Kanouat and Soneida, and some of the dwellings on each side
are still standing. The principal remains outside consist of an
aqueduct, coming two miles W.S.W. from the hills of Zimri;
and within are two temples, a bath, a cistern, a fine theatre
almost entire, also two buildings called the Serai, one of
which is a square, with a court to the west, adjoining the
other structure, whose front has nearly the form of a half
hexagon. A curve or niche occupies the centre, from which
other buildings slant outwards on each side, so as nearly to
give it the form just mentioned; and the apartments appear
to have been in the rear. The inhabitants of Soneida grow
cotton, and manufacture from it the ordinary dress ; they also
weave woollen cloths mixed with gold thread.
From the Ledja, &c., and the Lowa, which represent the
two portions of ancient Trachonites,1 the Belad Haouran,
or En-Nukrah, extends westward to the mountains skirting
the valley of the Jordan, and again southward along the latter
to Wadi Zerka. This tract answers to the Roman Auranitis,
with a portion of Batanea and of the Gaulanitis; and, being
the route of the Mekkah and Medina pilgrims, its importance
is considerable in the present day.
Towards its northern and western sides the plain is frequently
interrupted by hills, which, in approaching tbe centre,
become very numerous; and at the southern extremity the
country again becomes level. The plain of the Haouran is
arable throughout, and in general very fertile; like that of
Aleppo, it is dotted with Tells, near which either , a ruined, or
a small inhabited village is almost invariably found. In certain
places at the western side of the tract, but more particularly
towards the south, there are masses of basalt; the
prevailing formation, however, is limestone without streams of
water, and almost entirely deprived of trees. Cultivation
appears occasionally near the villages, but the rest of the surface
is covered with scanty herbage, barely sufficient for the
camels, sheep, and goats of the Arabs and Druses. According
to their own account, some of the last people have occupied
1 Ptolemy, lib. V., c. x v .; and Colonel Leake’s Introduction (p. xi.) to
Burckhardt’s Travels in Syria.
these districts from a remote period,1 and many of them continue
half nomadic, sometimes dwelling in simple tents of goat’s-
hair, supported by four low sticks or poles, but more frequently
in the villages or on the ancient sites of the Jebel Haouran,
and other places which are provided with cisterns. The
Pâshâ of Damascus intrusts the local -government to the
Druse Sheïkhs, but they endeavour to rappease rather than
control the Bedawins, and the plains become in consequence
common property. From May to September especially, they
are covered with the El Fuhaily, the Es Sudiyeh, the El Aisy,
the Beni Szakher, the Serhhan,3 the Hammame, the Aniza,
and other tribes of Arabs.
Towards the northern extremity of this wide-spreading plain
are the villages of Ghabarieb, Didy, and Ba’al Me’on, now
called Es Szananamein, -or the Jmages.3 The first has a
ruined castle and reservoir, and the last, which is of considerable
extent, contains the ruins of several buildings, also two
square towers, and some Greek inscriptions. Nearer the
centre are El Harra, Om-el-Mezabel, the town of Eshmiskin,,
or Shemskein, which has a bridge, and is of some extent, being
considered the second place in the Haouran. A little way
towards the interior is El Mezareib, the ancient Ashtaroth ;4
south of which is Susim, or Sisim.6 Mezareib contains a
number of springs, and is considered the third place in the
Haouran,; but it is more remarkable^ as the first halting-place
of the Mekkah caravans, and for the warehouses contained in
the castle ; to which are annually sent ample supplies of
wheat, barley, biscuit, rice, tobacco, horse furniture, and ammunition,
all separately kept for the use of the Pasha and his
suite when taking charge of the pilgrims.
SoUth-westward are El Hereyik, El Herak, Melihat-el-
Ghazale, Daara, and Tell Hussein ; and, southward, Eléneh
and Remtha.6 The last contains about 100 houses, each
partly a cavern ; and it occupies several calcareous hills : in
1 Burckhardtfs Travels in Syria, p. 305. 4 Ibid. pp. 306, 307.
8 Dr. Zunz on the Geography of Palestine, p. 405.
4 Colonel Leake’s Preface to Burckh,, p. xii. 5 Ibid. 407.. 6 Ibid. 407.