay the night at 'Ain Fîjeh, a short day's work, then to Surgaya, and then as above." Leaving Damascus, we go by the diligence road to Dummar, then, turning to the right, enter a barren gorge. Then a portion of the plain of Sahra is crossed, and the scene altogether alters. High cliffs are on our right hand, in which are numerous tombs.

We pass Bessima and Ashrafiyeh, and enter a beautiful glen with every variety of fruit trees. Passing Fîjeh we reach, in a few minutes, the Fountain of Fijeh, chief source of the Abana. "Are not Abana and Pharpar rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? " (2 Kings v. 12). The ruins are those of a temple dedicated to the god of the river.

We now pass Suk Wady Barada, a beautiful spot and favourite camping ground. On a high hill is the Tomb of Abel, the supposed place also of his murder. The route now lies through a glen which conducts into the plain of Zebedany, which is about three miles broad, and well cultivated. The village on the hill above is

under the highest peak of AntiLebanon, is a good camping ground. The next place is Bereitan, an hour after leaving which we see the ruins of Baalbek.

Parties usually encamp in the court of the Great Temple.

BAALBEK was once the most magnificent of Syrian cities, full of palaces, fountains, and beautiful monuments. It is now famous only for the splendour of its ruins. The visitor first enters a Court which is 90 yards long by 80 wide, from which a handsome portal leads to the Great Court, 150 yards long by 125 wide, in the centre of which stood the Basilica. The Great Temple was a rectangular building 290 feet by 160 feet, having its roof supported by a peristyle of 54 Corinthian columns, 19 at each side, and 10 at each end. Of these, six are still standing. The circumference of these columns is about 22 feet, and the length of the shaft 58 feet; with pedestal, capital, and entablature, they measure 89 feet in height. cept the columns mentioned, little of the Great Temple or the buildings in front of it is left standing, but the ground__is covered with their ruins. vast size of the stones used in the substructures is remarkable. The most beautiful part of the Temple is the Portal. The Circular Temple is near the modern village. The exterior is beautiful.

Ex

The

"A walk round the walls should not be omitted, as the substructure, with its masonry, is as wonderful, or more so, than the temple itself, all the masonry of the outer wall is prodigious in its dimensions; but the marvel of marvels is the western wall, where are Three Stones, the largest ever used in architecture. The temple itself was called Trilithon, or three-stoned, pro

bably from these stupendous blocks. One stone measures 64 ft. long, another 63 ft. 8 in., and a third 63 ft.; each is 13 ft. high and 13 ft. thick, and they have been placed in the wall at a height of 20 ft. above the ground." -Cook.

Seven hours are required to go from Baalbek to Shtora, on the diligence road from Damascus to Beyrout.

Leaving the ruins, the Quarries, from whence the stones used for the platform of the Temple were excavated, are soon passed. There is one stone still lying where it was left by the workmen 4000 years ago. It is 68 ft. long, 14 high, and 14 broad, and weighs nearly 1200 tons.

Our route now lies over the Buka'a, the valley between Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon.

At the village of Kerak Nûh, there is the reputed tomb of Noah, which measures between fifty and sixty yards in length; probably a disused aqueduct.

Zahleh is the largest town in Lebanon, with a population of nearly sixteen thousand, of whom more than nine-tenths are Christians. There is an air of comfort and cleanliness about the place.

During the massacre of 1860, the town suffered terribly, and was captured by the Druses, who burnt it.

In less than an hour we reach Shtora, on the diligence road.

It is usual to camp somewhere by the road-side, or at Shtora.

A good road leads by a series of zigzags to the summit of Lebanon, and then descends by another series of zigzags to Bey

rout.

When the summit of Lebanon is reached, the scenery is exquisite.

Descending towards Beyrout, every turn of the road gives fresh

A diligence leaves Beyrout twice a day for Damascus; fare, coupe, 145 piastres; interior and banquette, 101 piastres.

This is the most important. commercial town in Syria. Its bay affords excellent anchorage. The city is beautifully situated on an eminence on the south side of the bay. The mountains rise abruptly beyond the narrow plain along the coast. The walls of the old town have fallen, with the exception of a few remains, and pleasant suburbs have been created outside. The streets of the old town, with the exception of that of the Franks, are narrow and dirty.

The history of Beyrout is an interesting one. It was a Phoenician city of great antiquity, and named by the Greeks and Romans Bérytus. Augustus made it a colony, and it was decorated with a theatre, baths, and amphitheatre by Agrippa, grandson of Herod the Great, who also instituted games and gladiatorial shows. It was celebrated under the later Empire for its law school, founded by Alexander Severus, which preserved in the

East the language and jurisprudence of the Romans.

When the Saracens overran Syria, they captured Beyrout, and during the Crusades it often changed hands. It was bombarded by the English and French in 1840. After the massacre of 1860 many Christians settled here, and since then its prosperity has increased. There are no interesting sights, the Bazaar is unattractive and the Mosque closed. The only ancient structure is the Tower near the harbour; Beyrout is famous for its missionary and philanthropic institutions, which every traveller should visit.

The Syrian Protestant College is under the general control of trustees in the United States, but its local affairs are administered by a board of managers.

The College is conducted upon strictly Protestant and Evangelical principles, but it is open to students from any of the Oriental sects and nationalities who will conform to its regulations.

"The sects already represented are the Protestant, Orthodox Greek, Papal Greek, Latin, Maronite, Druse, and Arminian. Direct proselytism is not attempted; but, without endeavouring to force Protestantism upon students of other sects, every effort is made by the personal intercourse of professors and instructors, and by the general exercises and arrangements of the institution, to bring each member into contact with the distinctive features of Evangelical truth.

The Medical Department is a special feature in connection with the American Mission.

The School furnishes a professional training in accordance with the principles of modern science, and is well attended by students, whoreceive a four-years' training.

There is also in connection with the Mission a Printing Press, from which a weekly newspaper is issued.

Divine Service every Sunday in the church of the American Mission.

The Brown Ophthalmic Hospital, founded by an American gentleman of that name, has been most successful.

The British Syrian Schools, founded in 1860, include a Normal Training Institution, Day School (Elementary, Infant, Moslem), giving instruction to 680 pupils. Schools for the blind and for cripples, &c., &c. There are six branch schools in the Lebanon, with over 400 pupils.

The Jews' School at Beyrout is under the auspices of the Church of Scotland.

ENVIRONS OF BEYROUT.

A pleasant walk or drive from Beyrout is to the Pineta, where a band plays every Friday in the winter time. Another walk is to the Lighthouse. Carriages may

be taken as far as to the new buildings of the American Mission. A charming excursion by boat may be made to the Pigeons' Grottoes, above which the hill commands an extensive and beautiful view.

The principal excursion is to the Dog River. The journey may be made there by boat, but as it is sometimes difficult to make the return journey by boat, it should not be attempted if time be pressing. On the road will be seen an old building called the Chapel of St George, where tradition states he slew the dragon. Nahrel-Kelb (Dog River) rises in the Sannin, and is so named from a tradition that when a foe approached, a dog, hewn in the

rock, gave an alarm by barking. It was thrown into the sea, but by whom is not apparent, and a rock is still pointed out as "the Dog." The great interest of this spot is not, however, so much the river, or the bold promontory which forms its southern bank, as the nine Sculptures cut in the face of the rock. Before reaching them, an inscription will be seen from which it is ascertained that the rocky pass was cut by order of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, who is here designated Germanicus, and thus fixes the date when the road was constructed as between the years 176 and 180 A.D. The sculptures, nine in number, are three Egyptian and six Assyrian. One of the former is dedicated to Phthah, the god of Memphis; another to Ra, the Sun god; the third records certain expeditions Sesostris (Rameses II.) The Assyrian sculptures are regarded as the work of Sennacherib, who invaded Syria 701 B.C. Much discussion has taken place with reference to the origin and history of these sculptures, and for fuller information the traveller is referred to the works of M. de Saulcy, Lepsius, Robinson, Layard, and others.

From Nahr-el Kelb to Tripoli. There is a small Arabian Café here, and a day may be most pleasantly spent in this neighbourhood. Other excursions from Beyrout:-1. To Deir el-Kal'á, where there is a monastery 2200 feet above the sea level; guide necessary. 2. To Baabda, about seven miles from Beyrout. The journey may be made by carriage. It is the seat of the government of Lebanon. There is a garrison and an Emir's castle, from which there is a fine view.

ROUTE 225.

BEYROUT TO SMYRNA AND CONSTANTINOPLE.

HE steamers of the Austrian Lloyd's leave Beyrout for Smyrna every alternate Monday evening, and stopping at Cyprus and Rhodes, reach Smyrna on Friday morning. Steamers of the French and Russian lines leave fortnightly. For these sailings, as they are liable to change, it is best to consult the published time tables.

Agents of the hotels board the steamers on their arrival at Smyrna. Passengers land at the English scala.

(Hotels: see "HOTEL APPENDIX.") Population, 150,000.

Smyrna is one of the most ancient cities of Asia Minor, and the only one of the Greek cities which retains its importance to the present day. About 700 B.C. it formed part of the Ionian League. The ancient city, Old Smyrna, was situated on the north-east side of the gulf and claimed the honour of being the birthplace of Homer. It was destroyed by the Macedonians, and the present city was founded by Antigonus. It was laid out with great magnificence, and from its admirable situation became one of the most flourishing places in the world. It holds a distinguished place in early Christian history as one of the seven churches, and as the scene of the labours and martyrdom of its first bishop, Polycarp. The modern city is built partly on the plain at the head of the gulf, and partly on the declivity of