TRACES OF AN ANCIENT TOWN.

115

upon a deserted village, the inhabitants having taken to their tents, and gone to a distance, as the custom is during the summer months. The village, standing upon a mound, was surrounded by thistles, strong and lofty as those of the Pampas, among which was a thick spreading oak; and a clear stream running by the place, refreshed us with its murmurs, as we boiled our kettle under the shade of the tree. Beyond is a well-watered grass country; and at three hours we entered a myrtle wood which extends for some miles along the shore, where traces of an ancient town are visible in the ruins which lie scattered about the coppice. A small stream, called the serpent fountain, runs through it, near to which, on the left, is the base of a large sarcophagus,* built of immense stones, surmounted by an ornamental coping or torus; and a short distance to the right are two pieces of column that appear to have stood in front of a building, of which vestiges are still seen behind; there are, besides these, other remnants of the bases of towers.

While the horses and their guardians reposed

* The dimensions of these sepulchres have been fully given by Maundrell. I did not measure them.

116

RUAD, OR ARPAD.

among the myrtles, I revelled for a time in the sea. We caught here two large land tortoises, which I would gladly have converted into soup; but my Greek being uninitiated in such culinary mysteries, and moreover half afraid of the creatures, I was obliged to release them. Something less than a league from the shore, at a short distance south of Tartoose, is the island of Ruad, the "Arpad" of Scripture, one of the Canaanitish settlements, whose king Sennacherib reduced. By the Greeks it was called Aradus; and according to Dionysius was formerly joined to the continent by a bridge. The island, half a league in circumference, is partly covered by the town; and many pieces of the wall which formerly encircled it still exist, consisting of large blocks of stone set up uncemented, together with the ruins of some square towers of more modern date.

To the right of the road, on the south side of Tartoose, are the remains of a church, having several pointed windows. The town is enclosed within a high wall, irregularly built of stone or marble, protected by a foss, which in some parts is cut in the solid rock. Passing the town wall, we lodged for the night upon a

REMAINS NEAR TARTOOSE.

117

piece of turf beyond the arch of an old gateway; near to which are the ruins of the chapel or refectory of a convent, or perhaps those of a Christian church, having several lancet windows remaining. There are also some remains close to the sea, on the north side of the town, where appears to be the arch of a gateway opening to the port. Some Arabs visited the tent, and seated themselves by the fire: to what religion they adhered did not appear, but they spoke in no high terms of the Druses, who, belonging to the Ismeyley sect, or worshippers of Venus, inhabit the neighbouring district.

I left this place three hours after midnight, intending to reach Latikia, if possible, that evening. The distance had been differently represented; some calling it twelve hours, some fifteen, others eighteen; while by some it was stated at two days, and according to the Arab mode of travelling, the last account proved to be correct; but all agreed in describing the road as infested by robbers, and very unsafe.

118

GUIDES LOSE THEIR WAY.

CHAPTER XXV.

Guides lose their way. -Nahr Hussein.- Dilatoriness of Guides. Leave them.-Sophia.-Baneas, the Balanea of Strabo. Robbers reported. - Sponge-fishers.-Gebeleh, famous for its tobacco.-Greek Theatre.-Mosque.-Supper from the Sheikh. His partiality for the English. Leave before daylight.-Lose the way. Return for a Guide. Gazelles.-Wolf in myrtle coppice.-Lady pilgrims. British Consul at Latikia.-Antiquities.-Consul's Family. Entertainment. Head-dresses of the Daugh

ters.

June 1st.

THE morning being dark, we had scarcely proceeded a mile before the guides lost their way; and we returned nearly to the town in order to recover the track, which ran close to the sea. As the day dawned, and discovered the wild scenery of the shore, it gave the semblance of probability to the stories we had heard of the characters by whom it was frequented. Intersected by ravines, the sand produced different species of the erica, the arbu

TORRENT NAHR HUSSEIN.

119

tus, and the myrtle, of sufficient height to shelter any whose designs needed to be veiled. Descending a hill, we arrived at a bridge of one large arch, over a rapid and deep torrent, called "Nahr Hussein," which a short time before had spread over the neighbouring ground, carrying away the soil, tearing up the trees, and leaving the whitened pebbles to complete the aspect of desolation which reigned for a great distance around. The bridge had been so much shaken by the swoln stream as to be impassable, and we kept down the left bank toward the sea, the guides being in doubt where to effect a passage.

But they were so slow in their movements, and paused so frequently to consult about the route, of which they seemed to have no certain knowledge, that my patience being overpowered by my anxiety to get forward, I desired Dimitrio to follow, and urging my horse into the stream we picked our way through, and reached the opposite bank without mischief; but it required caution to get clear of the swampy ground beyond; when we hastened forward, leaving our guides to follow. My servant's horse carried the tent and the implements