The most western portion of the plain between the southern ex tremity of the Jebel Heish and the Jebel Ajelun, and from the Lake of Tabarieh eastward to the Hadji road, is called the Plain of Julon. The ascent from the Lake of Tabarieh is very steep and long. The surface is uneven and undulating, and there are a few isolated hills. Several considerable tracts have their surface formed of rocks, which are commonly covered with a thin layer of earth, on which grass springs up after the rains, but which are quite bare at other times. Other districts have a fine soil, either black, gray, or red, and some produce rich crops. The greater part of them however is uncultivated and overgrown with a wild herb, on which cows and camels feed.
The plains extending east of the lladji road, south of El-Gutha, are rather hilly in the northern districts, short and low ridges running iu different directions. These parts contain several stony tracts, and others which might be cultivated, if water was abundant The greater part is at present only used as pasture-ground. The southern districts, or those which approach the northern extremity of the Jebel Haouran, contain two extensive rocky regions, called Es-Szaffa, on the east, and El-Ledja, on the west, which are divided from one another by a wide valley called El-Lowa. The Lowa is traversed by the river Lows, which originates in the Jebel Haouran and falls into the Bahr-el-Merdj. On its banks is a plain of considerable extent, which is covered with the most luxuriant herbage, and was formerly well cultivated, as is proved by the ruins of numerous villages and towns in the valley. But at present it serves only as pasture-ground for the Beduins, who occasionally cultivate some spots with dhurra.
That part of the Plains of Damascus which lies north of the Cutlia is traversed by the road from Damascus to Aleppo. The road passes over two low ridges, which appear to be connected with the Antili banns. The country through which it passes is in a few places covered with sand, but in general it has a rich cultivable soil, free from stones and sand, though, like all the plains of Damascus, it is destitute of trees and even of shrubs. Villages and cultivated tracts occur only at great distances.
Northern Syria, which lies north of 34° 40'N. lat., differs in physical constitution from the more southern parts. A high mountain range runs along the Mediterranean. At the back of this is the northern portion of the Northern Valley, which is divided by a hilly tract, extending from south to north, from the Eastern Plains.
1. The Mountain Region of Northern Syria is divided into two portions by the lower course of the river Azy. The southern part, which comprehends about two-thirds of the whole, is known by the name of Jebel-el-Anzeyry, and the northern by that of Jebel Ahmar.
The Jebel-el-Anzeyry is divided from Libanus by a gap or depres sion, called El-Junie, which is about ten miles across nearly-a dead level, swampy, and only used its pasture-ground by the Turkmans and Kurds. The Jebel-el-Anzeyry occupies with its branches the whole tract between the Mediterranean and the Northern Valley, and is in width about twenty miles or somewhat more, except towards the southern extremity where one of its offsets, Jebel Erbayn, branches off eastward, and terminates on the banks of the river Azy, near the town of Hamah. In this part the Jebel-el-Anzeyry is about forty-five miles wide. The highest part of the range lies in general close to the valley of the Azy, so that the apace between it and the sea is filled up by numerous °fleets, which sink down to low hills and inclose valleys of moderate extent. The principal chain terminates east of the town of Antakia, in the great bend of the Azy. Where it terminates it is connected with another chain of mountains, which rises a few miles north of the town of Latakia, and runs so close to the shores of sea, that no road can he made along its western base. The declivities towards the sea are extremely precipitous and barren. It is the Mona Cassius of the ancients, and is now called Jebel Akrab. It attains an elevation of 5318 feet above the sea. The Jebel-el-Anzeyry nowhere exceeds 6000 feet above the sea-level. Its eastern declivity is generally very steep, and only covered with shrubs and low trees, but the western declivity is clothed with fine trees, and the wide valleys which lie between its offsets are cultivated or laid out in orchards and plantations of mulberry-trees.
Jebel Ahmar, or the northern portion of the mountain region, begins on the Mediterranean, occupying the apace between Ras-el-Khanzir on the north, and Jebel Musa, the Moms Pierius of the ancients on the south. Near Ras-el-Khanzir the summit called Jebel Keserik attains 5550 feet above the sea-leveL From this summit the range runs north east, but by degrees turns more to the north, so as to inclose the Gulf of Scanderoon on the east with a curved line. It joins the Alma Dagh about 10 miles north of 37° N. lat. Near 36° 30' N. the road between Seanderoon and Antakia traverses it, and the most elevated pass is 4063 feet above the sea-level. This range never exceeds five miles in width. The mountains generally descend towards the Gulf of Scanderoon with a gentle declivity, and approach near its shores, except towards the north, where a level tract about two miles wide intervenes, which gradually increases to the breadth of seven miles. This wider part is fertile and cultivated, and it is diversified with orange and lemon groves. The remainder is almost entirely uncultivated, but full of ruins.