PHYSICAL GEOCRAPHY.—Syria, like Palestine, is divided into a series of belts, extending in paral lel lines from north to south. r. A narrow belt of plain along the eabord. It embraces the plain of Issus, now Iskandertin, on the north, extending as far as the bold promontory of Ras el-Khanztr. South of the promontory is the fertile plain of Seleucia, now Suweidiyeh, at the mouth of the Orontes. Then follows the peak of Casius, which dips into the sea : and from its southern base down to the mouth of the Litany stretches the plain of Phcenicia, varying in breadth from ten iniles at Ladiktyeh to half a mile at Sidon. It is nearly all fertile ; and some portions of it at Sidon, Bey rout, and Tripoli, are among the richest and most beautiful in Syria. 2. A belt of mountains, the backbone of the country. It commences with the ridge of Amanus on the north ; then follows Barg ylus in the centre, and Lebanon on the south. 3. The great valley of Ccelesyria, and its northern extension the valley of the Orontes, fonn the next belt, and constitute one of the most remarkable features of the country. 4. The mountain-chain of Anti-Lebanon, though broken by the plain of Ham* finds a natural prolongation in the ridge which rises in the parallel of the city of Hamah and runs northward beyond Aleppo. 5. Along the whole eastern border frotn north to south extends an arid plateau, bleak and desolate—the home of the roving Bedawin.
Plains.—The plains of Phcenicia and Ccelesyria have been already noticed [PxcENrcrA ; CCELE SYRIA]. The plain of Hamath is very extensive. It joins Ccelesyria on the south, and extends northward on both sides of the Orontes as far as Apamea, about seventy miles ; while its breadth from the base of Lebanon to the desert is nearly thirty Its surface is ahnost perfectly flat, its soil generally a rich black mould ; water is abundant. Upon it once stood the large cities of Riblah Laodicia. ad Libanum, Emesa, Arethusa, LarissaAlamath, and Apamea ; all of which, with the exception of Ha math and Emesa (now Hums), are either in ruins or have dwindled down to poor villages. The plain of Damascus and its continuation towards Hauran on the south, are exceedingly fertile. [DA NIASCUS.] The little plain of Issus between the mountains and the bay is now a pestilential marsh, on the borders of which stands the miserable village of Iskanderfin, the only seaport of Antiodt and Aleppo. The plain of Suweidiyeh, at the mouth of the Orontes, is still a lovely spot, in part covered with orcbards and mulberry plantations. On its northern border lie the ruins of Seleucia, the port from which Paul embarked on his first missionary journey (Acts xiii. 2-4), and once so celebrated for
its docks and fortifications (Polybius v.) Mountains.—The parallel ranges of Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon have already been noticed. [LE BANON.] At the northern end of the former is the pass called in Scripture the entrance of Hamath.' [PALEsTINE ; HAMATH.] Beyond it, in a line with Lebanon, rises the range of Bargylus, and extends to Antioch. It is a rugged limestone ridge, rent and torn by wild ravines, thinly peopled, and sparsely covered with oaks. Its elevation is much inferior to Lebanon, and does not avera:ge more than 4000 feet. In tbe parallel of Antioch the chain meets the Orontes, and there sweeps round in a sharp angle to the south-west, and terminates in the lofty peak of Casius (now Jebel Okra), which rises abruptly from the sea to a height of 57o0 feet, forming one of the most conspicuous landmarks along the coast of Syria. The Bargylus range has received the name "ebel en-Nusairlyen, from the mysterious and warlike tribe of A'usairiyeh, who form the great bulk of its inhabitants.
At the northern extremity of the range, on the green bank of the rapid Orontes, stand the crumb ling walls and towers of Syria's ancient capital, Antioch, now dwindled down to a poor town of some 6000 inhabitants. A few miles west of it, in a secluded mountain glen, are the fountains and ruins of Beit et-Afa, whicli mark the site of the once celebrated Daphne (Handbook for S. and P. p. 602.) The valley through which the Orontes breaks is here narrow and wild. Beyond it rises steeply another mountain-range, which runs northward till it joins the Taurus, asid has an average elevation of nearly 6000 feet. The scenery of this range is very grand—deep ravines shut in by cliffs of naked rock ; conical peaks clothed with the dark foliage of the prickly oak ; and foaming torrents fringed with dense copses of myrtle and ole ander. On the west it sends out the lofty pro montory of Ras el-Khanzir, which shuts in the plain of Suweicliyeh ; and farther north the curve of the bay of Iskanderfin sweeps so close to the rocky base of the range as to leave a pass only a few feet broad between the cliff and the sea. Here are the mins of an ancient arch marking the site of the celebrated Syrian Gates ; to the north of it is the battle-field of Issus. The southern section of this range was anciently called Pieria, and gave its distinguishing name to the city (Belem* Pieria) at its base ; the northern section was called Amanus. The whole ridge is now usually called Jawar Dagh, though the southem.portion is perhaps more com n3only known as Ras el-Khanzir.