Letters from Palestine: Written during a residence there in the years 1836, 7 and 8Paxton, J. D. (John D.)
Religion
Letters from Palestine: Written during a residence there in the years 1836, 7 and 8
Paxton, J. D. (John D.)
Palestine -- Description and travel
The Lebanon, at this place, makes on the side next the sea a
considerable bend, having the concave part next the sea. We stood
opposite the deep and wide hollow that comes up from Tripoli, and
down which flows a stream, the head springs of which rose far below
our feet. The mountain, both to our right and left, threw out high
and long ridges towards the sea. We had a steep descent before us
of, I should think, at least two thousand feet; on the sides of
which not a bush was to be seen. Then, there was a small level in
which several springs of water took their rise; and from the lower
side of this level another deep and rough hollow opened, with
stupendous precipices on its sides. Below this, and along the sides,
we saw trees and a considerable village. Near the middle of the
little plain, at the foot of the steep descent below us, we saw a
clump of trees, but they looked too few or too small for the cedars.
They resembled a small orchard of evergreens. We found, however,
on reaching the plain, that they were the cedars we sought. They
stand in irregular groups, spread over several little stony knolls,
and may possibly cover eight or ten acres of ground. They are not
what with us is called the cedar, but a variety of the pine. It is
a resinous tree bearing a cone. The wood is of a white pine-like
appearance. We spread our carpets, and spent the night under one of
the father-trees of this grove.
It is not easy to decide how many old trees there are; eight or
ten have a more venerable appearance than the remainder; still
others approach them so nearly in size and marks of age, that it is
difficult to say why one should be called old and the other young.
I once thought of counting the grove, but from the irregularity
of the ground, and the situation of the trees, this was no easy
matter--especially for a man who had crossed the Lebanon the same
day. I counted, however, a small section, and am disposed to think
that there may be from 300 to 500 trees that are more than a foot
in diameter--possibly 150 that may be above two feet--and about 50
or 60 that may be from three to four feet in diameter. A few we
measured; the largest was 39 feet in circumference--one 32--one
29--one 28, and one 23: these may serve as a sample. Most of the
large ones forked near the ground, and were rather assemblages of
trees from the same root than a single tree. Those of the third size
had some of them fine, straight bodies, and ran up to a considerable
height. We procured some specimens of the wood, and a sample of the
cones, and then bid adieu to this much-talked-of grove.
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