About two years ago a large caravan, composed of the Druzes of Shuka and Hît, with the Christians of Hiyât, left Damascus early in the morning and took the road by Nejha and the plain. A number of the Christians, with a few Druzes, deeming the road safe, and being lightly laden, proceeded in front of the main body. There were about thirty men and more than a hundred camels, but only some six or seven of the company were supplied with firelocks. They had passed Tell abu Shejar in safety, and were skirting the western base of the low hills in the plain, near the fountain, when Mûsa, who rode in front, saw a horseman suddenly disappear behind a rising ground half a mile eastward. He at once called a halt, and a Druze volunteered to go to the summit of an adjoining tell, and ascertain whether any marauding party was in sight. He soon returned and reported that the way was clear. Some now wished to remain here and await the arrival of the main body, but a majority laughed at the proposal, and they continued their march. Half an hour passed, and the most prudent and cautious were beginning to abate in their watchfulness, but just then a cloud of dust, far to the eastward, marked the approach of the dreaded enemy. On it rolled across the plain toward the terrified caravan. To form the camels into an irregular closely-packed circle was the work of a few minutes; the leaders, to which the others were fastened by strong cords, being dragged toward the centre. The little band of men took up their stations in different parts of this fortification. A large body of Arab horsemen, numbering about seventy spears, now approached, shouting their war-cry. The few Druzes of the caravan, levelling their

guns, gave back a stern defiance, and the marauders hesitated for a few minutes. As those in front drew up, a portly figure, distinguished from the rest by his scarlet cloak, burst from the midst of the cavalcade, and, calling on his men to follow, dashed onward. A young Druze fired the first shot, but without effect; then another followed with surer aim, and the mare of the Arab chief, with a tremendous bound, rolled over dead upon the plain. Her active rider jumped to his feet, and still led his men to action. Shot after shot was deliberately sent among them by the Druzes and Christians as the Bedawîn vainly attempted to reach them with their long spears. On every side were efforts made to penetrate the dense mass of camels, but the sullen animals merely growled and stamped when pricked with the lances; being strongly bound together, they were forced to keep their places. Half an hour had already passed, and four of the Bedawîn lay upon the plain dead or dying. Their chief, mounted again on the mare of one of his fallen comrades, after galloping round the living rampart, suddenly wheeled his horse, and, approaching, severed the halter of one of the camels by a stroke of his scimitar, and then seizing it spurred away, dragging the animal after him, while another and another followed, urged on by the spears and shouts of his followers. Camel after camel thus left its place, and the little band within saw their living barricade fast moving away, and leaving them exposed to their infuriated enemies. Nerved by a sense of his extreme danger, Mûsa sprang forward, and, drawing his sword, cut the halter of one of the camels and succeeded in dragging it back. But quick as thought a Bedawy was upon him with his lance. Mûsa escaped

by darting under the camel, and succeeding in wounding at the same time by a blow of his sword the horse of his adversary. Other horsemen dashed to the spot, and Christians and Druzes ran forward. The conflict had reached a crisis; more than one had felt the keen point of the spears, and all began to think fortune had deserted them. Just then the caravan was seen approaching; and a little band of horsemen, whose white turbans showed them to be Druzes, came up at a gallop. The Bedawîn at once wheeled off and fled across the plain. A volley was sent after them, but, thanks to the pace at which both parties were going, without effect. It was deemed prudent not to give chace, as only twenty horsemen could be mustered, and two mares that had been caught by the Druzes were deemed sufficient recompence for the fiveand-twenty camels that had been carried off.

During the recital of this incident I had lain down upon a heap of stones that was piled up along the wall of the apartment, and Mûsa had scarce concluded when I was sound asleep. In attempting to turn, some time afterwards, I rolled off the stones, and thus awoke. Finding my companions now engaged in spreading their leháfs in the inner room, which seemed somewhat less damp, I followed their example, and was falling into a sleep again when the voices of Mûsa and Aiyûb were both heard, shouting "Yullah! Yullah! Ya Beg!" Jumping to our feet, we learned that the caravan was starting; and that unless we used quick despatch we ran a fair chance of being left behind. This did not quite suit our purpose, and so we made all possible haste. Our toilet consisted in rubbing our eyes and straightening the brims of our

hats, which their temporary use as nightcaps had in some measure deranged. We pocketed our breakfast while the servants were engaged in saddling our horses; and at halfpast one o'clock we mounted and followed the caravan.

February 1st.-The moon now shone brightly, and half revealed the savage features of the environs of Burâk. Huge masses of rock rose up here and there, among and around the ruins, to the height of fifteen or twenty feet, with jagged summits and rugged sides. In the intervals were circular pits and yawning fissures, as many feet in depth, while the flat surfaces of naked rock along their sides were strewn with huge boulders and broken fragments of basalt. The path along which we rode was narrow and tortuous, and had evidently been formed by the hand of man, for we observed in many places deep cuttings in the solid rock. A few minutes after leaving the ruins we rode for some distance alongside an ancient aqueduct, constructed to conduct the winter stream into the great cisterns of the town, for summer supply. For nearly an hour we continued winding slowly through this labyrinth of rocks. This is a section of the celebrated Lejah, and, as that district is all like this specimen, and some of it much worse, I do not wonder that its inhabitants have so often defied and worsted the government troops, or that, from Josephus's time till the present day, it has formed the asylum of a race of robbers.

Soon after emerging from the defiles, in which our way had been impeded by the multitudes of camels and donkeys crowded together, we descended into wady Liwa, and crossed it diagonally to the eastern bank. Here having surmounted the gentle slope we rode along a rolling plain

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with occasional boulders of basalt and some rock-fields shooting out like spurs from the Lejah. Trees also sprang up here and there, both on the east side of the wady and among the rocks of the Lejah on the west. We had advanced far in front of the great caravan, in the rear of which we had left Burâk; and as both Mûsa and Aiyûb had disappeared in the crowd, we felt uneasy at being thus left alone. We halted twenty minutes, and the front ranks came up, and, on inquiring of them, we learned to our surprise that Mûsa was in front with another division of the caravan. On receiving this intelligence we spurred on our horses to a fast gallop, and were soon alone in the midst of a wild dreary region. The path here became stony, and was not very clearly defined; deep gullies, filled with mud and water, occasionally made a slight détour necessary. On we swept, however, over plain and through defiles, trusting to our general knowledge of the direction in which we ought to travel to guide us in the right path. At last the tinkling of bells was heard in front, and we overtook a little company just as the dark walls of Sauwarah were seen a short distance on our right. It was now 3.35 A.M.

The ruins of Sauwarah are of considerable extent, and resemble those of Burâk. Soon after passing this town I observed large numbers of regularly constructed square fences, made up of loose stones. This, I was informed, was one of the encampments of the army of Ibrahîm Pasha during the Druze war of 1839. Near this spot the Druzes issued from the defiles of the Lejah in full force, and defeated the soldiers with great slaughter, following the fugitives across the plain nearly to Hîjâneh. The country