THE CEDARS OF LEBANON 529 



of the Faith & phase dated by the popular tune ' Partant 

 pour la Syrie ' were chief in organising the Powers' campaign 

 against the Druses. Hooker and his party reached Damascus 

 only a day after the sacking of the Christian quarter of the 

 city. Happily the English were not the object of popular 

 resentment, and no untoward incidents happened to them, 

 save that all the decent horses had been commandeered. 



A few quotations from the diary illustrate things noted. 

 Thus the Ionian Islands appear to dread the exchange of 

 British administration for Greek misrule : the meanness of 

 the Europeans' houses in Smyrna and the lack of hot country 

 comforts are such as no one in India of far inferior rank 

 would put up with. Indeed, the relative standard of native 

 habits is higher in India. 



Even under the deplorable conditions of Turkish rule, 

 Ehocles is superb : and its * old fortifications are far too grand, 

 tumultuous, extensive, and picturesque to give any account 

 of.' Two days after reaching Beyrout they were in the 

 mountains. On Lebanon, at a height of 3000-4000 feet, the 

 * general character of scenery Tibetan and wretched.' On the 

 29th they reached the ' great shallow amphitheatre of bare, 

 red, rounded sloping hills, at bottom of which the Cedars stand. 

 These form one small clump, like a black speck in the great 

 amphitheatre, and there is no other tree or shrub near them.' 



The youngest of the trees standing appeared to be about 

 fifty years old. Some seedlings were found, but all dead. 

 Good cones there were in plenty, so that ' with very little care 

 this grove may be indefinitely increased and made to cover 

 all the moraines.' 



Two days were spent here ; the cedars were sketched 

 and planned by the surveyors while Hooker botanised to the 

 summit of the mountain^ 



Baalbek (October 2) was most impressive. A glorious sun- 

 set on the mountains was followed by bright moonlight. He 

 notes : ' Magnificence of ruins in spite of earthquakes and 

 Turks. Hanging keystone of Arch in Temple of Jupiter. 

 Crawl into temple on hands and knees. Columns 7 feet 

 through. Wolf among ruins.' 



