THE LEBANON During the locust invasion my brother sent me on an inspection tour to investigate the ravages of the insect in Syria.

With an official _boyouroulton_ (passport) in my pocket, I was able to travel all over the country without being interfered with by the military authorities.

I had an excellent opportunity to see what was going on everywhere.

The locusts had destroyed everything from as far south as the Egyptian desert to the Lebanon Mountains on the north; but the locust was not the only, nor the worst, plague that the people had to complain of.

The plundering under the name of "military requisitions," the despotic rule of the army officers, and the general insecurity were even more desolating.
As I proceeded on my journey northward, I hoped to find consolation and brighter prospects in the independent province of the Lebanon.