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1 October 1879 — Aley | |
Wednesday. 1st October [1879]. We breakfasted at 8 & took leave of Mr Eldridge & set out in our carriage for Beit ed-din to visit Rustem P. He accompanied us. We only went a little way in the carriage & when we had to leave the road we found mules & horses provided us & we rode into the Lebanon. We each had 2 soldiers to lead our mules & hold us on in case of need. We went into a lovely country & found tents pitched on a little plateau in a lovely valley & abt midday we stopped & breakfasted & rested– After abt an hour’s rest we resumed our journey. At every village we came to the Druses came out to meet us & drawn up by the side of the road & cheered us as we passed & waved branches & threw them under our horses feet & then ran before us dancing & singing their war crys and when we entered the village the women shouted their Hillah Mah from the housetops & sprinkled down on us rose water. The men always accompanied us a good way out of the village so that we had almost a perpetual procession from one village to the other. It was most interesting & curious but I was glad to get to the journey’s end being at last very tired by the foot’s pace & going up & down hill. The view of Beit ed din was most picturesque one sees it standing up on the top of a rock & one can hardly see from where one can reach it. We rode into the court yard at 5.30 & were received by music & guards & all honours. The Govr Rustem P. led us to our appartments where I found a bath prepared and every comfort. The Palace is built in the Arabic fashion & with European comforts is a charming combination of both styles. Before dinner we went out on the balcony to see the illuminations in our honor which was a beautiful sight. The outlines of the Palaces were done with lamps as were those of the houses all around. We dined at 7.30 & met there Morell Bey a Frenchman in high office under Rustem. We were glad to go early to bed being tired with excitement & riding. | |
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