174 
GRAHAM’S EXPLORATIONS IN THE [March 8, 1858. 
Perhaps there are few instances of more curious volcanic regions 
than the Lejah and the Safah. 
2. The discovery of a vast tract in the Desert, called el-Harrah, 
and covered with loose basaltic stones, extending for five days’ 
journey eastward, while the mean breadth would be about two 
days’ journey ; forming, in short, a zone or belt in the fine rich 
plain which extends without intermission from the Hauran to the 
Euphrates. 
3. The discovery of a chain of hills rising out of the region 
es-Safah, and extending in a direction nearly north and south — a 
chain above 30 miles in length, and of which the southernmost peak 
had been the only portion hitherto known to us, and marked in our 
latest maps as a solitary hill. 
4. The discovery of numerous cities or towns of the very highest 
antiquity situated on the eastern border of es- Safah, and at different 
parts of the stony region el-Harrah. 
5. The still more interesting discovery of inscriptions in some 
unknown character engraved on the polished surfaces of the basaltic 
stones of el-Harrah, and accompanied by figures of animals and 
other representations. 
These were the chief results of the journey described in the first 
paper. 
The second paper gives an account of : — 
1. The whole eastern border of the Jebel ed-Druz, which had not 
been explored; and among these mountains many ancient towns 
were found, similar to, though some of them more important than, 
the towns in the centre of the Hauran. 
2. Of a vast number of cities and towns scattered over the Desert 
south and east of the Hauran, and of such high antiquity that they 
may probably claim to be the oldest towns now existing ; and yet 
not mere sites, not heaps of ruins, but many of them still in as per- 
fect a state as when the old people of this land dwelt in them — the 
streets perfect, the houses perfect, the rooms perfect, and the great 
stone doors still hanging, so that to-Aorrow a new race might take 
possession and “ occupy” any one of these old places. The man- 
sions are naturally to be had “ unfurnished,” but the fixtures are 
there, and the doors shut easily. The whole region east of the 
Hauran was unexplored ground. The Hauran itself was first visited 
by Seetzen in the beginning of the present century. He was fol- 
lowed by Burckhardt, who was anxious to explore the whole eastern 
side of the chain of mountains Jebel ed-Druz, which forms the geo- 
graphical limit of the Hauran. Burckhardt, however, in this was 
disappointed, owing to the unfriendly reception he met with from 
