THE GARDENS OF DAMASCUS.

131

received a favourable reception. Many old and fine families of Mussulmans reside here, and also there is, what elsewhere in the Ottoman dominions has no existence, an hereditary Saracenic nobility-families descended from the conquerors-collateral descendants of Abubeker and others, who for years have given Pashas to the empire. Many of the Christians also claim high and proud descent; but boast more of their faithful adherence to the faith of their fathers through good and much evil, through generations of persecutions, spoliations, and oppression.

The beauty of the gardens of Damascus are proverbial; historic through Pliny and Kinglake, on them each traveller has lavished his praises as Nature has poured on them her beauties. Let me, then, quote the words of Eothen's closing account of them :

66

Never for an instant will the people of Damascus attempt to separate the idea of bliss from these wild gardens and rushing waters, even where your best affections are concerned. And you -prudent preachers hold hard and turn aside when they come near the mysteries of the happy state and we (prudent preachers too) will hush

132 INTENDED DEPARTURE FROM DAMASCUS.

our voices, and never reveal to finite beings the joys of the earthly paradise."

We found upon inquiry that it was impossible to proceed to Aleppo without a large escort. The Arabs were plundering and at open war with the Pasha, who had a short time previously entertained two of their sheiks, who had entered the town under a promise of safe conduct, in his house, and for fear of their tiring of his hospitality had given them an underground apartment, well secured. Subsequently, finding them still insensible to his kindness, he had administered a pleasant potion, which had so strangely disagreed with their stomachs, that after a short illness they died.

A regiment, however, was about to march to fodder their horses at Homs, and we were allowed to take advantage of their escort. All the necessary preparations were soon completed, and we prepared to bid adieu to Damascus.*

Since the above was written, I saw a note in Mr. Buckingham's Travels, which says, that some of the older writers (who?) considered Damascus as the ancient city of the Jews, i. e. the city of Abram. How can the text, Genesis, xv. 2, ever lead to such a supposition? Quoting from the same author, he says, that the Syrian kings boast their descent in a direct line from Semiramis, and that the city received its name from a king so called.

WE LEAVE DAMASCUS.

133

CHAPTER IX.

Last Look at Damascus-Scenery on the Journey-Cultivation of the Soil-Douna-Dead Camels-An irregular Soldier-Pay of his Force The Persian Shauzerdah and the English Ambassador, touching the relative Merits of British and Persian Soldiers-Escort Castal-Nepth-Jacobites- Houses of Nepth-Dispense Medicines Arrive at Karah-Opinion of England by the Officers of the Escort Interesting Ruins-Conversation with the Villagers-Visits from the Sick-What they were prescribed.

*

APRIL 9th, 1850-Damascus to Kiafta, six hours. -We were not off till nine, as the day's journey was short, we having only to overtake the cavalry, who, marching slowly, had started the previous evening. Passing out of the northern gate, our road lay over a paved chaussée, gardens, water, and mud walls on all sides, and it was at least an hour before we reached the open country. Here we halted, and took our last look at the beautiful place we were leaving. The town reposed in a mass of verdure, smothered, as it were,

*My stay at Damascus, the reader may observe, had been very short; but on previous visits I had spent some time there; and it was during these, that the information contained in the previous chapter was obtained.

134

CULTIVATION OF THE SOIL.

in its own beauty, while a few cupolas alone were visible over the green sea of trees; here and there the cypress towered up, saddening, as the poet says, the sacred mosque; there an opening revealed the gleaming turrets or the gay kiosk.

The open country that succeeded was most richly cultivated, and the labourers were busy irrigating the fields. For a description of the method, I cannot do better than refer the reader to the Thousand-and-One Nights: as it was done then, so it is now, and the result certainly is perfect. Others were ploughing with the light plough so often described, drawn by a pair of the small handsome oxen of the country. The spade is of a peculiar shape; it is entirely of wood, sometimes, but rarely, shod with iron, and is sadly inefficient. It exactly resembles one of the pieces used in the game of spillikins, and a curious inquiry might be made from it into their origin.

If the ground is required to be turned up beyond the depth to which the plough attains, a broad board, sharpened on one side, is used; to this is fixed a handle. One man uses it as a spade, digging it into the dusty earth, while two others pull it over by a string attached to its surface.

THE DEAD CAMELS.

135

The sowing is broad-cast, and more seed is put in than is necessary. The whole agriculture is here lazy and negligent. Nature does all the rest.

In one and a half hours from the time of leaving the gates, we reached Douna, a small mud village, with one minaret. Here the Aleppo caravans generally halt the first day, and our soldiers had done so on the previous evening. The country is now open plain, little cultivated; for, except in the immediate vicinity of a town, there is no great certainty that the hand which sowed will reap. Leaving two other villages on our left, Kusair and Menin, we entered a wild plain. Away on the east the plain made a round sea-like horizon; on the west was the Anti-Lebanon. In the south, Damascus seemed a mass of green under the magnificent Jebel Sheik, Mount Hermon. Here we saw two men skinning camels, that had dropped from a caravan bound from Bagdad to Damascus. Crowds of vultures hovered about, while higher over head in large circles, with impatient flights, soared the noble eagle of the Lebanon.

There was rain occasionally, the wind keen. The road now led over a spur of the mountains, and was still good. On reaching its summit the