The New York herald., 1877-07-12
AMERICANS IN PALESTINE.
THE STATEMENT or THE AMERICAN IxpLoBA'
rIoN SOCIETY AND A PROSPECT OF osAHr
DISCOVERIES.
From the Atheneum.l

DISCOVERIES.
From the Atheneum.l
The fourth statement OF the American Palestine
Exploration Society. dated January 1877. has just
been sent to England It contains the engineers
report, the archsologists report ana Dr. Sslah
McrrilIs second journey Colonel Lane. the author
OF the hrst whose connection with the society has,
ws understand, ceased, gives nrst general ds-
sorpt,on Of the Of the ground This he divdSe
into three essentially different kinds OF country.
There are the mountain ranges and spura With them
numerous bold and high peaks, sharp ridges and rug
ged indentations; therc are the lower side Slopes
of these mountains and much OF the table land
90 denssly packed with immense powders
a to DO we'll nigh impenetrabe, and there
are the plains and uplands without impsdi
msnts-viz, those Immediately round sasa. widening
northwardly and extending broadly over the Damas-
Gus pau whe going south rom Sasa tho unobstruotsd
plain narrows to . ribbon OF three four miles in
width UNTIL passing the Leiah, II gradually widens
into the plains o Bashan, the monoouy Of Its sursoe
being broken here there by small isolated tells.
This plain continues with varying widths until skirt
ing (eastwsrdly) Jebel Alum and Mount Gilesd, it
again opens rs border OF rolling land rsaca'Is s na
spreading eastwardly and soutncrly, embracing Rad
bath Ammop, Masha and the plain eastward, say ten
miles beyond. The plain here suddenly wdcne
the westward TO Hosban el Al Ncbo) ana the west
OF tho wall OF the JORDAN valley embracing Zizs,
finally, tho Jordan valley proper found the east
side OF the river Lake OF Galilse Such
10 general description ol the GROUND.
rRosrEcTs.
Colonel Lane submits estimate of yearly cost,
mem WORKING or three years Now W the EnssS sur
voy, lssling in 1875 Of Two officers and four non
commissioned officers never cost more than e. Aoo
taking 1t Is be feared that there win be some DIM
Guilty In raising largo sum. The estimate, how
ever is greatly reduced by the Advisory Committes
OF Beirut Tho only other points OF interest In the
report the that the people, both Druses and
Mohsm m cdans, are disposed to DO friendly; and
rumor there exists, o. Damascus and within
approaching distance, ruin smilar 10 that OF Assha
large lake fed by winter streams The archeologist's
report contains interesting notices..oo oreL and un
Among them Is Um el Jema, previously visited only
BY Mr.. Graham and Mr. Waddington Unfortunately
the visit Of the party very hurried. Dr. Morrill,
says
Of N uuwaied town Ths prevailing style q building
den. Or is-n. RI: ss1ssss were rsnaisSis
the broad thus reausnE them alleys hes
through the city from north south sf which
.Ss @ ..S Ss 's' To .s % %
There Arsmaic Inscriptions here and few Latin
%; %
rare SO hs stone Eoues here are tue
sh Ts tie ON tho ory rs
-: .t some Of the fine, houses were hrsc sosie.
tina. the ceiling the third fee.
1s'' sa
building: and a a tn: pssS TO
ns By people Who and
and buried whss they found happened in verJ many
A HOOKING LAxD
Dr. Merrill calls attention to the extraordinary
interest attached to thas lsnd Of ltteknown ruins
cities Of the Hauran were destroyed BY hundreds
Shaimsneser. who "puIled them down'-no dolss
fired The Hauran Is not desert a all, but regios
OF great fertility Its ruins are OF every period.
tho Jordan, and there any number OF inscriptions,
In addition TO those already published BY do
waddington.
When Colonel Lane returned 10 America Dr. Merrill
remained In SYRIA and a. readers Of our columns will
Van Dyck. Among the various points Of interest IN
newly published report Of this journey notes
as isrss sna " we'll ell sui7..sd place % Hs calls
attention TO the fact that though there are no
ruins in the valley ITSELF there is found ruin IN
every just the point whore the streams leave
the Of the hills Hc ndcnts1es Jabssh Gesd with
Airysmu, the ruin OF large and very ancient town,
correspond with the distance gwen BY Eusc-
bus Dr.. Robinson proposed the present Ed DER,
sorSs a. susssd On az emn.pos scu Of
quito OF tho road leading from Pea TO Jerash He
found natural bridge spanning the wady north Of
hot springs besides those Caiirrhoe In the valley,
and hs suggests that Of them, Ltviaa which in
Hcrod He gives very Able summary Of tho whole
question cities OF tho plAin and proposes
s.o that o. Ten Ek;snu hs name n.: no %sa1iss IN
.IlIte city" Between Tell Ektanu and Tell e Hammam
he counted fifteen doens tho s'se OF which he states
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