Some Walls Yet Remain,
And Large Hewn Stones Are Lying About.
At thirteen hours is the bridge
over the Jordan, called Djissr Beni Yakoub [Arabic]; the road continues
in an easy slope till a quarter of an hour above the bridge, where it
becomes a steep descent.
The river flows in a narrow bed, and with a
rapid stream; for the lake Houle, whose southern extremity is about
three quarters of an hour north of the bridge, is upon a level
considerably higher than that of the lake of Tiberias. The bridge is of
a solid construction, with four arches: on its E. side is a Khan, much
frequented by travellers, in the middle of which are the ruins of an
ancient square building constructed with basalt, and having columns in
its four angles. The Khan contains also a spring. The Pasha of Damascus
here keeps a guard of a few men, principally for the purpose of
collecting the Ghaffer, or tax paid by all Christians who cross the
bridge. The ordinary Ghaffer is about nine-pence a head, but the
pilgrims who pass here about Easter, in their way to Jerusalem, pay
seven
AIN FERAEIN
[p.316] shillings. The bridge divides the Pashaliks of Damascus and
Akka. On the west of it is a guard-house belonging to the latter. Banias
(Caesarea Philippi) bears from a point above the bridge N. by E.
The lake of Houle, or Samachonitis, is inhabited only on the eastern
borders; there we find the villages of Esseira [Arabic] and Eddeir
[Arabic]; and between them a ruined place called Kherbet Eddaherye
[Arabic] complete. The south-west shore bears the name of Melaha, from the
ground being covered with a saline crust. The fisheries of the lake are
rented of the Mutsellim of Szaffad by some fishermen of that town. The
narrow valley of the Jordan continues for about two hours S. of the
bridge, at which distance the river falls into the lake of Tiberias.
About an hour and a quarter from the bridge, on the E. side of the
river, is the village Battykha (Arabic); its inhabitants cultivate large
quantities of cucumbers and gourds, which they carry to the market of
Damascus, three weeks before the same fruits ripen there; the village is
also noted for its excellent honey. June 21st.--We ascended the western
banks of the valley of the Jordan, and then continued upon a plain,
called Ard Aaseifera (Arabic), a small part of which is cultivated by
the inhabitants of Szaffad. There are several springs in the plain. In
an hour and a quarter, we began to ascend the chain of mountains known
by the name of Djebel Szaffad, which begin on the N.W. side of the lake
of Houle, being a southern branch of the Djebel el Sheikh, or rather of
the Anti-Libanus. On the steep acclivity of this mountain we passed to
the left of the village Feraab (Arabic). The road ascends through a
narrow valley, called Akabet Feraein, and passes by the spring of
Feraein (Arabic). In two hours and three quarters from the bridge, we
reached the summit of the mountain, from whence the Djebel el Sheik
bears N.E. The whole is calcareous,
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