Divisions and Towns.—Syria is divided into four eyelets, two of which, Akka and Tarablous, extend over the countries on the shores of the Mediterranean as far north as 35° 55' N. lat.,; the third, Aleppo, occupies the most northern part, from the Mediterranean to the banks of the river Euphrates, and as far south as 35° 45' N. lat.; and the fourth, Damascus, the interior of the country south of 35' 45' N. lat.
1. Tho Evict of Akka, better known in Europe by the name of SL-Jean-d'Acre, to which the eyelet of Gaza was added at the begin ning of this century, occupies the whole coast from the boundary-line of Egypt to the Bay of Junie or Kesrawsn (33° 55' N. lat.), and extends over the plain of Falastin, Mount Carmel, the plain of Ibn Omer, the hilly region of Galilee, the plain of Akka, and the Bekaa and Belad Baalbec. The most remarkable places from south to uorth are—Gaza [GAZA]. Jaffa, or Joppa [J sant]. Tamale, or Retinal E.S.E. of Jaffa, lies in a fertile and well-cultivated plain; it has 15,000 inhabitants, who derive some advantages from the road from Joppa to Jerusalem, which passes through this town. Kaiaariyeh (C.csattsta). Tamura has a harbour for small boats, and carries on some commerce with Egypt, from which it receives rice and linens. It exports cattle and fruits. [Cauxan]. Akka [Amu]. Sur is built on an isthmus about 400 feet wide, which is supposed to have been formed by the embankment that Alexander the Great made for the purpose of taking the ancient Tyre. The harbour has been filled up with sand, and the roadstead is unsafe, but it is better than that of either Akka or Sada. The population amounts to 3000 individuals, most of whom gain their livelihood by fishing and agriculture. It exports tobacco, wax, and fire-wood. (Titans.] Saida [Stoosr]. Beyrut (BEincr]. fund& is a small town in the Kesrawan with a landing place for small boats. It carries on some commerce with the island of Cyprus. In the interior are the following towns :—Nazareth, or Nazarah, which is built in a beautiful valley that opens into the plain of Ibn-Omer, and is one of the most fertile and best-cultivated districts of Galilee. It has about 2000 inhabitants, and a fine church. Tabarielt, the ancient Tiberias, is on the banks of the Bahr-el-Tabarieh, on a small plain surrounded by mountain*. Towards the land it is inclosed by a thick and well-built wall. It contains about 4000 inhabitants, who have some commerce with the Beduins. It is a place of pil grimage for the Jews, who constitute about one-third of the popu lation ; the remainder of the population are Turks, with the exception of a few Christians. Szafed, or Soled, nearly due north of Tabarieh, is a neatly-built town, situated round a hill, on the to of which is a Saracenia castle. It contains about 600 houses, of which about 150 are inhabited by Jews, who consider this one of their holy cities, and about 100 houses by Christians. The population is between 6000 and 7000. Zalde, io a narrow valley which opens into the Bekaa, at the eastern baste of Mount Libanus, contains from 800 to 900 houses, and is almost exclusively inhabited by Christians, who make much cotton cloth and some woollen stuffs. They have 20 dyeing-houses, and a considerable trade with the Beduins of the Bekaa. Baalbee [Baat.nzol. Deir•el-Kamr, the capital of the emir of the Druses, in a valley of Mount Libanus, is a considerable place eight or nine hours S.E. from Reyna. It ha. five or mix thousand inhabitants, some of whom are Christians, for in the town are two Maronite and two Melchita churches. The town is built like • second.rate town in Italy. Some silk-stuffe are manufactured. The emir of the Druses resides in the castle of Breddin, about one hour from the town.
2. The Eyelet of Tarablous extends along the sea-coast from the Bay of Juneh to Cape Bash or Poseldi, about 12 miles S. from the month of the river Azy, and comprehends the northern and more elevated portion of Mount Libanus, the plain separating this mountain from the Jebel Anzeyry, and the largest portion of the last-mentioned range. The whole of it, with the exception of the plain, to fertile and well cultivated. It. produces silk, tobacco, oil, fruits, galls, and wax, for exportation. The following are the chief places in this eyelet. from south to north s—Meinet Berdio, a small harbour, and a still smaller town, which has some commerce with Cyprus'. Jeboil, or fatal, the ancient Byblus, is a small town, inclosed by a wall • mile and a half in circumference. It has a small harbour, and carries on
some commerce with Cyprus. Byblna was famous for the birth and worship of l'hammuz, or Adonis. The most ancient name of the place appears to have been Giblah. The land of the Giblites was assigned to the Israelites, but they never got possession of it. There are remains of a Roman theatre, and many fragments of granite columns on its site. Giblah gave title to a Christian bishop before it fell into the bands of the Moslem. Batrun, the ancient Bostrys, is a town consisting of from 300 to 400 houses, mostly inhabited by Maronitea. There is no harbour, but an artificial inlet has been formed in the rocks, which admits a few coasting boats. Excellent toba000 is grown along the shores of the Mediterranean. Tara/doss, the ancient Tripolis, one of the most commercial places of Syria, is built on the declivity of the lowest hills of Mount Libanus, and is divided by a river, called Kaelish, into two parts, of which the southern is the more considerable. The town is well built, and is much embel lished by gardens, which are not only attached to the houses in the town, but cover the whole triangular plain between the town and the sea. It is supplied with excellent water by en aqueduct, which crosses the river upon arches. The population amounts to between 15,000 and 18,000. There are some large manufactures of soap for exportation. The harbour is about two miles from the town ; it Is called El-Myna, or ELMinyels, and Is itself a small town, inhabited by milers and shipwrights. This harbour is formed by a line of low rocks stretching from the western side of Myna about two miles into the sea towards the north, but it is not safe in northerly wind.. In a north-north-west direction from the harbour there is a line of small islands, the farthest of which is about 10 miles from the mainland. The exports consist of a large quantity of silk, sponges, soap, and alkali, to Anatolia, galls brought from the Anzeyry Mountains, yellow wax from Mount Libanus, madder from Hamah and Hems, scemmony, and tobacco. Tartu:, the ancient A nlaradus, and perhaps also Orthasia, formerly a strongly-fortified town on the coast, nearly opposite the Isle of lloah, retains some remnants of Its old Phoenician walls and vast castle. The place is often mentioned in the history of the Crusades. Here, as in many other places along the Phoenician coast, sepulchral excavations are numerous. Antaradus was rebuilt by the emperor Constantine, after whom it was sometimes called Constantin. It gave title to a bishop till the Saracenic conquest. Tasso calls the town Tortosa. It is now a small place. Jebili is a small town, in the neighbourhood of which much tobacco is grown, which is exported to Latakia. There is a small port and an ancient theatre here. Latakieh, or Ladd-IPA, the ancient Laodicea, stands on the northern edge of an elevated tongue of land called Cape Ziaret, which advances nearly two miles beyond the general line of coast. The houses stand partly in the midst of gardens and plantations, and most of them have fiat roofs. The port, called Scala, or Marina, is about half a mile from the town, and separated from it by gardens and plantations. The harbour, which is well sheltered, except to the west, admits only vessels of 100 tons burden. The chief exports of theplaoe are tobacco of excellent quality (most of which goes to Egypt), cotton, raw silk, and wax. The imports are rico from Egypt, wine from Cyprus, and assorted goods, especially hardware, from England. In Mount Libanus is Kanobin, a convent, the seat of the patriarch of the Marouites. In its vicinity are the famons cedars of Mount Libanus. About a mile and a half from the coast is the island rook of Read, on which the ancient Phoenician town of Aradus was built. Aradus, the dread of the Old Testament, was next in importance to Tyre and Sidon ; it was founded by a colony from the latter. It continued to be a flourishing place through the whole course of ancient history till the reign of the emperor Constans, when it was demolished and its inhabitants expelled by a lieutenant of the khalif Omar. The town was never rebuilt; hut about 3000 inhabitants dwell on the island, which is only about a mile round. Part of the old Phoenician walls, and also the ancient cisterns, still remain. As in ancient time., the inhabitants draw their fresh water from submarine springs.