in Syria, Phoenice &c. 529 



been a Place of the greateft Importance, as it would have tlie 

 intire Command of the Road, that lay betwixt Tboenice and 

 the maritime Parts of Syria. The Port which Orthofm may 

 be prefumed " to have formerly enjoyed, is reduced at prefent 

 to an exceeding fmall Creek, not capable of receiving the Fiflr 

 ing Veffels that frequent the Coall. 



The Mountains oi Lib anus, which, from y4rca hither, IvQUe River 



, . . 1 1, , Elcutherus, 



in a W. S. W. Dnxftion, begin now either to run parallel, at a/*^ bou,^. 

 Mile or half a Miles Diftance, with the Sea Coaft, or elfe they w phJ-" 



nice. 



ftretch themfelves out, in fmall Promontories, into the Sea. 

 As there is hereby made a remarkable Alteration in the Face 

 and Difpolition of the whole Country, we have Room to con- 

 jedlure, that the Boundary betwixt Syria and Thoenice was fixed 

 at this Place, Mela ' indeed placeth Simyra and Marathus a- 

 mong the Cities oiThcsmce\ \\]\v\^Stephanus^y rmkingBa/anea, 

 now Bannias, to be a City of it, extends this Province into 

 the very Keighbourhood of Jehilee. Even Tliny , notwith- 

 ftanding he calleth Simyra a City of Ccele- Syria, yet afcribeth 

 Marathus and Aradus, which are fituated feveral Leagues be- 

 yond it, to Thoenice. However 'Ptolemy?) Authority is intirely 

 in our Favour, which is the more to be credited, as an old Extract 

 from Straho \ and even Straho himfelf feems to confirm it. 

 For when the latter calls Marathus (-^oAu k^yd!\a. ^omm^) an ancient 

 City of the Thxnicians, nothing more perhaps is meant, than 

 that it originally belonged to that People , before they 

 were excluded by the Seleucidce. If this Interpretation is ad- 

 mitted, then we may likewife clear up the other Difficulties 

 that were raifed before by Mela, Stephanus and Tliny, 



About two Leagues from the Nahar elBerd, are the Ruins of r^c avtimt 

 Tripolts , which, being founded, by the united Intereft of 

 AraduSi Sidon, and Tyre'', might have been intended for a 

 common Mart to thofe maritime Powers. It is fituated upon 

 a low Cape, called a Teninfula by Scylax^, and hath formerly 

 enjoyed a large and fafe Harbour, though at prefent a few 

 Illands, lying to the N. W. are the only Shelter that Veffels re- 



1 Tpujav 3 f^Cif ftV ■xhaiov, tpyii «« Of^aaiaJk. i Macc. I J. ^7- 2 L. I. Cap. 4. 3 Ab urbe 

 Orf/;o^^ Pel ufium ufque regio maritima Phoenicia d\chuv, angufta exiftens. Onjf.cxStrab. 

 Geogr. 1. 1(5. p. 208. 4 Kaw -Hw iomyMV £2» TreA/f <«|/oXe^@' ovojunt TeiweA/f, oixhtt* t')(jsim t!i ^Jah tSc 



J^iaf, '« ^i SiJiiiviaf, » Tutiav. Diod. Sic. 1. 16. cap. 41. Scyl. Perip. Ed. Hndf. p. 41. Str.iL 

 1. 16. p. jip. Plin. 1. J. cap. 20. y Vid. Scjl. Perip. ut fupra. 



Oooo ceive 



