Missing our Steamer—A Serious Dilemma—A Study of Faces—Making a Row and What Came of It—Under the Yellow Flag—Adventures of a Quarantined Traveller—Escaping the Plague—Mal-de-Mer—A Laughable Incident—Getting on our Sea-Legs—Custom-House Troubles—The Potency of “Backsheesh”—Oriental Fashions in New York—“Doing” a Custom-House Inspector—A Curious Tradition—The “Lamb” as a Trade Mark—The Temple of Diana—One of the “Seven Wonders”—Singular Discoveries—A Horde of Scoundrels—The Island of Rhodes—The Colossus—A Wonderful City—The Knights of St. John—Their Exploits—Surrendering to the Turks,........[...236]
CHAP XVIII—SYRIA, THE LAND OF THE SUN.—DRAGOMEN, GUIDES, AND COURIERS.
A Rough Night on Shipboard—A Sea-Sick Turk—What he Said—Rum and Petroleum—Meditations on Turkish Hash—The Camel, his Tricks and Uses—A Knowing Brute—How he Shirks a Burden—George Smith, the Assyrian Savan—Beyrout—Its Antiquities and Wonders—Going on Shore—The Dragoman and his Office—Eastern Guides and their Character—Travelling on Horseback in Syria—The Road to Damascus—An Unexpected Trouble—Paying Fare by Weight—Disadvantages of a Heavy “Party”—A Trial of Wits—Waking up the Judge—Telling White Lies—The “Doubter’s” Predicament,........[...252]
CHAP XIX—THE GROVES OF LEBANON.—A NIGHT AMONG THE ARABS.
“The Sights” of Beyrout—Excursion to Dog River—An Obstinate Carriage-Owner—How he was “Euchred”—Moral of this Incident—Off for Damascus—Ascending Mt. Lebanon—An Arab Driver—Cultivating “Kalil”, our Jehu—The Cedars of Lebanon—A Grove as Old as Solomon’s Temple—A Wonderful Old City—The Temple of the Sun—Mystery of Tadmor—Cyclopean Masonry—Monstrous Monoliths—Their Dimensions—The “Doubter’s” Doubts and their Solution—Sleeping in an Arab House—What we Saw There—Divans as Couches—A Dangerous Valley—The Robber’s Haunt,........[...264]
CHAP XX—DAMASCUS.—THE GARDEN CITY OF THE EAST.
Dimitri and his Hotel—Court-Yards and Fountain—How People Live in Damascus—Parlors, Bed-Rooms and Boudoirs—A Bet and its Decision—The “Doubter and his Donkey”—The Street called “Straight”—Bab-Shurky—Spots Famous in History—Shaking Hands across a Street—Scene of St. raid’s Conversion—The Window of Escape—Tombs of Mohammed’s Wives—The “Doubter” Figuring on Probabilities—An Unexpected Upset—Visiting the Leper’s Hospital—A Frightful Spectacle—The Great Mosque—View from the Minaret—The Bazaars and Curiosity Shops—Making a Trade—A Case of Fraud,........[...278]
CHAP XXI—SYRIAN LIFE.—DEALERS IN HUMAN FLESH.—WE TRY “ZE LUXURIES OF ZE BATH.”
In the Slave-Market—A Dealer in Human Flesh—A Stealthy Trade—Examining Female Slaves—Serfdom in Syria—Inside Views of a Syrian Household—Jewish Houses—An Oriental Song—Smoking with the Ladies—Syrian Customs—A Famous Arab Chief—Visiting Abd-el-Kader’s House—The City of the Caliphs—Taking a Bath—Mohammed and his Trowsers—A New Species of Cushion—The Bath-House—Disrobing—Securing our Valuables—Muslem Honesty—Sitting Down in a Hot Place—Gustave’s Misadventure—Undergoing a Shampoo—Rubbed to a Jelly—The Couch of Repose—A Delicious Sensation—“All ze Luxuries,”........[...290]