On the Monday following (June 7th), Mr. Robson and myself left Damascus for Ba'albek, by the circuitous route of 'Anjar. We ascended the ridge back of Salihîyeh, and enjoyed, from the Wely at the top, the glorious prospect of the city and plain, so justly celebrated; and also looked down into the remarkable gorge by which the river here breaks through the last ridge of Anti-Lebanon. At Dummar, the direct road to Zebedâny leads over the bridge, and strikes across the great northern bend in the river. We, however, without crossing the bridge, took a road more to the right, which led us away from the river, until we turned and reached it again at Bessîma; whence we followed its left bank up to the great fountain of el-Fîjeh. The stream from this fountain is about the size of that at Bâniâs; it foams and tumbles down a rocky channel for about 120 yards, and joins the Berada. Here it is larger than the latter; its water is limpid, while that of the Berada is turbid. At the fountain are the remains of two ancient temples, one of them quite small.

We came afterwards to el-Kefr, also on the N. side of the stream, where, near by, are the ruins of a small temple, apparently Greek, the capitals of the columns being Corinthian.

Here we crossed to the S. bank of the stream, and came soon to the village of Sûk el-Berada, near the mouth of the long gorge through which the river flows from above, and directly under the high cliff (800 feet) on which stands the Wely of Neby Abil. In the lower part of this gorge, and extending probably down to this village, was the site of the ancient Abila. It is marked by columns and other remains, while above are many tombs hewn in the rocks, and the ancient excavated Roman road with the inscriptions. Here the road again crosses for the last time to the left bank of the stream. Just beyond the chasm, a smaller stream comes in from the S.W. from Wady el-Kurn, which drains the plain of Judeideh, lying beyond a ridge in the S.W. from Zebedâny. Turning more to the right, the road soon enters the beautiful plain of Zebedâny, so called from the large village in its northern part. The great fountain of the Berada is in the S.W. corner of the broader portion of the plain, and the stream meanders through the narrower portion below. We pitched our tent here upon its green bank, not far from a mill and bridge. The plain is shut in by a steep ridge on the W., and by another on the E., which, opposite Zebedâny, rises into the highest peaks of AntiLebanon. On its declivity is the village of Blûdâu.

The next morning we made a circuit northwards to reach the great fountain. It forms a small narrow lake, out of which the stream runs, first eastwards and then turns southwards through the narrow part of the plain. Thence we passed on S.S.W., along the base of the western ridge to Batrûny and its basin, at the extremity of which the road ascends in an angle formed by a spur. We came

out on the top of the high western ridge, and looked down into the plain or basin of Judeideh below. The view extended also over and beyond the lower ridge, still further W., and took in the snowcapped summits of Lebanon. As we looked down, we could see the outlet of the basin, the beginning of Wady el-Kurn, at some distance on our left.

Descending into the plain, we found it a perfect desert. Not a drop of water, not a spot of verdure, not a tree, not a human dwelling was anywhere to be seen. How different from the green plain of Zebedâny, which we had just left! We crossed the basin obliquely, and on its western side, at the mouth of Wady Zarîry, fell into the usual road from Damascus to Beirût. A short and gentle acclivity brought us to the watershed, whence we descended very gradually by the much longer and somewhat winding Wady Harîry to the Bukâ'a, opposite the village of Mejdel 'Anjar.

Here terminates a range of elevated hills, which, running from the S. along the eastern side of the Bukâ'a, parallel with Anti-Lebanon, encloses between the two a narrow and somewhat higher valley. This may be considered strictly as a continuation of Wady elTeim; the hills on the W. of that valley running on and terminating here. Further S., and opposite to the village of Sultân Ya'kob, there is a depression or basin in this higher valley, which is drained, through a gap in the western hills, into the Bŭkâ'a. This gap is known as Wady Fâlûj.

Mejdel is remarkable for one of the finest antique temples now existing. It stands on the summit of the northernmost hill, looking northwards along the magnificent vista of the Bukâ'a, having the lofty wall of Anti-Lebanon on the right, and the still loftier snow-capped ridges of Lebanon on the left. The temple is simple, massive, and beautiful, and obviously of a severer and earlier type than those at Ba'albek. Nothing can be finer than its position."

Forty minutes N.E. of Mejdel lie the ruins now called 'Anjar; they are in the plain, which slopes gently to the N. towards the stream from the great fountain of 'Anjar. Here are the ruined walls and towers of an ancient fortified city or citadel, in the form of a square, about a quarter of an English mile on each side. An examination of the place left no doubt on my mind that, as I have formerly suggested, this was the site of Chalcis, in Lebanon, the seat of Agrippa's kingdom, before he was transferred to more southern territories. We encamped at the great fountain, 15 minutes distant, at the foot of Anti-Lebanon.

Further N. another line of hills begins, parallel to Anti-Lebanon, and near it, which runs on with little interruption quite to Ba'albek. They seem almost a continuation of the hills further S., as if the latter only terminated here for a time, in order that the low meadow-like tract from the Bukâ'a might set up between, and receive the waters of the two great fountains, 'Anjar and Shemsîn.

Neba' Shemsîn is 20 minutes N. of Neba' 'Anjar, and is much less copious. Beyond it, our road lay next day (June 9th) between the line of hills and Anti-Lebanon; the slope of the narrow valley at first ascending and then descending for a time, with occasional intervals between the hills, affording fine views of the great plain in the W. After 3 hours, we saw at Deir el-Ghuzâl the massive substructions and scattered ruins of another temple. An hour further was the stream of Wady Yahfûfeh, coming down from Serghâya, and here breaking through the last low ridge of Anti-Lebanon by a deep chasm to the Bukâ'a. Not far N. of the chasm this low ridge of Anti-Lebanon has its end in a promontory, which we crossed to reach the village of Neby Shît. Still further N., the high ridge which we had seen on the E. of Zebedâny comes out, and forms the eastern wall of the great valley. N. of Neby Shit, the space E. of the line of hills becomes rather a high plain, through which several ravines from the mountain break down to the great plain below. Around the last of the hills, the great plain sends up an arm to the fountain of Ba'albek; and the city itself, with its gorgeous temples, is situated at the N.W. base of the same northernmost hill. The quarry, in which the immense block lies hewn out, is scarcely 10 minutes S.

This is not the place to speak of Ba'albek. Its temples have been the wonder of past centuries, and will continue to be the wonder of future generations. In vastness of plan, combined with elaborateness of execution, they seem to surpass all others in Western Asia and the adjacent regions. Such massive grandeur, and at the same time such airy lightness, seem nowhere else to exist together-certainly not in Egypt. Yet the very elaborate and highly ornate character of the structures appears to militate against the idea of any remote antiquity. The simplicity and severity which reign in the temple at Mejdel are here no longer

seen.

N. of Ba'albek the Bukhâ'a becomes gradually narrower as far as to Râs Ba'albek, and its character changes. The fertile portion becomes contracted to a narrow strip near the western mountain; while from the eastern side an immense slope of hard gravelly soil extends down more than half across the valley, broken occasionally by ravines from the mountain and small offsets from the lower plain. This gravelly tract is everywhere little more than a desert, and this character became more and more marked as we advanced northwards, almost to Ribleh.

We started next day much later than usual, and came in less than an hour and a half to Nahleh, where is a temple, older apparently than those at Ba'albek. The way was dreary, and we stopped for the night at the great fountain of Lebweh. An hour previously we had passed the watershed in the Bŭkâ'a, on a ridge where we found the waters of a brook carried along so as to run

off in both directions, N. and S., and where, too, we obtained our first extensive view northwards. The fountain of Lebweh is as large apparently as that of 'Anjar. It rises out of a tract of gravel at the foot of a ledge of limestone rocks, and several streams are carried off from it in various directions. One of them is conducted along the hard and barren slope northwards for a great distance. The main bed of the stream runs off N.W., and keeps along not far from the western mountain. Farther north the desert slope extends quite across the whole valley; and the stream finds its way through it by a deep and narrow chasm. At least, this is its character in the neighbourhood of the fountains of the Orontes.

We passed next morning for some time along the canal from the Lebweh, and then turned more to the right, between still another line of hills and Anti-Lebanon. Ras Ba'albek lies near the northern extremity of these hills. In it are the remains of two ancient churches, showing it to have been once a place of importance, under a name now probably lost. Here the eastern mountain begins to retire, and sweeps round in a curve on the E. of Ribleh and the plain.

From this place we took a course about N. by W., and crossed the Bukâ'a obliquely to the fountains of the Orontes, and the monument of Hurmul. From the moment we left the gardens of er-Râs until we reached the said fountains every step of the way was a rocky desert. We crossed the canal from the Lebweh, here as large as at first, and driving three mills; but the soil was too hard and stony to be affected by the water, and not a trace of verdure clothed even its banks. It runs on to the vicinity of el-Kâ'a. We followed the road to Hurmul, and after 2 hours turned more to the left, without a path, for half an hour, and so came to the chasm of the Lebweh and the fountains of the Orontes.

These burst forth within the chasm from under its eastern wall. The Lebweh is here no mean stream. It seemed to us larger than at its source, and may receive accessions from fountains in its course under Lebanon. But here the size of the stream becomes at least three-fold greater. From the largest fountain it sweeps round a high rocky point. In the precipice on the other side of this high point, on the S. side of the stream, and looking northwards, is the excavated convent of Mâr Marôu, now deserted. The river continues in its rugged chasm northwards for a considerable distance, then sweeps round eastwards into the lower plain, and passes near Ribleh.

We took a direct course, without a path, to the monument, an hour distant. It is a remarkable structure, square and solid, terminating above in a pyramid, the whole being from 60 to 70 feet high. On the four sides hunting scenes are sculptured in relief, of which the drawing borders on the grotesque. They are too

much defaced to be fully made out. We looked for some inscriptions, but not a trace of any exists. The monument stands here on a lone projecting hill, far out in front of the western mountain; but its founder, and the event it was intended to commemorate, are alike unknown. From the monument, we struck a direct course, without any road, and through a region of trap, for Ribleh, which we reached after dark. It is a poor village, on the S. bank of the Orontes, here running E.

From Ribleh we would gladly have extended our journey northwards to Hums, Hamah, and even to Antioch. But the season of heat was already at hand, and, under existing circumstances, it was advisable for me to leave Beirût by the steamer of June 22nd. Very reluctantly, therefore, on my part, we turned next day towards the coast by way of the great fortress el-Husn, bearing from Ribleh about N. 30° W.

Having crossed the great plain of the Orontes, we ascended very gradually the low, broad slope here running down northwards from the end of Lebanon. Further N., about opposite the lake of Hums, the ground is much lower. We struck at length the right bank of Wady Khâlid, a deep ravine coming down on our left from the S.W., with a stream, the remotest source of Nahr el-Kebîr. Following down this valley, it brought us to the south-eastern part of the beautiful oval basin, called el-Bukei'a, 3 hours or more in length from N.E. to S.W., and an hour and a half in breadth. It is skirted on the S.E. by the last low points of Lebanon and the west side of the great slope we had crossed, and on its N.W. side by a ridge running S.W. from the Ansarîyeh mountains. At its S. W. end, this ridge sinks to low hills; and S.W. here the river el-Kebîr breaks through into the western plain. In the northern part of this ridge there is a gap formed by two Wadies running out, one on each side, with a low watershed between, affording a very convenient and easy passage for a road. Here is still the road from Hamah to Tripoly and the S.; and it must always have been a pass of much importance. Above it, on the S. side, stands the fortress el-Husn, completely commanding it. The castle has no very definite mark of high antiquity, yet we can hardly doubt that so important a position was very early occupied. From the castle there is a view of the waters on both sides the lake of Hums on the E. and the Mediterranean on the W.

A little more than half an hour down the western valley stands the great Greek convent of Mâr Jirjis (St. George), where we stopped for a few minutes, and were very courteously received. Twenty minutes further westward down the valley is the great intermitting fountain. This is unquestionably the Sabbatical river described by Josephus, which Titus saw on his march from Arka

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