[p.192]a half, the road begins to ascend: the Emir Beshir has had a new
road made the greater part of the way up to Deir el Kammar, to
facilitate the communication between his residence and the provinces of
Kesrouan and Djebail. At the end of four hours is a fine spring, with a
basin shaded by some large oak trees; it is called Ayn Besaba [Arabic].
At four hours and a half, the road still ascending, is the village Ayn
Aanab [Arabic], remarkable for a number of palm trees growing here at a
considerable elevation above the sea. The mountain is full of springs,
some of which form pretty cascades. On the front of a small building
which has been erected over the spring in the village, I observed on
both sides two figures cut upon the wall, with open mouths, and having
round their necks a chain by which they are fastened to the ground.
Whether they are meant for lions or calves I could not satisfy myself,
nor could I learn whether they have any relation to the religious
mysteries of the Druses.
The country from Kefr Shyna is wholly inhabited by Druses. The village
of Aanab is the hereditary seat of the family of Ibn Hamdan, who are the
chiefs of the Druses in the Haouran. At five hours and a half is the
village Ayn Aanoub [Arabic]; a little above it the road descends into
the deep valley in which the Nahr el Kadhi flows. The mountain is here
overgrown with fine firs. Six hours and a half, is a bridge (Djissr el
Khadhi) under which the Nahr flows in a rocky bed. The Franks on the
coast commonly give to the Nahr Kadhi the name of Damour, an appellation
not unknown to the natives. On the other side of the bridge the road
immediately ascends to the village Kefrnouta, on the N. side of the
river, where it turns round the side of the mountain to Deir el Kammar,
distant seven hours and a quarter from El Mellaha. I rode through El
Kammar, without stopping, and proceeded to the village of Beteddein,
where the Emir Beshir is building a new palace.