On the banks of the river Airy are the towns of Itamah and Herne. //maah, the ancient EpipAsteeia, lies on both sides of the river, and is partly built on the declivity of a hill and partly on a plain. It contains between 30,000 and 40,000 inhabitants, among whom are many rich Turkish families. Though the houses make no great ehow, they are well arranged and furnished. It is one of the principal places to which the Arabs resort to buy tent-furniture and clothes, and it has several manufactures; the abbas, or woollen cloaks, made here are much prized. Thera are four bridges over the river. liamah retains almost unaltered its ancient name Ilamatli, which it bore in the time of St. Jerome. Ilex., the ancient Emeea, situated higher up the at a short distance from the northern extremity of the Bahr el-Kales, contains a population of betweeu 25,000 and 30,000 indi viduals, and several msnnfactures. It is not so well built as Harrah. Emesa was celebrated for its Temple of the Sun. Heliogabalus was a priest of this town before he was raised to the imperial dignity by the Roman legionaries of Syria. Near Emesa, Aurelian defeated Queen 7.enobla, A D. 272. To the south-east of Hems, at the distance of nearly 100 miles, are the ruins of PALYYRA.
In the valley of the Upper Jordan, or Seissaban, are Hasbeya, Rasheyat-el-Fukhar, and BANZAS. Ifasbeya is built on the top of a mountain, and is a thriving place, with 700 houses, and manufactures of cotton-cloth for shirts and gowns, and a few dyeing-houses. In the vicinity are traces of quicksilver, iron-ore, and npwards of 25 bitumen pits, which supply an article of trade to Aleppo, Damascus, and Beyrut. Pasheyai-el-Fsiaar is a village on the top of a mountain ; it contains about 100 houses, each of which may be considered as a manufactory of earthen pots. They are moulded in very elegant shapes, painted with red earth, and form a considerable article of inland trade, espe cially in the eastern districts of Syria. Damascus is the subject of a separate article. [Damascus.) In the mountain regions east of the Jordan are the towns of Szalt, Kerek, Tafyle, and Mann. Stall, which is nearly in the centre of the Belka Mountain; is situated on the declivity of a hill. It constitutes a republic, independent of the Turkish pashas, who have made several attempts to subjugate it, but without success. The population con sists of about 400 .Mussulman and 80 Christian families of the Greek Chnrch. The greater part of the population is agricultural ; a few are weavers ; and there are about 20 shops, which furnish the Beduins who inhabit this region with articles of dress and furniture. Much sumach, which is collected in the mountains, is sent to Jerusalem for the use of the tanneries ; and ostrich-feathers are taken by the Beduins to Datnascus. In its neighbourhood, to the south-east, are the ruins of Amman, or Philadelphia ; and to the northward is Jebel Jelad, the ancient Mount Gilead. North of the Zerka, the ancient Jabbok,
and nearly iu 36°F long., is Jerash, in which ere many ruins of Roman buildings—a triumphal arch, Corinthian temple, a Christian church, theatre, and amphitheatre. Kerak lies in the northern district of the Silent Mountains, and is built on the top of a steep hill, which is surrounded by a deep and narrow valley. It is inhabited by 400 llosaulman and 150 Christian families. Whilst Syria was subject to Mehemet Ali, Szalt and Kerak were subjected to a strict obedience to government by Ibrahim, but under the Turks the chiefs of Kerak are nearly independent. The population send sheep, goats, mules, hides, wool, and madder to Jerusalem ; and provisions to the Hadji road, which la about IS miles to the east of the town. Tafyle is in the centre of the Shera Mountains, on the declivity of a hill, in a country abounding in springs and rivulets, and full of plantations of fruit-trees. Figs, wool, butter, and hides are sent to Gaza. The town contains about COO houses, hut suffers much from the exactions of the Howeitat Beduin; the authority of the Turkish government being very small. The town of Maas stands on two small hills on the desert table-land which is east of the mountains of Shera. It consists of about 100 houses on both sides of the Hadji route, which divides the town. There are several springs, by means of which the extensive plantations of figs, pomegranates, apricots, peaches, and plums are watered. The town owes its existence to the Hadji-road, and derives considerable profit from the pilgrims selling them provisions brought from other parts, especially from Khalil and Gaza. West of Moan are the ruins of PETRA, and a little farther west, Mount liar, now called Jebel-Neby.Iiarun.
Jfeetffactures.—Syria is the most manufacturing country in Western Asia. The most manufacturing town is Damascus, famous for its silk stuffs, especially actin and damasks and brocade; cotton; linens, and leather. The manufacture of saddles, and horse- and camel-trappings, is also important. Other products of Damascene industry tiro—jewellery, works in gold, silver, copper, and Iron ; sword-blades. tobacco, soap, and articles in ivory and precious woods; perfumes, balms, aromatic oil, sweet-seenting essences, confectiounry, pastry, &a (Damascus.) The manufactures of Aleppo are small compared with those of Damascus, and mostly limited to cotton and silk stuffs, and gold and silver lace. It must also bo observed that some branches of manufacturing industry are carried on in all the towns, and oven in some villages, such as cotton-stuffs for gowns and shirts, the dyeing of cottou, mostly blue and red, tanning leather, and making soap. Such places however supply only the neighbourhood and the Beduins who resort to them for such articles, and they rarely if ever work for a distant market.