18 
THE FORT AND ITS GARRISON. 
line. The drivers plied the stick pretty freely on 
the gaunt flanks of their heasts ; the cry of " Isa ! 
Isa resounded in irregular chorus; pebbles and 
stones came leaping down at the steep parts. As 
we rose over the brown slopes, the thin forests of 
olive-trees partly covering the undulating plateau 
beyond, with fields of barley and wheat here and 
there, gladdened our eyes, and contrasted well with 
the hungry country we had left in the rear. 
The castle, sufficiently picturesque in structure, 
is placed over a deep ravine, but is commanded by 
the mountain behind. We turned back on nearing 
it, and beheld the plain we had traversed appear- 
ing like the sea enveloped in mist and cloud. In 
fine w^eather the minarets of Tripoli can be seen, 
but now the northern horizon faded off" in haze. 
On either hand the steep declivities of the hills pre- 
sented a wall -like surface, here and there battered 
into breaches, from out of which burst little tufts of 
green, revealing the presence of springs. 
There are 200 troops stationed at the castle 
under Colonel Saleh, to whom we paid an official 
visit ; as also to the Kaid of Gharian. In both cases 
w^e were hospitably treated to pipes, cofiee, and 
lemonade. In this canton are said to be the fanciful 
number of "one hundred and one" Arab districts, 
inhabited by the Troglodytes. All the villages, in- 
deed, hereabouts, are underground : not a building 
is to be seen above, except at wide intervals an old 
miserable, crumbling, Arab fort. The people are 
