52 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1895. 



To enjoy travelling in Syria, it is important that one should be 

 familiar with the Bible. I know that I never before read it with 

 such meaning as I did when my eyes beheld the places and customs 

 of which it speaks. I saw the humble inhabitant dwelling beneath 

 his own vine and fig tree, with his children growing like young olive 

 plants around him. 



In sailing past St. Paul's bay, where Paul's ship was wrecked and 

 the crew were all safely lauded upon the island, it was doubly inter- 

 esting to have read of how Paul gathered a few sticks to put on the 

 fire, when a viper was warmed up and fell on his hand. I could 

 imagine that he gathered sticks ; for there is no wood on the island, 

 the fuel being brought from Sicily in ships. 



Bidding adieu to the unsafe harbor of Tripoli we enjoyed sailing 

 up the coast, and in a short time anchored in the Bay of Iskanderun 

 or Alexandretta. This was once a place of considerable trade, beiug 

 the port of Aleppo, but it is now in ruins. It has the best anchorage 

 on the coast. The bay extends about 40 miles in a northeasterly 

 direction and is 17 miles broad. We counted 150 camels comiag in, 

 laden with produce, from the interior. While crossing the desert the 

 camels go without water for several days at a time, having drank 

 enough before starting to last them. The driver carries fresh water 

 in a skin bag taken from an animal, and when it has evaporated, as it 

 sometimes does, he has been obliged to kill the camel in order to 

 save his own life, by drinking the water found in the camel's stomach. 

 Water is scented by the camel long before the driver is aware of its 

 being near. These "ships of the desert" carry heavy burdens, weigh- 

 ing from 600 to 1000 pounds. They can travel 35 miles a day. 

 There are caravansaries where man and beast can find accommoda- 

 tions for the night, but they must carry their own provision. 



During Ramazan, the Turkish fast, which lasts about a month, the 

 Mohammedans are not allowed to eat, drink or smoke from sunrise to 

 sunset. It was very hard on the workmen who were putting on board 

 cargo. But they make up during the night and endeavor to eat 

 enough to last through the day. The rich reverse the order of things, 

 and get around the fast by sleeping all day and feasting during the 

 night. 



We enjoyed walking on the beach at this place, gathering the beauti- 

 ful, variegated stones, which we brought home and gave to our friends 

 to use as papcr-weiglits. The cones from the pine tree are valued for 

 the seeds, which are highly esteemed, when sugared, as confectionery. 



While lying in the Bay of Iskanderun, a Russian steamer arrived. 



