Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 1879)
February, 1879. THE WEST SHORE. for Gadcs, an ancient Phoenician col ony. Besides extending their com merce by sea, they traded overland, with many of the interior countries of still visible in the older portion of the a seaport. Beirut conspicuously shared in the vicissitudes brought about by the terrible Crusades, vestiges of which are Asia and Africa ; and it is believed, by the intelligent historians, that they found their way to India through the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. Two of the cities of Pho-nicia, Tyre and Sidon, were governed by their own kings. The names of two of these sovereigns, Hiram and Pygmalion, the brother of Dido, arc preserved, the one in sacred, and the other in profane history. It will be remembered that Hiram was the friend and patron of David and Solomon, and furnished much valuable material for the building of the temple. But I am digressing, town. It was also the scene of the victory of St. George, of Cnppadocia, over the Dragon. Modern Beirut owes its existence to the energy of Djezar, and it has been greatly improved and strengthened by the eminent and enter prising Mchemct Ali. When the lat ter invaded Syria, Beirut was bom barded, but the city was ably defended by Solyman Pasha, aided by Ibrahim I'asha with a large and tolerably well disciplined land force. It was finally evacuated, however, when the allien landed and took possession of the town. The bay in front of the city is large Lebanon range. The country through out the whole of Phoenicia is atill very fertile and productive, being, as it is, a semi-tropical region; and especially in the vicinity of Hcirut, the rural districts are favored with an even tenicrnture through almost the entire year. The markets in the city are at all times stocked with as line specimens of fruits as I have ever seen in central ami southern California. The principal ce reals grow almost spontaneously, uotl wheat might he exported in large qiiim tities were there but a spark of enter prise among the people. A ride in the country, a few miles from the city, is like a tour through the confines of I'aradise. As Bishop llclici says in his beautiful hymn ! and my only apology is the fact that it is difficult to give a popular descrip tion of the present city of Beirut with out citing some essential preliminaries from the pages of ancient history. Mullein Beirut, even in its subsidence and decay, is a splendid scajort, sit uated upon a small river of the same name. As a Turkish city, it is reck oned as one of the places within the Paahalic of Acre. Its approximate population may Ik stated at 30,01x1. Arabic and Turkish arc the prevailing languages, while its inhabitants com prise a motley assemblage of Turks, Arabs, Armenians and Christians, with the usual foreign element incident to BEIRUT) PALB8TWI and commodious, and ulTords good anchoring ground, where shis may ride in safely from most of the storms that prevail in this part of the Levant. The view from the sea Is leautiful in the extreme, but the essential tcatuies of the picturesque quickly vanish as soon as the tourist steps upon the rocky levee. Like so many Other oriental cities, Hcirut is sadly alllictcd with 'crooked streets and dirty lanes. The engraving sent herewith gives a truth ful view of the modern town from an elevated stand-point looking towards the north. A plain extends from the sea a few miles beyond the city, where it is cut short by the foot hilla of the "Where rt'ljf iimml pIcSMS, Anil "iily man U ilt" In a word, the enterprise of the peo ple is blasted by the despotism of the government. Itrirut would stand, to day, one of the most lieauliful cities in the world, were it owned and controlled by a Christian anil enlightened nation; but nlas, an incubus has settled down uMti it which must be coeval with Ike curse of Mohammedanism. 1 would detail the social condition of the people, Itul il would only lie relating much thai has U'cn said concerning tht In habitants of Cairo and Constantinople. Onibnt. Indian trouble in Sitka.