IX.

BEYROUT, May 17, 1895.

April 15 we landed on the sultan’s territory, and have been and are still under Turkish rule. We expect to leave the 19th for Athens, making several stops at important places along the coast.

Turkey is under the iron hand of Mohammedanism, being filled with Mohammedans, Mussulmans, Bedouins, etc. There are only a few places where Christianity gets much of a foothold. Beyrout is one of them; but the great principle for the healing of the nations gains ground hereabout as the doctor said about his patient,--“improved wonderfully, but very slowly.”

We talked with the missionaries at Damascus. They said, if one of the natives should change his religion from Mohammedanism to Christianity, his life would not be worth a penny. The only thing he could do would be to flee the country. Therefore, direct mission work is virtually cut off; and all they can do is to work among the children, educating them and instilling into their minds the principles of freedom.

There was an English lady at work there who was converted at the age of twenty, a lady of culture and wealth, who has a brother in Parliament. After her conversion she felt that she must give her all to the mission work. She commenced her work in Damascus, and has already educated six hundred children, and is still at the good work,--a consecrated life.

I believe the time is coming when Turkey will wheel into line, and the principle that is grinding the people to the earth will give way to those principles that elevate humanity. The American college here is doing a good work. This college was endowed largely with American capital. They have nearly two hundred and fifty students. The president and professors are having a strong influence on Beyrout, which is a growing city. When President Bliss came here thirty or more years ago, there were forty thousand people here. Now there are over one hundred thousand, and it is unquestionably the brightest town in Syria.

Tuesday, the 13th, our party took carriages, and drove to Dog River, up the bay, seven and one-half miles. From this river comes the water supply for the city. On our way we pass the old stone chapel where, it is said, Saint George had the tussle with the dragon. The river is named from what tradition says: that there was a stone dog out in the sea, at the mouth of this river, that used to bark at the approach of an enemy. Sensible dog, surely. Another tradition, and a more sensible one, is that there was a peculiar-shaped rock on the cliff by the sea, that, when the wind blew hard, made a howling noise, like a dog. However, aside from all the dog business, it is a place of much interest.

The new road that has been lately built up the bay has a beautiful stone bridge across this river near its mouth as it empties into the sea. The Lebanon Mountains at this point almost reach the blue waters of the Mediterranean; and just before you reach the bridge, at your right, you will notice the old Roman road, winding its way up the mountain. Here at the commencement of this road is much of historical interest.

Many tablets of large size are cut in the rocks of the mountain. The first one you notice speaks of the history of Napoleon, and is the latest one, being carved in 1860. This famous general came out to fight the Turks, and one of his brave generals fell here. There are several tablets of the Pharaohs, also one that is supposed to have been placed there by Sennacherib, some seven hundred years before Christ. You will remember that he lay siege to Jerusalem, and was at Samaria, and had cut off all supplies, so there was a terrible famine, when Elijah prophesied that in so many hours bread would be sold in the gates of Samaria, etc. The angel of the Lord caused Sennacherib’s army to hear the approaching enemy in great numbers, and fled in wild confusion; and the lepers were the first ones to enter the camp and find plenty of food.

This old Roman road was, no doubt, the one he took his army over; and the tablet might have been placed here in memory of that event. As we climbed up over this road, we thought of Mark Twain’s saying, that you could tell where these Roman roads were by finding the places where there were the most stones. Another of Mark’s neat sayings has been buzzing in our ears the last three weeks,--that people here know nothing about distances in miles. You ask them how far any place is, they always say so many minutes or hours. Mark went into a tailor shop to get a pair of trousers, and he told the man he wanted them so many seconds around the waist and so many minutes down the leg. No doubt the tailor knew just what he wanted.

Our ride to Dog River, the entire seven and one-half miles, was through gardens and mulberry orchards. The trunks of the trees are allowed to grow about seven feet tall, then they throw out shoots, in number anywhere from fifteen to thirty on a tree, and are allowed to grow to the length of some five feet. This growth is obtained in a few weeks, and the shoots are full of tender leaves, which are cut off and fed to the worms; and other sprouts grow in their places.

They raise a sort of bamboo or cane here that grows six or eight feet high. The natives cut this, and build booths in the orchard, setting it up on end, and throwing a covering over the top. Inside they build shelves on which you can find the silkworm. They throw over them these green mulberry leaves, and the ravenous fellows devour them. They are fed three times during the day and twice in the night. They appear to be very religious in their habits. They fast every week, eating some five days, then fasting two days. In forty days they are through with this world’s goods, and commence to make goods for other people, forming the cocoons from which the beautiful silks are made that all admire.

As you pass along the streets of Beyrout, about every third place you look into you will see the hand loom running, weaving silk for market. One occupation we have found here in Beyrout that we have not seen anywhere else; that is, fortune-telling. You will see old duffers sitting on the sidewalk, with a cloth some twenty inches square, covered with fine sand; and beside them an ink-horn, pen, and paper. They look a person over, and with three fingers dot the sand all over, and will then write out your future history. But the future of the Congregationalist party is unfolding as fast as we care to know it. Therefore, we leave these old Arabs alone in their glory.

Many of the streets here are lined with beautiful trees. The pride of China, looking much like the pepper-tree of California, is very abundant. It has a heavier foliage, and many would prefer it to the pepper-tree. Then we find another tree they call the macher, and one has to see it in order to know its beauty. It is large, some twenty-five feet high, and literally covered from top to bottom with a blue or purple flower; and you will never pass one without admiration.

Wednesday, the 15th, we were all invited to a reception at the college from 3 to 7 P.M. Being one and one-half miles away, carriages took us there, and came for us at 7 P.M. The college buildings are located on high ground away from the business part of the city, close to the blue sea, so near seemingly that you could throw a stone into its waters. They were hoping to give us a chance to view and admire one of their beautiful sunsets; but, unfortunately, it was cloudy. The Lebanon Mountains with their variegated green, and the blue waters of the Mediterranean, with the expiring rays of day mingled with the shadows of coming night, form a picture that will satisfy the eye of all lovers of the beautiful.

We were shown through the college buildings, and were very much interested. The museum was fine. They have a fine chapel, given by Mr. Monroe, of New York, seating one thousand people. William E. Dodge in his day did much for this institution. His sons are still interested. They have a fine astronomical observatory, with fine telescope with twelve-inch glass, manufactured by Warren & Swazey, of Cleveland, Ohio, at a cost of over eight thousand dollars.

At five o’clock we went to the spread in large rooms, suitable for the occasion. Tea, coffee, and lemonade, and such biscuits and cake we have not looked upon or tasted since we left America. It was like attending a church sociable. They have connected with this college a medical department with a four years’ course of study, turning out thorough physicians that have been successful in their vocation.

We found the president and professors, with their wives, daughters, and sons, remarkably cordial and social; and we came away feeling indebted to them for a royal good time, which we placed in the book of our remembrance, and it will be one of the pleasantest episodes of the Congregationalist tour.

This American mission, now Presbyterian, has been at work in Syria since 1821. We have also visited the girls’ school, publishing house, and church connected with this mission. Many eminent and scientific men have been connected with this work, such as Eli Smith, Van Dyck, Thompson, and others. They have a beautiful Sunday-school chapel, built on the spot where Van Dyck translated the first Arabic Bible. This chapel has its class-rooms with sliding glass doors, and would do credit to any American city. In the church they have service every Sunday at nine o’clock in English, and at eleven o’clock in Arabic. We attended the English service. They have a fine organ, excellent choir, having a fine soprano singer. The publishing house is doing a good business, turning out many Bibles in Arabic and publishing a paper. But the government annoys them in this matter. Nothing can be printed in this line without first being sent to the censor. If there is anything he does not like, he draws his pen through it; and that ends the matter. The government is very jealous, and the mails are watched closely. It is hard to get a newspaper in or out of Turkey. Every telegram is examined by some government official. No cipher telegrams can be sent from this country. However, this printing establishment has pluck and forbearance, and are employing over fifty hands, doing some fine work, and are waiting for the sun of righteousness and freedom to arise and shine, which, they believe, is sure to crown their labors.

We find there is a section of country here, called Lebanon, that is ruled by a Christian governor. He is appointed once in five years by the sultan; but the European powers dictate in the matter, and will not allow a Mohammedan to be appointed. This territory includes the range of the Lebanon Mountains, also the Anti-Lebanon, and the valley lying between. These mountains I have referred to in writing up Baalbec, and spoke of the improvement of the people of that place, especially the female portion.

I believe the Christian nations should and will erelong make a demand on Turkey, and not allow the iron hand of superstition to grind the people any longer. Beyrout in appearance is not old enough to be called antique nor young enough to be giddy. Its early history has nothing startling. It was at one time destroyed in consequence of its rebellion against Antiochus VII., but afterwards was rebuilt by the Romans, and named Augustus Felix after the Emperor Augustus, with a view to pleasing his friends.

Herod Agrippa at one time embellished it with baths and theatres, and caused combats of gladiators to be exhibited, etc. After the destruction of Jerusalem, Titus caused numerous Jews to enter the lists against each other. At one time it was held by the Druses. In 1840 it was bombarded by an English fleet without much damage, and recaptured for the Turks. But the days of war are passing by, yet there are more swords than ploughshares in Syria to-day. But we expect to see the transformation take place soon, when the people will rejoice.