the teacher of a small school; an interesting anomaly in Palestine.' "April 6th. From Nazareth I ascended Mount Tabor. On my course afterwards from Khân et-Tujjâr, Kefr Sabt lay at a little distance on the right, and Lûbieh further on the left. I passed two wells, with a few foundations, perhaps of a Khân, near; and half an hour later had Khurbet Bessûm at some distance on the right. In another half hour I came in sight of Tiberias; and descending the declivity reached the town at five o'clock. "April 7th. I left Tiberias at half past six o'clock, proceeding along the lake, and at 7.40 passed el-Mejdel. The tract Ghuweir beyond is so palpably the Gennesareth of Josephus, that I could not avoid the impression, that the copious stream which issues upon its centre from Wady er-Rubŭdîyeh was the fountain Capharnaum of his narrative. This is the main source of irrigation to the plain or meadow, as that evidently was; and from its size would be more likely than any other to contain fish, and be regarded as the vein of a river. I made many inquiries here for an ancient site, and heard uniformly of but one, Khŭrbet Rŭbŭdîyeh, which I was told lay in the Wady near the fountain head, an hour from Abu Shûsheh. I had not time to visit it; and we should not look for Capernaum at such a distance from the shore.2 "At 8.20, I entered and ascended Wady el-'Amûd on a course W. There was now water running in it. Leaving the main branch soon on the right I kept on N. W. and at nine o'clock bore N. passing in ten minutes the small village Yâkûk lying five minutes distant on the left. This name I find in your Lists, and its identity with the Hukkok of Naphtali suggested, which seems very probable. Hence the way led E. and N. E. crossing at 9.30 a deep Wady and then continuing N. At ten o'clock I crossed another Wady, with the Kul'at Shûny on an eminence at the right, on its south See the account of the schools founded by Abu Nasir, and of this daughter, Bibl. Res. III. pp. 192, 193. 2 Josephus speaks of a fountain Capharnaum, and not of a stream flowing across the plain. Two very large fountains exist in the plain itself; one, the Round Fountain in the S. W. part; and another, bank. Soon afterwards the road passed for a time along the west bank of Wady Khâb, which receives the two last named, and had running water in its bed. I reached Safed at twelve o'clock.' "Setting off again at two o'clock and winding down into the western valley, after fifteen minutes 'Ain ez-Zeitûn and Bîria were on my right, in small parallel Wadys. At 3.10, the road passed under Kadita on the left, in the fork of the Wady which runs west of Safed; and at 3 o'clock I came to Birket el-Jish, the extinct crater of a volcano, now filled with water. As I went on, Râs elAhmar and Teitebeh were in sight on the right; at four o'clock I passed under el-Jish on the left; and at 5.25 reached the border of Belâd Besharah, the village Fârah lying at some distance on the right. Twenty minutes later I passed the sarcophagus and remains near Yârôn, said to be those of a convent; and at seven o'clock arrived at Bint Jebeil, where I lodged in the Medâfeh of the Sheikh. From a hill twenty minutes distant, I had my first view of Kul'at esh-Shukîf. This was near to the small village of Mârôn.5 66 April 8th. Setting off from Bint Jebeil at seven o'clock on a course N. the way led me in fifteen minutes across a small hill with the village 'Arnata lying at its eastern base, fifteen minutes on the right. Half an hour more brought me to the Wady Kûnîn running E. and having the village of the same name on its southern side, also fifteen minutes on the right. At eight o'clock there was a 1 From the castle of Safed, Jebel et-Tûr bore S. 23° W. Semû'y S. 80° W. Meirôn N. 68° W. Sa'sa' N. 48° W. Tell el-Jish N. 291° W. Kadita was in sight, but I did not at the time observe it. 2'Ain ez-Zeitûn was five minutes distant N. 40° E. and Biria about as far beyond in a similar Wady or depression. From Birket el-Jish, Râs elAhmar bore N. 151° E. Jebel eshSheikh N. 36° E. Teitebeh N. 84° E. Jebel Haurân S. 85° E. Kadita S. 47° E. Castle of Safed S. 38° E. Sa'sa' N. 74° W. Tell elJish N. 41° W.-See the account of this crater, Bibl. Res. III. p. 367. 4 From this point, Jebel Haurân bore 68° E. Râs el-Ahmar S. 481° E. Tell el-Jish S. 15° E. Yârôn N. 68° W. 5 From this hill, Bint Jebeil bearing N. 33° W. twenty minutes distant, the Kul'at esh-Shŭkif bore N. 25° E. Jebel esh-Sheikh, north summit, N. 54° E. Jebel Haurân S. 62° E. Râs el-Ahmar S. 11° E. Mârôn ten minutes distant S. 28° W. Beit Tahûn N. 1540 W. Tibnîn N. 11 W. A village, name unknown, bore S. 19° E. and another N. 75 W.--[It hence appears that the Mârôn laid down on our map over against Yârôn, is probably an error. If so, a wrong name was doubtless given to us in passing.-ED. ridge, with Beit Tahûn ten minutes on the left. The way now descended and followed Wady Tibnîn, somewhat winding; and bearing more N. N. E. at 8.45, I passed Tibnîn and the castle, lying half an hour on the left. At nine o'clock my course became again N. and in five minutes I passed below the ruins of Safed el-Butî'a on the right. At 9.15 Wady Tibnîn turned W. and I entered the head of Wady Hajeir and followed its bed for nearly four hours, seeing but little of the surrounding country. At 9.55 the course being then N. N. W. the village Suweiny was seen through a gap bearing N. N. E. and in ten minutes more the village Khŭrbet Sâlim was on the high bank on the left. At 10.15 the course was again N. but winding and verging E. and at 11.30 I came to some fountains forming a stream, which lower down turns several mills. At length at one o'clock I reached the mouth of Wady Hajeir in the Nahr Lîtâny, near the Jisr Kâkâîyeh, which I crossed. "The village Kâkâîyeh lies on the hill-side north of the bridge; and Yârûn on a ridge at some distance west. I now reached by a circuitous path, at 2.10, a summit twenty minutes beyond Kâkâîyeh, from which I had a wide view. The road now descended gradually N. W. and at 2.25 the compact village Atshith lay half an hour on the right; and in ten minutes more el-Kusaibeh a quarter of an hour on the left. At 3.05, from a ridge five minutes from Bereik'a, many villages were in sight. I reached at 3 o'clock the bed of the large Wady Zerarieh with a brook flowing W. and in half an hour more a summit, with Kŭl'at Meis lying fifteen minutes on the left. This is a large pile, covering an eminence; and the foundations of its northern side appeared at this distance to have Deent ne original rock hewn to a square face. From this point, Safed el-Butî'a (ruin) bore N. 10° E. Kŭl'at esh-Shukif N. 331 E. Jebel Haurân S. 554 E. Beit Tahûn, near, S. 81° W. Tibnin N. 17° W. 2 The castle of Tibnîn is the Toron of the crusaders, a celebrated fortress. See Bibl. Res. III. p. 377 sq.--ED. 3 From this summit, Kakâîyeh (near) bore S. 60° E. Hûnîn S. 54° E. Suweiny S. 38° E. Jisr Kåkâîyeh S. 35° E. Belida S. 31° E. "Passing now over rocky slopes, I came at 4.45 to the village Nasar on a high elevation. This is the residence of a family of Metawileh Sheikhs; and from its position commands an extensive prospect. The whole of Belâd esh-Shŭkîf lay spread out like a map around; and a large part of Belâd Beshârah was also in sight. The snowy sides of Jebel esh-Sheikh and Jebel Sunnîn were bright with the setting sun; though the distant summit of the latter was concealed in a cloud. Kul'at esh-Skukif presented from this spot an imposing appearance. The Kul'at Meis was perhaps also a fortress of the crusaders; but I have not the means of identifying it with any historical notice.2 3 April 9th. I left Nasâr at 6.10, crossing an uneven tract with small rivulets running W. and at 7.15 reached a summit with a few villages in sight. Crossing the valley I came out at 7.45 upon the opposite ridge, affording a wider prospect. The road now descended into the Wady Ukhbîyeh, which soon collects a stream; and followed it to its mouth with the little hamlet of the same name on the plain, five minutes east of the great road along the sea-coast. This Wady is the water-course from the mountains, nearly dry,' mentioned in the Researches. I passed successively the other objects there named, and reached Sidon at 113 o'clock; but made no further topographical observations. "As I approached the place, I observed the inhabitants collected on the terraces and adjacent heights; and soon met the Turkish army descending from the mountain with their artillery, and the Druze Sheikhs in their train as captives. They were embarked on Kúl'at esh-Shukif is the celebrated fortress called by the crusaders Belfort or Beaufort. See Bibl. Res. III. p. 380 sq.--ED. 2 Bearings from Nasâr: el-Kusasaniyeh N. 13° E. Khartûm N. 34° E. Sinieh (ten minutes) N. 41° E. el-Kuthariyeh N. 42° E. Humein (?) N. 634 E. Shilb'al N. 81 E. Shurkiyeh N. 89° E. Jebel esh-Sheikh due E. Demûl S. 731 E. Jibshith S. 68° E. Kŭl'at esh-Shukîf S. 65° E. el-Kusaibeh S. 344 E. Kefr Sir S. 3240 E. Bereik'a S. 31° E. Sir el-Ghurbiyeh S. 24° E. Kul'at Meis S. 3 W. Zerariah S. 39° W. Re zieh S. 54° W. Seirieh N. 71° W. 'Ansariyeh N. 54° W. Lûbreh N. 40° W. el-Leksekiyeh N. 37° W. Surafend N. 27° W. Kurîyeh N. 22° W. Bâblîyeh N. 8° W. Some villages in Belad Besharah were in sight, the names of which I could not learn. 3 Here el-Kusasanîyeh bore N. 67° E. Nasâr S. 3° E. Kürîyeh N. 45° W. Babliyeh N. 1° W. From this point, Babliyeh bore N. 43° E. Khartûm S. 57° E. Nasår S. 12° E. el-Leksekiyeh N. 7210 W. Surafend N. 38° W. 5 Here Sidon bore N. 32° E. board of a Turkish steamer; and as I passed along the beach and looked at their prison-ship, and then up the valley to the seat of their power, where we spent the last summer with them and received their civilities, I felt that they had met one of those terrible political reverses, of which the whole land has beheld so many and seems destined to suffer yet more." VII. TO BA'ALBEK AND THE CEDARS OF LEBANON. In his letter dated Oct. 1st, 1842, Mr. Wolcott writes, that he had recently made an excursion with two of his fellow missionaries to Ba'albek and the Cedars. Their route being the great thoroughfare of travellers, they took with them no instruments; a circumstance which Mr. W. regrets, because they found several places upon the mountain not correctly laid down on our map.' The following remarks have an importance apart from their general interest: Ba'albek, etc. "Much as we had heard and read of Ba'albek, our expectations were quite exceeded. It is impossible indeed that any description should do justice to the magnificent pile. We had with us the notes of tourists, who had sketched the plan of the ruins; with the aid of which we soon comprehended the original design, and admired the genius of the architect who conceived it. The combination of majesty and beauty, the infinite richness of its parts, and the grandeur of the whole even in its desolation, as viewed from various points and impressively by moonlight, filled us with wonder. It has been repeatedly described, with more or less of technical precision, by travellers early and recent; and I have no occasion nor disposition to repeat the attempt. I have adverted to the subject mainly for the purpose of calling your attention to a feature, which deserves perhaps more consideration than it has received. "Among the ruins are found large, smooth, bevelled stones, as old perhaps as those in Palestine, which with so much apparent reason you considered a relic of Jewish architecture, and whose age is therefore an interesting subject of inquiry. The grand plat 1 Our map of Mount Lebanon was constructed from the manuscript maps of Prof. Ehrenberg and the Rev. Mr. Bird. Those of the latter were more minute and exact than that of the former, especially in the position and names of places.-ED, Bibl. Res. I. pp. 423, 424. |