[p.348] the Belka. We had now entered a climate quite different from
that of the Ghor. During the whole of yesterday we had been much
oppressed by heat, which was never lessened by the slightest breeze; in
the Belka mountains, on the contrary, we were refreshed by cool winds,
and every where found a grateful shade of fine oak and wild pistachio
trees, with a scenery more like that of Europe than any I had yet seen
in Syria. In three quarters of an hour from Meysera we passed a spring.
I was told that in the valley of the Zerka, at about one hour above its
issue from the mountains into the plain, are several hills, called
Telloul el Dahab (Arabic) (the Hills of Gold), so called, as the Arabs
affirm, from their containing a gold mine. In one hour and a quarter we
passed the ruined place called El Herath (Arabic). The Arabs cultivate
here several fields of Dhourra and cucumbers. My companions seeing no
keepers in the neighbouring wood carried off more than a quintal of
cucumbers. About one hour to the S.E. of Herath are the ruined places
called Allan (Arabic), and Syhhan (Arabic). At the end of two hours we
reached the foot of the mountain called Djebel Djelaad and Djebel
Djelaoud (Arabic), the Gilead of the Scriptures, which runs from east to
west, and is about two hours and a half in length. Upon it are the
ruined towns of Djelaad and Djelaoud. We ascended the western extremity
of the mountain, and then reached the lofty mountain called Djebel Osha,
whose summit overtops the whole of the Belka. In three hours and a
quarter from Meysera we passed near the top of Mount Osha (Arabic), our
general direction being still S.S.E. The forest here grows thicker; it
consists of oak, Bouttom, and Balout (Arabic) trees. The Keykab is also
very common. In three hours and three quarters we descended the southern
side of the mountain, near the tomb of Osha, and reached Szalt (Arabic),
four hours and a half distant from Meysera. Near the tomb of Osha was an
encampment of about sixty tents