almost as indifferent to the conversation as if it were in a foreign tongue.

In the mean time a large fire was kindled, warm cakes were baked for us, coffee burnt, pounded, and prepared, our pipes lighted, and, in short, every office performed for our comfort and refreshment, by these hospitable wanderers, without a thought of compensation,

After a stay of about half-an-hour, we departed from hence, continuing still through the most beautifully-wooded scenery on all sides. Mr. Bankes, who had seen the whole of England, the greater part of Italy, and France, and almost every province of Spain and Portugal, frequently remarked, that in all his travels, he had met with nothing equal to it, excepting only in some parts of the latter country, Entre Minho, and Duoro, to which he could alone compare it. It is certain, that we were perpetually exclaiming, at every turn, How rich! How picturesque ! How magnificent! How beautiful! and that we both conceived the scenery alone to be quite worth all the hazard and privation of a journey to the eastward of Jordan.

The woods growing gradually more open as we proceeded, we came at length in sight of distant hills, of a dull grey hue, stoney and bare. The land between these contrasted ex

tremes, presented still a fine green turf, and marks of having been once cultivated, as the stones were laid out in ridges, to mark the boundaries of enclosures; and in other places were gathered up in heaps, as if to clear the soil.

On our left, we passed a village standing on the verge of a hill, and distant from our road about a mile, which the Arabs called Samoon; and soon afterwards, as we gained a sufficient height to look over the last ridge of barren hills described, the extensive plain of the Hauran was opened to us on our right, spreading as far as the eye could reach, and having the horizon for its boundary in all directions.

At the foot of the hills, where the western edge of the plain commenced, stood the village of Hussun, in which there seemed to be a tower or castle, and walls around it; and still further on, at the distance of about a mile, were scattered heaps of stone, that looked from hence like ruins, but of what age they might have been we could not learn.

The plain itself appeared to be highly cultivated; its ploughed lands showing themselves in brown patches only, as the long drought had kept back all appearance of the young corn. The road of the pilgrims, from Damascus to

Mecca, was pointed out to us as running nearly north and south through this plain, and passing through Sal and Arimza, the former a village, and the latter a considerable town, both visible from hence, with beaten paths leading to each of them easterly across the plain.

Proceeding onward, we observed a number of wrought stones near the road, and several rude grottoes, which seemed to indicate the site of some former settlement; and soon after noon, when the rain began to abate, and the sky grew clear, we reached the village of Aidoone, where we alighted to refresh.

This village, which consists of about thirty or forty dwellings, is singularly seated on the brow of a rude cliff or quarry, in such a way that many of its buildings are half constructed of masonry, and half gained by excavation out of the rock; the whole presenting an appearance of poverty and want of comfort, beyond any thing we had lately seen. We entered into the public room here, in which we found above twenty persons already seated around a fire on the floor. Place was made for us instantly; and, by order of the Sheikh, who was under the Pasha of Damascus, warm cakes, olive-oil, and honey were served to us, with pipes and coffee, and the comfort of a fire to warm and dry ourselves.

These people were far less inquisitive, and more civil than those of Soof, and seemed even to have a milder cast of countenance.

Leaving the village of Aidoone, we passed again by some good cisterns, excavated out of the rocks, and saw, near them, several fragments of ancient masonry; when, continuing S, W. over a barren tract, we passed in about an hour under the village of Erbeed. This, though now small, is seated on an eminence which commands the country for some distance round, and enjoys an admirable position for a city. We saw here an octagonal tower, of good workmanship, probably of the Saracen age; and near this a large reservoir for water, well-lined with masonry of hewn stones, and descended into by steps, resembling the famous cisterns which are called the pools of Solomon, near Jerusalem, though not quite so large.

half before sunset, still

About an hour and continuing through a stoney and barren tract of land, with patches of cultivation here and there only, we reached the village of Bahrahah, where our halt was fixed for the night. This place stands at the bottom of a gentle declivity, and has some few portions of good red soil around it, but its neighbourhood is entirely destitute of wood. On entering it, we observed the ruined arches of an old mosque, of very

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excellent masonry,

and within the walls, the capitals of two Doric columns, in white marble, and some scattered shafts of the same material. In the court of the Khan, where we alighted, was a fine sarcophagus, of a black porous stone, of a basaltic or volcanic nature. It bore on its sides sculptured devices, and had evidently been executed with great care; but from whence it had been brought we could not learn. We found another sarcophagus of the same material, and several large hewn stones were seen in different parts of the town, which, with the marble columns in the ruined mosque, induced us to conclude that this also had been the site of some ancient settlement.

The present village of Bahrahah does not contain more than fifty dwellings, and is governed by a Sheikh, who acknowledges the authority of the Pasha of Damascus. He ques

tioned us very strictly about our papers and the object of our journey, and we only escaped by having Mr. Bankes's soldier with us, who replied, that he was in the service of the Pasha himself, and had been sent from Jerusalem to protect and accompany us to Sham.

We were accommodated with good shelter in a covered room; but for our horses and ourselves we were obliged to purchase provisions, this constituting the chief difference between an