inspecting the geological collection, proceeded with Dr. Bliss to lunch at the Consulate. The afternoon was spent in an excursion, kindly arranged for me by Dr. Bliss, into the borders of the Lebanon, during which I had an opportunity of examining the remarkable conglomerate of Lokandel el Motram, about three miles from Beyrût, which Dr. Bliss has very properly recognised as a portion of the old bed of the straits which ran up the valley to the east of the ridge on which Beyrût is built, and which at that time must have existed as an island. This old sea-bed reaches levels varying from 120 to 150 feet above the present sea-level.[1]
Having thus made the acquaintance of the capital of Western Syria and its surroundings under very favourable circumstances, we returned on board our ship, and in the evening weighed anchor, and steamed westward towards the coast of Cyprus. Gradually the shadows deepened, and the snow-clad Lebanon and the dark headlands of the Syrian coast faded from view, and only the waters of the Mediterranean bounded the horizon as the darkness of night set in.[2]
We returned home by Cyprus, Smyrna, Constantinople, and Varna; and when resting for a short time in the capital of the Turkish Empire, I took the opportunity of calling on Lord Dufferin, in order to express, in person, the thanks of myself, and of our party, for his prompt and effective services in procuring our release from quarantine at Gaza. His Excellency received me in the most friendly manner, and I shall ever retain a pleasant recollection of my interview with this distinguished representative of the British Empire in the East. We were greatly favoured by the weather in our passage through the Dardanelles and the Black Sea; but I could well understand how in rough weather the landing at Varna must be both difficult and dangerous. We reached Vienna by "the Oriental Express" train on February 7th, and on the morning of the 13th of the same month touched again the shores of "Old
- ↑ I regretted much not having time to visit the waterworks of Beyrût, the construction of which was carried out under the direction of my valued friend, the late W. J. Maxwell, C.E., acting as representative of the firm of Sir J. MacNeil and Son. The water is taken from the Nahr-el-Kelb, which issues forth from an underground channel in the mountains explored by Mr. Maxwell and described by Rev. J. Robertson in "Good Words," November, 1875.
- ↑ At Beyrût we bid farewell to Messrs. Hart and Laurence, who had arranged to make a bold attempt to see Damascus and Baalbec, notwithstanding the deep snows which covered the country. This they happily succeeded in doing, as the "French road" to Damascus had just been cleared.
