Копи царя Соломона
Solomon’s Road
Iknownothowtodescribethegloriouspanoramawhichunfoldeditselftoourgaze. Ihaveneverseenanythinglikeitbefore,norshall,Isuppose,again.
BehindandoverustoweredSheba’ssnowyBreasts,andbelow,somefivethousandfeetbeneathwherewestood,layleagueonleagueofthemostlovelychampaigncountry. Hereweredensepatchesofloftyforest,thereagreatriverwounditssilveryway. Totheleftstretchedavastexpanseofrich,undulatingveldorgrassland,whereonwecouldjustmakeoutcountlessherdsofgameorcattle,atthatdistancewecouldnottellwhich. Thisexpanseappearedtoberingedinbyawallofdistantmountains. Totherightthecountrywasmoreorlessmountainous; thatis,solitaryhillsstoodupfromitslevel,withstretchesofcultivatedlandbetween,amongstwhichwecouldseegroupsofdome-shapedhuts. Thelandscapelaybeforeusasamap,whereinriversflashedlikesilversnakes, andAlp-likepeakscrownedwithwildlytwistedsnowwreathsroseingrandeur,whilstoverallwasthegladsunlightandthebreathofNature’shappylife.
Twocuriousthingsstruckusaswegazed.First,thatthecountrybeforeusmustlieatleastthreethousandfeethigherthanthedesertwehadcrossed,andsecondly,thatalltheriversflowedfromsouthtonorth. Aswehadpainfulreasontoknow,therewasnowateruponthesouthernsideofthevastrangeonwhichwestood,butonthenorthernfaceweremanystreams, mostofwhichappearedtounitewiththegreatriverwecouldseewindingawayfartherthanoureyescouldfollow.
