[p.109]its Sheikh being generally of the family of Hariri; the proper
name of the village is Melihat el Atash. I there copied the following,
over a door:
[Greek].
From thence, in one hour and a quarter, I reached Ezra, and alighted at
the house of the priest. I again endeavoured to visit Draa, but no body
would undertake to act as my guide except a peasant, in whose company I
did not think that I should be sufficiently secure; for it had been a
constant rule with me, during this tour, not to expose myself to any
hazard, well knowing that this was not the place, where duty and honour
obliged me to do so; on the contrary, I felt that I should not be
justified in risking my life, in this quarter, destined as I am to
other, and it is hoped, more important pursuits.
November 28th.--I left Ezra this morning with the priest, to visit some
villages in the northern Loehf, and if possible to enter the Ledja. We
rode one hour to Keratha, close to which is a spring. From Keratha, in
an hour and a quarter, we came to Mehadje, whence I saw Tel Shiehhan
bearing E.S.E. To the east of the road from Ezra to Mehadje on the Ledja
are the ruins of Sour and Aazim. From Mehadje we entered the Ledja, and
continued in it, at half an hour's distance from the cultivated plain,
in the direction N.E., till we reached Khabeb [Arabic] at the end of two
hours. Between Tebne and Khabeb lies the village Bossir. From Khabeb the
Kelab Haouran bears S.S.E. This is a considerable village, inhabited for
the greater part by Catholic Christians, who, as I have mentioned above,
emigrated from Szalkhat. The Sheikh is a Druse. I met here a poor Arab,
a native of the country three days journey from Mekka; he told me that
the