Scott Noah's tomb - or as our man has it 'the tomb of the honored old navigator' is on the outskirts of a new town called Karaq. The chapel has now become a Hezbollah madrassah, please see it on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQkjDZ6h6SU&list=UUKTFK9pSHIaikllWneaD2Xw&index=14 Ian Strathcarron www.twaintraveler.com On 8 May 2013, at 02:39, Scott Holmes <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > There seems to be a problem with The Innocents Abroad. A day seems to be > missing between chapter 41 and chapter 42. According to the Quaker City > Itinerary [QCI], as well as all the other sources I've found, Sam and > the pilgrims departed Beirut by horseback on September 11 at 3:00 pm. > They didn't travel very far that first day, only 10 or 12 miles. > > > “We came to a halt here on the breezy summit of a shapely mountain > overlooking the sea, and the handsome valley where dwelt some of those > enterprising Phoenicians of ancient times we read so much about” > > > It's my guess that they camped on the top of Mt. Lebanon. The end of > chapter 41 has Twain describing a sumptuous meal and a form of camping > out he was unfamiliar with but accepting of. The beginning of chapter 42 > has him indulging in a sumptuous breakfast as the camp is packed up and > ready to go by 6:30 am. He calls this place Jacksonville and gives it's > location near Temnin-el-Foka. Looking at maps of the region > Temnin-el-Foka is about 30 miles from Beirut, located near Zahlah. His > description, however, is still that of Mt. Lebanon and it's view of the > sea. > > > Ian Strathcarron has provided me with a spreadsheet of data points he > used when writing his book Innocence and War. It notes that Twain's > party stopped for lunch on September 12 at Mekseh, near the junction of > the Lebanon Mountains and Jebel el Kuneyiseh, then later camped at a > point between Mekseh and Baalbek. Zahlah is approximately one quarter of > the way between Mekseh and Baalbek. The QCI notes that this camping spot > is about two-thirds of the way between Beirut and Baalbek, also > descriptive of Zahlah. > > > My guess is that Twain and the pilgrims enjoyed equally sumptuous > breakfasts at both locations, Mt Lebanon and near Zahlah. At both > locations they broke camp at 6:30 am. > > > There is another point in the journey that I'm interested in locating > and that is the tomb of Noah, “of Deluge notoriety”. I'm guessing that > landmark is found in Mekseh but I haven't seen anything to corroborate > this. > > > All sources agree that on September 13 Twain and the pilgrims traveled > to Baalbek and then camped at Sirghaya. They arrived in Damascus at > sunset of September 14.