lost their way in rude glens, is an interesting feature in the scenery of these regions."

On the northern mountain, far above Jerjû'a, is a Wely called Neby Sâfy. On the opposite high corner of the southern mountain is another, bearing the name of Neby Sijud. These both serve as landmarks. Looking down Wady Jermuk, we had in full view, just on the right of the junction of this valley with the Lîtâny, the great fortress esh-Shukîf, standing alone on a ridge, and conspicuous in every direction. It here bore nearly due south. Between it and us, on the low ridge west of Wady Jermuk, was the Wely called Neby 'Aly et-Tâhir, also a landmark. The little village 'Arab Sâlîm is on the same ridge north of where the Zaherâny breaks through it. After the weather became clear, we obtained here many important bearings. Sidon bears from Jerjû'a 318°; and the direct distance is reckoned six hours.2

The house in which we occupied a room at Jerju'a was quite inferior to the one we had seen at Rûm. Like all the other houses of the village it had but one story. We first entered from the street the room of the family; adjacent to which, and without a partition, was the stable. Passing on we crept through a very low doorway or passage to another room, the floor of which was a little higher than that of the other. This was our abode for a day and two nights. It had a rickety door on one side into another street; but this door had to be reached by several steps on the inside. There was no window; and no light except from the door. The fireplace was in the middle of the room, with a small hole in the roof as a vent for the smoke. There was here also a Tannûr for baking. A hole sunk in the floor is lined with pottery; this is then heated by a fire kindled within it; and the dough is plastered on the sides, and so baked. There were trays for silkworms in plenty; and several bins for grain. The roof was of the usual kind, supported by rude props. It rained heavily during the night; and the water found its way through upon us. Quite early in the morning we heard our host at work rolling the roof; and saw the same process going on with other houses. Goats, also, were cropping the grass growing on several roofs. All the goats we had yet seen, were black, with long pendulous ears.

Our host was a potter; and wrought at his trade in his own

Ms. Journal, May 1852.

2 Bearings from Jerju'a: Neby Sijud 109°, 14 m. Kŭl'at esh-Shŭkîf 179°. Neby 'Aly et-Tahir 185. Nebâtiyeh el-Foka 198. Nebâtîyeh et-Tahta 207. Shûkîn 211°. Tell Habbûsh 219°. Kefr Jauz 217°. ed-Duweir 240°. el-Biyâd 244°.

Shilba'l 248°. Deir ez-Zaherany 258°. Serbah 304°. 'Ankûn 310°. Rûmîn 289°. Râs el-Abyad 231°. Mouth of Zaherâny 291°. Sidon 318°. Jurneiya 319°. Mouth of Senîk 310°. 'Arab Salîm S. 15° W. 11 m.

house. His jars were decorated with rings and other ornaments, and exhibited some very neat work. We found every thing at Jerjû'a dear; partly from scarcity, and partly because we were Franks. We had to send to another village for barley for the horses. Our guide and servants were quartered in the room with the family. The former we here sent back to Sidon.

The Sheikh of the village, who was a brother of our host, called to pay his respects; as did also the old priest. The latter was 71 years of age; was married and had been here 35 years; but except his blue turban and gray beard, there was nothing to distinguish him from the other men of the village. He had suffered a whole generation to grow up around him without teaching them even to read. There is no school; and only four or five can read at all. The village numbers 94 males, all Greek Catholics; and six families of Metâwileh.-There are no remains of antiquity in the village. In the rocks just above it are two or three excavations, which may have been sepulchres.

In the afternoon, the weather having partially cleared up, we rode out, under the guidance of our host, to visit what he said was the highest perennial source of the Zaherâny, some distance up the great chasm. We descended northeast very steeply to the bottom of the valley; where the swollen river was brawling and foaming along its course, through tracts of green grass, shaded by black walnut trees, with two or three mills, along the stream; a spot of sweet beauty in the midst of wild grandeur. Passing up the valley the way became more difficult. We soon came to a spot, where the rocks had been cut away to form a passage; and there was an ancient pavement laid in cement. At first sight it seemed doubtful, whether this had been a road or an aqueduct; but it soon proved to be the latter. After 25 minutes from the village we reached the source, a fine large fountain bursting forth with violence, and with water enough for a mill race. Here we found a channel cut in the solid rock, 3 feet 8 inches wide, and nearly as deep, plastered with cement on the sides, with stones above laid in the same cement, as if the channel had been once covered. It was the statement of our host and others, that above this fountain the stream dries up in summer; but never below it.

In returning we traced the course of the aqueduct for a considerable distance along the steep declivity; either as hewn in the rocks, or built up on one side with masonry; always with its cemented pavement, sometimes in two layers. We kept along the declivity below the village; and could see the aqueduct carried in a channel around the precipitous face of a projecting point of rock further down; after which it turned northwestwards, and was conducted along the surface as before. At

one point, in a field on the south of the village, we found the ancient wall remaining, which had been built up for it against a steep part of the hill. The further course of the aqueduct was already known in part, as far as to Kefr Milkeh on the direct road from Sidon to Jebâ'a, an hour and a quarter from the latter place. Dr De Forest, in passing over that road a few weeks later, found on the hill just east of Kefr Milkeh, the bottom of the ancient water-course laid in cement; and saw further on where the aqueduct had been carried around the summits of two hills; and also on arches over a deep gorge, half an hour or more northwest of Jebâ'a. The abutments of the arches are still visible.1

Although these more western traces of the aqueduct were already known, I am not aware that its commencement at the fountain in the gorge of the Zaherâny had as yet been discovered. It must have been constructed in order to convey the water of this source to Sidon for drinking. The Sidonians had aqueducts and water for irrigation, in abundance, from the Auwaly, much nearer; but even now the water of the Auwaly is not regarded as good for drinking; and families in the city are supplied from fountains an hour or more distant. The supply from this head of the Zaherâny was good and abundant.

On our return, we ascended to the village from the south. This brought us to the large fountain of the village, which bursts out some distance below it; and led us also by the threshingfloors, where is a fine point of view.

While engaged in tracing the aqueduct south of the village, our guide brought us to a tablet of sandstone lying in a ploughed field; which he said had been found the preceding summer in the aqueduct. It was 29 inches long by 14 inches broad, and on it was sculptured the figure of a man in a tunic, in high relief; the back only being attached. The head had stood out free; but was broken off in digging, before they knew what the stone was. At the upper right hand corner of the tablet was the following imperfect Greek inscription; the letters in small type being doubtful.

ΑΝΤΑΣ

ΠΕΡΙ

ΟΙΠΕΡΙΕπων

ΕΚΤΩΝ . ..

KATEYXE

ANEOH

καν

1 Ms. Journal, May 1852.

There was some appearance as if the right hand side of the tablet had been cut away; thus destroying perhaps some part of the inscription.-We bargained for this tablet, to be delivered to the Rev. Mr Thomson in Sidon, at the price demanded. It was never delivered; but subsequently an offer came to Sidon, to bring it down for the double of the price agreed upon. As this last demand amounted only to twenty piastres, there would have been no difficulty, had Mr Thomson been at home. The demand, however, shows a trait in the character of the people.

Friday, April 9th. Our first object to day was to visit the great fortress esh-Shukif, which stood conspicuous before us in the south, at the distance of more than three hours The direct

road descends at once from Jerjû'a to the Zaherâny, in 40 minutes; thence along the stream 20 minutes to the ford just where the stream turns west; and afterwards along Wady Jermuk to Arnûn. This route was afterwards followed by Dr De Forest ; but as the river was now swollen and the ford difficult, we preferred to cross by a bridge on the way to Nebâtîyeh.

We set off at 7.25; the Sheikh of the village accompanying us on foot for some distance, as a mark of courtesy. The descent towards the south was steep and long, but not difficult. We could here look down along Wady Jermuk; and see the bend of the river, as it turns westward into its lesser chasm. The bottom of the valley presented a fine green level basin among the cliffs. Dr De Forest stopped in this basin for lunch; and "found abundant shade under the black walnut and other trees. Large wild grape vines and small creepers swung from tree to tree; and a thick shrubbery lined the banks. An old mill was by the side of the stream; and there was a rude footbridge. The scenery was wild and interesting." Below this basin is Wady Jermŭk.

At 8 o'clock we were opposite 'Arab Sâlîm with its large white dome ten minutes on our left. It stands on the precipitous western bank of the valley, some 400 feet above the Zaherâny, and twenty minutes north of the bend and chasm. We now kept more to the right, descending along the right hand slopes of a lateral valley, which brought us at 8.30 to the Zaherâny, here running N. 55° W. The stream was swollen; but was not so large as the Dâmûr at its mouth. It was tumbling rapidly along a pretty valley, skirted with oleanders. The bridge was five minutes further down; a rude modern structure. The descent to it from Jerju'a is more than 1000 feet.

The road now ascended gradually to the higher rolling tract in the south. At 8.55 we were opposite Tell Habbush on our right; to which we turned aside. It afforded a fine back view of Jerju'a and the mountain beyond. That village lies conspicu

ously on the shoulder of the high ridge (Rîhân) north of the great chasm of the Zaherâny; and we could mark our course of Wednesday, in the rain, along the steep declivity of that ridge. Beyond and above the immense gorge were seen the higher peaks of Lebanon; while in the southeast, coming out from behind the southern extremity of Jebel Rihân, the lofty snow-capped summits of Jebel esh-Sheikh, the ancient Hermon, began to appear. This was a side view; and presented two summits, of which the northeastern is considerably the highest. The snow on esh-Sheikh extended for some distance down the sides; while on the peaks of Lebanon opposite there was none.-The village Habbush lies a mile or more distant, about W. S. W. The Tell has upon it no ruins.1

Returning to the road, we set off again at 9.20. Our guide soon turned to the left, to a road leading direct to esh-Shukif, instead of bringing us to Nebâtîyeh, where our muleteers had been ordered to meet us. It was some time before we discovered the mistake; and then ten minutes were lost in getting back across the fields to the right road. The country was rolling, and mostly cultivated. We reached Nebâtiyeh at 10 o'clock, a large village in a broad open fertile valley or basin drained northwest to the Zaherâny. It is a market-place; and a fair is held every Monday. There is a Khân, so called, consisting merely of two or three rows of stone arches, low and very shallow, so as hardly to cover a horse's length; much on the plan of a range of New England horsesheds. Two only of the houses of the village had two stories. One of these belonged to the Sheikh of the district Belâd esh-Shukîf, who was now absent at Beirût; the other to a rich peasant. The Sheikh was said to have a council, composed of members from the different sects. As the shoes of some of our animals required fastening, we stopped here for more than an hour. The smith was an active, handy fellow, and did his work well. Several horses were standing about, and very many donkeys; these kept up a constant braying.-Nebâtîyeh is midway on the road between Sidon and Hasbeiya, six hours from each.2

At 11.10 we proceeded by a level and easy road towards the castle, now directly before us at the distance of an hour and a half. After fifteen minutes we were opposite the upper Nebâtiyeh, a much smaller village on higher ground at our right. Directly in our road was a rude cemetery; and the graves were trodden down by the passing animals. As we advanced the Bearings at Tell Habbûsh: Hûmîn Nebâtîych: Zebdîn 268°, m. Kŭl'at 15. Neby Safy 33°. 'Arab Sâlîm 51°. esh-Shŭkif 147°. Neby Sijud 55°. Kül'at esh-Shukîf 161°. Lower Nebâtiyeh 192°. Habbûsh 241°.

2 Bearings from the village of Lower

3

3

Bearings at 11.30: Neby 'Aly et-Tâhir S. 80° E. 2 m. Upper Nebâtîyeh N. 80°

W.

m.