Hhabbabhee, the former peopled by Turkish Moslems, the latter by Armenian Christians, each containing about 100 inhabitants. We could now perceive the eastern termination of Jebel Moosa, in a bluff point, and beyond it was continued a higher range, called Jebel Ahhmar, or the Red Mountain, from the colour of some of its cliffs. The former may be about 4,000 feet from the level of the sea; the latter, however, is nearer 6,000 in appearance, and is the only one around here that has snow on it in the winter, excepting only the very peak of Jebel Okrah. On the south-side, the whole range of mountain bears this name, from the sea to Antioch, as it is nearly one continued ridge; but the peasants have, of course, peculiar epithets for the several districts, which would not be noticed in a geographical division.

The northern range of Jebel Moosa and Jebel Ahhmar runs about E.N.E. and the southern one of Jebel Okrah N.N.E., until they approach near each other above Antioch. The plain between their terminating points at the sea-coast has been already described. On ascending to the N.E., the valley between them becomes a succession of smaller eminences, presenting bare hills ⚫ and cultivated valleys, with the stream of the Orontes flowing along the foot of the southern mountains as it makes a circuit that in its course. In about two hours we reached a narrow way but deep and rapid river, called Nahr-el-Karatchiz, which rises in the side of Jebel Moosa and flows down into the Ahssy. It was barely fordable in the shallowest places, and its stream ran at the rate of at least five miles per hour. In the course of the next hour we crossed four branches of this river, as the rapidity of its course occasions it often to take new channels and multiply the number of its streams, and all were as deep and as rapid as the first. From the last of these we ascended to a hill, and reached a sort of opening or pass, near which was a paved road, probably an ancient work. From hence we possessed a commanding view of the vale of the Orontes, and for the first time saw that river winding along

A

its bed, here making the southern bend before described. number of small hamlets and detached dwellings were scattered around; and the grandeur of the mountains, with the rich fertility of the plain they enclosed, was as delightful a picture as could be viewed.

Our road became now gradually less interesting, for after passing close to the edge of the river which makes a northern bend here, we went up on a high plain, covered mostly with wild shrubs, and uncultivated. The river appeared to be not more than fifty feet wide, and had, evidently, very little depth, its rate in midchannel being about three miles an hour. We still saw, however, some few villages on our left, and still more on our right, along the banks of the stream. It was past noon when we first obtained a view of Antāky, or Antioch, which presented the appearance of a larger town than any on the coast of Syria from Jaffa to Ladikea, and equal in size to Jerusalem or Hhoms. It was seated at the foot of the steep and rocky extremity of Jebel Okrah, rising on a very gentle ascent. We counted twelve minārehs of mosques, besides several domes; the former were all high and slender, having a white body and blue pointed top, with round close galleries, in the Turkish and not in the Arabic style. The houses were generally pent-roofed and tiled, which is the case with all the dwellings we had seen from Swedeea thus far. A most striking feature of this place on our approach, was an ancient wall with square towers, which went up the steep side of the mountain to the south of the town, and there seemed to turn to the northward, as if to enclose the hill.

The range of Jebel Okrah here terminates in a ragged point, and the town is within a mile or two of its northern extremity. On the other side, the range of Jebel Ahhmar seems, also, to end in a high peaked mountain, of a pyramidal form. The space between them presents the appearance of an elevated plain, which is said to continue all the way to Aleppo. It is here about ten miles wide, and mostly uncultivated,

About two o'clock we crossed a three-arched bridge, over a stream called Nahr-el-Hannah, which goes into the Ahssy, and before El-Assr we came to the latter river, or the Orontes, which we crossed over a larger bridge, and immediately entered the gate of Antioch, when, winding through some narrow streets, we alighted at the house of a young Christian merchant, called Abd-el-Messiah, or the Slave of the Saviour, to whom we had been directed by our host, Abdallah, at Swedeea. Our reception was cool, and many enquiries were made of us, as if we were suspected; but as our stay was intended to be only for the night, we endeavoured to be content. During the interval which yet remained to us before sunset, I profited by our stay here, to see something of the town, and the remains of antiquity in its neighbourhood.

THE city of Antioch, now called by its inhabitants Antāky, is seated at the foot of a steep and bare hill, which terminates the range of Jebel Okrah, the Mount Casius of the ancients, standing on its north-western side, and having open before it a wide valley, and the range of Jebel Ahhmar from West to North, at the distance of from ten to fifteen miles. It thus resembles, very nearly, the situation of Balbeck in the valley of the Bukhāh; as these mountains are not much inferior to Libanus and Anti-Libanus in height, and the valley between them is about the same breadth, and takes the same direction of N.E., leaving an unbounded plain in that quarter: but here the hill that overlooks the town is steeper and more abrupt than at Balbeck, and the vale in which it stands is more

thickly wooded and highly cultivated, as the course of the Ahssy through it distributes fertility along its winding way.

*

The town, though inferior only to Aleppo, Damascus, and Hamah in size, and, consequently, larger than any of those on the coast, is not so well built as these generally are, and has no large public buildings of any beauty. The houses are mostly constructed of stone, and are all pent-roofed and covered with red tiles; many of them are three stories high, but more generally two, and the upper part is then constructed of wood. The streets are narrow, having a high raised causeway of flat pavement on each side for foot passengers, and a very narrow and deep passage between these for horses, seldom wide enough to admit of two passing each other. The bazārs are mostly open, and resemble those of the country generally. They are unusually numerous, however, in proportion to the size of the town, as this is a mart of supply for an extensive tract of country around it. All the articles in demand are found here in abundance ;.and the manufactures of the town itself consist in coarse pottery, cotton, cloth, some silk twist, several tanneries, and sadlery; for which last article, particularly bridles, martingales, &c. of fancy work in leather, the workmen of Antāky are celebrated.

The population here is thought to exceed ten thousand, among which there are counted about 150 Christian families, and 20 Jewish ones. The language of the people is Turkish, the Mohammedans speaking no other, and the Christians only understanding Arabic from their connection with the country to

* In describing Syria, as contradistinguished from Phoenicia, and alluding to the importance, as well as beauty, of the place, the historian says—

"La Syrie s'ouvre et s'étend en une belle plaine; elle se distingue par la fameuse ville d'Antioche, à la quelle il n'en est point qui puisse la disputer, soit par les richesses qu'elle renferme, soit par celles qui y abondent de tous côtés; par Laodicée, Apamée, et Seleucie, qui fleurissent depuis leur origine.”—Ammian. Marcellin. liv. xiv. c. 8.

Antioch is described by Benjamin of Tudela to be situated in the valley of Jabok, upon the river Pir, which comes from Lebanon through the land of Hamath. It was thought, in his day, to be the best fortified place in the hands of the Gentiles.