The streets are depositories of filth, and pools of stagnant water, on all sides, exhale the most fetid odors.  Near the town are the ruins of a castle built by Godfrey of Bouillon.  We marched directly down to the sea-shore, and pitched our tent close beside the waves, as the place most free from malaria.  There were a dozen vessels at anchor in the road, and one of them proved to be the American bark Columbia, Capt.  Taylor.  We took a skiff and went on board, where we were cordially welcomed by the mate.  In the evening, the captain came to our tent, quite surprised to find two wandering Americans in such a lonely corner of the world.  Soon afterwards, with true seaman-like generosity, he returned, bringing a jar of fine Spanish olives and a large bottle of pickles, which he insisted on adding to our supplies.  The olives have the choicest Andalusian flavor, and the pickles lose none of their relish from having been put up in New York.

The road from Scanderoon to this place lies mostly along the shore of the gulf, at the foot of Akma Dagh, and is reckoned dangerous on account of the marauding bands of Koords who infest the mountains.  These people, like the Druses, have rebelled against the conscription, and will probably hold their ground with equal success, though the Turks talk loudly of invading their strongholds.  Two weeks ago, the post was robbed, about ten miles from Scanderoon, and a government vessel, now lying at anchor in the bay, opened a cannonade on the plunderers, before they could be secured.  In consequence of the warnings of danger in everybody’s mouth, we decided to take an escort, and therefore waited upon the commander of the forces, with the firman of the Pasha of Aleppo.  A convoy of two soldiers was at once promised us; and at sunrise, next morning, they took the lead of our caravan.

In order to appear more formidable, in case we should meet with robbers, we put on our Frank pantaloons, which had no other effect than to make the heat more intolerable.  But we formed rather a fierce cavalcade, six armed men in all.  Our road followed the shore of the bay, having a narrow, uninhabited flat, covered with thickets of myrtle and mastic, between us and the mountains.  The two soldiers, more valiant than the guard of Banias, rode in advance, and showed no signs of fear as we approached the suspicious places.  The morning was delightfully clear, and the snow-crowned range of Taurus shone through the soft vapors hanging over the gulf.  In one place, we skirted the shore for some distance, under a bank twenty feet in height, and so completely mantled with shrubbery, that a small army might have hidden in it.  There were gulleys at intervals, opening suddenly on our path, and we looked up them, expecting every moment to see the gleam of a Koordish gun-barrel, or a Turcoman spear, above the tops of the myrtles.