We come now to the Jews. Their history is to us the most interesting of any. Syria was anciently the land of the Jews; but where is Israel now? What says the Bible of him: "His feet shall carry him far off, he shall sojourn in a strange land, he shall be called forsaken, he shall be a servant to his brethren." The Israelites used to be like Englishmen of the present day. The Englishman when he is on the continent and has nothing in particular to do, amuses himself by strutting up and down half a dozen times a day, calling out, "I am an Englishman." So the ancient Israelites used to exclaim, "I am of Israel—I am of Israel." There are very few Jews now in Syria. The few that are there are old men who have come from other countries to die there. You ask me, Where are they? I answer, "Their feet have carried them far off, they are sojourning in strange lands." Mark the word sojourning. You will meet a Jew in Austria, and ask him about the political state of the country. He will tell you, Sir, I am a stranger, I know nothing about it. You ask him where he was born. He will tell you, In Austria. You ask him the same about his father, grandfather and great-grandfather. They were all born in Austria, and yet he is a stranger. He is sojourning in a strange land. It is only in christianized England that the Jew is beginning to feel himself not a stranger, and that only a late occurrence. The people of Syria may be divided into two great classes, the Bedouins and the Townspeople. The Bedouins are the Ishmaelites of olden times. They inhabit the wilds of Syria, and form a particular and entirely distinct race. The Bedouins will rob you on the principle that you have robbed him before. But still the Bedouin is in the soul of honor and chivalry. For a description of his character, read Antar, by Hamilton. If you reach the Bedouin's tent and put your hand upon the pole, you are safe—your life is secure. The Bedouins are well made and exceedingly handsome, tall, erect, and noble looking, with an eagle eye that will look you straight down. Their food is simply milk and Indian corn. The men are constantly away in the desert in search of plunder. The women remain at home to take care of the tents. When I first came to America some four or five years ago, I was prepared to adopt the idea that your Indians are the lost ten tribes. But when I visited Minnesota and Iowa, and went among the Indians there, I felt that there was no fiction greater than the idea that they were Jews. I saw at once from their customs and manners that they were downright Bedouins. We know the habits of the Jew: he settles down to make money. Does the Indian do so? No; but like his brother Bedouin in Syria, he loves to rove. You cannot make him settle down in one spot. He has nothing in common with the Jew except hands and feet, a head and pair of eyes. He lives in a wigwam, the Bedouin in a tent. The Indian calls the white man pale-face, and considers him cowardly; so the Bedouin calls us townsmen a band of women, and regards us low, mean, powerless people. Go into an Indian's wigwam, and the first thing he presents you is the pipe of peace. The Bedouin does the same when you enter his tent. These two nations are also alike in the treatment of their children. When an Indian child is born, it is strapped tight to a board. The mother carries it in this way on her back; and at the same time a load on her head. The Bedouin mother does the same thing, and nowhere except among these two nations have I seen this custom. Their lives, habits75and manners are similar. Look also at the Indian's features. He has the same eagle eye and commanding look which distinguish the Bedouin. I speak particularly of the Indian of the interior, some two thousand miles from the sea coast. I do not say that all the indians are Ishmaelites. Some in South America and some in the United States I am convinced are not. You will ask me how they came over to America. Look at the last three verses of the ninth chapter of first Kings, and you will find that Solomon had a navy of ships at Ezion-geber. You will see in the following chapter that his ships made a voyage once in three years. Again, in speaking of Tyre, the word of the Lord says, "Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters, the east wind hath brought thee into the midst of the seas." Observe the word waters is in the plural. The easterly wind would carry the ships directly to Gibraltar, and from thence across the Atlantic to America. Historians say that the Indians came by Behring's Straits. I do not believe this; because very few Indians remains are found near Behring's Straits. In fact, the majority of such remains are to be found further south than this place. As to the story of their coming over in a vessel, which was driven far out of her course by a storm, and wrecked, you may believe it; but I do not. As I remarked last evening, arts were practiced in Syria in ancient times which are now unknown to the world. Why may we not have had as perfect a knowledge of navigation as of the other arts, which we know formerly existed among us? The majestic columns of Petra, and the magnificent temples of Balbec, remain to prove our knowledge of architecture; and this country with its ancient inhabitants remain to prove our acquaintance with navigation. I am satisfied that both the Atlantic and Pacific were known in Bible times. There are no hotels in Syria, except at Damascus or Jerusalem. When you enter a town you knock at the first door you come to, and then walk in. The servant comes to meet you, and then goes to inform his master of your arrival. The master comes and welcomes you, telling you that his house is yours. You then take off your shoes. In Syria we wear morocco slippers, not such shoes as I wear here, which are like yours. The servant then washes your feet and wipes them in true Abrahamic style. A pipe is then handed you. You are not asked whether you smoke or not, it is assumed you do, as smoking is the rule, and not smoking the exception. You may then make yourself perfectly at home in the house. You may stay one, two, or three days, but you are expected to stay three days. If you then receive a further invitation from the master of the house, you may stay three days more, and so on, three additional days for every time the invitation is renewed. If a Syrian meets a friend on the street, he places his hand upon his heart, then kisses the tips of his fingers, and then bows, which means, I sincerely love, respect and esteem you. Young Syria has abbreviated this process, and merely kisses the hand. After smoking a servant brings you coffee as strong as jallap, without sugar or milk, in a cup as small as one of your egg cups. Such coffee as yours would be nothing but dirty water to us. The roofs of the houses are flat. We often spend our evenings, and sometimes the whole night, there. You read in the Bible of praying on the house-tops. This is not at all uncommon in Syria. . . . We never eat meat by itself, but always mix a large quantity of vegetables with it. On this diet we attain to great age. Old men of 110, 120, and even 130 years, are not at all uncommon in Syria.