46

CURSORY VIEW OF LATAKIA.

all over Northern Syria. It now contains 7000 houses,* and its population consists of 5000 Turks, 200 Catholics, and 1800 Greeks.

I

The adjacent country is Ansayrii. The persons asked attributed to them a Greek origin-why, they knew not. We examined many remains, none of any peculiar interest till we came to the ruins of a temple, now a mosque. The pillars are about twenty-four feet clear, of the Corinthian order, and standing twelve or fourteen feet apart : they probably formed the portico of some temple ; but the mosque and surrounding buildings prevented a further examination. Near it we saw the noble triumphal arch attributed to Septimus Severus, a native of Syria. The ornaments are good, and its commanding situation shows it off to the best advantage. Much more remained; the

* This was probably a mistake, and 7000 people, I should think, would be nearer. In the East they always reckon by houses: thus, you ask how many houses such or such a place has? About five persons are generally allowed to a house; but the authorities, natives, &c. are proverbially ignorant of such matters. A census has been endeavoured to be made this year, but it bears no approach to correctness. The Easterns have a strong prejudice against numbering their people; all deem it unlucky-the Mussulmans, as directly against the command of their prophet. They all also have a shrewd suspicion it is connected with further taxation; or worse-more dreaded than all-with the conscription. Their aversion to the army is extraordinary in so warlike a people.

ITS EARLY HISTORY.

47

ruins of the ancient Acropolis, tombs in the neighbouring rocks, &c., but we were forced to hurry off.

Latakia, however, thus hastily seen, appeared to me perfect-visions of fair women, of Eastern streets, of what I once lived in, and long to live in yet, as we steamed off. The place looked venerable in its ruins, gloomy in its age-worn buildings, but smiling in its verdure, and all alive with the flutter of veils and women.

Latakia was the birth-place of the famous Bishoppoet, Appollinaris, A.D., 362: his son also was a poet and philosopher. They endeavoured to supply to the Christian youth the literature of the ancients, which Julian forbade them to read. Here also is still retained the old and pretty custom of greeting on Easter-day; and soft voices from Christian hearts even now salute on that blessed day, with "Christ is risen, brother!" South of this harbour, close in to the coast, lies the island of Ruad, the ancient Aradus, once a large independent city. It is now seldom visited. The inhabitants are said, by tradition, to have derived their water from a sub-marine fresh spring, over which they placed a leaden bell, whilst others obtained the water fresh at the surface.

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ANCHOR AT BEYROUT.

CHAPTER IV.

Beyrout - Description by Lamartine - Meeting with old friends Beyrout, as it now is-Policy of the Pasha-Progress of the Turks -Influence of European Consuls - European Ball given to the Pasha - Ball given to the Turkish Ladies Their Acknowledgment of the Courtesy and its Effect-Second Tomb of JonasSidon-Old Friends there-Call of the Muezzin-Prayers of the Mahomedans--Antiquities of Sidon-Its refusal to admit Ibrahim Pasha-Lady Hester Stanhope and her attendant-Stud of the Emir Beshir.

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AND, I pray thee, let me go over and see the goodly land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon." What was denied to the Lawgiver of old was permitted to us, and at early morning we were at anchor beneath it in the bright blue waters of Beyrout. It would be vain to attempt a description. Lamartine's rhapsodies, dear Warburton's poetic prose, have displayed the view to the world in happier phrases than could fall from my pen. They have monopolised the prettiest form of laudatory words, the happiest expressions of descriptive praise.

Yet Beyrout deserves them all. The views of the mountain range are superb, and the various

PRESENT APPEARANCE OF BEYROUT.

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tinted plain forms no unworthy foreground; the town was outwardly transformed to a white-housed Frank place. Within, however, it still is a capital specimen of the Eastern city, its narrow passage, streets closed in by arches, the strictly latticed overhanging windows, the low doors, the old walls, with here and there the columns of handsome workmanship built in, the old grey khans, the marble-paved mosques, the Eastern baths, bazaars, and cafés, all are worthy of inspection.

It was with boyish enthusiasm I had gazed at it before; it was with calmer emotions, yet pleasureable still, that I looked over it now. We landed at Turkino's, and old acquaintances of many ranks soon crowded around me. Breakfast over, we sat upon the terrace; the pipe sent up its first incense, a meet sacrifice, and the news of the place was heard.

"Some were dead, and some were gone,

Some were scattered and alone,
And some were rebels on the hills."

The wildest, freest and best had gone as they ever do. Some had risen; some had fallen; the young timid maid was the matronly wife-the happy mother; boys were now grown to couriers, and the courier settled into the innkeeper. Every

VOL. I.

E

50

PRESENT PROSPERITY OF BEYROUT.

moment brought some old companion. With this one I had been once robbed by the Ansayrii; with that captured by the Druses; with another had fled from the fierce-pursuing Arnouts. Each was an episode in my history, and all made up the chapters of the freer, happier portion of my life. But the old spirit was upon me, and I resolved to start at once for the road.

Beyrout, since my last visit, now eight years ago, has nearly doubled in its size: each Christian merchant has now his villa. The Franks have pleasant houses surrounded by green gardens; the wastes around us all cultivated, rich mulberry groves, fruit trees, and other verdure, imbed the whole in one mass of green. Enquiring of a native the cause of all this prosperity, he at once imputed the whole of it to the Sultan's visit. "Ibrahim Pasha," he said, "first treated the Christians well and taught them that the possession of wealth was no direct crime; but the presence of the Padishah blessed us, and now we prosper." Prosper it does— whether from the benign visit of the man-slayer (one of the Sultan's titles), or from the reform forced on him by the English ambassador, I leave unsettled. But now new and good houses spring