28 BASHAN". 



the Roman road was constantly visible, running parallel 

 to the more erratic tracks of modern travellers. When 

 we began to ascend the side of Jebel Kafkafka, the 

 scenery became most picturesque ; grey crags jutted out 

 from the hillside, the forest trees grew larger, and the 

 foliage, although evergreen oaks and firs predominated, 

 was more varied. The narrow glade by which we climbed 

 the hill wound every moment between rocks, and 

 branches of trees overarched and shut in the vista. 

 Our long cavalcade lent life to the scene, which was a 

 complete realisation of one of Salvator Rosa's pictures. It 

 was impossible not to remark what an admirable place 

 this would have been for an ambuscade, if the men of Suf 

 had had the pluck to waylay us ; but beyond a solitary shep- 

 herd and his flock, we saw no living creatures except eagles 

 and partridges. The sportsmen of the party knocked 

 over several of the latter. In the wood the canteen mule, 

 who was subject to fits of obstinacy, charged a tree and 

 upset his load. Five minutes after this incident we 

 reached the top of the pass, the height of which must be 

 considerable, as we overlooked Jebel Osha and the other 

 hills round Es-Salt. The view in this direction was fine ; 

 the depths of the Jordan valley were hidden, but we 

 easily recognised the hills round Nablous and Jerusalem. 

 In the east, lower wooded ranges shut out all distant 

 view. Grass rides, at right- angles to the track we were 

 following, branched off constantly through openings in 

 the forest ; following one of them, we descended into the 

 Wady Warran, a long and tortuous valley, the sides of 

 which are clothed with park-like timber, in some in- 

 stances of very large size. The landscape was entirely 

 unlike ordinary Syrian scenery, and we could constantly 

 have fancied ourselves in the wilder part of an English 

 park, but for the absence of running water in the bed of 



