E.S.E. direction for 14 or 15 miles, enters
the Euphrates by five mouths in about lat. 36 deg. 37'. The course of the
river measures probably about 65 miles.

The Koweik, or river of Aleppo (the Chalus of Xenophon), rises in the
hills south of Ain-Tab. Springing from two sources, one of which is
known as the Baloklu-Su, or "Fish River," it flows at first eastward,
as if intending to join the Euphrates. On reaching the plain of Aleppo,
however, near Sayyadok-Koi, it receives a tributary from the north,
which gives its course a southern inclination; and from this point it
proceeds in a south and south-westerly direction, winding along the
shallow bed which it has scooped in the Aloppo plain, a distance of 60
miles, past Aleppo to Kinnisrin, near the foot of the Jebel-el-Sis. Here
its further progress southward is barred, and it is forced to turn to
the east along the foot of the mountain, which it skirts for eight or
ten miles, finally entering the small lake or marsh of El Melak, in
which it loses itself after a source of about 80 miles.

The Orontes, the great river of Assyria, rises in the Buka'a--the deep
valley known to the ancients as Coele-Syria Proper--springing from
a number of small brooks, which flow down from the Antilibanus range
between lat. 34 deg. 5' and lat. 34 deg. 12'. Its most remote source is near
Yunin, about seven mites N.N.E. of Baalbek. The stream flows at first
N.W. by W. into the plain, on reaching which it turns at a right-angle
to the northeast, and skirts the foot of the Antilibanus range as far as
Lebweh, where, being joined by a larger stream from the southeast,130 it
takes its direction and flows N.W. and then N. across the plain to the
foot of Lebanon. Here it receives the waters of a much more abundant
fountain, which wells out from the roots of that range, and is regarded
by the Orientals as the true "head of the stream." Thus increased the
river flows northwards for a short space, after which it turns to the
northeast, and runs in a deep cleft along the base of Lebanon, pursuing
this direction for 15 or 16 miles to a point beyond Ribleh, nearly
in lat. 34 deg. 30'. Here the course of the river again changes, becoming
slightly west of north to the Lake of Hems (Buheiret-Hems), which is
nine or ten miles below Ribleh. Issuing from the Lake of Hems about lat.
34 deg. 43', the Orontes once more flows to the north east, and in five or
six miles reaches Hems itself, which it leaves on its r