rought their armies here, and found the
path so bad along the high precipice overhanging the sea, that they cut
a road for their horses and chariots in the solid limestone rock. Just
think of standing where Sennacherib and Alexander the Great passed
along with their armies!

What a steep and narrow road! We will dismount and walk over this
dangerous pass. It is not pleasant to meet camels and loaded mules on
such a dizzy precipice, with the high cliff above, and the roaring waves
of the sea far below! It is well we dismounted. Our horses are afraid of
those camels carrying long timbers balanced on their backs. Let us turn
aside and wait until they pass.

Seeing these camels reminds me of what I saw here in 1857. I was coming
down the coast from Tripoli and reached the top of this pass, in the
narrowest part, just as a caravan of camels were coming from the
opposite direction. I turned back a little, and stood close under the
edge of the cliff to let the camels go by. They were loaded with huge
canvas sacks of tibn, or cut straw, which hung down on both sides,
making it impossible to pass them without stooping very low. Just then I
heard a voice behind me, and looking around, saw a shepherd coming up
the pass with his flock of sheep. He was walking ahead, and they all
followed on. I called to him to go back, as the camels were coming over
the pass. He said, "Ma ahlaik," or "don't trouble yourself," and on he
came. When he met the camels, they were in the narrowest part, where a
low stone wall runs along the edge of the precipice. He stooped down and
stepped upon the narrow wall, calling all the time to his sheep, who
followed close upon his heels, walking in single file. He said "tahl,
tahl," "come, come," and then made a shrill whirring call, which could
be heard above the roaring of the waves on the rocks below. It was
wonderful to see how closely they followed the shepherd. They did not
seem to notice the camels on the one side, or the abyss on the other
side. Had they left the narrow track, they would either have been
trodden down by the heavily laden camels, or have fallen off into the
dark waters below. But they were intent on following their shepherd.
They heard his voice, and that was enough. The cameleers were shouting
and screaming to their camels to keep them from slipping on these smooth
rocks, but the sheep paid no attention to them. They knew the shepherd's
voice. They had followed him before, through rive