intermitting fountain. In all essential particulars, the fountain was probably then what it is at the present day. The regular flow or rest upon the Sabbath alone, was a matter of popular belief, or rather of popular credulity. The like credulity still exists. Mr Thomson was informed by an old Sheikh of the Nusairîyeh, who dwelt some twenty miles distant, that the fountain still flows only once in seven days; namely, on Friday, the Muslim Sabbath.1

At the fountain several persons were occupied, under a booth, in winding off silk from the cocoons, on a large reel turned by a boy. This is the ordinary rude native method.

We set off from the fountain at 9.55; and proceeded down the valley. At 10.10 we began to ascend the southern slope; thus leaving the valley, which continued on north of west to the great plain. From the top of the broad ridge on which we came out, we had an extensive view of the coast quite to Tripoly; the sea being three or four hours distant. The ridge which bounds the Bukei'a on the northwest, and through which we had now passed, sinks down on the east side (as we have seen) very steeply to that valley; while on the west side it declines much more gradually, and runs down and out into low ridges and waving hills; the western plain being some six or seven hundred feet lower than the Bukei'a. Our course now became southwest, crossing the points of low ridges running out westwards, with shallow Wadys between. At 10.45 the village Shelûh was half a mile distant on our left. Ten minutes later there was a single tower on a hill at the left, a mile distant.

Crossing a shallow Wady near its mouth, we came at 11.10 to a ridge ending towards the west in a low bluff or Tell, with a village upon it, called Tell el-Haush. Below this, on the north, is a considerable fountain and pond, called Neba' el-'Arûs; from which a small stream flows off into the plain, and then (as we afterwards saw) runs southwest to the Nahr el-Kebir. We passed up around the west side of the Tell, and came out upon a high plain extending towards the south; having in the west and southwest a lower alluvial plain reaching to the Kebir. West of the latter, towards the sea, were low hills and swells. Our course continued southwest, with the range of hills on our left. At 11.25 Kefr Rîsh was about half a mile distant on our right; our guide said it marked the boundary between the governments of el-Husn and Sâfîta. There was a small stream at 11.40; and here Burj Sâfîta was visible, bearing N. 15° W. apparently about three hours distant.

At 11.50 we descended into the lower plain, one of the richest

1 Silliman's Journal, ib. p. 310.

and most fertile that I had yet seen. The soil is a rich black mould; and the plain was covered with abundant crops of wheat, millet, and cotton, with tracts of grass yet green. At 12 o'clock there was a brook, and a village Mesaideh on our left, a mile distant. Fifteen minutes later there was another small brook, with the village Burj el-Maksûr a quarter of a mile distant also on our left. We came at 12.35 to a larger brook in the plain, flowing in a deep channel, and bordered by oleanders and trees of the Derdâr, seemingly a species of ash. Under their shade we stopped an hour for lunch and rest. Here and along all the streams, the oleanders were in full blossom. It was here, an hour and a quarter from Jisr el-Abyad, that Burckhardt was detained in March 1812, for a whole night, by the swollen stream.2 The plain in this part is a mile and a half wide; and is drained S. S. W. towards the Kebir. West of it, towards the sea, is a higher plain. On our left, on the declivity of the hills, was the village Kefr Sa'rîd, a mile distant; and half an hour further in the same direction, high among the hills, and not in sight, was said to lie the village Suth el-Afrît. We had now passed out of the district of Sâfita into another called eshShareh, between Sâfîta and 'Akkâr.

Starting again at 1.35, we had on our left, at 1.55, the village Semikeh, a mile and a half distant. There was a fine little fountain just on our right at 2.05, called Neba' esh-Shâreh. In these immense fields the harvest was now in progress. Much of the wheat was already stacked in the fields, to be threshed out more at leisure. We afterwards saw the people loading up camels and donkeys from such stacks. At 2.15 the road from Hums across the Bukei'a, united with that from Jisr el-Aswad, came into ours. After a while the road left the alluvial plain ; and crossing a rolling tract, we reached the Kebîr, here coming out of the hills almost parallel for a time with our course. village el-'Öreimeh was on the left bank, about half an hour above the bridge. The Jisr el-Abyad is at right angles to the road, both above and below. We crossed it at 2.45; having first passed through a caravan of camels, which had stopped for rest. The bridge is modern, resembling the two sides of a steep roof, resting on a high arch. The road to Tripoly continues along the left bank of the stream for some distance. Here, perhaps half a mile from the bridge, is the Wely of Sheikh 'Aiyâsh, and a large Khân now in ruins.

The

The Jisr el-Abyad is also known as Jisr Sheikh 'Aiyâsh, and Jisr el-Jedid. The channel of the stream is broad and deep;

Perhaps the Besaida of our former lists, inhabited by Turkmâns; Bibl. Res. 1st edit. III. App. 182.

"Trav. p. 161.

3 In Burckhardt's day there was here only a ruined bridge; p. 161.

and although there was now no great quantity of water, yet there were evident marks, that in the rainy season an impetuous torrent here finds its way to the sea. Indeed, before the erection of the bridge, caravans have been known to remain encamped on the bank of the stream for weeks together, without being able to cross it. The Nahr el-Kebîr is the great border stream, separating Lebanon and Phenicia from the region further north; and as such it corresponds fully to the Eleutherus of the ancients; which Strabo in like manner describes as the northern limit of Phenicia and Colesyria."

Thus far we had been travelling upon the great road from Hamah to Tripoly; into which had fallen, as we have seen, the road coming from Hums through the Bukei'a, united with that from Jisr el-Aswad. All the villages we had seen along the road, are in the district of el-Husn. The Kebîr serves, as of old, to divide the district el-Husn on the north from that of el-'Akkâr on the south; the latter including the northern part of Lebanon and extending to the sea; the former having on the west of it the districts of Sâfîta and esh-Shâreh.

Our purpose was to proceed to the village of Heitela; from which place, as we had been told, we might hope to find a road leading up into the mountain. We kept on, therefore, along the Tripoly road, till 3 o'clock; and then turned south on the direct road to Sheikh Muhammed. At this time the village Jûrat Bursha was on our left, twenty minutes distant. The road soon forked; and we took the left, towards Heitela, going S. S. E. till 3.15, and then south. We had on our left the village Sharahmarîn at 3.20; and Serâr at 3.30; both of them lying between Jurat Bürsha and Heitela, and each about twenty minutes from our road, on the hills. As we descended a slope into a narrow plain, Heitela was before us on the opposite declivity. We came at 3.40 to a threshing-floor in the plain, where several people from the village were at work. They all assured us, that there was no road from the village leading up into the mountain. We therefore had no resource, but to proceed to Sheikh Muhammed. Heitela here bore S. S. E. about twenty minutes distant. We now turned southwest along the narrow plain and through the fields, without a path, until we struck the road from Heitela to Sheikh Muhammed. At 4.05 the village of Sa'din

JUNE 14.]

NAHR KEBIR, ELEUTHERUS.

NAHR 'AKKAR.

577

was on our right, on a hill, a mile distant; and ten minutes later on our left, half a mile distant, was the village Jâmia'. Hereabouts we fell into the direct road from the bridge to Sheikh Muhammed, which we had before left. Our course was now S. S. W. At 4.45 Tell 'Abbâs, a mound in the plain, was on our right half a mile distant, apparently with ruins upon it. From the Kebir southwards, the road follows the base of the hills, or rather the swellings of the mountain, here called Jebel 'Akkâr; having the great plain all the way on the right.

We came at 4.55 to the Nahr 'Akkâr, which issues from a ravine in the hills on our left, and here makes a bend towards the north. A large canal is carried off on the north side for the purposes of irrigation. Our road followed up the high left bank for a little distance; and here a slight dam was thrown across in order to turn the water into the canal. Here too was another silk-reeling establishment, with an undershot wheel turned by water. The wheel was rudely constructed with boards as arms, without a rim. In the mouth of the ravine, about a mile on the left of our road, and on the south bank of the stream, lies the village Khureibet el-Jundy, with an old castle; from which the stream is also known here as the Nahr el-Khureibeh. Further west it is also called Nahr el-Hîsa, from a village of that name.' It was said to water the fields and gardens around 'Akkâr, five or six hours distant in the mountain.2

Proceeding onward, and skirting the base of the hills as before, we came at 5.30 to the little ravine, on the south side of which, on the hill or plateau above, lies the large village of Sheikh Muhammed. We had no motive for climbing to the village; and therefore encamped in the ravine below, near a fine little fountain. The sea was in sight, some four or five miles distant. From our tent, a square structure with corner towers in the plain, apparently half an hour or more from the sea, called Kulei'ât, bore N. 50° W. It is two hours north of Nahr Bârid. The village Semmawîneh, perhaps an hour distant from us, bore N. 70° W.

In all the villages near which we had passed to day, the houses are built of black volcanic stones, showing the nature of the region. But from this point southwards, we came again upon limestone.

Among the gardens below our tent, there stood by the way

1 The village el-Hisa, is at one hour on the direct road from Jisr el-Abyad to Tripoly; Dr De Forest Ms. Letter.

The ruined city of 'Akkâr was visited by Mr Thomson in 1846; and is described by him in the Bibliotheca Sacra, 1848, pp. 19-21. The Nahr 'Akkâr has its sources VOL. III.-49

in the vicinity; and flows at first through a wild gorge.

Mentioned by Abulfeda, with Halba and 'Arka, among the conquests of Bibars near Tripoly, in A. D. 1266; Annales, ed. Reiske, V. p. 17; comp. Tab. Syr. p. 204 Wilken de Bellor. cruc. Hist. p. 223.

PP

side a large shrub or rather tree of the white oleander. It was in full blossom, and very beautiful. We had seen one small shrub of the same in the splendid court of the British consul's house in Damascus; and this his lady set great store by, as rare and difficult to be obtained. Here were finer blossoms in rich profusion, with none to prize them.

Tuesday, June 15th.-Our purpose to go from el-Husn directly through the northern parts of Lebanon to the cedars, had thus been completely frustrated. We had been able neither to find a road, nor to hear of any. Every person of whom we inquired along the way, confirmed the testimony of the monks, that the only known route to the cedars was by way of Tripoly.

We might have proceeded from Sheikh Muhammed to 'Akkâr by way of Jibra'il, Mr Thomson's route. But we were now pressed for time; it being important that we should reach Beirut not later than the next Saturday. We learned that it would take us three days to go by 'Akkâr to the cedars; while the other route would require only a day and a half. We therefore reluctantly gave up 'Akkâr; and decided to keep along near the base of the mountain, and strike the road from Tripoly to the cedars as far distant from that city as possible; hoping thus to save a considerable circuit. We afterwards regretted, that we had not at least made the attempt to go by 'Akkâr; and we also found, that we had gained little by avoiding Tripoly.

Setting off from our place of encampment below Sheikh Muhammed at 6.25, we continued on a southwesterly course along the base of the hills; which between this place and Tell 'Arka curve a little inwards, forming a sort of amphitheatre on our left. On these hills lay four villages, in the following order, which we passed at the time and distances specified, viz. Halba at 6.35, distant, a quarter of a mile ;' Sheikh Tâba at 6.45, distant half a mile; ez-Zawârîb at 6.55, distant three eighths of a mile; and Menyârah at 7.05, distant three fourths of a mile. The plain upon our right lies around the great bay north of Tripoly; and bears the name of Jûn 'Akkâr.2

1

At 7.20 we reached the site of 'Arka with its high Tell. The remains of the former city are very few. The town lay below the Tell mainly on the north, upon a plateau or terrace overlooking the plain and sea. The heaps of ruins seen here at present consist for the most part of ordinary stones; from which the conclusion may be drawn, that the common houses of old were built, as now, of such materials. Among the heaps, we saw

1 Halba is mentioned by Abulfeda; see note 3, on the preceding page.

2 This splendid plain extends along the coast as far north as opposite to Burj Sâ

fita, some distance beyond the Nahr Abras; see Pococke II. i. p. 204. Thomson in Miss. Herald, 1841, p. 98.