contrast to the desert region
around. In this valley, amid gardens and trees innumerable, extends
the town, with its pretty mosques and slender lofty minarets; but I
was far from finding the scene so charming that I could have
exclaimed with other travellers, "This is the most beauteous spot on
earth!"

The plain in which Damascus lies runs on at the foot of the Anti-
Libanus as far as the mountain of Scheik, and is shut in on three
sides by sandhills of an incomparably dreary appearance. On the
fourth side the plain loses itself in the sandy desert. This valley
is exceedingly well watered by springs descending from all the
mountains, which we could not, however, see on our approach; but no
river exists here. The water rushes forth but to disappear beneath
the sand, and displays its richness only in the town and its
immediate neighbourhood.

From the hill whence we had obtained the first view of Damascus, we
have still a good two miles to ride before we reach the plantations.
These are large gardens of mish-mish, walnut, pomegranate, orange,
and lemon trees, fenced in with clay walls, traversed by long broad
streets, and watered by bubbling brooks. For a long time we
journeyed on in the shade of these fruitful woods, till at length we
entered the town through a large gate. Our enthusiastic conceptions
of this renowned city were more and more toned down as we continued
to advance.

The houses in Damascus are almost all built of clay and earth, and
many ugly wooden gables and heavy window-frames give a disagreeable
ponderous air to the whole. Damascus is divided into several parts
by gates, which are closed soon after sunset. We passed through a
number of these gates, and also through the greater portion of the
bazaar, on our road to the Franciscan convent.

We had this day accomplished a journey of more than twenty-four
miles, in a temperature of 35 to 36 degrees Reaum., and had suffered
much from the scorching wind, which came laden with particles of
dust. Our faces were so browned, that we might easily have been
taken for descendants of the Bedouins. This was the only day that I
felt my eyes affected by the glare.

Although we were much fatigued on arriving at the convent, the first
thing we did, after cleansing ourselves from dust and washing our
burning eyes, was to hasten to the French and English consuls, so
eager were we to see the interior of some of these clay huts.

A low door brought us int