_Beyroot, July 4th, 1836._
I think I informed you that Beyroot is a walled town, and has a
strong garrison. It is held under Ibrahim Pasha, and for his father
or step-father Mahommed Ali of Egypt. Ibrahim spends most of his
time north of this at Aleppo, Tripoli, Scanderoon, and Tarsoos. He
is erecting a palace not far from Aleppo, and may possibly purpose
making that his home. Beyroot is the most important port on the
coast, but still its trade is small. The walls are of considerable
height, appear strong, and have several strong towers connected with
them. The number of troops at this place I have not been able to
ascertain with certainty; there must be several thousands, possibly
from 3000 to 5000.
I have been equally unable to ascertain the population of the town
and suburbs; nearly one-third of the population, I should think,
live without the walls, in what is called the Gardens. The houses
without the walls are much more pleasant, at least in summer, than
those within the town. They stand apart; have gardens and trees
about them, are higher and much more cool. The town stands in a
low spot, is much crowded with houses, has narrow filthy streets,
and during the hot weather the heat is considerable, which causes
sickness. The gates of the town are guarded, and at an early hour in
the night all but one are closed. This one is kept open to a late
hour.
At the quay, or public landing-place, there is an immense number
of old, broken pillars. The wall fronting the bay is for thirty,
possibly fifty yards, composed almost wholly of them. Most of them
are more or less broken. Many of them have been connected, no
doubt, with buildings of consequence, as their high finish seems
to indicate; a number of them are fine Egyptian marble. They are of
various sizes, but most of them of the largest kind. Broken pieces
of pillars and other work in marble are to be seen in many places
about the town, both without and within the walls, all indicating
that, at some period, this was the seat of wealth and taste, of
luxury and splendour.
* * * * *
_Brumanah, Mount Lebanon, July 20th, 1836._
After getting out of quarantine, and spending ten or twelve days
in Beyroot to see the place, I came up to this village, where the
mission families are spending the summer months. It lies about three
hours' ride from Beyroot, on the top of one of the ridges which runs
down from the main ridge of the Lebanon towards the sea. It may be
about one-third of the way to the top, and one-third of the height
of Jebal Sun-neen, the highest point of Mount Lebanon. We have from
Bru-ma-nah a fair view of the mountains, as they rise above us, and
run far to the north-east and south-west: a long sea coast spreads
out before us--the town of Beyroot--the shipping that lies off the
town on the face of the smooth waters, all rise into view, and give
a rich and beautiful variety to the prospect.
Nearly one-half of the village is composed of Greeks, and the other
half about equally divided between the Druses and Maronites. They
all speak the Arabic, which is indeed the vernacular language of
this region. The people appear friendly, and but for the influence
of the priests would, no doubt, give more proof of their friendship.
The missionaries have opened a school among them, which promises to
do good. The females wear what is called the tantoor on their heads.
It is very like those tin horns which are often used by hunters to
call their dogs; stage-drivers at times use them. The tantoor is a
foot long; the largest part is fixed to the forehead, and by means
of a small piece of wood, or some such thing, which passes over the
head, and is fastened to the hair, the whole is made to stand upon
the head like a horn. It usually leans forward, and reminds one of
the figure of the unicorn. The horn is of silver, and has at times
various ornamental devices engraved on it. The chief use of it seems
to be to sustain the veil, which is universally worn by the women
here. It is thrown over the horn, and hangs down over the shoulders.
When men are present, they draw the veil with one hand close over
the mouth, so as to cover the lower part of the face, leaving but
one eye exposed. While they are thus careful to cover the face,
they often, I might say usually, leave the breast most shamefully
exposed. Indeed, they seem to have pride in exposing that part of
the body.
Sometime before I got out of quarantine, there was a death in the
Emeer family of this village; and, as is the custom, the people are
not allowed to wash their clothes for forty days--as they are not
much given to cleanliness at any time, this was an order grievously
out of place. About the time I came up the people were most
fearfully dirty. The days of restriction are, however, past, and it
is thought the people have been using water. It is a rare evil for
people to get habituated to--a disregard of cleanliness--for it is
hard to correct the evil.
Most, if not all, of the houses here are of one story--a few,
indeed, that stand on the hill-side, have a small room under the
elevated side of the main floor. The floors are uniformly, as far
as I have seen, made of clay, as also is the roof. They wet it and
make it into a kind of mortar, and have a heavy stone roller with
which to make it smooth. For the roof, pieces of timber are laid
across, mostly a few strong beams, then across them smaller pieces
of boards, and flat stones; and on these the earth is laid, in a
wet state, and the roller made to pass over it, until with that
and their feet they make it hard and smooth. All the roofs are
flat, having some little channels to collect the water, and a low
place at one side to let it off. There is a way of ascending to
the top, which, in large houses, is a fine place for walking and
taking the air. These roofs do very well in dry weather, but in
the rainy season the water, it is said, comes through, and gives
much annoyance to the inmates. The sides are usually made of stone,
very coarsely put together; very little mortar is used--often none.
They plaster the inside with clay, such as they use for making the
floors; and give it a slight coat of whitewash. It is, to be sure,
done in poor style; still the houses do pretty well for a summer
residence. Generally they have but one room, but occasionally they
have two or three.
These flat roofs and their earthen materials illustrate what was
meant by the grass upon the house-tops--grass does often spring up
in the wet season, but the heat of the sun withers it and it comes
to nought.
"Shall men give into your bosom?"--The usual dress here, is a long
robe, not much unlike a woman's gown. It is fastened about the
waist with a girdle. This is a long, large piece, often as large,
and even much larger than a sheet, but of a fine texture; usually
of the shawl kind. They wrap this round them four or five times,
forming a band from four inches to a foot wide, as the taste of each
may be,--then give such a fastening to the end as each may choose.
It is odd, and to us laughable to see them putting them on. I have
seen them fasten the end of their long girdle to a door, post, or
table--adjust its folds--regulate its width--put one end to their
body, and turn round and round until they have wrapped it all to
their liking. Yea, I have seen them do it on the road. On my visit
to Nice, not long after I left that plain, I passed a man on the
road who from some cause wished to adjust his girdle. Possibly it
was a preparation before he entered that city of ancient name. He
had stopped, taken off his girdle, adjusted its width, arranged
its folds, fastened one end of it to a bush, drew it out to its
full length, applied the other end to his side, and holding it,
turned round and round carefully, attending to its width and the
adjustment of its folds. I felt strongly disposed to laugh, and
had there been any one to join me in it, I doubt not should have
laughed heartily, the danger of offending the gravity of the Turk
to the contrary notwithstanding. But there is no fun in laughing
alone; and my old Greek guide looked as grave as if he saw nothing
amusing, in seeing a man winding himself in a shawl. But to the
point I meant to illustrate. The part of the dress above the girdle
having an opening, is used for stowing away all sorts of things;
handkerchiefs, when they have any; bread, fruit, &c., nothing comes
amiss; they put it into the bosom. As the receptacle goes all round
the body, it is equal to three or four of those large pockets our
great-grandmothers used to wear.