SECTION X.

FROM HAS BEIYA TO DAMASCUS.

SEVERAL routes lead from Hâsbeiya to Damascus. The shortest ascends by Shuweiya, and so across the mountain south of Râsheiya; this is a summer road. A second crosses the hill north of Hâsbeiya, and passes through Mimis and Kufeir to Râsheiya. A third joins the great Sidon road at the fountain of the Hasbâny; and, following up the valley, either turns to Râsheiya; or, continuing on as far as Muhaiditheh, thence ascends the eastern mountain by Wady 'Arab and Bekka. The first two routes approach Damascus by way of Katana; although a less travelled branch goes off from Râsheiya to Dîmâs. The third route likewise goes to Dîmâs, uniting near the ruined Khân Meithelûn with the road coming from Beirût.

As we desired to visit several points of interest, we concluded to take a route more circuitous than any of the above, and bend our course first to the Kuweh or natural bridge over the Lîtâny.

Monday, May 31st.-We were ready for an early start. Mr Thomson was still to accompany me; and Mr Wortabet concluded to make his first visit to Damascus. Nasif, the Wakil of the Protestants in Hâsbeiya, likewise joined us; having to go to Damascus on business for his people. The Emîr had refused to let the Protestants pay their taxes, except as members of the Greek church; a procedure directly contrary to the law and to the practice everywhere else. This could be resisted only by an appeal to the government at Damascus. A number of persons also called, professing their desire to become Protestants, and desiring the counsel of Mr Thomson. All this detained

us.

Having sent off our muleteers to await us at Neby Sŭfa, we

See above, p. 383.

started at 8 o'clock; and striking up the northern hill, had a fine view of the town behind us. Our course was now N. 25° W. descending to the channel of Wady et-Teim; which we reached at 8.25. It here ran W. S. W. was narrow, and without water. We followed it down for ten minutes, and then crossed it; there was here a little water percolating among the stones. We now began the long ascent of the western ridge, on a course about W. S. W. On our left, just west of the great fountain, was the small source 'Ain Tannûrah, watering an enclosed tract of orchards and gardens belonging to the Emirs of Hâsbeiya. Fifteen minutes further up, on our right, was another similar fountain and irrigated tract, called 'Ain el-Bârideh. Turning a little to the left, and climbing around a projecting Tell, we came out at 9.10, upon the summit of the ridge.

This ridge is called ed-Dahar. North of Kaukaba its course is nearly from northeast to southwest; and it alone lies between Wady et-Teim and the chasm of the Lîtâny. Its course is almost a straight line as far north as to Muhaiditheh. South of Kaukaba it turns S. S. W. or S. by W. and has between it and the Lîtâny the whole of Merj 'Ayûn. The whole region— streams, valleys, ridges, and all-sinks down very rapidly towards the south. The ridge ed-Dahar, from the point where we stood, rises much towards the north; but is perhaps nowhere higher than here above the valley. This spot affords the distant view of Hasbeiya, already referred to. We stopped here for five minutes.2

We now turned northeast along the top of the ridge for an hour; passing over some low summits, and around others. This is one of the roads leading from the Hûleh to the Bukâ'a. At 10.15 we came to a well, called Bîr ed-Dahar. The declivities of the ridge on each side, though high and steep, (the eastern being the steepest,) are chalky and smooth, in great part arable, and not much broken by ravines and ledges of rock. As we travelled along the top, we had on our right the whole extent of Jebel esh-Sheikh, with its icy crown above, and its dark masses of limestone rocks below, broken up by numerous deep ravines descending from the lofty sides to the Hasbâny. Below the highest point, the western ridge of the mountain begins to decline northwards; and sinks down towards Râsheiya to the level of the adjacent ridges and hills. Wady et-Teim continued thus far narrow and shut in by lower hills; but further north it opens out again into a rolling basin, several miles long by some two miles broad, and running in among the eastern hills.

1 See above, p. 381.

2

Bearings at 9.10 from the ridge edDahar: Kufeir 784°. Mîmis 84°. Jebel esh-Sheikh, highest point, 94°. Shuweiya

116°. Hâsbeiya 123°. el-Biyâd 151°. Râsheiyet el-Fukhâr 177°. Chasm of Jordan below the Hûleh 190°. Kaukaba 227°. Kŭl'at esh-Shŭkîf 236°.

On our left, beyond the valley and chasm of the Lîtâny, was the high unbroken wall formed by the highest ridge or backbone of Lebanon. On this side it is in most parts precipitous; and seems to be not more than half as high as when viewed from the west, where the mountain rises in successive plateaus. Its steeps also, as here seen, are dark, and in some parts wooded, with occasional ravines. The Taum Niha (Twins of Niha), two sharp and towering pyramids, appear to stand in connection with this high ridge; though the line between them would seem to lie a little farther west. Their declivities on this side extend quite down to the eastern valley. The main ridge runs on further south as Jebel Rîhân; towards the north there are in it two or three lower spots or gaps, through which roads cross over.-Nearer at hand, along the base of this main ridge, runs a line of lower hills, appearing like thin, sharp ridges, partly grassy and still green; and about as high as the Dahar on which we were now travelling. Behind these hills a northern branch of Wady Sifsâf runs down northeast to the Lîtâny, issuing by a break in the line of hills nearly opposite the Kuweh. Further north the hills are lower; and behind them is likewise a valley running down northeast to the Litâny, in which is the large village of Meshghŭrah surrounded by trees and gardens.1

2

We have already seen, that just north of Burghŭz a broad low spur or swell of land is thrown off from the base of Lebanon across the valley of the Lîtâny, quite to the eastern ridge. Through this broad swell the river breaks in its deep, narrow, almost perpendicular chasm; the lower portion of which we had seen at Burghŭz. North of this swell is a lower tract or basin, with some arable land. In this part stands the little Metâwileh village of Kilya, quite on the eastern brink of the chasm; which here also is deep and narrow. On the opposite brink is another small village called Lusah. The inhabitants of these two villages can converse with each other across the chasm; and, notwithstanding the steepness of the banks, they have a footpath leading down them on each side. On the north of this basin a still higher and broader spur is thrown off from the base of Lebanon across the valley; and through this too the river breaks by a similar but still deeper chasm. On this broader ridge is situated the village of Yuhmur, on the east brink of the chasm; and beyond it in the chasm is the Kuweh.

Abulfeda speaks of the 'city' Meshghurah, as one of the pleasantest in the country, situated in a valley rendered beautiful by trees and streams of water; Tab. Syr. ed. Köhler p. 93. In A. D. 1176, king Baldwin IV. made an excursion from Sidon to the Bŭkâ'a, and came first to Messaara, i. e. Meshghŭrah; Will. Tyr. VOL. III-36

21. 11. It is also mentioned near the end of the crusades, in the thirteenth century; Wilken Gesch. der Kr. VI. p. 155, n.

See above, pp. 385, 386.-This region was extensively explored in 1844 by the Rev. Dr Smith, of whose manuscript journals I have here made use.

Through both these broad spurs and the intervening basin, as far down as to Burghŭz, the river everywhere thus flows between the same precipitous banks, varying from a hundred to a thousand feet in height. There is about the chasm this peculiarity, that for most of the way there is no depression of the ground on approaching the banks, the undulations of surface on each side being the same; so that whenever one loses sight of the chasm, he would not suspect, that the whole tract was not one continuous surface.

From Bîr ed-Dahar we now (at 10.15) turned more to the left and nearly north towards Yuhmur, descending obliquely and gradually along the western declivity, and crossing several small ravines running to the Lîtâny. Just south of that village is a very deep gorge, cut down in the left bank by a short Wady. Ascending from it we reached Yühmur at 11.30. It stands among rocks on a high point on the brink of the chasm ; the inhabitants are Metâwileh. Here was a winepress hewn in the rock, possibly ancient. The banks of the chasm at this place are perhaps higher than at any other point; we judged the depth to be not less than a thousand feet. The rock is less compact than lower down the stream, and has in many places been worn away or has slidden down; thus widening the chasm above, and varying its character below. The chasm is here deeper and narrower than at Belât. The foaming silvery stream at the bottom rushes on from rapid to rapid, decked with the gay blossoms of the oleanders along its margin.

The

We continued our way northwards till 11.45; when we began to descend into the chasm to reach the Kuweh. The adjacent land here spreads out into an open tract, rocky and partially sloping, but cultivated and in some parts green; the eastern ridge retiring in almost a semicircular sweep. A small Wady breaks down by a leap to the river below. Along this we began to descend; but soon turned to the left around the high rocky cliff, and descending obliquely along the precipice southwest, reached the Kuweh at the bottom at 12 o'clock. path is steep, and in some spots runs along the brink of the precipice; but is not difficult, except in one place of slippery rocks, where we dismounted in going down, but rode up the whole distance in returning. This is a regular public road, though not much travelled, leading over the Kuweh and up into Lebanon to Jezzin and other places. As we afterwards left the bank above, we saw a party descending from the mountain to the bridge on their way to Damascus, as we afterwards learned.

The scenery of the chasm is in the highest degree wild, picturesque, and grand. In descending, as one looks down into

the stream far below, he sees immense caverns and arches in the opposite wall of rock; and above them are other caverns partly artificial, which are said to have been formerly the haunt of robbers. When at the bottom, the traveller is completely shut in by the perpendicular jagged walls of the chasm, rising from four to five hundred feet above the bridge. Rocks from above in ancient times have fallen into the stream, confining it to a narrower channel, and in some parts covering it quite over. Upon these rocks, in the course of time, there has accumulated a covering of earth, forming a broad bridge over a very contracted channel. In the northern part the covering is not quite complete; a very narrow and ragged fissure being left, which is now filled and covered with fig and other trees and shrubs. The road-way, in the middle of the bridge, is ten feet wide, and like a chaussée in form. South of this is a lower terrace, some fifteen or twenty feet wide. The following measurements had already been made by Mr Thomson:

The opening towards the north, by which the stream enters, is covered and hidden by trees and bushes; as is also the southern exit, except as viewed from a point on the left bank below the bridge. As there seen, the rocks appear to form an angle over the channel, like the sharp roof of a Dutch house. This too is mostly covered with fig trees. The river tumbles, foams, and roars over the rocks in its steep and rugged channel in the most picturesque manner. The high walls of the chasm are mostly naked; but at the bottom, along the margin of the water, are many trees, and among them fig trees and vines, intermingled with the gay blossoms of the oleander.

It is difficult to reach the water below the bridge, where the chasm presents its grandest and most romantic features. To do so one must scramble along on the western side for a considerable distance, and pass under huge rocks of the overhanging strata, forming a large cavern, and declining towards the south. With some hazard one reaches the water, just where further progress is arrested by perpendicular cliffs. Here the channel of the stream is contracted to twelve or fifteen feet; and through it the water pours with great impetuosity. Just below, a rock has fallen nearly across the narrow channel, and another projects from the eastern side, leaving only a passage of two or three feet, and forming almost another natural bridge. The scenery just here is magnificent.