Hasbeiya in safety; although a division of the same gang of robbers were plundering along the road from Râsheiya to Hâsbeiya, and almost to the very entrance of the latter place itself.

As Mr Thomson departed towards the west, we set our faces towards the east; and leaving Deir el-'Ashâyir at 7.10, we descended into the lower plain, with its little lake on our right. This has no outlet, and was said to dry up later in the season. Our general course was E. N. E. At 7.35 we came to the northwest shoulder of the mountain, which here sinks down in a bluff over the lake. Here was a low water-shed; and then we entered a shallow open valley with rolling hills on each side. About 8 o'clock the road from Jubb Jenin and Bekka joined ours from the left; and then at 8.10 came in also the usual road from Beirut descending from a hill on the left. Here at the junction of these roads is a fine fountain in the valley, called 'Ain Meithelûn; and near by are the foundations of a large ruined Khân. The Wady likewise bears the same name below. Our course now became E. by S. As we advanced, the Wady grew narrower and deeper, and the sides high and rocky, forming a mountain pass, along which the brook from the fountain continued to flow. Afterwards the country became undulating and hilly. At 8.50 the Wady and brook made a circuit towards the right; while we ascended obliquely the left slope, and winding around and up the south side of a hill, reached Dimâs at 9 o'clock. It is a large village lying high up on the southeastern side of the hill; and is a usual stopping place for travellers and caravans. In the upper part of the village is a long vault with a round arch, built of large stones, and seemingly ancient.

We had now passed over and through the broad elevated tract, which here connects the mountain ridges on the south and east of Deir el-'Ashâyir with the loftier range of Blûdân in the north; thus forming the ridge which separates the plateau of Deir el-'Ashâyir and Zebedâny from the next lower plateau on the eastern declivity of Anti-Lebanon.

This next lower plateau, which was now before us, had evidently a great slope towards the east; and was at first uneven and rolling. At 9.15, going still E. by S. there was a fork of the road, and we took the left around a hill, in order to avoid a very steep descent on the other branch. At 9.35 we again struck Wady Meithelûn and its brook, and crossed to its right side. It was here running northeast; and continues in that direction to join the Barada near Judeideh. Ascending now long and gradually, we came out at 9.50 upon the great desert plain of es-Sahra, here three thousand four hundred feet above the sea, according to Mr Porter. It is indeed a desert, wholly barren and uncultivated. It extends up southwest to the very

base of Jebel esh-Sheikh ; and is shut in on the southeast by another line of hills, or ridge, that of Dummar and Sâlihiyeh, which comes down from the end (or rather from under the end) of esh-Sheikh itself. The desert plain also extends northeast for a long distance beyond the Barada; the chasm of the latter being bordered with hills. Far in the north and northeast, beyond the valley of Helbôn, a mountain range appeared to run down from west to east, with picturesque forms.'

Our course across the Sahra was about S. E. by E. Soon after entering upon it, at one hour from Dîmâs, the road forks. The left leads to the Barada and the bridge of Dummar, and crosses the ridge back of Sâlihîyeh, commanding the view of the plain of Damascus, which is so celebrated. We had intended to follow this road; but our muleteers, who alone were acquainted with the region, either through misunderstanding or mulishness, took the other path; and when we discovered the mistake, it was too late to rectify it. Desolate and dreary as possible was the way for an hour and a half. The Barada with

its sweet valley was not far off on our left; but no trace of it was visible. Hardly a tree or shrub appeared, on mountain, hill, or plain. Far on the right, in the desert plain not far from the next range of hills, was the miserable hamlet of Subbûrah, bearing from the fork S. 61° W. directly towards the snows of Hermon. No other village was in sight; and all was indeed a desert.

At 10.45 there was on our right a small brook winding through the plain. We descended at 10.55 to its bed, where bursts forth a large and fine fountain, called Neba' el-'Arrâd. Its flow is said to be periodical, it being at some seasons entirely dry. Near by are the foundations of a ruined Khân, bearing the same name. The stream winds off northeast to the Barada near el-Hâmy, and takes the name of Wady Ya'für; having in it a still larger fountain further down, and its borders covered with poplars.

Beyond the fountain the Sahra becomes a rolling tract of desert hills. At 11.15 we came upon the head of a deep valley running down northeast to the Barada west of Dummar. The river was now not distant; and we could see the trees along its course. Passing to the right around the head of the valley, we came at 11.35 to the top of the ridge beyond, through which the river breaks. Before us lay another parallel ridge, with a deep valley between; the two ridges being merely a fork in the one main ridge. After a steep descent and long ascent, we reached the top of the latter ridge at 12.15; and here Damascus and its magnificent plain began to come in sight. Here was a fork of

1 See more on the Sahra, under June 7th.

the road; we kept on east, and descended considerably, till at 12.25, from a projecting point, there was a noble view of the vast plain with its immense groves of fruit and other trees, and of the city almost hidden by their foliage. But the view from the Wely back of Sâlihîyeh is still more magnificent. The air was hazy; and the distant lakes were not visible. A long and steep descent now brought us at 1 o'clock to the village of Mezzeh,' at the foot of the naked and arid limestone ridge, and also just at the mouth of the deep, precipitous, jagged, and very narrow chasm, by which the Barada issues upon the plain. This chasm is very striking; it is broken straight down; and the strata are very much dislocated.-Here we stopped for lunch, in a garden of tall fruit trees, by the side of the first canal taken from the river on the south.

We were now at the eastern base of Anti-Lebanon, having traversed all the ridges and plateaus of its southern portion. The basin around Kefr Kuk, although without outlet, and although nearly as high as the plain of Zebedâny, seems decidedly to belong to the western declivity of the mountain. The high water-shed which we crossed further east, runs on northeast through the elevated tract around Yuntah, and forms at length the Jebel Zebedâny. This latter separates the plain of Zebedany from the desert basin of Judeideh on the west; this last corresponding in position to the basin of Kefr Kûk, but higher, and drained eastward through the ridge by the Wady el-Kurn. North of Rukhleh we struck and followed down the fork which cleaves the ridges, that further north border the plateau of Deir el-'Ashâyir and Zebedâny. Passing through the next ridge we came to Dîmâs and the broad Sahra; and now the descent of the last ridge of Sâlihîyeh had brought us to the margin of the great plain. North of the Barada, as we shall see, the division is less regular; and especially the ridge separating the plateau of Zebedâny from the Sahra spreads out into a broad mountainous tract.

Setting off from el-Mezzeh at 2.05, we went directly east towards the city, through the immense groves of every species of fruit trees which cover the plain. The avenues leading to the city are tolerably wide, and everywhere shut in by mud walls five or six feet high. These walls are constructed of large masses of earth compacted, like unburnt brick, two feet or more square, resembling the adobes of Mexico. These are made upon the spot which each is to occupy, by placing a wooden frame, filling it firmly with earth rammed hard, and then removing the frame. These walls usually last several years.

1

This village is mentioned by Edrisi; I. p. 350, ed. Jaubert.

Water is carried everywhere, along the roads and through the fields. Between Mezzeh and the city we crossed three canals from the Barada, and there is a fourth on this side; those on the north side are larger. Everything indicated our approach to a great city.

We came at 2.40 to one of the southwestern gates, Bâb esSurijy. Here were no custom house officers. We entered and wound our way along narrow streets and lanes through the city to the Christian quarter; which occupies the whole eastern part. We were all strangers, and inquired for the house of Dr Paulding, whom I had known in Beirût; but meeting an acquaintance of our Hâsbeiyans in the street, he informed us, that the matter was all arranged; and that we were to go to the house of the Rev. Mr Robson, who was expecting to accompany me on my further journey. This was welcome intelligence. At 3.10 we dismounted at Mr Robson's door; and in his widowed dwelling I found a welcome home during my brief sojourn in Damascus.

The city was now occupied, as a Protestant missionary field, by missionaries of the Irish Presbyterian Church, and of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in the United States. From the former were the Rev. Messrs Robson and Porter; and from the latter, Rev. Messrs Barnett, Fraser, Lansing, and Dr Paulding as physician. They were acting in entire concord, and as one mission, in everything, except in their relations to the societies at home. Mr Robson was the earliest resident, having been here during eight years. He and Mr Porter were both at home. Most of the Americans had gone to prepare their summer residence at Blûdân, a village lying high up on the lofty ridge east of Zebedâny, and overlooking that fine plain. But Dr Paulding returned on Saturday; and I had the pleasure of intercourse with him and Mr Fraser.

I remained in Damascus until the following Monday morning, four days. During this interval, Messrs Robson and Porter were unwearied in their kind offices; and conducted me to the various points of interest within and without the city. The first day, Thursday, was mainly spent in writing letters, and in rest, of which I still had great need. On Friday we took a long walk through the interior of the city, and examined its antiquities and other objects of curiosity. On Saturday, Mr Porter rode with me around the city on the outside; and also through some of the streets which I had not yet seen.

The usual religious services were held on Sunday, in the large room of Dr Paulding's house, which had been fitted up, and formed a commodious mission chapel. In the forenoon there was a service in Arabic at 8 o'clock by Mr Wortabet; one in English

at 11 o'clock by Mr Fraser; and another at 4 o'clock in the afternoon by Mr Robson. The number in attendance was from twenty-five to thirty. I took tea and passed the evening with Dr Paulding and his very intelligent family.

On Saturday I also had the pleasure of calling on Dr Meshâka, the very active and intelligent native physician, whose name has become widely known in connection with the Protestant movement. He wields a ready and powerful pen; and his writings are doing much in preparing the way for the spread of Gospel truth. He knows only the Arabic language; his mind seems ever at work; and he spoke fluently on a variety of topics quite unusual for an oriental.

Another literary person, of a different stamp, whom I met at Mr Robson's, was Antôn Bulâd, a learned Greek monk, passionately devoted to the topography and statistics of Damascus and its environs. He had taken the trouble to copy out with his own hand all the lists of Arabic names in the appendix to the first edition of the Biblical Researches; and had likewise procured for Mr Porter lists of the villages around Damascus and throughout the plain.

Learning, however, is in general at a low ebb among the Damascenes of the present day; although the city has been formerly renowned as the home of many distinguished Arabian writers and scholars,1

DAMASCUS.

A full account of the topography and history of this ancient city, would of itself require a volume. During my brief sojourn, I could of course receive only general impressions; and these are all that I can now communicate to the reader. purpose is to relate only what I saw myself, or learned on good authority.

My

THE PLAIN.-Boundaries.-We have seen above, that the last and lowest ridge of Anti-Lebanon towards the east, has its beginning under the eastern end of Jebel esh-Sheikh itself." It runs on in a general course northeast, a naked limestone ridge, and is broken through at Mezzeh by the chasm of the Barada; and at Burzeh, two hours further northeast, by the lesser chasm of a Wady coming down from Menin and Helbôn. The ridge takes

Bowring reports, that he could not find a bookseller in Damascus or Aleppo; nor could a scribe now get his living by copying manuscripts; Report p. 109. Seetzen found three Muslim booksellers; of whom two were also bookbinders; Reisen I. p.

270.-Of course volumes can now only be purchased from the private owners comp. Seetzen, ibid. In this way the missionaries are able, occasionally, to pick up rare and valuable manuscripts.

See above, p. 440.