steep, and its western one flat where we crossed it, the rapidity of its current was very different on opposite sides. On the west, its rate was less than two miles an hour; in the centre, it was full three; and between that and the eastern shore, it ran at the rate of more than four miles an hour. Its greatest depth, as judged by the immersion of the large oars, which often touched the bottom, did not seem to be more than ten or twelve feet. Its waters were of a dull yellowish colour, and were quite as turbid as those of the Nile; though, as I thought at the time, much inferior to them in sweetness of taste. The earth, with which it is discoloured, is much heavier, as it quickly subsided, and left even a sediment in the bottom of the cup, while drinking; whereas the Nile water, from the lightness of its mould, may be drank without perceiving such deposit, if done immediately on being taken from the river.

The people of Beer are, in general, aware of the celebrity of their stream, and think it is the largest in the world. It still preserves its

a day's journey to the west. He observes, also, that the Vale of Olives, not far from the town, abounded in springs of water, and in fruit-trees.

ancient name, with very little corruption, being called by them Shat-el-Fraat, or the River of Fraat.*

*

Josephus says, in his description of the four rivers of Paradise; "The Euphrates and the Tigris fall into the sea of Erythras; the Euphrates is called Phora (ÞOPA), which signifies, by one derivation, Dispersion, and by another, a Flower; but the Tigris is named Diglath (AIгAA®), an appellation which indicates sharp and narrow." Ant. Jud. lib. 1. c. 1. s. 3. On this passage, which is given in the translation of Dr. Vincent's "Commerce and Navigation of the Ancients," that writer has the following note.

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Phora, however, in some manuscripts, is written Phorath, like Diglath, and is in reality the modern name Phoráth, Phōrāt, Forát, F'rat. It has two derivations from the Hebrew or 5, Phar or Pharatz, to spread, which indicates (xedαouòv or) dispersion, or 7, Pharah, to produce fruit or flowers (avtos).

66

Diglath is derived, in this form, from , Khalal, to go swift (¿1⁄2í μɛtà sevóτntos). This is a coarse etymology, for is not swift, (but wxi), and we have nothing to represent μɛrà SEVOTNTOS. Perhaps, Josephus and his countrymen were as bad etymologists as the Greeks.

"Pherat is used frequently in Scripture with the pronoun, as Hu-Pherát, the Pherát, or that Pherát, by way of pre-eminence; and is derived by the commentators from 5, Pharah, to produce fruit, on account of its fertilizing the country by canals, &c. from 5, Phar, and

5, Pharatz, to burst or spread, because it overflows its banks, and from 7, 75, 7, Phras, Phreth, and Phred,

It is known, also, as one of the four rivers

of Paradise; and the only one, seemingly,

The

to divide, because it separates or bounds the Desert. Greeks, as Hoffman justly says, more suo, derive Euphrates from Jęáivan.

“Hid-Dehkel is written, Kid-Dekhel, and by the Samaritan manuscript, Hid-Dekhel, (or rather Hhid-Dekhel, and Ed-Dekhel,) as we are informed, from

, to dart forth,, loud, or from 77, Hhed, to penetrate; with the addition of , Khalal, which implies swift motion; a sense agreeable to the opinion of the Greeks, who interpret the Tigris sometimes swift, and sometimes from the Persick, Teir, an arrow.

"If Dekhel had been written with a g in Hebrew, like Degel in Arabic, or the Diglath of Josephus, 7, Dagal, signifies to dazzle, or glitter, &c., an idea not inconsistent with a swift and agitated stream; but all the authorities tend to, Khalal." 4to. 1807; vol. i. p. 420, 421. Notes.

To this may be added, that the name of the Euphrates, which is written in Arabic, signifies also very fine sweet water, and both it and the Tigris are called in the dual, Phratan, or the two Phrats; so that this signification would well apply, but it would be difficult to prove, whether the name was given to these rivers from their containing this fine sweet water, or whether this last was not subsequently expressed by a term, derived from the name of the river itself.

دجال

By Richardson, the name of the Tigris is written in Arabic, but it is pronounced Dejjala. Now, J Dejal, signifies gold-the glittering of a sword-a large

which has preserved its name. The river Gihon, which is mentioned also in the Koran, was thought, by an Indian pilgrim of our party, to be the Gunga of the Hindoos; and the rest assented to its being in Hind-el-Juany, or the Innermost India. It is true, that it is said "to compass the whole land of Ethiopia;" but Herodotus speaks of Indian Ethiopians in his time; and, among the early writers, the word Ethiopia was applied to the country of the black people generally.*

The Euphrates seems to have been thought even superior to the Nile, by a writer, the scenes of whose history were occasionally on both. In describing a communion between Abraham and his God, amid the darkness of

caravan-liquid pitch; the first of which might be indicative of the wealth produced by it; the second, the appearance of its rapid stream; the third, the commerce carried on upon it; and the last, the springs of bitumen and naphtha, which abound as much on the banks of this river as on those of the Euphrates. Whether the Arabic or Hebrew etymologies are to be preferred in point of antiquity, or even of appropriateness, is a question that I would admit of dispute. In Armenia, where the Tigris rises, the word Tiger is said to signify an arrow.

* "Can the leopard change his spots, or the Æthiop

his skin ?"

the evening, he says,-" In the same day God made a covenant with Abraham, saying,Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the Great River, the river Euphrates." It deserves this distinctive appellation, in contrast with rivers generally, though not with the Nile; which may be considered as equally great, whether from the length of its course, or the celebrity of the ancient cities which stood upon its banks.

I made many inquiries here, after the ruins. of Hierapolis, now called Yerabolus, but no one knew of such a place although it is certainly less than a short day's journey from this town. I should have thought it might have been at a spot called Khallet-el-Room, or the Roman Castle,† said to be four hours'

* Genesis, chap. xv. v. 18.—The Kennizzites, spoken of in the next verse, may possibly be the great tribe of the Annazies, who occupy all the western banks of the Euphrates, and the eastern frontier of Syria, to this day.

This is said to be the ancient Zeugma, so called from the Grecian term, signifying a Bridge, and not a Bride, as erroneously printed. This was the great passage for the Roman armies into Mesopotamia; and opposite to it, on the east side of the river, was a small town called Apamea. -Kinneir's Persia, p. 316. It is the Kalai-Roum mentioned by Otter.-See Note, p. 29.