THE DESERT ROAD.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20334, 5 September 1931, Page 3

THE DESERT ROAD.

OLD DAMASCUS AND YOUNG NEW ZEALAND. i x I , I A SUCCESSFUL ENTERPRISE. | (spuciauli written ron thjb • press. > [By W. M. Hamilton - .] j ; o magician's wand ever produced I more startling results than some of those J of recent years. Noteworthy amongst | them is the achievement of two young New Zealanders in the country where civilisation flourished when our ancestors in Britain were cave-dwellers. Some few years ago Damascus and tho surrounding country would hardly have been regarded as a promising field for colonial enterprise, yet now it contains the headquarters of a large transport company founded by two New Zealand j lads. It shows that though new wine | may not be put into old bottles, yet new j blood may be infused into old countries. j Oldest Inhabited City. I It is claimed for Damascus that it is ; tho most ancient inhabited city of the ; world. It was old while Nineveh and \ Babylon were yet young. Baghdad, of ! course, is a mere modern upstart. ; Damascus is frequently mentioned in i tho Old and New Testaments. From J furthest back times it has been spoken | of as of importance, and always as a ! choice and desirable place. It has long j bsen known as the "Pearl of the | East." Even in the day of Abraham r it was the Syrian capital, as it still is. It had a King and its inhabitants were j ft.mius fighters. Occasionally they had | their set-backs. It is recorded that on j one occasion David slew of the Syrians i of Damascus two and twenty thousand ' (1 Ch. 19). The Syrians had an in- | n.ngs later when they came to Judah ! and Jerusalem, and destroyed all tho princes of the people, and sent all the spoil to the King of Damascus (2 Ch. 2:i). It was voted a nuisance by the Jowfl and Isarah prophesied its distinction: "Behold Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap" (Isarah 17.1), It, nevertheless, still stands a unique instance of a prophet successJ fully defied. Many different conquerors j have hold it in their grasp during its . chequered career; Greeks, Romans, Lgypi tians, Arabs, and Mongols One of the worst of its experiences was being sacked and partly destroyed by tho ferocious and ruthless Tamerdlane. Ilis work remains to the present day. The irregular alignment of the street called Straight, bears witness to his treatment. This, in Roman times, was an up-to-date str&et according ro the most approved of Roman town-planning design, but Tamerlane knocked it out of shape and it has never been restored to its former regularity. However, it was I lucky perhaps to survive at all after tho of so many cities which were railed to the ground by the ruffianly conqueror whose boast was that no grass ever grew where horses' hoofß had trod. Bad as that may have been it has had very rough treatment of lato years at the hands of tho Fronch, and a large part or it now iies in ruins as the result of bombing from the air during the Druce insurrection of a few years ago. Consequently, the French aro not loved and only maintain order by military force. Troory?, mostly black, aro everywhere. Wonderfully Situated. Inexpressibly thrilling is a first visit to this venerable city, especially by anyone bearing in mind its long and distinguished career and coming from our new and unhistorical part of tho world. One reason for its fame and longevity is at once apparent, and that i» its wonderful situation. Close to the edge of the Desert, it stands in an exceptionally fertile area, and is blessed with a bountiful supply of pure water from two magnificent streams referred to in the Old Testament by the name 3 of the Ebana .and the Pharpar. All around it are beautiful gardens and'orchards, one can well conceive how the denizens of the parched and arid desert regions have long regarded it as an earthly Paradise. It has been called the Port of the DeseTt, a haven of refuge for the camel trains, often spoken of as ships of tho desert. It stands on a plain; hills rise on ono side, with suburban residences clustered together, reminding one of Christchureh, and the Cashmere Hills. On one of these hills beside a main road stands a monument visible for miles. This was erected by our old friend the Kaiser to Commemorate his visit a few years before the Great War, when dreaming of that world conquest which would rank him with conquerors whose names have come down through the ages. Ono can well imagine how he coveted this spot of bliss, and with what satisfaction-he contemplated that it would one day be, if not within his dominion, at least his sphero of influence. The Mountains of Lebanon. We approach the city from the mountains of Lebanon, along an excellent motor road, which winds through picturesque valleys verdure-clad, with outcrops of rock here and there adding variety to the scenery. Numerous clusters of habitations are seen rustling amongst the hills and along the roadside, also vineyards and groves of oranges, citrons, olive, and various other kinds of fruit and gardens bright with many coloured flowers. It is spring time, and in the bright sunshine the land is aglow with colour. Later on it gets parched with the heat. As the road nears the City it runs along parallel with one of the streams of clear fresh water which run through the city. It is here we pass the Nairn garage. This is where the Nairn Transport Service has its headquarters, but before going there, let us have a bi;ief glance at the interesting old city. It would not be correct to liken it in appearance to Christchurch, yet it has some similar features. It has an imposing open square. It has a stream running through the heart of the city. It has a background of hills where suburban residences cluster while the business position is on the flat. But there are other features which aro very different. Round part of the city are still some of the remains of the old city walls, high and massive, and the various gates through which alone the city could be entered. The walls were foimd to be still of some service, being a protection against rifle fire in the recent fighting in 1926. Barbed wire entanglements also then used are still remaining as a temindor of those troubled times. A part of the wall has been demolished and replaced by a picturesque boulevard. There are many stately and handsome buildings in the city and streets of shops and bazaars with magnificent collections of Eastern goods, presenting a most fascinatiug sight. Some of these streets are covered, giving them the appearance of large arcades, and the traffic in them is of a very varied bind. Many handsome motors are seen with occupants arrayed in purple and fine linen, testifying to the wealth of this queen city at the desert. But material wealth is

not its only distinction. Its religious devotion is uttestecl by the fact of its having about 270 mosques. The principal are of stately magnificence. Inside £3 a spacious area. A congregation is squatting round in a cirile in the middle. Numbers of individuals are scattered about absorbed in prayer and meditation. Away from where the congregation is collected is to be seen a large tomb /ound which are a number ot worshippers. This is eaid to be the tomb of John' the Baptist. Over this tomb at one time was built a Christiau church, and later on this mosque. Brothers from Marlborough. This is the city of adoption of our compatriots who have established the Nairn Desert Service. Two brothers from Marlborough having been demobilised from war service in Palestine started a motor service from, Haifa to Beyrout on the Mediterranean. Th© British Mandate being in Mesopotamia as "well as Palestine it was found desirable to get some reliable transport between Damascus and Baghdad, a distance of some 400 miles, and to this enterprise the attention of the brothers was directed. There were many difficulties. There was no road over the desert, nor is there any now. At parts of the year there is much rain in these parts and over part of the desert plain extending for hundreds of miles. There are no streams, but a car would of tew have to plough through miles of water and often get stuck. There was no possibility of getting supplies of any kind. There was no chance of getting repairs in the case of a breakdown. There was one place where a stopping station could be established about naifway across. The most serious matter, however, was the danger from Arabs. Tho wild Bedouins of the desert has no respect for property and regards ovre ycaravan as a proper subject for pillage and murder. Undeterred by the difficulties or dangers attending this enterprise, the brothers undertook the carriage of passengers across the desert. They overcame the difficulties and succeeded in establishing the service which is now carried on under their name. It is now a rich and flourishing company with a substantial backing from the Persian Oil Company and others. It has a fleet of six-wheeled cars, each carrying some 16 or 20 passangers. The 400 miles of desert is traversed daily Sometimes the journey is made in about 48 hours without any stop except for meals and a short rest at tho half-way resthouso. Other times a stop is made for the night at the resthouse. Exciting Days. The history of the early days of this enterprise was one of" thrills and adventure. Frequently the cars ■were attacked by raiding Arabs, wild Bedouins, who, in accordance with immemorial usage, regarded all caravans as legitimate prey. The only way of disabusing these gentry of that idea was found to be to capture some of them and have them hanged. Once when the convoy from Damascus had not got far cut in the desert it was suddenly surrounded by a party of armed raiders. The driver had fortunately kept the engines running, and he quickly accelej rated and made a bolt for it by driving fast and zigzagging with head-lights full on for it was dark. Thus the convoy got clear. Later on the convoy coming - tho other way was met and warned. It waited for daylight, got through, and gave information to the police at Damascus. Next night a force of armed police manned the coach. The raiders, all unsuspecting, again appeared, but were quickly surrounded and captured and taken into Damascus, whrre they met with the reward of their enterprise by being hanged. On another occasion some raiders, mounted on fast camels, attacked a convoy in the daytime. This time tho men ou the car were armed, and opened fire on the raiders and chased them with the car. The raiders scattered into fours and cleared off in different directions* One lot, however, was marked down and chased till the camels were exhausted. Tho riders ran for their lives, firing as they ran. After an exciting chase they were captured, taken into the city, and afterwards hanged. In tho Druce rebellion, however, the convoys were so much shot at that the route had for the time to be changed. Such are some of the incidents as related by Mr Gerald Nairn, who also showed a number of interesting photographs illustrative of their experiences and adventures. Safely Established. Now tho journey is usually uneventful and prosaic. For the time being the Company appears to fee quite safely established. The British Air Force, however, is an important contributing factor in maintaining security from lawless nomads. So long as it remains there is not much to fear on that account. At Damascus, the Company has a large and commodious gftrage, in which its big coaches are housed and overhauled after each journey. A very complete and systematic method has been adopted to keep them in thorough order. Each driver has a printed list of tho parts which have to be either ticked off as O.K. or reported on if attention is required. The garage has a complete equipment of machinery and spare parts of all kinds, and an efficient staff of mechanics for effecting repairs of every kind. There is also a large quantity of provisions sufficient to have always in hand at least eight days' supply for meals for the passenger service across the desert. . Included in their stock of appliances are plates and cups made of paper. A sample of a. cup given as a souvenir has printed on it "Nairn Way, Safe Way." "If we please you, tell others, if we don't, tell us." ... ISo does the restless commercial spirit of the New World intrude into the sanctified, venerable precincts of the Ancient East.