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XXXIII. On the Lakes and Rivers of Damascus. 

 By Francis M. Jennings of Cork, M.R.I.A., F.G.S. 



To the Editors of the Philosophical Magazine and Journal. 

 Gentlemen, 



THE following remarks Mill, I trust, be considered as sug- 

 gestive, and as offering to travellers what is most required 

 in making preparations for a journey to foreign lands, — a state- 

 ment of the points of interest in distant countries in connexion 

 with questions of physical geography, geology, natural history, 

 &c., showing what are still undecided, and what most require 

 further research and examination. 



The Rev. J. L. Porter, author of ' Five Years in Damascus,' 

 was the first to give an accurate map of the vicinity of that 

 famous city, and the rivers flowing through it, — the Barada, 

 ancient Abana, and the Awaj, ancient Pharpar, — showing that 

 they enter into two distinct and separate lakes, flooding a con- 

 siderable district in winter, and diminishing again in the dry 

 season. Now these lakes appear to have no outlet for the 

 excess of waters, or if there be an outlet or outlets, they have 

 escaped observation, and yet their waters are fresh. Further 

 examination may possibly prove that a subterranean passage 

 carries off a portion of the waters, or that they escape by water- 

 courses into the Hauran. If, however, such means of escape for 

 the excess of water do not exist, these lakes must be considered 

 as exceptional, and an analysis of the Avater remote from the 

 streams flowing into them would be of much interest. 



The city of Damascus is about 2200 feet above the level of 

 the sea, which gives facility for an escape of water not afforded 

 by the Caspian, Sea of Aral, or Dead Sea. 



The fauna of the rivers is also worthy of notice, as in last 

 August and September I saw in the Barada, below Damascus, 

 large numbers of crabs, exactly similar in appearance to the 

 shore crabs of Great Britain, and resembling them in colour; 

 the bodies of many are about 6 inches long ; the species are no 

 doubt different from those inhabiting our coasts. 



In the river Litany, which runs in the valley between the two 

 Lebanons, similar Crustacea are also abundant, and univalve 

 shells of a marine type. 



The banks of the two rivers running through Damascus, have 

 for many thousand years maintained an immense population, 

 which, probably, as at present, has received its principal supply of 

 salt from the Mediterranean ; this in the aggregate must be con- 

 siderable, and should not be overlooked in an examination of 

 the waters of the lakes before alluded to. 



