Those who love the Holy Land will like to hear about Syria also; for
Abraham lived there before he came into Canaan. Therefore the Israelites
were taught to say when they offered a basket of fruit to God, "A Syrian
was my father." It was a heathen land in old times; and it is now a
Mahomedan land; though there are a few Christians there, but very
ignorant Christians, who know nothing of the Bible.
Syria is a beautiful land, and famous for its grand mountains, called
Lebanon. The same clergyman who travelled through the Holy Land went to
Lebanon also. He had to climb up very steep places on horseback, and
slide down some, as slanting as the roof of a house. But the Syrian
horses are very sure-footed. It is the custom for the colts from a month
old to follow their mothers; and so when a rider mounts the back of the
colt's mother, the young creature follows, and it learns to scramble up
steep places, and to slide down; even through the towns the colt trots
after its mother, and soon becomes accustomed to all kinds of sights and
sounds: so that Syrian horses neither shy nor stumble.
The traveller was much surprised at the dress of the women of Lebanon:
for on their heads they wear silver horns sticking out from under their
veils, the strangest head-dress that can be imagined.
There are sweet flowers growing on the sides of Lebanon; but at the top
there are ice and snow.
The traveller ate some ice, and gave some to the horses; and the poor
beasts devoured it eagerly, and seemed quite refreshed by their cold
meal.
The snow of Lebanon is spoken of in the Bible as very pure and
refreshing. "Will a man leave the snow of Lebanon, which cometh from the
rock of the field?"--Jer. xviii. 14.
The traveller earnestly desired to behold the cedars of Lebanon: for a
great deal is said about them in the Bible; indeed, the temple of Solomon
was built of those cedars. It was not easy to get close to them; for
there were craggy rocks all around: but at last the traveller reached
them, and stood beneath their shade. There were twelve very large old
trees, and their boughs met at the top, and kept off the heat of the sun.
These trees might be compared to holy men, grown old in the service of
God: for this is God's promise to his servants,--"The righteous shall
flourish like the palm-tree: he shall grow like a cedar in
Lebanon."--Psalm xc. 11, 12.