castle was abandoned about the seventeenth century. On our return we saw the upper source of the Jordan, a splendid stream suddenly bursting forth from the rocks. Above this was the cave where Pan was worshipped, and we noticed one or two niches for images, and inscriptions in Greek. We enjoyed a bathe in the Jordan after the hot and fatiguing walk, and Jacob our cook gave us a good dinner in our

tent.

On the following day we had a very hard and fatiguing ride of six hours to Bet-Jenn; and again mounting, we arrived at our tents in another hour and a half, at Kefr-Hawar. To-day we passed by the Hermon range, which are 9380 feet high.

We always had a guard to watch our tents at night, so as usual we had them here; and our dragoman (good Gabriel) kept his eye upon them. It appears that in the middle of the night he went out and found our guards both asleep; so, going up to them stealthily, he took away their guns, and then made a great noise. The guard were up, as if they had received an electric shock; but to their great dismay their guns were gone. Gabriel was looking on with much delight, until he thought he had taught them a lesson. Then he gave them back their guns, with a wholesome warning never to fall asleep again on watch.

The next day we had a delightful gallop into Damascus, and a still more delightful Turkish bath when there.

DAMASCUS

Damascus is beautifully situated in the plain, well watered by the Abana and Pharpar, now called the Barada and Awaj. They are beautiful rivers, and we can well understand that Naaman thought them finer rivers than the Jordan.

We walked down the street called Straight. It is certainly a very long straight street. A single pillar marks the traditional site of Judas' house. To the left of this we found out the house of Ananias. You descend into a cellar, which is fitted up for a chapel. Another day we rode outside Damascus, and saw the place of St. Paul's conversion, also where he was let down in a basket from the walls of the city. In the morning we went with a party to the citadel and mosque; saw the remains of the Temple of the Sun and the Tomb of John the Baptist (who seems to have been buried in several places). The quadrangle is a very large one, 163 yards long, 108 yards wide.

We noticed the large gates with coverings of bronze, and upon them the figure of a chalice, with Arabic and Coptic inscriptions. The columns in the mosque are very fine, being a mixture of Grecian style, Christian art, and Moslem taste.

It appears that there first existed here a heathen temple, probably House of Rimmon (2 Kings v. 18); then a Christian church, restored by Arcadius, son of Theodosius, A.D. 395, seventy years after the estab

lishment of Christianity by Constantine. From the western minaret we had a very extensive and pleasing view of the city. Before returning to the hotel, we went to see some very curious Greek inscriptions on the outside walls; one was, 'Thy kingdom, O Christ, is an everlasting kingdom, and Thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.'

It is a very rare thing to see a drunken man among the Mahometans. Their religion teaches them to be sober. But we did see a drunken man in Damascus.

I found the Turks themselves a very industrious, sober people, and I could not but admire the way in which even the stoker on board the Nile steamers came up on deck for the purpose of saying his prayers, not being ashamed to do so before lookers - on. Don't let us condemn the Turks, but let us condemn their abominable Government. I spoke to many men of different opinions on politics, but all seemed to agree that the foreign policy of the late Government was most admirable, and that Lord Beaconsfield knew more about Eastern affairs than most people.

CHAPTER IX.

BAALBEK AND BEYROUT.

ROM Damascus we took the road to Zebdany, noticing the fossilated rocks on the way, and inspecting a Roman road. high up above the present road, underneath which was an aqueduct, and we read an inscription, which explained that Marcellus Aurelius and Lucius Verus had reconstructed the road, which had been carried away by the river. Beyond this we had the Tomb of Abel pointed out, and our curiosity to see things ancient was satisfied. Zebdany is a very pretty place, and we sat outside our tents and had a beautiful view of the snowy mountains of Hermon. In the village we were pleased to see the young men playing a game of ball, something like our game of fives.

The next day we pushed on to Baalbek, passing through some very fine scenery; and from the top of the mountains we had a very extensive view of the Lebanon mountain range.

Baalbek (the assembly or gathering of Baal; the Greek name Heliopolis) shows the identification of

Baal with the sun. Baal in Greek mythology was identified as the supreme god with Jupiter, as the sun-god with Apollo; and hence (says Stanley), in the description of different temples included within the vast sanctuary, has arisen, both in ancient and modern times, a confusion between the two, which it is now almost impossible to rectify.

The ruins are certainly the finest I have seen, surpassing in many respects the ruins of the various temples up the Nile. It is difficult to say at what date these temples of Baalbek were built, but from certain portions of the architecture we may imagine that they had a true connection with the history of Palestine and Egypt; the three immense stones, seventy feet in length, gave to the whole building, for a long period, the name of the 'Three Stone' (Trilithon); and these immense substructions point to the earliest foundation of the building,-Phoenician, Jewish, or Syrian. How were they able in those days to move such immense stones? This is a question the answer to which I leave my readers to give. I must at the same time refute one novel idea I heard the other day in answer to this question. 'Oh,' said the gentleman who was asked, 'they never moved them at all, they made them on the spot, as we make concrete.' But I saw with my own eyes the quarry from whence they were hewn, and examined a large stone measuring 70 feet, partly cut out, partly prepared for removal.