[Footnote 14: Compare what Captain Lyon narrates with regard to the valley of Beniulíd, p. 61. of his Narrative.] [Footnote 15: Lyon’s Narrative, p. 30.] [Footnote 16: I will only mention, that the name “Hanshír” is evidently the same word with the “Hazeroth” of the Hebrew wanderers.] [Footnote 17: The name of this part of the mountains has, I think, been erroneously brought into connexion with these caves. For, from the word ghár, غَارٌ, the regular and only plural form besides اغوار is غِيرَان. E’ Sheikh e’ Tijāni certainly (Journal Asiatique, série v. tom. i. p. 110.) calls it expressly by this name, غيران. But we see from Ebn Khaldún (t. i. p. 275. transl.) that Ghurián was the name of a tribe.] CHAP. III. FERTILE MOUNTAIN REGION RICH IN ANCIENT REMAINS. It was past three in the afternoon of Thursday, February 14th, when we started from the dwelling of our host, in order to pursue our route in a south-easterly direction. We were agreeably surprised to see fine vineyards at the village called Jelíli; but the cultivation of olive- trees seemed almost to cease here, while the country became quite open, and afforded an unbounded prospect towards the distant southern range, with its peaks, depressions, and steep slopes. But the fine olive-grove of Sgáif proved that we had not yet reached the limit of this useful tree. We were just about to descend the slope into the broad valley called Wadi Rán, when, seeing darkness approaching, and frightened by the black clouds rising from the valley, together with a very chilly stream of air, we began to look seriously about for some secure shelter for the night. To our right we had a pleasant little hollow with olive- trees; but that would not suffice in such weather as was apparently approaching, and we therefore descended a little along the cliffs on our left, where our shoush knew that there were caverns called Merwán. Scarcely had we pitched our tent on the little terrace in front of these, when the rain began to pour down, and, accompanied with snow, continued the whole night. When we arose next morning, the whole country was covered with snow about an inch deep, and its natural features were no longer recognisable. Placed on the very brink of a bank partly consisting of rocky ground, with many holes, partly of marly soil and accordingly very slippery, we could not think of starting. At half-past six, the thermometer stood at 34° Fahr. Fortunately our tent, which had been fitted by Mr. Warrington for every kind of weather, kept the wet out. The caverns were very irregular excavations, used by the shepherds as temporary retreats, and full of fleas. The snow did not melt till late in the afternoon, and the rain fell without intermission the whole night. [Sidenote: February 16th.]