bribery practised by the local authorities in Damascus ; still he pressed me to reveal the secret he was confident I possessed. I told him my private opinion was that the war would not be resumed, and that the conscription, in so far as they were concerned, had been abandoned. By every means in my power I endeavoured to show that I was in no way connected either with the government of Turkey or England, and had no political object in my present tour: still they would not be persuaded; and the fact that I had brought strong letters of recommendation from Mr. Wood, their mediator with the Sultan, to all their principal chiefs, tended much to make them suspect I had other purposes in view besides mere curiosity or antiquarian zeal. During the evening we were favoured with a visit from the village schoolmaster, the first I had yet heard of in the Haurân-a venerable old man, with sparkling eyes and a flowing beard. He was received with great respect and placed in the "highest seat." His school, he informed us, consisted of some twenty children; and I had seen them bawling over their lessons on a house-top, while examining the ruins in the afternoon. He stated in reply to my questions that the scholars had no books, and he was obliged to teach them by writing letters and words on little boards, which they all carried about and rhymed over till the form and sound were imprinted on the mind. I afterwards saw the little urchins walking through the city proud of exhibiting their boards, which they carried round their necks. Here there was a zeal for instruction altogether remarkable. Under such disadvantages, in such times, and with so few inducements to study, it is truly wonderful that any attention should be given to the subject of education. We greatly regretted that the books we had with us were such as would not be acceptable to these people. With all the privileges and opportunities possessed by my countrymen fresh in my memory, I could not but sympathise deeply with these poor children, forced to learn the first principles of their language from rude letters scratched upon rough boards; and I could not but look with a feeling of respect and admiration on the man who, without remuneration, gave himself to the selfimposed task of instructing youth. I learned that most of the boys and young men in the village could read, and not a few of them write. The chief sheikh of the Druze religion in Syria resides in Kunawât. I did not see him, but Mr. paid him a visit, and had a long interview with him. I heard from him that there was nothing in the appearance of the chief to distinguish him from others of his race, except superior intelligence. He had a few manuscripts ranged round his room. During the evening a number of the Arabs who are natives of these mountains visited us. They hold a middle place between the Bedawîn and the Fellahîn. They live in tents like the former, but they remain stationary like the latter. In the evening all went away except one, whom I recognised as having been among those who were lurking round us at Deir es-Sumeid. With his peculiar ideas and primitive remarks we were much amused, as they tended to illustrate the character and habits of his race. A part of the conversation that occurred between us during the evening may afford the reader some insight into Arab life in this district. "What brought you to the Deir when you saw us there?" I asked him. "To strip you," he coolly replied. "And why did you not do it?" "Because Mahmûd was with you." "But why would you plunder us? we are strangers, and not your enemies." "And do you strip all strangers?" "Yes, all we can get hold of.” "And if they resist, or are too strong for you?" "In the former case we shoot them from behind trees; and in the latter we run." "How do the people of your tribe live? Do they sow or feed flocks?" "We are not fellahin. We keep goats and sheep, hunt partridges and gazelles, and steal!" "Are you all thieves?" "Yes, all!" These answers were given with the greatest composure, and quite as a matter of course. As the evening advanced, the Druzes, who wished to show us every respect, requested the Arab to withdraw to some other place, but he stoutly refused, and said he would sleep with the beggawat. Our servants also urged him to remove, but he treated them with silent contempt. Some of the principal Druzes now seemed inclined to interfere seriously, but I said the man was quite welcome to sleep where he pleased, so far as we were concerned. The sheikh, hearing this, told the others to let him remain, but on retiring we heard him say with a gentle but emphatic voice, "Take care and do not steal anything from this room." February 4th.-We set out at an early hour to explore the ruins. We first directed our steps to the ravine, crossed the rocky bed of the stream, and walked up along its right bank to the little theatre I had seen on the pre fountain Posts cenium. Plan of Theatre at Kunawât. vious evening. We found it nearly perfect with the exception of the front wall. It is in a great measure hewn out of the solid rock in the side of the cliff, and faces the west. The spectators thus enjoyed a glorious view-immediately in front rose up the rugged side of the ravine, surmounted by the battlemented wall and the stately mansions of the principal citizens; while a little to the right they looked through the vista of the ravine to the broad plain, and the snow-capped Hermon towering up far beyond. The arena is a semicircle 21 yards in diameter, and the benches rise up round this, in regular order, without any intermediate præcinctio. Three cunei or flights of steps lead to the benches, of which there are nine ranges, the lowest being elevated about 5 feet above the arena. The principal entrances were from the sides, between the back wall of the arena and the ends of VOL. II. F Bayerflage the seats; but there was also a spacious door in the centre of the wall, opening into a long and narrow postscenium or portico. In the middle of the stage was a fountain, in which we still found excellent water. On the wall encompassing the stage, below the lower bench, is a Greek inscription in large and well-formed characters,' from which we learn that a certain magistrate, called Marcus Oulpius Lusias, erected this building at his own expense as an opera (dos) for his fellow-citizens. A short distance above the theatre is a little temple, erected over a fountain, or small reservoir, into which the water flows from two ducts at the sides. In the centre there appears to have been a jet d'eau. From this building a series of steps hewn in the rock leads up to the ruins of a massive tower of rustic masonry, but apparently of an earlier age than the Roman rule in Syria. Within it are several stone doors of great beauty, with panels and fretted mouldings, and bas-reliefs of flowers and fruit. In one of them I observed a place for a lock and also a keyhole! A short distance eastward are the lower walls of a circular tower of excellent masonry and high antiquity. It is 84 feet in circumference. In the distance I could see from this spot several other round towers, which I suppose are of a similar kind, but what they were originally intended for I could not tell. These ancient towers occupy a commanding position on the summit of the rocky cliff overhanging the ravine; and from beside them my eye wandered over one of the most beautiful and interesting panoramas I ever beheld in Syria. From many spots amid the mountain-peaks of Libanus and 'This inscription is given in Corpus Inscr. Græc. fol. 264, No. 4614. |