Page:Syria, the land of Lebanon (1914).djvu/100

SYRIA, THE LAND OF LEBANON in the cliff, were constructed in the second century by the Romans.

Ain Fijeh, the next important village, bears a peculiarly redundant name, which reminds us of German Baden-Baden. The first first word is Arabic and the second is a corruption of the Greek pege, and both mean "spring." But, after all, "Spring Spring" is not such a bad name; for there gushes from a cave in the rock such an abundant fountain that the Abana here increases threefold in volume, and mediæval Arab geographers, as well as the modern inhabitants of the mountains, are unanimous in considering this the principal source of the river. From the cold, clear spring, a small tile aqueduct has for the last few years carried drinking-water to Damascus. Unfortunately, however, only a few of the more important buildings are as yet supplied from this source, and the common people are loath to journey to the public fountains when there are all over the city so many nearer—and dirtier—streams from which to draw. "The Moslems, especially, prefer to drink water which runs in the open rather than that which is piped," said a native physician in answer to my questions as to the health of Damascus. "So, you see," he added facetiously, "my practice has not suffered appreciably since the completion of the aqueduct."

As we descend the narrow, winding valley of the Abana, it becomes more and more choked with [ 70 ]