m 



SYRIA. 



SYKIA. 



770 



low oak-tr***. On th narrow level plain which divide* the Lower 

 Libanu* from the higher put of the nog* are some cultivated *ppta ; 

 other epoU an planted with walnut-tree*. Higher up the mountain ii 



i The Northern Valley, a* far ai it U included within Central 

 Syria, exUodi along the eastern baee of Mount Libauua in all its 

 utrnt, or about 90 mile* in length. South of Baalbec it u ouly from 

 2 to 3 miles wide. At Baalbcc it U about 5 mile* wide, and in the 

 parallel of the northern extremity of the Antiiibanu* (near 31 25' 

 >'. lat) more than 10 mile*. It u naturally divided into two sectious, 

 a the water* of the aoathern diitricU run off to the south by the 

 rirer Litany (the ancient Leonte*), and the northern portion ia il ruined 

 by the Ajiy, or Orontea. The two river-basins however are not con- 

 tiguous, for nw Si' N. lat, and chiefly north of that parallel, ia a 

 tract about 12 mile* in length, the water* of which do not reach 

 either of theae river*, but are lout in the plain. Thia tract ia the 

 mo*t elevated part of the ralley ; the town of Baalbec, which is 

 built toward* the southern border of it, ia 3SOS feet above the sea- 

 kreL The southern part of the valley (called the Bekua) its watered 

 by the Litany Hirer, which rise* about miles south-west of Baalbec, 

 In a email lake. The rirer baa water all the year round, being 

 upplied by MTeral copious rivuleu which descend from the western 

 declivity of the Antihbauus. Where the valley terminates on the 

 oath, near the castle of Kalaat-el-Shkif, the river turns west, and 

 reach. the Mediterranean a few mile* north of Sur (Tyrus). The 

 Bekaa ia well watered and famous for its fertility ; not more than a 

 aixth part of it i* cultivated ; the greater portion serves ouly as 

 put ure ground for the Beduins and Turkmans, who pass the winter 

 If re, and ascend in summer to the upper declivities of the Antilibauus. 

 The northern and wider portion of the valley ia called Belad Baalbec. 

 The soil of this tract ia not much inferior to that of the Bekaa, but 

 the proportion of cultivated land to that which is only used a* pas- 

 ture, or not uMd at all, ia still less than in the last-mentioned 

 district Only a few villages occur in the middle of the vullcy, which, 

 a* well a* the Bekaa, is destitute of trees ; but there are numerous 

 Tillage* at the base of the mountains whence small rivulets descend 

 and supply the means of irrigating the corn-fields and orchards. 



8. The Autilibanut, which stands to the east of the valley just 

 noticed, extends much farther to the south than the Libanua. It is 

 divided into two portions by a long and narrow depression which 

 occur* near 38 40 N. hit, and is called Kl-Bogaz (the Gorge). That 

 portion of the range which lies north of the Bogaz, descends towards 

 Bclad Baalbec and the Bekaa with a very steep declivity, which ia 

 barren and destitute of wood except at a few places where rivulets 

 descend in narrow glens : these glens are overgrown with trees. This 

 part of the range has no great elevation. The highest point of the 

 road which crosses the Bogaz from Beyrut is only 3148 feet above the 

 sea-level, and less than 1500 feet above the adjacent plain of the 

 Bekaa. It does not appear that any part of the Northern Antilibauus 

 exceeds 8000 feet in elevation. 



The Southern Ant ilibauus attains a much greater elevation. At the 

 distance of about 12 miles south of the Bogaz an extensive mountain 

 mass, called Jebcl-es-Sbeik, ia always covered with snow. This 

 mountain-mass and its declivities cover a space of 20 miles from east 

 to west. From the western declivity branches off a narrow ridge, 

 which, towards the north, is called Jebel Arbel; but its southern 

 prolongation, called Jebel Safed, terminates on the south with the 

 elevated mountains which lie to the north of the town of Safed : its 

 length is about 85 miles. South of the summit of the Jebel-es-Sheik 

 He* an extensive mountain tract, extending about 15 miles east and 

 west, snd as much to the south. It is mostly covered with thick 

 wood, and only used a* pasture-ground. From this mountain region 

 a ridge runs southward, which is called Jebel Heish, and which ter- 

 minate* with a hill, called Tel-el-Faras, in the elevated plain of Jolan, 

 about 5 mile* south of 33 N. lat. The two ridges of the Jebel 

 Safrd and of the Jebel Heish inclose that part of the valley of the 

 rirer Jordan which lie* north of the Lake of Tabarieb, and is called 

 Wady Seioaban. The road leading from Jerusalem to Damascus 

 erosM* the Jebel Heish about 12 miles north of the Tel-el-Faras, and 

 at this place it !* perhaps not more than 500 feet above its base but 

 Uw plain on which it stands is from 3000 to 3100 feet above the eea- 

 lertL The mountain* are covered with forests of small oak. 



I. The Plain* of Damascus lie on the eastern side of the Antili- 



batra*, and extend as far south a* the Haouran. They form an 



intermediate terrace between the mountain region and the low Syrian 



ert, which ia farther east. At their southern extremity these 



plain* rxUnd to a distance of 70 miles from the range ; but farther 



north tl.eir width ia lew. In the parallel of Damascus they are only 



JO mile* wid. North of Damascus the boundary diverges towards 



t in the*e purl* it cannot exactly be determined, as the 



i approaches near the caravan road leading from 



maaco* to Aleppo, but generally remains at a considerable distance 



om It It appears that many cultivable though uncultivated tracts 

 wcnr a* far e*rt M Tadmor [PAI.WTRA], which is about 75 miles from 

 the range of the Antilitmnu*. 



The low*** part of these plains is about 12 or 15 miles cast of 

 ^LZrT* "? " t D " 1Te , 1 '" ! , r rather wamp, occurs, called 

 Herd), in which *everal river* are lost that descend from the 



eastern declivity of the Antilihanui, and from the Jebel Haourau, 

 from north, weat, and south. The most remarkable of these rhvr.s 

 U the Barrada, which brings down the waters collected on the eastern 

 declivity of the Antilibanus between 33 15' and 33 50' N. lat. 

 These water* unite at some distance from the foot of the range, in a 

 wide depression of the plains, called Kl-Qutha, in which the town of 

 Damascus is built, and which is the most productive spot in Syria, it' 

 not on the globe. Ourdens and orchards, yielding all the fruit* ami 

 vegetables of the molt favoured parts of southern Europe, surro'.m ! 

 Damascus to the distance of several miles, the area which they cover 

 being estimated at 130 or 150 square miles. The cultivated fields 

 surrounding this forest of fruit-trees extend to a farther distance of 

 some miles. The astonishing fertility of this tract is produced l>y 

 the abundance of water, as the country is traversed by seven branches 

 of the river Barrada, which always yield a copious supply of water 

 for irrigation. As the town of Damascus is 2337 feet above the level 

 of the sea, the climate is far from being so temperate in win'rr as is 

 commonly supposed. 



The most western portion of the plain between the southern ex- 

 tremity of the Jebel Heish and the Jebel Ajeluu, anil from the Lake 

 of Tabarieh eastward to the Hadji roacl, is called the Plain of Jalon. 

 The ascent from the Lake of Tabarieh is very steep and long. The 

 surface is uneven and undulating, and there are a few isolated hills. 

 Several considerable tracta have their surface formed of rocks, which 

 are commonly covered with a thin layer of earth, on which grans 

 springs up after the rains, but which are quite bare at other ' 

 Other districts have a fine soil, either black, gray, or red, and some 

 produce rich crops. The greater part of them however is uncultivated 

 and overgrown with a wild herb, on which cows and camels feed. 



The plains extending east of the Hadji road, south of Kl-Gutha, are 

 rather hilly in the northern districts, short and low ridges running in 

 different directions. These parts contain several stony tracts, and 

 others which might be cultivated, if water was abundant. The greater 

 part is at present only used as pasture-ground. The southern district?, 

 or those which approach the northern extremity of the Jebel Haourau, 

 coutaiu two extensive rocky regions, called K-i-Szallo, on the east, and 

 El-Ledja, on the west, which are divided from one another by a wide 

 valley called El-Lowa. The Lowa is traversed by the river Lowa, 

 which originates in the Jebel Haouran and falls into the Bahr-el-Merdj. 

 On its banks ia a plain of considerable extent, which U covered with 

 the moat luxuriant herbage, and was formerly Will cultivated, as is 

 proved by the ruius of numerous villages and towns in the valley. 

 But at present it serves only as pasture-ground for the Beduins, who 

 occasionally cultivate some spots with dhurra. 



That part of the Plains of Damascus which lies north of the Gutha 

 is traversed by the road from Damascus to Aleppo. The road passes 

 over two low ridges, which appear to be connected with the Antili- 

 banus. The country through which it passes is in a few places covered 

 with sand, but in general it hog a rich cultivable soil, free from stones 

 and sand, though, like all the plains of Damascus, it ia destitute of 

 trees and even of shrubs. Villages and cultivated tracts occur only 

 at great distances. 



Northern Syria, which lies north of 34 40' N. lat., differs in physical 

 constitution from the more southern parts. A high mountain range 

 runs along the Mediterranean. At the back of thia is the northern 

 portiou of tho Northern Valley, which ia divided by a hilly tract, 

 extending from south to north, from the Eastern Plains. 



1. The Mountain Region of Northern Syria ia divided into two 

 portions by the lower course of the river Azy. The southern part, 

 which comprehends about two-thirds of the whole, is known by tho 

 name of Jebel -el-Anzeyry, and the northern by that of Jebel Ahmar. 



The Jebel-el-Anzeyry ia divided from Libauus by a gap or depres- 

 sion, called El-Junie, which ia about ten miles across nearly a dead 

 level, swampy, and only used i<8 pasture-ground by the Turkmans and 

 Kurds. The Jebel-cl-Auzeyry occupies with its branches the whole 

 tract between the Mediterranean and the Northern Valley, and ia in 

 width about twenty miles or somewhat more, except towards the 

 southern extremity where one of its offsets, Jebel Erbayn, branches 

 off eastward, and terminates on the banks of the river Azy, near the 

 town of Hamah. In this part the Jebel-el-Anzeyry is about forty-five 

 miles wide. The highest part of the range lies in general close to tho 

 valley of the Azy, so that the space between it and the sea ia filled up 

 by numerous offsets, which sink down to low hills and inclose valleys 

 of moderate extent The principal chain terminates east of the town 

 of Antakin, in the great bend of the Azy. Where it terminates it is 

 connected with another chain of mountains, which rises a few miles 

 north of the town of Latakia, and runs so close to the shores of the 

 sea, that no road can be made along its western base. The declivities 

 towards the sea are extremely precipitous and barren. It is the Mons 

 Gassing of the ancients, and is now called Jebel Akrnb. It att. 

 elevation of 5318 feet above the sea. The Jebel-el-Anzeyry nowhere 

 exceeds 6000 feet above the sea-level. Its eastern declivity is generally 

 very steep, and only covered with shrubs and low trees, but the 

 western declivity i clothed with fine trees, and the wide valleys 

 which lie between its offsets are cultivated or laid out in orchards and 

 plantations of mulberry-trees. 



Jobcl Ahmar, or the northern portion of the mountain region, bc-gius 



