NOTEBOOK

great tomb of the 5°°° Christians massacred in Damascus
7 years ago.
Enough of Damascus.

Sept. 16. Left Damascus about 10 or n—4 hours out
saw the spot where Paul was miraculously converted.

Nimrod's tomb. 4000 years old. The first king.
Camped at an Arab village where Nimrod, the mighty
hunter, the builder of Babylon and the Tower of Babel,
lies buried. He was a fine old sport and a great linguist.

In his book Mark Twain writes:

The last twenty-four hours we stayed in
Damascus I lay prostrate with a violent attack of
the cholera, or cholera morbus, and therefore had
a good chance and a good excuse to lie there on
that wide divan and take an honest rest.

He was better next day, able to go on, but at
a village a few days later Dan was taken vio-
lently. He might never go any farther. The pil-
grims were anxious to get on; they might miss
the boat. Besides, it was very uncomfortable
there—a hot, infected, squalid place. The pil-
grims passed resolutions: they would make Dan
as comfortable as possible, and leave him. Mark
Twain said:

"Gentlemen, I understand that you are going
to leave Dan Slote here alone. I'll be God-
damned if I do."

With a few attendants he remained behind,
with Dan, who presently recovered. They over-
took the others without much delay. Neither in
his book nor in his notes does Mark Twain men-
tion anything of this. It was told later by Deacon

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