The Rocky Mountains
Concentrating The Heat, And Preventing The Air From Being Cooled By The
Westerly Winds In Summer.
In consequence of this higher degree of heat,
the productions of the Ghor ripen long before those of the Haouran.
The
barley harvest, which does not begin in the upper plain till fifteen
days later
SZAMMAGH.
[p.275]we here found nearly finished. The Haouran, on the other hand,
was every where covered with the richest verdure of wild herbage, while
every plant in the Ghor was already dried up, and the whole country
appeared as if in the midst of summer. Volney has justly remarked that
there are few countries where the changes from one climate to another
are so sudden as in Syria; and I was never more convinced of it than in
this valley. To the north was the Djebel El Sheikh, covered with snow;
to the east the fertile plainsof Djolan clothed in the blossoms of
spring; while to the south, the withered vegetation of the Ghor seemed
the effect of a tropical sun. The breadth of the valley is about an hour
and a half, or two hours.
From the ford over the Sheriat we proceeded across the plain in a N.W.
direction; it was covered with low shrubs and a tree bearing a fruit
like a small apple, very agreeable to the taste; Zaarour [Arabic] is the
name given to it by the inhabitants of Mount Libanus; those of Damascus
call it Zaaboub [Arabic]; and the Arabs have also another name for it,
which I forget.
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