WADY BARRADA.
Dumar; on the other side of which we encamped. It is a well-built
bridge, with two arches, at twenty minutes distance from the village -
Dumar.
September 23.—We set off before daylight, crossing the mountains,
in one of whose Wadys* the Barrada winds along; we crossed it
repeatedly, and after two hours arrived at the village Eldjdide
), built on the declivity of a hill near the source of one of the
numerous rivulets that empty themselves into the Barrada. One
hour and three quarters further, we descended into the Wady Barrada, ¬
near two villages, built on either side of the river, opposite
to each other, called Souk Barrada.† The valley of the Barrada,
up to Djissr Barrada, is full of fruit trees; and where its breadth
permits, Dhourra and wheat are sown. Half an hour further, is
Husseine, a small village in the lower part of the valley. Threequarters ¬
of an hour, El Souk; here the Wady begins to be very
narrow. A quarter of an hour beyond, turning round a steex
rock, the valley presents a very wild and picturesque aspect. To
the left, in the mountain, are six chambers cut in the rock;
said to be the work of Christians, to whom the greater part of the
ancient structures in Syria are ascribed. The river was not
fordable here ; and it would have taken me at least two hours to
reach, by a circuitous route, the opposite mountains. A little way
higher up is the Djissr el Souk, at the termination of the Wady;
this bridge was built last year, as appears by an Arabic inscription ¬
on the rock near it. From the bridge the road leads up the
side of the mountain, and enters, after half an hour’s ride, upon a
plain country. The river has a pretty cascade, near which are
* Wady—Valley
* Souk (market) is an appellation often added to villages, which have periodical
markets.
