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MEINET BERDJA.
road; and in three quarters of an hour tothe Wady Feidar (), with
a bridge across it ; this river does not dry up in summer time. A
little farther to the right of the road is an ancient watch-tower upon
a rock over the sea ; the natives call it Berdj um Heish ()
from an echo which is heard here ; if the name Um Heish be called
aloud, the echo is the last syllable“ Eish,” which, in the vulgar dialect, ¬
means “ what?" ( for ). Many names of places in these
countries have trivial origins of this kind. At two hours and a
half we crossed by a bridge the large stream of Nahr Ibrahim, the
ancient Adonis. Above us in the mountain is the village El Djissr.
The whole lower ridge of mount Libanus, from Wady Medfoun
to beyond Nahr Ibrahim, composes the district of El Fetouh
(), which is at present under the control of Emir Kasim, son
ofthe Emir Beshir, who resides at Ghadsir in Kesrouan ; he commands ¬
also in Koura. At two hours and a half, and to the left of
the road, which runs at a short distance from the sea, is the convent
of Mar Domeitt), with the village of El Bouar (,1). The soil
is here cultivated in every part with the greatest care. In three hours
and a quarter we came to a deep well cut in the rock, with a spring
at the bottom, called Ayn Mahous(). At three hours and
a half is a small harbour called Meinet Berdja ( x), with a few
houses round it. Boats from Cyprus land here, loaded principally -
with wheat and salt. To the right of the road, between
Meinet Berdja and the sea, extends a narrow plain, called Watta
Sillan ( 2,); its southern part terminates in a promontory,
which forms the northern point of the Bay of Kesrouan. Near
the promontory stands an ancient tower, called Berdj el Kosszeir -
(p). In four hours and a quarter we reached Djissi
Maammiltein (), an ancient bridge, falling into ruins,
over a Wady of the same name. The banks of this Wady form
