. The land and the Book; or, Biblical illustrations drawn from the manners and customs, the scenes and scenery of the Holy Land . of the stupendous gorges made by the rivers of Bei-rut, Antelias, Dog Kiver, Nahr Ibrahim, Nahr el Jous, andthe Khadisha. I have repeatedly followed that wildest ofroutes, with or without a path, as the case might be, cling-ing to the shelving declivities midway to heaven, with a bil-lowy wilderness of rocks and ravines sinking away west-ward down to the sea. The very thought of it at this min-ute is positively intoxicating. The platform where the ce-dars stand is m
. The land and the Book; or, Biblical illustrations drawn from the manners and customs, the scenes and scenery of the Holy Land . of the stupendous gorges made by the rivers of Bei-rut, Antelias, Dog Kiver, Nahr Ibrahim, Nahr el Jous, andthe Khadisha. I have repeatedly followed that wildest ofroutes, with or without a path, as the case might be, cling-ing to the shelving declivities midway to heaven, with a bil-lowy wilderness of rocks and ravines sinking away west-ward down to the sea. The very thought of it at this min-ute is positively intoxicating. The platform where the ce-dars stand is more than six thousand feet above the Medi-terranean, and around it are gathered the very tallest andgrayest heads of Lebanon. The forest is not large—not more * Those travelers who sjieak of finding these cedars in abundance on oth-er parts of Lebanon are simply mistaken in the tree. There are considera-ble proves of cedar in various places, generally alonp the very highest range;for exami)le, north of Tom at Nilia, above Baruk, Aphcah. and other simi-lar localities, but they arc quite diiVercnt from the cedar of ^rw^ CEDARS—NIGHT SCENE. 2^5 than five hundred trees, great and small, grouped irregular-ly on the sides of shallow ravines, which mark the birth-place of the Khadisha, or Holy River. But, though the space covered by them does not exceedhalf a dozen acres, yet, when fairly within the grove, andbeneath the giant arms of those old patriarchs of a hundredgenerations, there comes a solemn hush upon the soul as ifby enchantment. Precisely the same sort of magic spellsettles on the spirits no matter how often you repeat yourvisits. But it is most impressive in the night. Let us byall means arrange to sleep there. The universal silence isalmost painful. The gray old towers of Lebanon, still as astone, stand all around, holding up the stars of heaven tolook at you, and the trees gather like phantoms about you,and wink knowingly, or seem to, and whisper among
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectbible, bookyear1874
