ANCIENT TREES OF LEBANON. 131 



* set up.' The churls had even pulled down one of the 

 oldest trees to light their pipes and boil their rice 

 with. I fear it was with a very bad grace that I gave 

 a few gold pieces to their begging importunities for 

 the erection of this sectarian chapel, and it was with a 

 very bad grace that they received them. 



" There are twelve old trees, or saints as they are 

 called, being supposed to be coeval with those that 

 furnished timber for Solomon's temple yes, twelve, 

 I will maintain it, notwithstanding all the different 

 computations on the subject are there standing now. 

 It is natural that there should be a diversity of opinion, 

 perhaps, as the forest consists of about one thousand 

 trees, among which is a succession of all ages ; never- 

 theless there is the apostolic number, first-rate in 

 size and venerable appearance. The largest of these 

 is forty-five feet in circumference, the second is forty- 

 four. Many of them are scarred with travellers' 

 names, among which are those of Laborde, Irby, 

 Mangles, Lamartine, etc. I should have thought as 

 soon of carving my name on the skin of the venerable 

 Sheikh of Eden, who soon arrived to pay his respects 

 to the stranger. 



" That night's encampment was one to be remem- 

 bered. My tent was pitched on a carpet of soft green 

 sward, under the wide-spread arms of one of the old 

 saints. At a little distance the watch-fire blazed up 

 against a pale gray cliff, its red gleam playing on the 

 branches beneath, and the silvery moon shining on 

 them from above produced a beautiful effect as they 

 trembled in the night breeze, and their dark green 

 leaves seemed shot alternately with crimson and with 

 silver ; then the groupings of the servants, and the 



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