42 BASHAN. 



old houses, and a curious window, consisting of two square 

 apertures, with a circular one in the middle, all sheltered 

 by a projecting eave. The doors turned out to be 7 feet 

 high ; they were folding, and each half was of a single 

 block ; they did not fully iill the gateway, which was a foot 

 loftier. The ruins formed a perfect labyrinth, and we 

 separated, each taking a quarter in order to examine them 

 as thoroughly as time would permit. 



It was but a short distance to the foot of El-Kleib, 

 5,725 feet, the finest in form and second in height of the 

 summits of Jebel Hauran. Tucker and I started on foot, 

 with Francois, to ascend it, leaving the rest of the party 

 with the horses. The mountain presents the apj^earance 

 of a spnmetrical cone clothed with a dense forest of 

 evergreen oak, except on the south, where the lava and 

 scorise are entirely bare. Just under the highest point 

 is a small but very perfect crater. On the summit, layers 

 of squared stones, the foundation of some ancient building, 

 are visible. The view must be very striking ; unluckily 

 a dense mist hid it from us, and we waited in vain in 

 hopes of its clearing off. In descending, we contrived to 

 miss our way, and wandered about for some time, dis- 

 charging revolvers into the fog, till we fell in with some 

 peasants ploughing, and managed to understand their 

 directions. Rejoining our friends, we remounted, and 

 rode nearly due west to Suweideh, one of the chief seats 

 of the Druse power. When we emerged from the cold 

 mist that had enveloped us, the country was by no means 

 interesting, and we were glad when Suweideh aj)peared in 

 the distance. On arriving there, we avoided halting 

 near the house of the chief, not wishing to waste time 

 in receiving his tedious hospitality, and therefore cast 

 but a passing glance at the ten columns of a ruined 

 temple close to his door. Eiding on through the town, 



