tomb; and it had first been mentioned by a Frank traveller only five years before . . .

"We entered the plain, and reached Râs-el-'ain; (so called,) as being the fountain head of the aqueducts, by which Tyre was anciently supplied with water. The place lies in the plain, hardly a quarter of an hour from the sea-shore, and one hour from Tyre, on the direct road. It is a collection of large fountains, where the water gushes up in several places with great force, and in very large quantities. . . In order to raise them to a head sufficient to carry off the water by aqueducts, the ancients built around them elevated reservoirs, with walls of large stones, immensely thick, and fifteen or twenty feet high. There are four of these reservoirs, in all, at this place. (From two of them) an ancient aqueduct goes off NN.E. through the plain, exhibiting strong and excellent masonry... evidently of Roman architecture... The water of (the principal fountain) is now used only to turn a single mill, which stands immediately under the north side of the basin, having tub-wheels, like most mills in Syria. . . . Around these fountains there is much verdure, and many trees. We made our noon-day halt in an orchard of fig-trees; and the whole scene was rural and refreshing. There is also something of a village. A few years ago the Pasha of Egypt began to erect here several factories for cloth; ... but after a while the expenses were found to be so great that the project was abandoned. The foundations of two buildings yet remained as they were then left; and the materials collected still lay upon the ground...

...

“We reached . . . the only gate (of Tyre), situated close by the water, on the northern side... With indescribable emotion, I found myself within the circuit of the ancient mistress of the commerce of the East. Alas, how fallen!

"The peninsula on which Tyre, now Sûr, is built, was originally a long, narrow island, parallel to the shore, and distant from it less than half a mile. It was

perhaps at first a mere ledge of rocks; and inside of this the island was formed by the sand washed up from the sea. The isthmus was first created by the famous causeway of Alexander; which was enlarged and rendered permanent by the action of the waters, in throwing the sand over it broadly and deeply. At present the isthmus cannot be less than half a mile in width; and although consisting of loose sand, yet it is covered with traces of the foundations of buildings, probably out of the Middle Ages. It lies between the shore and the more northern part of the island; so that the latter, as seen from the shore, seems to project further towards the south of the isthmus than towards the north, and forms here a larger bay; although the harbour, or rather road, in which vessels lie, is that on the north. The island, as such, is not far from a mile in length. The part which projects on the south beyond the isthmus, is perhaps a quarter of a mile broad, and is rocky and uneven; it is now unoccupied, except as 'a place to spread nets upon.'

"The southern wall of the city runs across the island, nearly on a line with the south side of the isthmus. The present city stands upon the junction of a portion of the latter. On the north and west, towards the sea, are no walls; or at least they are so far broken away and neglected as to be like none. The inner port or basin, on the north, was formerly enclosed by a wall, running from the north end of the island in a curve towards the main land. Various pieces and fragments of this wall yet remain, sufficient to mark its course; but the port itself is continually filling up more and more with sand, and now-a-days only boats can enter it... The western coast of this island is wholly a ledge of rugged, picturesque rocks, in some parts fifteen or twenty feet high, upon which the waves of the Mediterranean dash in ceaseless surges. The city lies only upon the eastern part of the island: between the houses and the western shore is a broad strip of open land,

now given up to tillage. This shore is strewed from one end to the other, along the edge of the water, and in the water, with columns of red and gray granite, of various sizes, the only remaining monuments of the splendour of ancient Tyre. (I mean here, of course, Tyre before the Christian era). At the north-west point of the island forty or fifty such columns are thrown together in one heap beneath the waves. Along this coast, too, it is apparent that the continual washing of the waves has, in many places, had the effect to form layers of new rock, in which stones, bones, and fragments of pottery are cemented as constituent parts. . .

"The present Sûr is nothing more than a markettown, a small sea-port, hardly deserving the name of city. Its chief export is the tobacco raised upon the neighbouring hills; with some cotton, and also charcoal and wood from the more distant mountains. The houses are, for the most part, mere hovels; very few being more than one story high, with flat roofs. The streets are narrow lanes, crooked, and filthy. Yet the many scattered palm-trees throw over the place an Oriental charm; and the numerous Pride-of-India trees, interspersed among the houses and gardens, with their beautiful foliage, give it a pleasing aspect. . . The population is less than three thousand souls... The earthquake of 1837 was felt here to a very considerable extent. A large part of the eastern wall was thrown down, and had just been rebuilt; the southern wall also had been greatly shattered, and still remained with many breaches, over which one could pass in and out at pleasure. Several houses were destroyed, and many injured; so that the inhabitants, at the time, forsook their dwellings and lodged in tents, regarding the place as ruined. Twelve persons were killed outright, and thirty wounded.". Robinson's Researches, vol. iii. pp. 382-401.

"We travelled along the coast of Tyre and Sidon, from whence came many forth to witness, and to be

benefited by, the miracles of our Saviour. We passed near the site of Sarepta. The scenery was exquisitely beautiful on the left; the country rising gradually into hills of moderate height, whose declivities, even to their summit, were covered with grain, and interspersed with olive trees.

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“After a ride of seven hours, we found ourselves in Tyre, once the crowning city,' now, most emphatically, the abode of indigence. We went directly to the house of our consular agent, a respectable native, of the Greek Catholic Church, who treated us very hospitably. While arrangements for the night were going forward, I sat with my pencil, taking notes of the occurrences of the day. One of the ladies took a bit of wax taper in her hand, and, dropping upon her knees by my side, kindly held the light as long as I wished to write, interrupting me occasionally with questions about the object of this, that, and the other articles of dress, &c. which I readily answered. As I sat, thus occupied, and thus attended, I thought to myself, Can it be that this is the ancient Tyre?' I made some inquiries respecting the present condition of the place, of this kind, yet simple-minded woman. 'Have you gardens, &c. here?' No,' said she, there is nothing here but poor people, and nothing to look at but the sea;" and this remark was accompanied by that very significant gesture of the Arabs, by which they express utter destitution. It is by putting the thumb and fore-finger together, and snapping the end of the upper teeth with the nail of the thumb, bringing it suddenly from the mouth. This female little imagined how strikingly she was testifying to the truth of prophecy respecting that merchant of many isles'... The only object of interest worth examining, is the site of a very large church, part of whose walls and sculpture remain, showing it to have been in the shape of a cross. Here repose the ashes of the celebrated Origen, and of Frederick Barbarossa."-Memoir of Mrs. S. L. Smith, pp. 152–154.

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" Tyre is now a poor small town, situated on a low promontory, projecting into the sea.

"On the extreme end of a low, sandy isthmus, which seems to have crawled out as far as it could, stands the fallen city of Tyre, seeming, at a distance, to rest on the bosom of the sea. A Turkish soldier was stationed at the gate. I entered, under an arch so low that it was necessary to stoop on the back of my horse, and passed through dark and narrow streets, sheltered by mats stretched over the bazaars, from the scorching heat of a Syrian sun. A single fishing-boat was lying in the harbour of the crowning city,' whose merchants were princes, and whose traffickers were the honourable of the earth."-Stephens' Incidents of Travels.

"We had read," writes Mr. Jowett, during his visit to Tyre," in our social devotions, with the most lively interest, the 23d chapter of Isaiah, and the 26th, 27th, and 28th chapters of Ezekiel; tracing-so far as we knew the different countries therein mentioned and the produce of each-the sources of Tyrian wealth and glory; especially the 27th chapter. What a minute, and varied, and splendid record of earthly prosperity concentrated in this vast emporium! But, on this deserted shore, not one sight, not one sound remains to bear witness to her former joyousness and pride! I have seen the ruins of Athens, and the innumerable memorials of Egyptian glory in Thebes. There, enough survives to lead the mind to expand with wonder, or to sadden with regret; but of ancient Tyre, there just remains that utter nothing, which seems best suited to prepare the Christian for imbibing the spirit of the prophetic language."-Jowett's Researches, p. 136.

"We spent this day, the Christian Sabbath, at Tyre," writes Dr. Robinson. "After breakfast I wandered out alone, towards the south end of the peninsula, beyond the city, where all is now forsaken and lonely, like the desert; and there bathed in the limpid waters of the sea, as they rolled into a small and beauti