parts of the later work. The wall encloses an area, nearly square, of more than an acre of ground. This was apparently once crowded with houses and other buildings of stone, now broken down and strewn about in shapeless ruin. There is at present nothing standing within the enclosure, except the dwelling of the Sheikhs and its appurtenances.

We were told that the ruling Sheikh or Beg, receives a salary of 750 piastres a month as governor of the district. He employs three scribes at 300 piastres a month each; and allows his steward 1500 piastres a year and food. There is no freehold in the province; all lands being held of the government. The land tax or rent is reckoned by yokes of oxen. The village of Tibnîn has 380 male inhabitants; of whom 130 are Christians, and 250 Metawileh. There are further 24 yokes of oxen. They pay a land tax of 12,000 piastres. There is also a poll tax of 2100 piastres. Another tax of 2300 piastres had been remitted by the Sultan, not long ago; but the Beg continued to exact it, and appropriate it to himself. Besides all these, there are other minor taxes and presents. The Sheikh has no freehold property; but when Suliman Pasha took Tyre and Râs el-'Ain away from the family of 'Aly es-Sŭghîr, he assigned to them the revenue of six villages in the district of Shumar; which the Sheikhs still continue to receive. In this connection too, it was reported, that Reshid Pasha of Constantinople had farmed Râs el-'Ain and the district irrigated by its waters, for the purpose of planting mulberry trees extensively for the culture of silk. The works were said already to have been commenced.

We heard also of figures sculptured in the rocks on one of the roads to Tyre. At Hanâweih, near Kâna, are three images of men carved on a tablet in the face of a rock; the middle one higher, and seated in a chair; but the whole much injured by the weather. At Mezra'ah in Wady 'Ashûr, about an hour from Kâna, are similar figures in a cave entered by a door; here they are well preserved, and have upon the head a conical cap. We were unable to visit these sculptures; but they deserve the attention of future travellers.

Sunday, April 11th. About midnight a strong wind arose from the southeast, which continued to increase, until there was great danger that the ropes of our tent would be broken, or the tent-pins be torn out. The flapping and shaking had long banished sleep; and as the exposure was every moment greater.

This would seem to be the tablet described by Monro, as a kind of window, a yard square and as much in depth, high up in the rocks on the right of a Wady, near the lower extremity of its precipitous banks. He speaks of four figures; one of

which is nearly obliterated. Above the figures, he says, is the winged globe. See his Summer Ramble, II. p. 23.-These sculptures need further and more careful examination.

we sent off Rashid about 4 o'clock to procure for us a place in the village. He soon returned with the offer of a room from the Beg's steward, who had been with us yesterday. We immediately removed thither. The wind continued as a strong sirocco, filling the air with a haze; while on Jebel Rîhân we could see occasional showers. In the afternoon, the wind changed to the southwest, the rainy quarter; and we expected it would bring rain during the night. But the sun went down in a haze, without clouds; and the wind died away.

It was Easter Sunday; and at midnight the fast had ceased, and the people had begun again to eat meat. There was of course great feasting. Hence it was, that Rashid had so readily found for us a room. Our host was absent at church when we took possession. He came to us afterwards; and excused himself for the day, as his business confined him to the castle. He called again at evening; and his whole deportment was courteous and respectful. There is in the village a Christian priest; but no church building. We found here likewise, quite unexpectedly, a shop with many European wares for sale; among the rest very good lump sugar.

The house of our host had been built apparently at different times, around a small court. There was only one story; but some of the rooms were higher than others. Hence the different portions of the flat roof were of different elevations; and each had its separate roller. There were two family rooms, a kitchen, stable, and other appurtenances. The room we occupied was the best. It had a hearth in one corner, with a funnel over it for the smoke; in another corner was a wide framed divan or bedstead; and along the back of the room was a range of small niches, apparently for receiving jars. An arch of stone spanned the middle of the room from wall to wall; on which the beams and joists rested. These were covered over with small branches and brushwood; and as usual with earth rolled hard above.

In our room was a single wooden chair, of the rudest and most ordinary kind; a wonder in this region, and probably procured with a view to the entertainment of Franks. In the house and around the court were many dovecotes; and the yard was often full of doves. We had here several times before our eyes the model of the celebrated Vase with doves drinking; but the vase was in this case nothing more than a rude washbowl of stone in the middle of the yard.

In the village many houses stand upon the hill-side; so that some streets are skirted on one side with houses of full height, while on the other side they are on a level with the roofs of the houses fronting on another street below. Goats and donkeys were feeding on these roofs; and in some cases a foot-path led over them.

The boys in the street were rude and noisy; and old men twirled their spindles. But we had a day of quiet rest.

Monday April 12th. We engaged a guide for Râmeh, named Isma'il, a dependent of the Beg and a Mutawâly. He proved faithful and intelligent. When the time came, he arose and saddled his ass," and went with us. His beast was large and strong, and travelled well.

Leaving Tibnîn. at 8.30 for Hârîs, we descended obliquely into Wady 'Ain el-Mizrâb, here coming down from the southwest. At 8.55 we reached the bottom; which is broad, well tilled, and tolerably fertile. We followed up a main branch quite to its head; and at 9.20 came out upon our former road from Bint Jebeil to Tyre, just opposite Hârîs.1 This village was here five minutes distant, bearing S. 60° W., while Tibnîn bore N. 60° E. We turned to the right for five minutes, on our old road, to the sightly brow overlooking all the plain and region of Tyre, with that city in the distance. The morning was misty, with showers in the west; so that the view was less extensive than when we formerly saw it. The head of Wady 'Ashûr was directly below us.2

We returned, and passing Hârîs at 9.40, proceeded along the right side of a valley, called further down Wady Seribbîn, which we followed to its junction with the great Wady el-'Ayûn. The village Ershâf soon came in sight on the hills across the valley. We rose along the right hand declivity to the village Seribbîn at 10.25. Continuing on the declivity, we came, at 10.40, opposite to the junction with, Wady el-'Ayûn; where the latter coming down from the S. S. E. turns at an acute angle about southwest. The road from Rumeish to Tyre comes down Wady el-'Ayûn; and here ascends and crosses the ridge in the northwest. The villages Kauzih and Sâlihâny were in sight, high up on the left side of Wady el-'Ayûn; as also Beit Lîf on the same side in the valley."

We now turned up on the road to Tyre about N. N. W. by a winding path; and after ascending for fifteen minutes came out upon the eastern brow of the broad ridge of table land." Traversing this we came at 11.25 to Yâtir, an old village near the western brow, commanding a view of Tyre and its plain. Here are some few remains of antiquity. In the yard of a hovel and stable we were shown a stone 1 The name of this village was given to us wrongly by our ignorant guide in 1838, as Hadith. 'Aithat ez-Zût he also misnamed Hûlieh.

* Bearings on the brow near Hârîs: Tyre 303. Deir 'Ammis 302°. el-Biyâd 302°. Kefra 252°, 1 m. Tibnin N. 75° E. See Vol. II. pp. 454, 455. [ii. 382, 383.] VOL. III.-6

Bearings at Seribbîn: Ershâf S. m. Râmeh S. 55° W.

Bearings at 10.40: Ershâf S. 50° E. Kauzih S. 25° W. Beit Lif S. 55° W. Sâlihâny S. 65° W. Râmeh S. 50° W.

Bearings at 10.55, on eastern brow: Ershaf 119°. Sa'sa' 165°. Kauzih 197°. Râmeh 221°. Beit Lif 220°. Yârôn 149°,

about two feet square, with sculptured ornaments; but much defaced. In a ledge of rocks south of the village there are two excavated chambers; one of them with two recesses for dead bodies. The rocks round about are much cut away. From the highest point of this ledge, we could see Kŭl'at Shema' on the mountain south of Tyre, and Râs el-Abyad beyond. The village Teir Harfa was visible far down towards en-Nâkurah. Not far distant from us was a Tell called Meryamîn, with ruins near it. On a Tell half a mile south of us were said to be columns, probably of an ancient temple.1

We were told, that at Kuneifidh, lower down the mountain near the plain, there is a cave with two marble sarcophagi having sculptures upon them. At Beit Lîf there was found last year a quantity of gold coin; which was taken to Beirût and given to the Pasha. We took our lunch here. Quite a number of men were ploughing round about the village; each carried in his hand a goad some ten feet long, with a spike at the end. The ploughing at this season was for millet and tobacco.

Leaving Yâtir at 12.40 we returned to the fork of the roads; and thence descended very steeply for ten minutes into Wady el'Ayûn, at the junction of Wady Seribbîn, where the former turns southwest. The valley, after following this course for a short time, with the ridge of Kauzih on the left, again turns between west and northwest; issues from the mountains by a deep gorge; and as Wady el-'Azzîyeh skirts the northern base of the mountains to the sea near Ras el-Abyad. We now, at 1.20, proceeded up Wady el-'Ayûn S. S. E. on the Rumeish road; until at 2 o'clock we came out into a fine basin among the hills. The village of Dibl was on one of the left-hand hills, half a mile distant, N. 60° E. On the right the plain stretched off much further in the south and southwest. At 2.5 a path from Dibl to Râmeh crossed our road, and by it we sent off our muleteers to the latter place. After another five minutes, we bore more to the right, across the fields; and at 2.20 came to the arch of Huzzûr, with the ruins of Hazireh around it. The spot is a gentle acclivity a little south of the Rumeish road.2

Here is a rather extensive tract of ruins; with many hewn stones; and in one place a few stones coarsely bevelled, as at esh-Shukif. There are several cisterns; one of them large and open, with two small fig trees growing in it. But the chief object of interest is the arch or vault called Huzzûr, standing on a flat rock over the entrance of an excavated sepulchre. The arch is round; the stones rather large but not bevelled; Yâron 147°. Sa'sa' 161°. Kauzih 173°. Bearings from Hazîreh: Kauzih N. 60° W. 1 m. Ershâf N. 25° E. Hânîn S. 80° E. 2 m. Dibl N. 40° E. m.

Bearings at Yâtir: Teir Harfa 253°. Kŭl'at Shema' 271°. Mejdel Zûn 273°. Meryamîn 266°. Tyre 321°. Deir Kânôn 319. Kâna 339°. Râs el-'Ain 318°.

2

and the whole bears the marks of extreme antiquity. Beneath the vault the flat rock is cut away to form a sloping passage leading down to the sepulchre. This passage is 4 feet wide, 12 feet long, and at the lower end 5 feet deep. Here is a low portal leading into an excavated chamber with a sarcophagus. The vault above is 6 feet broad by 12 long and 9 high. There is another sepulchre southwest of this and similar to it, excavated in a flat rock; but having now no vault over it. This place was first found by the Rev. W. M. Thomson, who directed our attention to it; and had been visited by him and others. The name suggests at once the Hazor of the book of Joshua. But that city, as we shall see hereafter, was near the Hûleh and in the territory of Naphtali; while this spot is remote from the Hûleh and in the tribe of Asher. No historical notice has yet been discovered, bearing upon the true name and character of this ancient site. It may well have been an ancient Hazor; though none is mentioned in Asher.

2

1

Setting off at 2.45, we turned southwest and regained the road to Râmeh. Many cattle were feeding in the plain; and many were collected to drink at a pond of water. The plain contracted as we advanced; and at 3.15 we reached its head and rose upon a low ridge. Beyond the ridge was the head of another valley running off in the opposite direction, called Khullet el-Werdeh; it was said to unite with Wady el-Kŭrn. We bore more to the right; and ten minutes later Râmeh came in sight; as also 'Aiteh, beyond the Wady just described. We proceeded to Râmeh, descending and afterwards ascending its isolated hill, along a road bearing the marks of great antiquity, and probably trodden for many centuries. We came to the village at 3.45; and pitched our tent on one of the grassy terraces just below the village towards the southwest.

3

Râmeh stands upon an isolated hill, in the midst of a basin with green fields, surrounded by higher hills. The southwestern portion of the basin has no outlet for its waters; which therefore collect in a shallow marshy lake, that dries up in summer. There is a gap in the ridge on the northwest, leading through to Wady el-'Ayûn; but a low bar or water-shed in it prevents the water from flowing off. On the northeast of the village a similar gap breaks down to Wady el-'Ayûn; and drains that part of the basin. The inhabitants were now supplied with water only from the lake; and this was brought up in jars by females upon their heads. The distance was about three eighths of a mile; mostly up a steep ascent. In summer, when the lake fails, they bring water on donkeys from a fountain several miles distant.

1 Josh. 11, 1. 10. 19, 36.

2

Bearings at 3.15: Dibl 72°. 'Ain Ibl

Bearings at 3.25: Râmeh N. 60° W. 'Aiteh S. 30° E. 1 m.