On the eastern bank of the Orontes, near the ruins of Apamea, rises another but much lower range of hills, which runs northward, not in a regu larly-formed ridge, but rather in detached clumps, to the parallel of Aleppo. The hills are mainly calcareous, well wooded in places, and intersected at intervals by fertile plains and vales. They are interesting to the traveller and antiquarian as con taining some of the most remarkable ruins in Syria (Hana'book, 615 seq.) The southern section is called Jebel the central Jebel el-'Ala, and the northern Jebel Sima'n, korn its having been the home of St. Simon Stylite.
Rivers.—The Orontes is the largest river in Syria. It is now called (‘ The Rebellious), and also el-Iffakltib (`The Inverted '), from the fact of its running, as is thought, in a wrong direction. Its highest source is in the plain of Buka'a (Cale syria), at the base of Anti-Lebanon, beside the ruins of the ancient city of Libo. It runs north-west across the plain to the foot of Lebanon, where its volume is more than trebled by the great fountain of Ain el-'Asy (the Ain of the Bible). [PALEsTINE.] Hence it winds along the plain of Hamath, passing Riblah, Hums, Hamah, and Apamea. At Antioch it sweeps round to the west through a sublime pass, and falls into the Mediterranean at Seleucia. Its scenery is in general tame and uninteresting. Its volume above Hamath is less than that of the Jordan ; but lower down it receives several tribu taries which greatly increase it. Its total length is about 150 miles. The Litany is the next river in magnitude. Its principal sources are in the valley of Buka'a, at Baalbek, Zahleh, and Anjar (the ancient Chalcis). After winding down the Buka'a to its southern end, it forces its way through a sublime glen, which completely intersects Lebanon, and falls into the sea a few miles north of Tyre.
[LEBANoN.] The rivers Eleutherus, Lycus, and Adonis have been noticed in the article LEBANON, and the Abana and Pharpar under UgatAscus. A small stream called Nahr Kowaik rises near the village of Aintab, flows southward through a narrow glen to Aleppo, waters the town and its gardens, and empties itself in winter into a marsh some twenty miles farther south.
Lakes.—There are only two lakes of any im portance in Syria. One lies some miles north of Antioch, and is called Bahr el-Abiad, White Lake.' It is about twenty-five miles in circuit, but has a broad margin of marsh, which is flooded after heavy rains. The other is on the Orontes, west of Hums, and is called Bahr Kades. It is about six miles long by from two to three broad, and is in a great measure, if not entirely, artificial. It is formed by a dam built across the valley. The water is thus raised to an elevation sufficient tu supply the town and irrigate the surrounding plain (Porter, Damascus, ii. 344).
Cities.—The principal cities and towns of Syria are the following :—Damascus, pop. 15o,000 ; Aleppo, pop. 70,000 ; Beyrout, pop. 5o,000 ; Hamah, pop. 3o,000 ; Hums, pop. 20,000 ; Tri poli, pop. 13,00o ; Antioch, Sidon, and Ladi kiyeh. Besides these, which occupy ancient sites, there were in former times Palmyra in the eastern desert ; Abila, on the river Abana ; Chalcis, He liopolis, and Lybo, in the valley of Ccelesyria ; Laodicia ad Libanum, Arethusa, and Apamea, in the valley of the Orontes; Seleucia, Aradus, and. Byblos [GEBAL], on the sea-coast, and many others of less importance.