THE) GREAT NATURAL BRIDGE OF THE LEBANON 



This nature-made crossing has a span of 125 feet, and 75 feet beneath flows a good stream of 

 ice-cold water that springs from the mountains half a mile away (see page 66) 



months of summer. It may be 

 interesting" to those versed in myth- 

 ology to know that this fall and 

 spring are connected with the myth 

 of Venus and Adonis, and on a 

 spot not far away are the remains 

 of a temple to Venus which was 

 destroyed by the Emperor Con- 

 stantine because of the indecencies 

 practiced there. 



But we must not tarry longer 

 over the charms of the Lebanon, 

 but hasten to the city that lies 

 under the shadow of its hills. 



Damascus, as already stated, is 

 the capital of Syria, and is the ren- 

 dezvous of peoples from all parts 

 of the Mohammedan world. It is 

 one of the sacred cities of the fol- 

 lowers of him who, having seen the 

 city from the back of his fiery 

 steed, requested that "as he had to 

 enter paradise but once, it might 

 not be in this life, but after he had 

 passed out of it into the future 

 state." 



a primitive but EFFECTIVE MILL : Damascus One cannot be long on the streets 

 A camel takes the place of steam to revolve the of Damascus without being inter- 

 heavy stones that crush the grain or berries for ested in the motley crowd of hu- 

 which the mill is used. The camel is blindfolded ma nity that swarm its streets, and, 

 so that it may not become giddy ; by its many . . f d d nationalit 

 revolutions. A difficult photograph to secure, r ■> 



taken with a flashlight. manage to keep sweet-tempered. 



