2. The Northern Valley, as far as it is included within Central Syria, extends along the eastern base of Mount Libaous in all its extent, or about 90 miles iu length. South of Ilaalbeo it is only from 2 to 3 miles wide. At Baalbee it is about 5 miles wide, and in the parallel of the northern extremity of the Antilibenus (near 34' 25' N. lat.) more than 10 miles. It Is naturally divided into two sectious, as the waters of the southern districts run off to the south by the river Litany (the ancient Leontes), and the northern portion is drained by the Axy, or Orontes. The two river-basins however are not con tiguous, for near 31' N. lat., and chiefly north of that parallel, is a tract about 12 miles in length, the waters of which do not reach either of these rivers, but are lost in the plain. This tract is the most elevated part of tho valley; the town of Itaalbec, which is built towards the southern border of it, is 3S03 feet above the sea level. The southern part of the valley (called the Bekaa) is watered by the Litany River, which rises about 5 miles south-west of Baalbee, in a small lake. The river has water all the year round, being supplied by several copious rivulets which descend from the western declivity of the Antiltbatina Where the valley terminates on the south, near the castle of Kalast-el-Slikif, the river turns west, and roaches the Mediterranean a few miles north of Sur (Tyrus). The Bekaa is well watered and famous for its fertility; not more than a sixth part of it is cultivated ; the greater portion serves only as pasture-ground for the Beduins and Turkmans, who pass the winter here, and ascend in summer to the upper declivities of the Antilibanus. The northern and wider portion of the valley is called Baled Baalbee. The soil of this tract is not much inferior to that of the Bekaa, but the proportiou of cultivated land to that which is only used as pas ture, or not used at all, is still less than in the last-mentioned district. Only a few villages occur in the middle of the valley, which, as well as the Bekaa, is destitute of trees ; but there are numerous villages at the base of the mountains whence small rivulets descend and supply the means of irrigating the corn-fields and orchards.
3. The Antilibauus, which stands to the east of the valley just noticed, extends much farther to tho south than the Libanus. It in divided into two portions by a long and narrow depression which occurs near 33' 40 N. lat., and is called El-Bogaz (the Gorge). That portion of the range which lies north of the Bogaz, descends towards &lad Baalbec and the Bekaa with a very steep declivity, which is barren and destitute of wood except at a few places where rivulets descend in narrow glens : these glens are overgrown with trees. This part of the range has no great elevation. Tho highest point of the road which crosses the Bogaz from Beyrut is only 3148 feet above the sea-level, and less than 1500 feet above the adjacent plain of the Beim. It does not appear that any part of the Northern Antilibanus exceeds 6000 feet in elevation.
The Southern Antilibanus attains a touch greater elevatioo. At the distance of about 12 miles south of the Bogaz an extensive mountain mass, called Jebel-ea-Sheik, is always covered with snow. This mountain-mass and its declivities cover a apace of 20 miles from east to west. From the western declivity branches off a narrow ridge, which, towards the north, is called Jebel Arbel ; but its southern prolongation, called Jebel Safed, terminates on the south with the elevated mountains which lie to the north of the town of Sided : its length is about 35 miles. South of the summit of the Jebel-es-Sheik
lies an extensive mountain tract, extending about 15 miles cast and west, and as much to the south. It is mostly covered with thick wood, and only used as pasture-ground. From this mountain region a ridge rune southward, which is called Jebel Heish, and which ter minates with a bill, called Tel-el-Farae, in the elevated plain of Jolan, about 5 miles south of 33' N. let. The two ridges of the Jebel Safed and of the Jebel Heish inclose that part of the valley of the river Jordan which lies north of the Lake of Tabarieh, and is called Wady Sciesaban. The road leading from Jerusalem to Damascus crosses the Jebel Heish about 12 miles north of the Tel-el-Fares, and at this place it is perhaps not more than 500 feet above its base : but the plain on which it stands is from 3000 to 3100 feet above the sea Irrel. The mountains are covered with forests of small oak.
4. The Plains of Damascus lie on the eastern side of tho Antili beaux, and extend as fat' south as the Haourau. They form an Intermediate terrace between the mountain region and the low Syrian desert, which is farther east. At their southern extremity these plains extend to a distance of 70 miles from the range ; but farther north their width is lest. In the parallel of Damascus they are only 30 miles wide. North of Damascus the boundary diverges towards the eaat ; but in these parts It cannot exactly be determined, as the desert sometimes approaches neer the caravan road lending from Damsecus to Aleppo, but generally remeius at a considerable distance from it. It appears that many cultivable though uncultivated tracts occur as far east as Tadmor [PALMYRA), which Is about 75 miles from the range of the Antilitenue The lowest part of these plains is about 12 or 15 miles east of Damascus, 'where an extensive lake; or rather swamp, occurs, called Bahr-el-Merdj, In which several rivers are lost that descend from the eastern declivity of the Antilibanus, and from the Jebel liaourau, from north, west, and south. The most remarkable of these rivers is the Barrada, which brings down the waters collected on the eastern declivity of tho Antilibanus between 33° 15' and 83° 50' N. let. These waters unite at some distance from the foot of tho range, in a wide depression of the plains, called El-Gutha, n which the town of Damascus is built, and which is the most productive spot iu Syria, if not on the globe. Gardens and orchards, yielding all the fruits and vegetables of the most favoured parts of southern Europe, surround Damascus to the distance of several miles, the area which they cover being estimated at 130 or 150 square miles. The cultivated fields surrounding this forest of fruit-trees extend to a farther distance of some milea. The astonishing fertility of this tract is produced by the abundance of water, as the country is traversed by seven branches of the river Hamada, which always yield a copious supply of water for irrigation. As the town of Damascus is 2337 feet above the level of the sea, the climate is far from being ao temperate in winter as is commonly supposed.