The other temple is a plain building much ruined; it seems to have had a portico before it; the plan and view may be seen at N. In the front on each side, about ten feet from the ground, there is a sort of pedestal, setting out of the wall as if designed for statues; this temple seems to have been built long after the other. They have a notion that this river Fege comes from the Euphrates under ground; the Arabic name of that river is Fara; and if they were formerly of such an opinion, it might be a reason for their calling this river Pharphar; and if this was the Pharphar, the Barrady might be the Abanah. These waters, when united, run between the high mountains in a very narrow vale for about two leagues ; on the north side there is a narrow strip of ground at the foot of the mountain, and a little below the temple, the pleasant village of Fege is situated : This narrow spot is improved with gardens, orchards and plantations, which make it a very delightful place; to which the Damascenes often retire, and spend the day in summer.
Near the river, about a mile from the rise of the Fege, I discovered an aqueduct on the side of the hill cut through the rock, it is about two feet broad, and four or five feet high ; the top of it is cut archwise; I traced it for about four miles, most part of it is from twenty to forty feet above the river; in some parts where the mountain is perpendicular, the upper part of it is open in front like a gallery, and in other parts, where there are hollows in the mountain, it is an open channel two feet wide, and from two to eight feet high; I went into it from several of the hollow parts of the mountain; where I first discovered it, there is a channel cut down to it through the mountain about one foot six inches wide, and two high; I went about three quarters of the way up these hills, and by what I could discern, the water of a mountain torrent was stopped about that place, and diverted into this channel; and I found a large channel above it. In one part of the mountain, where the aqueduct is cut through the rock, there is a perpendicular cliff over the river, where there is now a foot way through the aqueduct for half a mile. They say this aqueduct is carried round the side of the mountain to the country about Caraw, which is a town in the way to Aleppo, about two days journey from Tadmor, though I should be inclined to think it was carried along to the end of the mountain Antilibanon near Hasseah, as I was afterwards informed it was, where it might be conveyed from the side of the mountain to a high ground that extends to Palmyra; and there is great reason to think this, as it is a very dry country, where they have hardly any other supply but from the rain water.
Though I saw nothing of the aqueduct till within a mile of Fege, where there is an entrance into it, as from the hollow parts of the mountain, yet it is very probable that this aqueduct was constantly supplied from the Fege, which might be by an open channel that may have been filled up; but it was doubtless supplied also by those channels down the mountains from the rain water, and by the melting of the snow, and when there was plenty of water, it might be let out from the aqueduct into cisterns, at the several villages, for the use of the country when the rain water failed; and at Hasseah above-mentioned, about seven leagues south east of Hems, I saw a ruined work, like a large pond or cistern, sunk a considerable way down in the rock, and walled round.
A little below the part of the aqueduct which is nearest to Fege, there is a fine water, called the green spring; whether it was ever conveyed by this aqueduct, or by another to Damascus, for a supply of wholesome water, and so might possibly be the Abanah, is difficult to determine; it is certain this water is now conveyed in a channel to water the lower gardens, and some letters remain of a Greek inscription cut over it in the rock.
As to the great aqueduct, there is a tradition, that it Was made by Solomon, which, if it were well grounded, would confirm the opinion, that Tadmor was first built by him; for the Scripture says, that he built Tadmor in the wilderness: They have also another tradition, that the aqueduct was made or improved by a woman, which may be owing to some improvements that might be made by Zenobia, the famous queen of Palmyra.
