December, 19 13 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



413 



The smaller trees, Cedars of Lebanon grove, are walled in to protect them from the goats 



ing houses with bright red tiles. Indeed, these townships 

 among the hills have been given the name of the "American 

 villages" of the Lebanon. Not until Bsherreh is reached 

 can the famous ancient Cedars be ^^^^^^^ B ^^^^^^ 

 seen. A huge amphitheatre seems 

 to have been carved out of the moun- 

 tains above this quaint and pictur- 

 esquely situated town. Terraces 

 rise, one above the other, the upper 

 one being that whereon the majestic 

 Cedars stand. Bsherreh itself is on 

 the edge of a great cliff almost at 

 the head of the valley, but a little to 

 the left as one looks down towards 



the sea. Its water supply is an ice-cold stream flowing 

 down from the region of almost perpetual snow. 



It will be recalled that the massacres of i860 led to 

 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ m European intervention, since when 



the Lebanon has been an independ- 

 ent sanjak, or province, governed 

 by a Christian Mushir, appointed 

 for five years with the consent of the 

 great powers. There is no compul- 

 sory Turkish military service in the 

 province, and there is a small local 

 force of paid soldiers who do police 

 duty. Taxation is light. Under this 

 administration excellent roads have 



Under surface of a Cedar of Lebanon branch 



Camping under the Cedars of Lebanon 



Upper surface of a Cedar of Lebanon branch 



