Antoninus Pius Felix Augustus
Par. Max. Brit. Max. Germ. Maximus
Pontifex Maximus
Montibus Imminentibus
etc. etc.

This Emperor Marcus Aurelius, must have cut this road through the rocks
about the year 173 A.D. But there is another inscription higher up, with
arrow-headed characters and several other tablets. They are Assyrian and
Egyptian. One of the Assyrian tablets was cut by Sennacherib 2500 years
ago, and one of the Egyptian by Sesostris, king of Egypt, 3100 years
ago. Don't you feel very young and small in looking at such ancient
monuments? All of those men brought their armies here, and found the
path so bad along the high precipice overhanging the sea, that they cut
a road for their horses and chariots in the solid limestone rock. Just
think of standing where Sennacherib and Alexander the Great passed
along with their armies!

What a steep and narrow road! We will dismount and walk over this
dangerous pass. It is not pleasant to meet camels and loaded mules on
such a dizzy precipice, with the high cliff above, and the roaring waves
of the sea far below! It is well we dismounted. Our horses are afraid of
those camels carrying long timbers balanced on their backs. Let us turn
aside and wait until they pass.

Seeing these camels reminds me of what I saw here in 1857. I was coming
down the coast from Tripoli and reached the top of this pass, in the
narrowest part, just as a caravan of camels were coming from the
opposite direction. I turned back a little, and stood close under the
edge of the cliff to let the camels go by. They were loaded with huge