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SOWARAT EL DSAKEIR.
made; the Arabs of the Ledja being afraid to pass beyond its limits, ¬
from the almost continual state of warfare in which they live
with the powerful tribe of Aeneze, and the government of Damascus ¬
; while the Aeneze, on the other hand, are shy of approaching ¬
too near the Ledja, from fear of the nightly robberies,
and of the fire-arms of the Arabs who inhabit it. The labourers
in the saltpetre manufactories are Druses, whose reputation for
individual courage, and national spirit, keeps the Arabs at a respectful ¬
distance.
April 24th.— Khelkhele, like all the ancient towns in the Haouran, -
is built entirely with stone. I did not observe any public edifice ¬
of importance in the towns of the Lowa ; there are some towers
of moderate height, which seem to have been the steeples of
churches; and a few houses are distinguished from the rest by
higher arches in the apartments, and a few rude carvings over their
doors. From Khelkhele, S. E. about two hours distant, is a high
Tel in the plain; it is called Khaledie), and has the ruins
of a town on its top ; nearly joining to it are the most northern
projections of Djebel Haouran, which are distinguished on this side
by a chain of low hillocks. To the E. of Khelkhele, about four
hours, stands the Tel el Aszfar (), farther E. the ruined village ¬
of Djob Ezzerobe (), and still further E. about nine
or ten hours, from Khelkhele, the ruined village El Kasem ()),
near which is a small rivulet. In the direction of Tel el Khaledie,
and to the S. E. of it, are the ruined villages of Bezeine («»), and
Bezeinat (2).
The direction of our route from Khelkhele was sometimes S. E.
sometimes S. following the windings of the Ledja and the Lowa.
At half an hour is the ruined village Dsakeir („3), in the Ledja,
which here turns to the E. in the direction of Tel Shiehhan. On its
S. E. corner stands the ruined town Sowarat el Dsakeir (5
Ff
