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and villages which are to be seen on all sides. At half 
past eight, having ascended some hills which had 
bounded our horizon, I discovered an immense plain 
to the east, with mountains to the north; I remarked 
one particularly, that was isolated from the others, of a 
pyramid ical and gigantic form, at the foot of which I 
distinguished the minarets of the mosques of Damas- 
cus among an infinity of gardens. The plain is also 
scattered over with villages embosomed in trees and 
orchards. 
After having taken some few minutes repose at the 
village of Darca, situated among the gardens of Da- 
mascus, which we had entered at eleven o'clock, we 
again continued our journey, and at half past twelve 
arrived at the first houses of the city, called by tiie 
Arabs, Scham. 
The traveller who approaches Damascus believes he 
sees before him a vast camp of conioai tents raised ten 
or twelve feet above the plane of the earth; but on a 
nearer approach, he perceives that these tents are no- 
thing else than an infinity of conical cupolas, serving as 
roofs to all the rooms of the houses in the outward 
suburbs of the city. These cupolas are white, and are 
nearly of the same form and size as the dove-houses of 
Egypt, of which I have given a description. 
What can be the purpose of this strange construc- 
tion? Upon examination we soon find that it is very 
useful, and even indispensable. The houses are built of 
earth or of bricks composed of a bad clay and straw 
baked in the sun: and as the winters are very rainy in 
this country, if the houses had flat roofs, or were simply 
covered with tiles, made of the same materials as the 
bricks, it would be requisite to rebuilt them every year; 
instead of which having very elevated cones, the rains 
