Ride over Antilibanus from Saidnâya to Baalbek - Temple at Nahleh - Topography of Antilibanus The ruins of Lybon and source of the Orontes-Ancient canals- Convent and ruins at Ras BâålbekGreat fountain of the Orontes - Excavated convent of Mâr Marûn Monument of Hurmul- Ruins of Jûsy- Not the site of Laodicia Depredations of the Bedawîn-Site and history of RIBLAH - The Orontes Probable site of Laodicia ad Libanum The lake of Hums and its ancient dam - Hums, the ancient Emesa-Effects of Turkish misrule Assyrian mounds - History and antiquities of Emesa Northern termination of Antilibanus-Tragic death of the Aga of Hasya. NORTHERN BORDER OF THE "LAND OF ISRAEL"-Mount Hor-The "Entering in of Hamath"-Identification of ZEDAD and HAZAR-ENAN.

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Night march and adventures with Bedawîn-Site of ComocharaNebk-Ride by Málûla to Damascus.

ON the 11th October, 1853, I set out, in company of the Rev. Mr. Barnett, on a tour to the town of Hums, whither

duty called us. We proposed to include in our excursion as many villages as possible, and in order to accomplish this, determined to proceed northward from Bâålbek through the great valley of Colesyria, and to return along the eastern side of Antilibanus. I made every preparation as usual for examining the antiquities and topography of the country, as far as time and opportunity might permit; and, as the country is little known, I here insert the result of my observations.1

At 12 o'clock we left Bâb Tûma, and riding across the plain to Burzeh proceeded thence to Saidnâya by a road a little to the right of that described formerly. I thus gained a good bird's-eye view of the eastern section of the great plain of Sahra to the base of Jebel Tinîyeh, and afterwards passed through the little village of Ma'arra. We spent the night in the convent, as we now travelled without tents or equipage, save what our servants carried in their saddle-bags.

October 12th.-After attending the morning service in the church we again walked round the ruins of this interesting village, but the results of our researches have already been detailed. We then engaged a guide to conduct us over the great mountain-chain direct to Bâålbek. This we found a work of some difficulty, as the intervening country,

1 A detailed account of this tour was transmitted to Dr. Robinson, of New York, and inserted by him in the 'Bibliotheca Sacra' for October, 1854. As that work has an extensive circulation, I do not consider it necessary to enter in this place into all the topographical details, as to the structure of the great mountain-range of Antilibanus, which are there given-especially so as the features of these mountains will be found faithfully delineated in the map attached to this work.

2 See above, ch. v., section i., where a full description of Saidnâya, and the route between it and Damascus, may be found.

and indeed the whole northern section of the chain of Antilibanus, is the great stronghold of the "House of Harfûsh," the hereditary emîrs of Baalbek; and these, since the rebellion of the Metâwely in 1850, have been outlawed by the Turkish government. For a number of years it has been the secret policy of the local authorities in Damascus to exterminate this princely family. Several of them have been captured and are now exiles in Crete; some have been killed in battle, and a few have been privately murdered, whether by the instigation of government or not it is difficult to prove. The Emîr Sulimân, the present head of the house, defies the government, maintains a guard of a hundred horse, which he can increase fourfold on an emergency, and is the virtual governor of the whole district. Not a few of his followers live by plunder; and the flocks, and even the grain and houses, of the surrounding villages suffer from their depredations. Fortunately for us the emîr, though outlawed by the sultan, is a kind of English protégé, as indeed are most rebels in this and other lands at the present time. We had therefore nothing to fear, and succeeded in persuading the Christian guide that we could protect him if he would point out the way.

We left the convent at 8 o'clock, and, passing through the filthy streets of the village, followed a path leading in a north-western direction up the rocky side of Jebel Shurabîn. At 8.20 we saw the small village of Telfîta about 2 miles on our left, on the opposite side of a great recess in the mountains. The whole declivities are here cultivated in little patches among the lofty jagged rocks. The ruins of several chapels and oratories crown the

lower peaks, and stud the sides of Shurabîn, while on its summit stands the ancient convent (St. Cherubim!) from which it takes its name. At 8.50 we reached a commanding brow, from which the view was so extensive that I stopped a short time to make observations. From this spot I was able, by connecting points from which bearings had been formerly taken, to cover with a network of triangles the whole south-eastern section of the Antilibanus from Hermon to Yabrûd, as well as the great plain along its base. This district, with its peaks and ridges, and valleys and plains, was now spread before me like a map. The minaret at the East Gate of the city was clearly seen.

Starting again at 8.57, we reached the summit of the ridge in nine minutes, and immediately began to descend again by an easy slope in a little rugged valley. In twenty minutes we were upon the side of the great plateau, formerly described as the upper terrace of these eastern slopes. Seven minutes afterwards we struck the road from Menîn and Telfîta at the fountain of Sureir. This is the most direct route from Damascus to Bâalbek. Its course is from the city to Burzeh, thence through the pass of Maraba and up the Wady to Menîn, and then direct over arid declivities to Telfîta and Jubb Sureir, where we now stood. Around this place there is some cultivation. The soil is light and gravelly; but, being abundantly watered by the rains and snows of winter, it is not unproductive. We rode across the plateau in a direction about due north, having broken mountain-ridges about an hour on our right. Among these the guide pointed out the opening to the long wady Hureiry. The

central chain rose up in front like a vast wall; its summits have an uniform elevation from the lofty peaks above Bludân to two others of almost equal altitude in the parallel of Baalbek.

We reached the north-western side of the

plain at

At this

10-53, having been 1h. 27 m. in crossing it. place it is stony and barren, and prickly shrubs grow up among the rocks. Along the base of the mountain is a belt covered with the dwarf oak and wild plum. As we rode across this plateau we had been somewhat surprised to observe large numbers of beautiful wild flowers of every hue. In the spring season the mountains, plains, and valleys of this land are carpeted with flowers; but never in any other place had I seen so many in the autumn. It proves that this lofty plateau is less affected than the lower regions by the summer's sun. I here obtained a good view of the plateau, from the hills on the west to the wild glen at Yabrûd away on the east. The long ridge on the south-east, as seen from hence, extends unbroken from Jebel Shurabîn to Yabrûd. It appears very low in consequence of the elevation of the plateau, and its summit is rocky and jagged. The mountains on the west are loftier, but less regular; they cannot, in fact, be regarded as a chain, but as the terminations of broad side ridges that extend from the valley of the Barada to this place. The whole district, including the mountains around Saidnâya, is called 'Asâl, or Jubbet 'Asál, from the village 'Asâl el-Werd, whose gardens I saw in the direction of Yabrûd, about twelve miles distant.

At 11-15 we again mounted and rode up a little valley called Haurât, and after crossing a low ridge entered

VOL. II.

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