branches of trees, and then a composition of dry grass and mud. The population of 5000, which the town contained in 1751, has now dwindled down to barely 200 persons, and the two handsome mosques and fine serai of the Emir mentioned by Burckhardt are now no longer distinguishable; nor does each house continue to possess its "ten or fifteen cows, besides goats and sheep, the goats being of an uncommon species, worth from £30 to £35 apiece!" The grapes, the pomegranates, and the fruit, at one time so abundant, we inquired for, but could not obtain. Land formerly in good cultivation, and watered by manual labour from the river, is now a portion of the desert plain; its decline has been rapid and constant, and the day may not be far distant when, like other places, man may cease to exist, and the jackal and the hyena be the only tenants of the deserted ruins. Strange it is, one is tempted to exclaim, that human industry does not avail itself of a fine soil and plentiful supply of water, and that the population should thus decay; but it is only necessary to recollect the nature of the government and the state of parties for many years past to comprehend all. The different wars and marauding expeditions of the rival Pashas of VILLAGE OF BAALBEC. 73 Damascus, Acre, and the Emirs of the Druses have desolated the spot, the successful parties always laying heavy contributions on the country, and draining the people of their cattle, corn, and fruits, and whatever they possessed. Famine, the pestilence, and the sword gradually thinned the inhabitants, always destroyed more easily than restored. CHAPTER III. MOUNT LEBANON. CEDARS. ANTI-LIBANUS.- ARABS. — SURGAWICH.- ARAB VISITORS.- ARAB WOMEN. ZEBDENI. -EL SOUK.-HUSSEIN. -RIVER BARRADA. - DUMAR.-DAMASCUS. A step as fleet, an eye more bright, Inhabitants more fair. The cedars wave on Lebanon, But Judah's statelier maids are gone. HEBREW MELODIES. OCT. 8th.-At five in the afternoon, as the sun. was declining behind the blue range of mountains, I accompanied three of our party across the plain of Baalbec, on the way to the cedars of Lebanon. The evening was clear and lovely, and a beautiful blue haze spread itself along the mountain sides. Mount Lebanon, the highest point, and which gives its name to the range, is the most beautiful CEDARS OF LEBANON. 75 feature of the landscape from Baalbec, and when seen towering aloft behind the foreground of ruins in a clear atmosphere, with the white patch of snow on the summit, it presents a grand and most striking appearance. By the Arabs it is called Djebel Sannin; and, on the side of Baalbec, snow is seen upon it throughout the year, but not on the other or western side. We command a fine view of it from the porch of the house of the Greek bishop in which we reside, and have often, when oppressed with heat, wished to be near the sparkling white patch that delighted the eye by its association with coolness. No rain has fallen for four months, and the accumulation of snow must have been very great not to have melted away in the long drought and heat. The following is an account of the interesting expedition of the party of three, which I regret not to have accompanied the whole way : "We passed the tall monumental column which rises above the plain, whose origin appears to be as little known as that of the majestic ruins and temples of Baalbec, and in three hours we arrived at the village of Deir el Akhmar, at the foot of the mountain, where we procured a guide to conduct us across the summit to the cedars, which stand on the descent of the opposite side. From hence the road is very steep and difficult, masses of loose stones and rock cover the path. About three hours and a half after leaving Deir el Akhmar, we arrived at the small miserable village of Ainnete, and from hence to the summit the ascent took about an hour over a barren tract of sand and stones, into which we sank nearly knee deep; and the ascent was so steep, that we were obliged to dismount and scramble up on foot. The moon rose beautifully behind the range of Anti-Libanus, there was not a breath of air upon the mountain. The stars were brilliant, and Halley's comet was beautifully seen. "About midnight we arrived at the summit; the moon was shining brightly, and we could distinguish the outline of a glorious prospect around and below. The moonlight was sufficiently strong for us to see the cedars extending along an eminence beneath,—they looked like a clump of juniper bushes, much disappointing us in their appearance. We passed along the edge of the snow, which was frozen so hard that we could not break it with our fingers. The cold was but little felt, as there was no wind. After descending two hours we approached the cedars, which now as much struck us by the magnitude and venerableness of their appearance as they had before done by their |