At The End Of The Ghouta Or Merdj Of Damascus, Begins The Djebel Haouran,[FN#3] Which Takes A South Direction; To The North Runs The Djebel Ruak (Towards Tedmor).

The intermediate plain, which is about a day and a half in breadth, is called Ard Esseikal [Arabic], having journied

For two days in this plain, the mountains to the S. are no more visible, and a waterless plain lies before the traveller, which according to the camels strength may be crossed in seven, eight, or ten days. Water is met with on the road, only in winter, when rainwater collects in the low grounds, and Ghadirs. There are no hills or Wadys. Small pipe heads, in the eastern fashion, and made of stone, are frequently found in the plain. The Arabs say that an ancient tribe called Beni Tamour [Arabic] fabricated them. At the end of the number of days above-mentioned, a high insulated hill is met with, which is visible all round to the distance of two days journey. The Arabs call it [p.668] Djebel Laha [Arabic]. It consists of sandy earth: there are no springs near it. From the Djebel Laha run two Wadys towards the Euphrates, the one called Wady Haouran [Arabic], begins on the hill’s western side; the other Wady Tebbel [Arabic], on its northern side. They run in a parallel direction, till they unite in the vicinity of the Euphrates. To the N.W. of the Laha, at one day’s march, is another Wady, called Souan [Arabic], which takes the same direction with the other two, and joins them, near their termination.

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