230 SIR VICTOR BROOKE CHAP. 



kind, the finest I ever saw. One view particularly was 

 grand. Looking down a narrow valley, at the bottom 

 or far end of which was the vivid green of the vegeta- 

 tion accompanying the Barada, rising immediately 

 above this on each side of the picture are very high 

 cliffs, ruddy red with shades of blue, cut into the most 

 fantastic shapes. The cliffs looked like molten bronze. 

 Behind these and exactly in the centre rises Hermon, 

 covered with snow. The tout ensemble was most strange, 

 grand, and to me quite unique. The same character is 

 carried on to where the high cliff is some 800 or 1000 

 feet, on the top of which the supposed tomb of Abel 

 towers over us. 



Wednesday 1 2 ^th. A way at seven, held on to Baalbek. 

 The valley of Coele Syria is very luxuriant and exten- 

 sive. The six pillars in the peristyle of the big temple 

 stand out most prominent long before you arrive at 

 Baalbek. Lunched in the quarry, where the big stone 

 is 74 feet (1500 tons), 14 feet square. It was never 

 cut quite free from the quarry. It was a desperately 

 hot day, but we went off at once to the Acropolis to 

 see the temples. They are very grand, but I will not 

 here describe them, as without photos, which can be 

 seen elsewhere, it is useless. It is enough to say the 

 greatest uncertainty hangs over them, even as to their 

 original names. The first mention is about the third 

 century. They were probably Phenician temples origin- 

 ally, the only remains of which are the large dark 

 stones, from 30 to 68 feet in length, in the north and 

 west walls of the Acropolis. Then the Romans built 

 their temples on this substructure, and the transition 

 from Baal to the sun was simple, as they are nearly 

 synonymous. The smaller temple is very perfect, con- 

 sidering its age. They were also largely used as a 

 citadel in the Middle Ages, and I believe the large 



