176 
GRAHAM’S EXPLORATIONS IN THE [March 8, 1858. 
lived many years amongst, these Druses who occupy the northern part of 
Lebanon, and married a person of that country. Mr. Walpole traversed the 
country from Syria right across the Arabian Desert, but in a much more 
northerly direction. No European traveller that I am aware of has explored 
the region that Mr. Graham has now described to you. He has extended his 
inquiry farther to the south-east of Damascus than any former traveller. 1 
need not say with what fidelity and truthfulness he has given you a picture of 
the cities described in the ancient writings. I may add, that independently of 
that absorbing topic — the reference to Holy Scripture — I feel exceedingly in- 
terested in the sketch he has given us both of the topography of the country 
and of that fine people the Druses. Lord Lindsay, who went down farther 
southward, to the edge of the region which Mr. Graham has examined, speaks 
of the Druses as a noble and gentlemanlike race. He writes of them as “ noble 
gentlemen,” and I really think that our excellent traveller has made us attached 
to these Druses. He has spoken of them as a fine people, as his protectors 
from the hostile Arabs, and as his best friends. I trust we shall hear more of 
them through the discussion, and I hope some gentlemen will put some per- 
tinent questions to Mr. Graham with respect to them and the architecture 
prevailing in that region. I understand on the last occasion the attention of 
the Society was called to the physical and geological portions of the paper, 
and that it was supposed that some elevation of the country might have caused 
the desiccation and produced the desert condition of the present land. I 
understand from Mr. Graham that such is not his opinion. On the contrary, 
I learn that the country is still very fertile, and that it is solely owing to the 
mismanagement of the Turkish government, and to the continual inroads of 
the Arabs, that this region has become a desert. 
Mr. W. J. Hamilton, f.r.g.s., with reference to a few remarks from Sir 
Henry Eawlinson, stated that he could not agree with Sir Henry Rawlinson that 
these great changes of elevation were continually going on, or that they came 
within the historic period. No doubt local changes had occasionally taken 
place, as in the case of Monte Nuovo and the Gulf of Baia?, near Naples ; 
but when great districts had been elevated so gradually as not to produce any 
convulsion sufficient to overturn buildings, the lapse of time during which this 
elevatory action was going on would generally be so great as to remove its 
date far beyond the historic period ; and, according to Mr. Graham, the build- 
ings here were in such a condition as to show that no sudden elevation had 
taken place. There were, no doubt, large districts in Asia Minor, where the 
elevation of the country had been so gradual that even the stratification of the 
tertiary formations had not been disturbed : therefore it certainly was within 
the lange of possibility that elevation might have taken place in the district 
without causing any disturbance or injury to the buildings. But there was 
no evidence within the historic period that any great change of level had 
taken place in the district alluded to. 
The paper itself was one of great interest, as the district eastward of the 
Trachonitis had hitherto been very little examined. 
Mr. Cyril Graham said, any active volcanic agency must have been long 
anterior to the building of the cities to all appearance. 
Dr. Kinkel, f.r.g.s. — With respect to the drawing of the head to which Mr. 
Graham has called our attention, it is decidedly of Greek or Roman origin. 
First of all, it seems not to be the head of a female ; it is the head of a male 
deity, which I think is evident from the broad forehead, from the manly features, 
and more especially from the indication of beard under the nose. This beard 
is evidently there, for if we follow the line of the cheek we see it is distinctly 
formed ; and if it were a female head it could not be there. Besides, the 
tracing of the hair shows that this is not an ancient Oriental figure. In the 
