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 right bank.  It then flows for twenty miles nearly due north, after which, on approaching Hama (Hamath), it makes a slight bend to the east round the foot of Jebel Erbayn, and then entering the rich pasture country of El-Ghab’ runs north-west and north to the “Iron Bridge” (Jisr Hadid), in lat. 36 deg. 11’.  Its course thus far has been nearly parallel with the coast of the Mediterranean, and has lain between two ranges of mountains, the more western of which has shut it out from the sea.  At Jisr Hadid the western mountains come to an end, and the Orontes, sweeping round their base, runs first west and then south-west down the broad valley of Antioch, in the midst of the most lovely scenery, to the coast, which it reaches a little above the 36th parallel, in long. 35 deg. 55’.  The course of the Orontes, exclusive of lesser windings, is about 200 miles.  It is a considerable stream almost from its source.  At Hamah, more than a hundred miles from its mouth, it is crossed by a bridge of thirteen arches.  At Antioch it is fifty yards in width, and runs rapidly.  The natives now call it the Nahr-el-Asy, or “Rebel River,” either from its running in an opposite direction to all other streams of the country, or (more probably) from its violence and impetuosity.