We Found Several Peasants Who Were As Anxious To
Cross It As Ourselves, But Who Could Not Get Their Mules Over.
As the
rain had ceased, we waited on the banks for the decrease of the waters,
which is usually as rapid as their rise, but it soon appeared that the
rain still continued to fall in the mountains, for the stream, instead
of decreasing, became much larger.
In this difficulty we had to choose
between returning to the convent and sleeping in the open air on the
banks of the rivulet; we preferred the latter, and passed an
uncomfortable night on the wet ground. By daylight the waters had so far
decreased, that we passed over without any accident.
March 3rd.--On the opposile side we met with another and larger branch
of the same stream, and at the end of an hour and a quarter reached the
Nahr el Kebir (the ancient Eleutherus), near a ruined bridge. This is a
large torrent, dangerous at this period of the year from its rapidity.
The Hamah caravans have been known to remain encamped on its banks for
weeks together, without being able to cross it. On the opposite side
stands a Khan, called Ayash, with the tomb of the saint, Sheikh Ayash
[Arabic],
TEL ARKA.
[p.162]which is usually the third day's station of the caravans from
Hamah to Tripoli. Having crossed the river we followed the northern
swellings of the mountain Akkar in a S.W. direction, having the plain
all the way on our right. In one hour and a quarter from the Khan, we
passed at half an hour's distance to the S. an insulated hillock in the
plain, on which are some ruined buildings called Kella [Arabic], and to
the east of it half an hour, another hillock called Tel Aarous [Arabic];
and at the same distance S.E. of the latter, the village Haytha
[Arabic].
At two hours and a quarter from the Khan Ayash we passed the torrent
Khereybe, coming down the Wady of that name, on our left, and the castle
and village Khereybe, at a quarter of an hour from the road. Two hours
and three quarters, is the village Halbe, on the declivity of the
mountain. Three hours and a half, an old mosque upon the mountain above
the road, with a village called El Djamaa ([Arabic] the mosque). Near to
it, and where the mountains runs out in a point towards the north, is a
hill called Tel Arka, which appears by its regularly flattened conical
form and smooth sides to be artificial. I was told that on its top are
some ruins of habitations, and walls. Upon an elevation on its E. and S.
sides, which commands a beautiful view over the plain, the sea, and the
Anzeyry mountains, are large and extensive heaps of rubbish, traces of
ancient dwellings, blocks of hewn stone, remains of walls, and fragments
of granite columns; of the latter I counted eight, six of which were of
gray, and the other two of fine red granite.
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