/sy-f-
NARRATIVE
OF
A JOURNEY BOUND THE DEAD SEA
AND IN
THE BIBLE LANDS.
*** This work, in accordance with the terms of the treaty of Inter¬
national Copyright, has been assigned to Mr. Beniley by the Author.
NARRATIVE
OF A JOURNEY
ROUND THE DEAD SEA
THE BIBLE LANDS
IN 1850 AND 1851.
BY F. DE SAULCY,
Member of the French Institute.
EDITED, WITH NOTES,
BY COUNT EDWARD DE WARREN.
SECOND EDITION.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. I.
LONDON:
RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET,
^ubltsfjer tit ©ttmiarg to p?er ffiajcstg.
1854.
JivaaAoa
tT 6\c.
850
v.I
PREFACE.
Lsr the month of July, 1850, a severe domestic
bereavement* made me anxious to absent myself
for a time from Paris and familiar scenes. Wishing
to turn this absence to the best account, I determined
to visit, with my son, Greece, Syria, and Asia-Minor.
Indeed, I thought that a journey of this kind was
likely to complete the education of a young man who
had just finished his college course ; and I hoped,
also, for myself, to find subjects sufficiently new and
interesting to be offered to the distinguished Academy
of which I have the honour to be a member. We,
consequently, commenced preparations for our journey.
But whilst meditating on our course, I reflected that
it would be no advantage to science were we to tread
again the beaten paths already traced by hundreds
* M. de Saulcy had just lost his wife.'—Note by the Translator.
vol. i. b
V1 PREFACE.
of other tourists ; and that the object of my own
travelling would be completely lost if I did not attempt
to visit countries still unexplored.
Such being my intention, there was only one course
open to us. The Dead Sea and its valley has of
late years given rise to many surmises amongst the
learned of all nations. All that was told of that
wonderful lake—though, from innate incredulity, I
thought much of it was mixed up with poetical
exaggeration—all that was repeated of the perils
awaiting the traveller who might be bold enough to
venture on those mysterious shores, strongly stimulated
my curiosity. Mystery and danger sufficed to fix my
resolution, and I determined to proceed at once to
Jerusalem. From thence I proposed to undertake an
expedition, the difficulties of which I thought were
likely to prove less formidable, on a nearer approach,
than they appeared from a distance. I solicited, and
easily obtained, from the Minister of Public Instruction
in France, permission to travel, at my own expense,
with the title of Charge crune mission scientijique en
Orient; and accordingly left Paris on the 28th of
September, 1850.
I had at first intended to travel only with my son
PREFACE. vii
and a very dear friend, the Abbe Michon, a scholar
and a man of warm feeling; but I soon saw my
little caravan successively increased by the addition
of three fellow-travellers. Two of them, Messieurs
Leon Belly and Leon Loysel, requested to accompany
me on my journey eastward. After having first
stipulated that I should retain the chief command and
sole arrangement of the expedition, I acceded with
great pleasure to the proposals of these brave and
excellent young men, being perfectly aware that, in
the countries we were about to visit, the addition of
two determined and active associates would greatly
contribute to our security. But, of all my com¬
panions, he who was destined to become a second
son, to share in all my toils and labours—M. Edward
Delessert, was the last to join us. A week before we
started, this young gentleman had not the slightest
idea that he was about to undertake a journey. At a
single glance, I discovered in him the qualities suited
to the difficulties and privations of such an under¬
taking, and I was greatly rejoiced when he joined our
little party, though unable then to estimate how
valuable his assistance would prove.
Messieurs Belly and Loysel, wishing to visit Lom-
ViU PREFACE.
bardy and Venice on their way, had gone on before,
and given us rendezvous at Trieste for the beginning
of October. We quitted Paris in time to join them.
Speeding rapidly by railway through France, Belgium,
Prussia, Bohemia, and Austria, we stopped but one day
in Berlin, only a few hours in Vienna, and reached
Trieste on the morning of the fifth day after our
departure. Our two friends arrived there nearly at
the same time ; and very soon after, one of the
Austrian Lloyd steamers took us to Syra, and thence
to Athens, where we landed.
A whole month was given to the examination of
the Morea. But so much has been written respecting
this country, that it is scarcely possible to say any¬
thing new 011 the subject. I need not delay the reader
with an account of that painful trip, which had at
least the advantage of preparing us for the fatigues
we were to encounter in Syria. The climate of
Greece is of very questionable salubrity, and, during
the whole year 1850, natives and foreigners were
alike visited by dangerous fevers. My son, too young
to endure the life which travellers must submit to in
those unwholesome resting-places called Khans, was
soon laid up. This threw a gloom over our journey
PREFACE. jx
at the very beginning. We hastened back to Athens,
where, after a few days' rest, his attacks subsided. I
had hoped we were rid of them ; but I made a wrong
estimate of the tenacious character of a Greek fever.
When we sailed for Constantinople, M. Delessert was
taken ill on the passage. Strong doses of quinine
restored him; and scarcely had we reached our
destination when I was seized myself.
My object in coming to Constantinople had been to
obtain firmans which would have enabled me to carry
off one of the Assyrian has reliefs of the Nahr-el-Kelb,
which I then thought worth the trouble it would
have cost me to have them removed and taken to
France. The firman was refused, and I have since
had reason to be well pleased with the negative, when
I saw this pretended epigraphic treasure, which I had
so keenly coveted for our Louvre.
We left Constantinople for Smyrna and Beyrout,
touching at Rhodes and Larnaca. When we arrived
at Beyrout, we had not abandoned the idea of
traversing Asia-Minor, from Smyrna to Trebisond ; but,
from our first landing 011 Syrian ground, we discovered
that everything around us had as yet to be studied
and inquired into—Europeans being utterly deficient
X PREFACE.
with regard to scientific knowledge in all matters
connected with this country. Our determination was
immediately taken; and, instead of extending our
researches, we decided to concentrate them in Syria,
spending such time and money as we could afford,
011 a soil which promised to repay our labours by an
ample harvest of interesting discoveries. It is therefore
the Diary of our peregrinations in Phoenicia, Galilee,
Judaea, and the biblical lands of Canaan and Moab,
that we submit to the general reader.
Am I mistaken in supposing that the narrative of
a journey which has left on our minds such a powerful
impression, is likely to prove, in some degree, inte¬
resting to those who may do me the honour to read
it ? I know not; but if my hopes have been too
sanguine, I trust the reader will forgive me, in con¬
sideration of the honest faith by which I have been
prompted to do what I thought might be useful to
those who may visit Syria after me ; in giving them
a plain, but clear account of what I have seen, and
in pointing out to them the objects I was unable to
examine. In either case, I shall find myself rewarded
if the perusal of my book has the effect of stimu¬
lating others to follow up the inquiries which I have
preface. si
merely begun. Even whilst treacling in the steps
of the learned Dr. Robinson, I have gleaned much
new and interesting information ; and am ready to
admit that, in those places I have visited in Syria,
there are still many and interesting discoveries to be
made by future travellers.
F. de Saulcy.
JOURNEY IN SYRIA AND ROUND THE
DEAD SEA.
December 1th, 1850.
Here we are, by seven o'clock in the morning, at
anchor within gunshot range of Beyrout. Though it is
blowing hard we have been on deck for the last half-hour,
with our eyes on the coast which we have so anxiously
looked for. All is not quite new however in the scenery
before us; it has something of the grave and sleepy
aspect of the eastern shores we have already seen at
Cyprus and Rhodes, and bears resemblance also to
the flowery banks of a lake in Lombardy. Everything
is green. The houses as they recede from the centre
of the town look like ornamental cottages delightfully
buried among trees. A building in the highest part
is shown to us as the French Consul-General's residence.
Dr. Pestalozza, the quarantine physician, who has been
already for some years a resident in Beyrout, is kind
enough to point out several houses, which we wish to
reconnoitre before all others; these are, the various
hotels where we may choose to alight, the Consulate,
and the residence of my friend Michel Medaouar. Such
VOL. I. B
2
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
are my first objects, but when I have got this infor¬
mation, I am at a loss what to think of next.
Two hotels are described as the very best: one at
Raz Beyrout, about a mile from the town, the other on
the wharf. But this last is wretchedly Oriental; the
other is too far off. What is to be done ? Providence,
having undertaken to get us out of the dilemma,
kindly sends us a boat, having on board, besides the
factotums of these two establishments, a little man, who
with a most polite and humble address, entreats us to
try a new hotel which he has just fitted up, and where
he hopes to have us for his very first guests. It is
a venture, but we will try and be the first customers to
the Hotel de 1'Univers. By the time all is settled the
rain holds up a little, and we are again at liberty to
contemplate the land we are about to tread. We see to
the left the summits of Mount Lebanon ; to the right, as
far as the eye can reach, and beginning from the very
skirts of the Beyrout gardens, a large zone of red-
coloured sand. Whence comes this sand ? nobody can
tell. How does it act when the wind blows as it does
just now? Very mischievously; but nearly as badly
when there is a calm, for it still moves on, ever advancing;
and in its disastrous progress, which no human power
can stop, buries everything under it. Orchards, fields,
houses, every object is slowly swallowed up by this tide
which knows no turn. Sooner or later the whole town
will disappear under the sands : a melancholy end for
the graceful Beyrout.
We are provided with lodgings : so far well. But we
are not yet landed. Very unpleasant stories have been
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
3
told us of the difficulty of landing. The entrance to
the harbour, or that part of the roads improperly called
harbour, is not practicable ten days out of twenty.
There is nothing to shelter it, and all along there is a
sandy bar, which with the slightest wind sends up such
breakers, that boats attempting to land are sure to
capsize. Dr. Pestalozza would certainly prefer remaining
on board to await more favourable weather, were he
not anxious to embrace his wife and child, whom he
has not seen for the last month. Luckily the gale
blows off shore, and the chances are in our favour. So
we take leave of the officers of the " Austria," who have
brought us thus far, and we make a start towards land.
Reaching it without mishap, we alight in high good
humour on the Phoenician shore.
We will not delay the reader with the thousand
troubles attending an arrival—which is nearly the same
thing everywhere. But in an inn at its first opening,
and in such a place as Beyrout, it is worse than anywhere
else. But what is that to us ? We are in Syria, on the
eve of beginning in earnest a journey attended with
every kind of stirring novelty ! Such a prospect seems
to add fresh spirits to the exuberant gaiety of my light-
hearted companions. It is a good omen, and I hail
this cheerfulness, for I know that our course cannot
always run smooth, and a light heart is a useful com¬
panion through a rough journey.
Here's luck to begin with 1 As we reach the shore, the
first thing we read on the front of a shop is, in French,
Cafe d' Europe. This is probably a rendezvous for rogues
from all countries. Never mind, if the people speak
B 2
4
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
French, and can lend us some newspapers not very
old. We'll try at any rate.
And so we did. In an liour afterwards we were
sitting in the Cafe d'Europe drinking very poor coffee,
smoking cigars a little worse, and finding in the shape of
a newspaper nothing but" La Voix du Peuple." Luckily
a number of the " Charivari " afforded us some compen¬
sation. In the pages and illustrations of this little
periodical, we recognised the light-hearted raillery of
our fellow countrymen, and we almost felt ourselves
at home. But the harsh guttural sounds of the Arab
tongue falling upon our ears from every side, soon
dispelled the illusion. I made this day for the first time
an amusing observation. If you see two Syrians con¬
versing together, whatever may be their religion, be
sure they are talking of cash and money matters. You
may bet on it and always win, for it is a rule without
exception.
Leaving this wretched cafe, we returned to our hotel,
where our host, Mr. Audibairt, had prepared our break¬
fast. Here for the first time we tasted some bananas
of the best kind, as we were told, and a very agreeable
fruit they are. But the pulp is rather too soft, resem¬
bling ice flavoured with butter, or perhaps more like a
pot of pomatum.
After breakfast we went to the French Consul's office.
Monsieur de Lesparda received us with the most cordial
civility. All that had been said to me in his praise I
found was still greatly below his merit. It is impossible
to be kinder and more obliging, and I sincerely con¬
gratulate all countrymen of mine who may have the
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
good fortune to meet this gentleman. He invited us to
dine with him next day at the Consulate. Whilst we
were conversing in his office, who should come in but
my friend Medaouar, who not only knew nothing of our
arrival, but had not even heard of our intended journey.
He is a noble-minded fellow, generous, affectionate, and
high spirited, whom I had had the good fortune to
fall in with, and to prize at his real value, some few
months before, when he visited Paris. I had then
promised to Medaouar—un pen en Vair I must confess,
and scarcely thinking I should ever keep my word—that
I would some day or other return his visit; and here I
am arrived, without notice. For a moment he looked
hard at me, to be quite sure there was no mistake,
and then we threw our arms on each other's neck, both
equally delighted at our meeting again.
Michel Medaouar was born in Beyrout, of one of the
best Christian families in that country. Brought up in
the College of Antoura, he speaks and writes French very
correctly; he is perfectly well read in all our first-rate
authors, and altogether his education may vie with that
of the best French universities. As to Arabic, his
native tongue, he is a complete master of it, and could,
if required, fill the chair of the ablest professor. In
soul and affection a Frenchman, he has for the last ten
years seriously attached himself to the interests of France,
which he considers as his country; and he fills at the
French Consulate the active but gratuitous appointment
of assistant dragoman. It would be very desirable if
our government had everywhere so devoted and so highly
estimable a servant.
6
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
After this visit we proceeded to the custom-house,
accompanied by one of the kaouas of the Consulate.
Through this man's assistance, by dint of cuffs and
coaxing, we contrived to get our arm-cliests delivered
over to us. Of course the never-failing bakhshish was
not to be forgotten, and the custom-house agents drew
upon our purses for a small supplement to their regular
allowances. We have still a trunk wanting, but we
hope to get it when the tohibohu, inseparable from the
arrival of a new packet, shall have somewhat subsided.
Patience, in this country, is a most essential quality ; so
we will even sit down patiently, hoping that all will go
right in time : I don't mean that our patience has not
something French in it; for instance, we may be sorely
tempted to fly into a passion at the slow proceedings
of every official in Turkey, and we leave the custom¬
house in no very good humour. However we go back
to the hotel, and there we get out our fighting gear.
Everything is in good order, and our arsenal is a
formidable one; double-barrelled guns, swords, pistols
of all sizes, powder, caps and balls, everything is
complete, and with such an equipment we are ready for
any emergency.
Thus satisfied with our preparations, we go out for an
airing in the country. Leaving Beyrout by the Saydah
gate, we follow the sea-shore, passing before a theatre
which they are just now building for an Italian Opera.
The whole structure is to be made of wood. The
weather is now fine, with a splendid Syrian sky. A
walk in this direction is quite delightful. The road lies
along the sea, which it constantly overhangs, whilst the
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
7
waves come clashing against the rocks below. Amongst
these rocks, one may trace everywhere signs of the
ancient Berytus; but these remains are daily disappearing,
worn away by the sea. In the harbour itself there are
some broken columns constantly beaten by the surge,
and covered with sea-weed. In other places appear, cut
out of the rock, what were formerly the foundations of
opulent mansions. Of the various monuments erected
on the sea-shore, only one has left ruins of any
importance; it goes by the name of the Theatre, and is
unquestionably a basilica of great antiquity, flanked by
a line of square tanks excavated from the rock, and
now full of salt water. A little further on, a small bay
with some Arab barques hauled up on the sandy beach,
seems to have been one of the havens of the old harbour
of Berytus ; these barques, thus hauled up, bring back to
our recollection the customs of the mariners in ancient
times. Such was the sailorsliip of the Phoenicians; such
is still the practice of the inhabitants of Beyrout. There
has been no change in the habits of the people of this
country; and this observation, which we are now making
for the first time, we shall have occasion to repeat again
and again.
The road we are following is lined with cafes, where
Turks and Arabs smoke the nargliileh and chibouk with
unparalleled gravity. All are very polite, for our
salams, which are not always expected, are invariably
returned; and sometimes they give us the first greeting.
Decidedly this country is more civilised than Constan¬
tinople.
After an hour of profitable walking—for we have
8
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
already collected a number of plants, shells, and insects
—we return to our liotel, quite deliglited with our first
day's work. The sun is just setting, and the town gates
will shut the moment his disc disappears; so we must
turn back in good time. Coming home, just as the
muezzin summons the believers to evening prayer, we
hear for the first time a strange charivari of bugles,
trumpets, and drums; thrice it stops to begin again,
and ends with a loud huzza. The Turkish garrison,
whose barracks are close to our inn, are praying for their
Sultan. All this is quite new and amusing.
The remainder of the day passed away pleasantly
enough in quiet chat 011 all that we have already
observed, and in fond recollection of the friends we have
left behind us. To-morrow we hope to see more, and
in the meantime we anticipate with great pleasure a
night's rest without the accompaniment of rolling and
pitching. But, alas ! sleep is no easy matter in Syria;
and we have already a foretaste of the nights we are to
expect in this country.
December 8th.
During the night the wind has gone round to the
northward, and this morning the sky is beautifully
serene. We hasten to write to our friends in France;
though our letters, they say, will not leave this for a
week. We don't care, for it seems to us as if by
writing at once of our safe arrival, our friends' anxieties
will be sooner removed; and so we refuse to listen to
any delay.
After breakfast we start again; but this time we
take our route towards the Nahr-e-Beyrout, that is,
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
9
in a direction opposite to the beach we reconnoitred
yesterday. The heat is awful; and the sun seems to us
to be more tyrannical than he has a right to be, con¬
sidering it is the 8th of December : flowers are to be seen
everywhere;—decidedly spring is coming on apace, and
we begin to fear the effect of such a climate while
pursuing our journey. It turned out afterwards much
to our cost,—that this fear was groundless ; for to
judge of the remainder of Syria by Beyrout is rash
and hasty. But if we were mistaking the future, we
enjoyed the present.
From the town to the river the road passes, at
some hundred yards from the sea-shore, through a well-
cultivated country, planted with mulberry-trees. Near
the town the road is much cut up and muddy, on
account of the rainy season; but a mile further it
improves, being less frequented. Before reaching the
river-bank, on our left-hand side, we come to a square
solid ruin : the rough blocks of which it is constructed
seem to refer this building to the Roman period, and
the popular belief attaches to it the legend of St. George
and the Dragon. It is here the monster was killed. A
large brown spot is visible on the grey wall. Do you
wish to know how it came there ? The saint, after
his victory, found it necessary to cleanse his hands from
the blood with which they were stained. It is this
blood, mixed with soap, that has left the unsightly"
spot on the venerable ruin. A little further on, a
small chapel has replaced a house where the warrior
rested after his bold adventure. I give this legend as
it was related to me by the guide, who showed us
10
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
the way; but I am not responsible for tlie trutli of tlie
story.
On reaching the N ahr-e-Beyrout we found a bridge,
lately built, with double balustrades and several arches.
But Turkish neglect of everything connected with means
of communication, already allows this bridge to go to
ruin ; the platform being in a very dilapidated state,
and consequently unpleasant to horsemen and beasts
of burthen.
To-day we have again increased our collections of
natural history ; and, after several hours passed in those
lovely valleys overshadowed by splendid palm-trees, we
return to Beyrout, and prepare to avail ourselves of
the kind invitation we have received from Medaouar.
He has promised to give us an Arab dinner ; and we
look forward with no little satisfaction to the idea of
tasting something quite new in the shape of cookery.
It was sunset when we arrived at his habitation, a very
fine one, with a reception-room ornamented with a
balcony immediately overhanging the sea. We sat
admiring from the terrace the splendid lights and
shadows of a setting sun on the Lebanon. The mountain,
all white with snow, assumes a beautiful pink colour,
which soon passes to violet; then, again, everything is
dark in a few minutes, for in this country there is scarcely
any twilight, and the day springs into light or vanishes
into darkness much more rapidly than in our northern
climate. After having enjoyed for some time the mag¬
nificent evening, we turned to appreciate the culinary
talent of the Arab cordons Mens. Their productions
appear strange enough to us Europeans; but after all
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA. 1L
they are not so bad, and Brillat Savarin himself might
have been contented, with the mahchi, the coubbali,
and the baklaouah of Medaouar's first-rate cook. Of
course I am merely giving the names of the dishes
without pretending to explain their composition. Ac¬
cording to etiquette, we preluded the dinner by a cup of
coffee and a chibouk ; after dinner we again resumed
our smoking and coffee, and by nine o'clock we were
back to our lodgings.
December 9th.
The wind has gone off again to another point; and
though the weather is now very uncertain, I go out early
for a work which I am anxious to accomplish. It would
be interesting to have a collection of ground-plans of
all those ancient ruins which we have descried along the
sea-shore. But after several horns' hard labour, I find
I must give up a task which would take me more days
than I can possibly command. On leaving France I
promised to myself that I should certainly attend the
Christmas solemnities at Bethlehem. But to keep this
engagement I must be at Jerusalem by the 24th at
the latest; and I should never forgive myself, were I
to miss, for some sketches of trifling importance, a
ceremony which I shall probably never have a chance
of seeing again.
As I strayed away from the town further and further,
hoping to reach at last the end of the ruins, I fell in with
other vestiges equally numerous. I concluded that it
was useless to pursue a work that I could not possibly
finish. Besides this difficulty, showers—Syrian showers
•—come pouring down one after the other. Vainly I
12
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
take shelter sometimes behind a large rock—sometimes
under an old doorway ; my paper gets soaked, I am
soaked like my paper, and obliged at last to return home
much against my will.
After breakfast I go out again to the beach ; but this
time intending to get merely a plan of the basilica.
My friend the Abbe accompanies me ; and we begin
sketching together. In less than two hours we get
through our work, though not without running a
hundred risks of breaking our necks in walking on
the broken rocks, which the sea has covered with a
slimy vegetation, upon which the foot slips as if it was
soaped all over. All that remains of the monument
is the bare skeleton: the outside walls, originally faced
with freestone, have disappeared, carried off very likely
by those who have built the modern houses of Beyrout.
To them these ruins were an available quarry close at
hand; and Turks would have considered it downright
folly to go and cut out stones in the mountain when they
had these quite ready within reach. Some of the founda¬
tion-stones have alone remained, fitted and grooved into
the rock, probably because they were not wanted else¬
where. The building is no doubt of great antiquity,
judging of its age by the size of the materials. What
constitutes the ruin of the basilica, as it stands just
now, is merely the core of the old walls. This core is
made up of three layers of masonry, close to each other,
but perfectly distinct in their arrangement and com¬
position. A long quadrangular room, terminating
towards the sea by a circular apsis resting against
the inward wall,—such is the general disposition of the
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
13
building. The side-walls close in towards eacli other
at an angle, the head of which, were it not rounded off,
would be in the axis of the room. Outwardly the wall
is strengthened by a foundation of solid masonry, and
of such superior quality that it has resisted, for centuries
the utmost fury of the waves. The rock below has given
way, whilst the artificial buttress is still untouched.
To the left of the basilica there still exists a quay of
Roman architecture, but it has suffered much from
the surge. To the right, as I mentioned before,
there is a line of square tanks, which the people here
suppose to have been baths, and which probably have
only been cellars used as storehouses. Formerly these
tanks had 110 communication with each other; but now
the rock seems to have been perforated by the salt
water, and the sea goes in and out alternately, as each
succeeding wave dashes up the beach, or falls back
again. One of the channels excavated by this continual
movement, presents a strange phenomenon. The water,
in rushing up the narrow conduit, expels with great
force the air contained in it, which again immediately
fills up the void when the water retires; and thus the
effect produced by this strange cavity can only be com¬
pared to the blowing of an immense pair of bellows in
a blacksmith's shop.
Reverting to the old building, we may be asked
what was its former destination ? It is scarcely possible
to attribute to it any other use but that of a basilica,
a large public hall, where the Phoenician merchants
were in the habit of congregating, probably for com¬
mercial transactions. It may have been the exchange
14
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
of the Berytans. At any rate, if it is not possible
to point out with certainty the precise use of this
edifice, it may be safely asserted that it was not a
theatre, for it is quite unlike any other building of
that kind; and besides, it could have admitted only a
very small number of spectators. At all events, the
structure must have been costly, for the ground is
strewed with fragments of precious marble, and the
entrance at least has been inlaid with mosaic work,
although coarsely executed. The red and white cubes
which compose this mosaic are of unequal sizes ; they
do not form any well defined figures, but rather a kind
of irregular pavement, of which we saw afterwards some
other specimens in ruins of buildings much anterior to
the times of the Greeks and Romans.
This mosaic, scarcely concealed by a thin layer of
earth, forms still the floor of the entrance. It was
the Abbe who first discovered it. In his enthusiasm
he hastened to clear away the rubbish from one of the
largest pieces he could get, with the intention of
carrying it off. I will anticipate a little by saying at
once that, next morning, very early, notwithstanding
the hostile clamours of some passers-by, he succeeded
in his undertaking; but not without exciting the
suspicion of the Turkish authorities, who cannot imagine
that French travellers should look into the earth for
anything but gold. A rumour immediately spread
through the town that the poor Abbe had carried off
I know not how much treasure. The Pacha was alarmed.
He sent a detachment of soldiers and some officers to
inquire into the fact, and to rake up the ground pointed
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
15
out as concealing sucli unexpected riclies. The good
people, on finding nothing but flints, persuaded them¬
selves either that we were mad, or that we held inter¬
course with the devil, through whose assistance we had
carried off everything precious the place contained,
leaving behind only the worthless pebbles. This is
no jest of my own invention, and assuredly the last
hypothesis was the one decided 011 by these intelligent
gentlemen.
Returning home from our excursions, we think of
going to the Consulate, where we are expected. As it
has rained all day, the roads are almost impassable, so
we avail ourselves of the only means of conveyance at
our disposal, by sending for horses ; and when it is
quite dark, we set out, preceded by a servant of the hotel,
holding one of those paper lanterns which you must
never forget to carry about in any Turkish town, if you
wish to avoid the risk of being seized by a patrole or
devoured by pariah dogs. As soon as we have cleared
the town, we get entangled in narrow paths, some of
which seem to be cut out of the rock like a flight of
stairs; others are knee-deep in sand, and all are lined
with regular walls of cactus, or prickly pear. 1 confess
we were exceedingly anxious to avoid any encounter
with this Syrian substitute for a green bush, for nothing
is more disagreeable than the pricking of the thousand
needles with which the inhospitable plant is bristled.
At last we reached the Consulate without having our
eyes scratched out. We had been already kindly received
by M. de Lesparda, and his family, emulating his cordial
politeness, contrived to make us forget that we were no
16
JOUliNEY IN SYRIA
more in France. All tlie members of the Consulate had
been invited to do us honour, and we passed a most
delightful evening. When in the wild deserts, we shall
often recal the memory of the little French colony of
Beyrout.
Every one here is more or less of an antiquary; we
therefore greatly admired several choice specimens
collected by the care of M. Perretie, the chancellor
of the Consulate. lie has formed an ample selection
of rarities; and some of the antiquities in his cabinet
might be envied by the richest European museums. At
half-past eleven o'clock, just as if we were in our mother
country, we returned to our lodgings by the same road,
taking the same precautions as when we came.
December 10th.
It rains this morning so heavily that there is no
getting out; I therefore try to make a fair copy of the
sketch we took yesterday, whilst I wait for the sky
clearing up a little. But I wait in vain. Our new
friends in Beyrout come to pay us a visit; after which
we go to the custom-house to hunt for our missing
trunk. By patient searching we find it at last under
a pile of goods. Towards four o'clock we are joined
by Medaouar. Speaking to him about ancient inscrip¬
tions, I inquired if there are any to be met with in
Beyrout ? He tells me a pedestal has been lately found
in his own garden, with a long Latin inscription upon
it. During a lull in the weather we run to the spot
and take an impression of this legend hitherto unheard
t)f, and then return in all haste to the hotel, for shelter
against the rain that comes pouring down again just
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
17
at the most troublesome moment; I mean when we
are busy copying the characters from the stone. From
these characters it appears that the inscription is posterior
to the time of Septimius Severus. It tells us that a
certain husband, called Rufus Artorianus, erected, at his
own expense, a marble statue to his wife, the most pious
and chaste of women; and adds that he has done so as
an example. Of what is it to be an example, and to
whom ? to the ladies, or to the gentlemen of his time ?
he does not tell us. If the lesson is addressed to the
ladies, M. Artorianus is ungallant; if to tlie husbands,
he is a coxcomb. Why should he announce in his com¬
memorative phrase, that he has had no other object in
erecting that statue than to hold up an example ? Could
he not sincerely regret a good and kind wife without
making himself ridiculous ? But I am chattering
about what does not concern me, and it is raining all
the time.
December 11th.
The rain continues still, and yet we must start, if
we intend being at Bethlehem on the 24th. The day
is long and tedious ; and we feel as impatient as if we
had been imprisoned for six months. Towards three
.o'clock the rain seems to abate a little, and rather than
continue shut up in this dismal place, we make a dash in
the direction of Raz-Beyrout, but not without being
obliged to take shelter more than once in an Arab cafe,
long enough to give Phoebus an opportunity of showing
himself, if he were so inclined. But he continues sulky,
and we proceed on our walk without him. We explore
some new rocks near the sands, and we find there
VOL. 1. C
18
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
unmistakable signs of ancient structures—cisterns and
wells of no great depth, but clearly defined. Night,
comes upon us unawares whilst we are still busy
collecting shells and insects, and we have to go home
in a hurry. The clouds seem to separate. Let us hope
the omen is favourable.
December 12th.
Impossible to tarry here any longer. Whatever may
turn up, we must be off. Yesterday two young
Frenchmen, who came with us by the " Austria," have
set us a good example ; they have started for Jerusalem,
and no doubt they have stopped this night at Saydah.
To-morrow we shall take the same course. We must
have fair weather at last, though it blows very hard just
now. But the wind is in shore; if it turns to the
northward, we may reckon safely on several fine days.
The sea roars in such a style that we can hear it
from our room as distinctly as if we were on the beach.
We pack up our things, dismissing all superfluous
articles, and retaining only what is absolutely necessary.
A horse-dealer is introduced with horses and mules
to let. We bargain with him for the number of animals
we require to ride and to carry our luggage; twelve
piastres a-head on marching days, six piastres when
halting; such is the usual rate. Luckily we have brought
with us our own saddles; the Turkish saddle would
soon have disabled us. I expressly recommend to any
traveller going out to Syria to bring with him this most
necessary article in his equipment.
Our staff is now complete. During our stay in
Athens we unfortunately engaged as a cook an animal
ANT) ROUND THE DEAD SEA. 19
called Constantine, who served in that capacity during
our expedition in Greece. He is the most perfect sample
of the Greek rogue, of all rogues the most accomplished ;
a cringing, fawning, sneaking, knave. In Athens, again,
we also engaged, through pity rather than because
we wanted him, a tall Levantine valet, born of French
parents, by name Andre Reboul. He pretends to act
as our dragoman or interpreter, though he only knows
Greek, Turkish, Russian, and French, languages which
happen to be perfectly useless in the country we are
going to travel through. He has equipped himself
as a Turk, and has taken into his head to put 011 red
garments which make him look quite hideous. He gives
himself great airs, such as might suit the chief butler
or major domo in a rich family ; and under pretence of
controlling M. Constantine's purchases, buys away in
great style for us, but without consulting any one. On
the whole he is a good sort of fellow, making much fuss,
doing what he has to do indifferently well, but approving
only of what he has done himself. To fill up the list
of our attendants, Edward Delessert and Loysel have
brought with them each a faithful and devoted servant,
and these brave fellows are considered by us as real
friends, rather than as mere followers. Both have taken
a great fancy to natural history; and if there is any
new or precious specimen to be found, Philippe or
Louis is sure to discover it. Master Constantine, who,
from the terms of our agreement, speculates on plundering
us of money enough to keep a servant to himself (that
is, a man whom he will treat as a galley slave, whilst he
compels him to do nearly all his own work)—Master
u 2
20
JOURNEY TN SYRIA
Constantine, I say, lias taken with him a Macedonian
Greek, called Nicholas, an honest fellow in the main,
and not deficient in courage, but too much of a drunkard.
This creature is dressed in his national garb, now nearly
white, but which we shall see, no doubt, passing through
all the colours of the rainbow, especially the darker
colours.
We are all ready, having taken such money about us
as we deem sufficient for our journey, and with our
tiskreh, or Turkish passports, in our pockets. To-morrow
we start early in the morning. We spend the
remainder of this day in making our farewell calls. The
weather is fine at last, and Providence seems to smile
on our enterprise.
December 13$..
The man who has not begun a journey, having to
depend on Syrian muleteers (moukris), can have no idea
how angry he can be with his fellow men without
breaking every bone in their bodies. At seven in the
morning we are quite ready ; the sky is beautifully
clear. Well, let us be off! Wait a little: the mules
are not yet loaded, the horses are not harnessed.
Patience ! Another hour goes by ; again the same story.
At nine we feel hungry, and to divert our ill-humour,
we make up our minds to breakfast in Beyrout, expecting
to get on horseback immediately afterwards, and to
make up for the time lost by marching on without a halt.
We have just emptied the stirrup cup. Every thing
must be ready now, so let us go down. Oh! the
wretches. There they are chattering, or rather bawling,
as if they thought each other deaf; but not a beast is
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
21
loaded. Every one seems to think liis neighbour is to
do his business for him. As we should never start at
this rate, we begin to get angry. They take this oppor¬
tunity to ask us for a bacshish (a present). We give
them plenty of abuse and some thrashing. Little by
little, however, through keeping our eyes upon them,
we get the muleteers to load our beasts. Every bundle
is packed; we are fortunate indeed! Well, we are off
this time! Stay a minute. Master Constantine has
bought so many good things for our table, that he must
have two more mules, which he wants us to pay for.
This time it is rather too much of a good joke, so we
leave our scoundrel to get out of the difficulty as lie
best can, and set out at last at half-past eleven.
It has taken something like five hours to load and
harness twenty horses and mules: a very promising
beginning. If we are to have the same comedy every
day, we may chance to reach Jerusalem in a month.
Once en route, our ill-humour gradually gives way.
We leave the town by the gate leading to the Saydah
and Damascus roads, proceeding first eastward, and
then turning off to the south. Before taking this
last direction, we pass through a pine-forest, which was
planted long ago, as the story goes, by a certain Emir
Fakhr-oud-deen, to stop the progress of the encroaching
sands. The idea was an excellent one; but wood for
building is very scarce in this country, and it was a
great convenience to find it close to the city gate; so
all the finest trees were successively cut down by the
Turks, and it is only within these few years that new
plantations have been undertaken.
22
JOUllNEY IN SYRIA
Once in the sands, all vegetation disappears ; though
some pretty little coloquintidas, green and yellow, will
sometimes appear above ground, while their stalks creep
along, buried in the sand. We find, also, here and
there, some small green patches, produced by a pretty
cruciform plant, with a large pink and white flower.
Our horses get on very slowly, and seem to undergo
great fatigue; we are therefore inclined to be merciful
and compassionate to them; when, about an hour after
starting, and just as we had crossed a small river, called
the Ouad-el-Rhadir, my son's charger shows us all of a
sudden that he is not particularly tired ; for the saddle
having been loosely girthed, turns ; the beast soon gets
rid of his rider, kicks off crupper, and accoutrements;
when free of every impediment, takes two or three rolls
on the sand, and then bolts off at a hard gallop towards
Beyrout. So much again for our bad luck. We should
have felt greatly annoyed by this forced halt at the
Khan-el-Rhadir, were it not that it afforded us the
opportunity of collecting an ample harvest in objects
of natural history.
Said, one of our moukris, has galloped off in pursuit,
and we are not without hopes that the fugitive may be
stopped on the road by our baggage-carriers, supposing,
however, that Master Constantine has at last finished his
preparations. In about an hour, Said returns to camp
with the fugitive horse, and some minutes afterwards,
we are off again.
At three, we reach the Khan-el-Khaldah, a miserable
specimen of a khan, built on the beach, opposite to a
low accessible ridge of rocks, among which we descry
AND HOUND THE DEAD SEA.
23
some ancient sarcophagi. We have scarcely two hours'
daylight left, so it is quite impossible to reach Saydah
this evening, and we liad better stop where we are to
examine the necropolis before us.
Just as we arrive, we perceive a troop of very good-
looking Arab horsemen, hawking, some hundred yards
in front; but whilst we deliberate if we are to select
El-Khaldah for our first resting-place, they ride off.
No sooner dismounted than we run to the sarcophagi:
we had imagined there were only a few of these, but
the whole hill-side is covered with them; all broken and
violated; not one to be found uninjured. Wherever
the rock juts out it has been cut into a tomb. Some¬
times there are long piles of these stone sepulchres, with
their covers broken to pieces, or lying upset on the
ground.
Behind the khan there are heaps of ruins, which
indicate the situation of an ancient city. One might
suppose it to have been of no great importance, were it
not that the immense number of sarcophagi collected
together close by, would prove the contrary. Then,
again, it is too great a distance from Beyrout to imagine
that El-Khaldah should have been merely the necropolis
of that town. We must therefore conclude that El-
Khaldah stands on the site of some Phoenician city.
Whilst our friends are all busy, looking out for
plants, insects, or game, Edward and I turn our atten¬
tion to the necropolis. We discover a Greek funeral
inscription, but so worn by time, that it is impossible
to make out the characters : the name of Juliana, is all
we can decipher. Going up southward, we cross the bed
24
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
of a torrent by means of a bridge, formed of a single
rock, thrown from bank to bank. When you have crossed
this bed, the piles of sarcophagi reappear just as numerous
as on the other side. One of these is most remarkable.
Upon one of the sides of the stone coffin, the head of
which is completely broken off, we find a bas relief, in
pretty good style, representing a winged genius, with
two full-face busts to the right and left. Unfortunately
all this is much mutilated; but nothing can be more
imposing than the aspect of this tomb, the lid of which
is still entire, and covers what remains of the coffin,
although it has been violently displaced from its original
position.
Night coming on, very much to our regret, puts a
stop to our rambles. We return to the khan. Our
luggage is arrived, and Constantine is at work. Andre
has dressed our camp-beds in two horrid cells, dirty,
and full of vermin; but we must be content perforce;
and so we are, content and merry.
Before the door of our sleeping apartment, and resting
against the wall, is a small shed, open to the wind on
three sides; this is our dining and writing-room.
Though the wind is high, and nearly blows out our
candles, we persist obstinately in taking notes, and
retouching our drawings with Indian ink. Of course we
make but slow progress ; and when we are called to
dinner, our work is far from finished. Whilst we are
dining, a long caravan of Greek pilgrims, proceeding to
Jerusalem, come up to the same halting-place. Men,
women, and children, and all sorts of animals, bivouac con¬
fusedly in the open air close to us. Nothing can be more
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
picturesque than the sight of this encampment with the
fantastic figures moving before the light of the large fires.
Danville's map indicates at the very spot where we
have halted, an ancient city, called Heldua. In the
" Pilgrim's Progress from Bordeaux to Jerusalem," *
there is also mentioned a place of the same name,
distant twelve Roman miles from Bcrytus, and only
eight miles from Porphyrion. The Rev. Dr. Robinson
supposes that these two numbers have been misplaced
and reversed ; and it is very likely he is in the right.
There can be no doubt that the modern name of
El-Khaldah may be exactly identified with Heldua.
After the miserable dinner served out to us by
Constantine, for which he charges us sixty francs,
though certainly it has not cost him five, we complete
our diaries as fast as we can, and turn into bed.
Positively the khan of El-Khaldah is an objectionable
resting-place. But we have begun campaigning, and
must bear all that happens without a murmur.
December 14 tli.
With the first glimpse of daylight, part of our little
band is already up and in action. Of course there are
some late sleepers, those, for instance, who need more
rest because they are the youngest of the party. As
there is no immediate necessity for rousing them, let
them enjoy themselves. The Abbe is the most active of
us all. When he chooses to sleep no one sets to it in
better earnest; but when he imagines, right or wrong,
that daylight is coming, he listens to no remonstrance ;
* "The Pilgrim's Progress from Bordeaux to Jerusalem," written in the
year oi our Lord 333. (Note by the translator.)
2G
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
no abuse even will stop him. So I find him on the
beach before daylight, looking for shells and marine
plants.
The pilgrims of the caravan are already moving off,
and we have not yet caught a glimpse of any of our
moukris; but the necropolis on which we stand is so
very interesting that I am in no hurry to leave it; the
more so as we wish to have an impression of the bas relief
already mentioned. We set to work; unfortunately it is
necessary to fold together such a quantity of moist paper
to take in all the outline of the carving, that we shall
never succeed in making it hard enough to bear off the
stamp. We collect some dead wood, and make a fire
to dry the paper, but with very little success. Not to
mention again this unfortunate stamp, upon which we
lost so much labour, I will say at once that it was a
complete failure, and that the first time we examined it,
we only found a cake of papier mache, without the
slightest appearance of an impression on it.
This morning we contrive to gain two hours in our
preparations for starting. By nine o'clock everything
is ready. We take a cup of coffee, smoke a chibouk
and move off with splendid weather, which reminds us
of the month of July in our own country.
The road we follow lies almost entirely along the sea¬
shore, and we do our best to make our horses tread in
the water, the wet sand giving them a firmer footing.
After passing before the village of Deir-en-Naimah,
and leaving on the heights to our left Dcir-el-Kamar,
formerly the residence of Emir Becliir, we descry the
hamlet called Mehallakat-ed-Damour, and we reach the
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
27
bank of the Nalir-ed-Damour, the Tamyras of the
ancients. This is a rather large and rapid river, which it
is sometimes impossible to cross when it suddenly rises in
the rainy season. There was formerly a bridge, of which
the ruins only are to be seen a few hundred yards
from the ford. We find here some fellahs who have
no other occupation but that of leading by the bridle
travellers' horses, they entering the river with the
water up to their arm-pits. These poor people receive
a piastre for their service, and really they well deserve
their salary. We had been looking forward with some
anxiety to the difficulties of this passage oil account
of the rain which had detained us several days in
Beyrout. But if the Damour swells, and becomes
dangerous in a moment, it subsides as quickly; and
as we cross it is quite fordable; the water does not
come more than half way up the horses' girths, and
we reach the opposite shore all safe. The banks of
the river are very pretty and green, and we almost
regret leaving the sweet meadows watered by the
Damour. Inclining a little to the eastward, we
increase our distance from the shore, so as to avoid the
pass of Ras-ed-Damour, which would lengthen our
journey. We pass through fields admirably cultivated,
the property of Emir Bechir, and we reach a khan on
the sea-shore, called Khan-en-Nabi-Younis.
According to tradition, it was at this place that a sea
monster threw up on the beach the prophet Jonah,
punished by three days of strange imprisonment for
his lukewarmness in obeying the commands of Jehovah.
A oualy, or small Mussulman chapel, called Nabi-
28
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
Younis, stands to the left of the khan. Behind it are
some fellah cottages; they have a better appearance
than the houses we usually see in Arab villages; and
close to the road, in the hamlet, we find several
broken shafts of beautiful columns. These are unde¬
niable tokens that a large town formerly existed in
the neighbourhood. To the right of the khan there
is a delightful bower of klaroubiers, several hundred
years old; before it, the loveliest shore, and the
Phoenician sea. The weather is delightful; the
prospect animated by the constant passing of the
caravans going towards Beyrout or St. Jean d'Acre ;
the sky deep blue, the sea kissing the shore, instead of
beating against it; date-trees, Arab horsemen, camels,
a golden sand;—all this fashioned by the hand of the
Almighty in the most beautiful framework of nature—
such is Nabi-Younis. Of course we were unwilling to
leave this lovely spot. But half an hour was all the time
we were allowed to admire, though it was hard to tear
ourselves away from such a scene. Our two artists were
in raptures, and declare they will return with their pencils
to this delightful place. They kept their word.
What can have been the ancient city which its
founders conceived the noble idea of erecting 011
this spot ? Some people have supposed that it was
Porphyrion, first mentioned by Scylax, and which
afterwards became a suffragan bishopric, dependent on
Tyre. We have extracted from the "Pilgrim's Progress
to Jerusalem"* a passage, which places Ileldua
between Beyrout and Porphyrion, twelve miles distant
* Itinerarie de Bordeaux a Jerusalem," translated and published by Miller.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
29
from the first-named town, and only eight miles from
the second. Agreeing with the learned I)r. Robinson,
we have identified Ileldua with El-Khaldah. If this
identification is correct, the numbers must have been
exchanged by some ignorant copyist; and Nabi-Yonnis
corresponds, then, exactly with Porphyrion, since the
distance between Beyront and Nabi-Yonnis is precisely
twenty Roman miles. The presence of those splendid
fragments of ancient monuments which we have found
on the spot, is another argument in favour of this
explanation, which was first suggested by Pococke.*
It seems therefore that Reland was mistaken when he
looked out for Porphyrion towards the foot of Mount
Carmel, on the other side of the Gulf of Acca. I shall
add but one word more on this subject: the name of
Porphyrion was given to the Phoenician town on account
of the (7wp<pvpa) purple shell fishery, which was probably
successfully carried on along the neighbouring coast.
However, I propose to discuss at a future time the
geography of the Phoenician coast.
It is past three o'clock when we leave the Khan-en-
Nabi-Younis, following again the shore whenever we can
possibly do so. Behind us, and nearly in a line with
the khan, we leave the village of El-Djyah, built 011 a
hill-side. The heat is excessive, and at times we stop
to slake our thirst with water, when we are lucky
enough to fall in with a spring; for instance, at Khan-
ain-es-Sekkeh, 011 the road between the two villages of
Er-Ramlieh and Djoun, which we descry successively
half-way up the valley to our left. Opposite to the
f See Robinson, vol. iii. p. 432.
30
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
first-named of these villages we cross a ravine, at tlie
bottom of which a very small river, called the Nalir-
er-Ramly, disappears. A little further on we come to the
Nahr-er-Oualy, which we ford, the stream being very
shallow.
As daylight is waning we discover at last Saydali,
stretching out into the sea. In this day's march we
have very seldom left the sea-shore, and our horses have
had their feet constantly bathed by the ripple. The
splashing makes them step short and sideways in the
most ridiculous manner imaginable. Whenever we
turn inland we are sure to find, for instance at the
Raz-cn-Naby Youms, unmistakable, but very disagreeable
signs of the Roman road which led along the Phoenician
coast.
Night has quite closed in, but the moon shines brightly,
and the temperature seems delightful after the heat of
the day. At last, following the sea-shore, we arrive at
the gate of the small borough which occupies the place
of the ancient Sidon. Before us rise stupendous walls,
through which there seems to be no passage. But lo !
we turn to the right, and then to the left, I do not know
how often, threading in Indian file through lanes covered
over by thick vaults, which seem to open now and then
merely to give entrance to the silvery moonlight; and,
after a minute's ride, we enter into a large square
court surrounded by high galleries. In the centre of
the court, where our luggage is already piled up,
is a reservoir shaded by the luxuriant foliage of the
banana and other oriental trees. This khan is a
French establishment. The French Consulate, a church,
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
31
an inn kept by a good Christian woman called Angiolina:
you find everything in this khan, the aspect of which is
very pleasing. This is the first time we fall in with such
good quarters, and we are therefore quite delighted.
.Our hostess receives us very kindly ; but our cook,
though he has had plenty of time to prepare his abominable
compounds in a real kitchen, does not give us much better
fare than the day before ; and after our supper we wo aid
most willingly turn in to rest, were it not that close to
our bed-room some workmen are taking advantage of
the cool night to pound by moon-light the earth with
which they are building a terrace. These good folks, four
in number, to charm their labours, sing together at the
very top of their voices, seven notes, which they repeat in
constant succession, timing them with the blows with
which they beat the earth. Two of them hold on with
the seventh note, whilst the two others begin again the
whole set, and so on without cessation. At first we find
this music something uncommon and amusing, but after
a time we get tired of it, and we should perhaps in
the end have felt annoyed with our musical neigh¬
bours, if fatigue had not very soon drowned in sleep the
consciousness of all other weariness. Every thing
considered, we are quite content with our day's work,
and to-morrow, please the Lord, we shall take our night's
abode at Sour, for time presses, and we have already lost
a day's march; but we have thoroughly examined the
necropolis at El-Khaldah, and besides, we hope to . make
up for the hours we have spent in this interesting
investigation.
32
JOURNEY TN SYRIA
December 15 th.
Before daylight we are 011 foot and promenading
through Saydali. The walk is not a long one. Fifty paces
through a wretched bazaar take us to the sea-beach,
where we have before us the remains of the pier which
anciently closed in the harbour. We are offered every¬
where medals, stones with carved characters, and remnants
of antiquity of all kinds. I purchase two funeral slabs,
with Greek inscriptions of no very ancient date, and I
assist the Abbe in taking off the stamp of another inscrip¬
tion of the same kind, engraved on a bas relief, which
has been stuck into the very wall of the khan. It is the
epitaph of an artist called Julian who has composed
it for himself.
At exactly eight o'clock, everything being ready, we
settle our accounts with Dame Angiolina and mount our
horses. We leave Saydali through the same gate by which
we entered last night, and ride at first along the city
walls. These are everywhere ornamented with banana
and palm trees. The sun shines out in dazzling brilli¬
ancy, and the country we traverse is most agreeable.
A large road shaded by tamarind trees and kliaroubiers
leads us again to the sea-shore. We are gay and hearty;
everything goes right, we only regret the pleasant shade
we have just left.
At about two thousand yards from Saydah we fall in
with a splendid shaft of a granite column lying close by
the road-side. It is a milestone which had been erected
by the orders of Septimius Severus and Caracalla, in the
sixth year of the reign of the first of these two emperors.
The inscription is still pretty well preserved, and we
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
33
remain some minutes copying it. This inscription,
already noted and published by Monconys in 1695, has
been published again with corrections by an English
traveller, Maundrell. Since this gentleman's visit inl705,
the inscription has suffered a little, but it is nevertheless
evidently the same stone he examined, and served to
mark the termination of the second Roman mile from
Sidon to Tyre. A little further on we found another
stone, erected at the same time, and by the care of the
same pro-pra3tor, Q. Venidius Rufus, whose name,
according to Reland's statement,* was written quite
legibly upon a similar column, seen between the first
one we have mentioned and Sidon, by an English
nobleman, in 1699.
Game is plentiful throughout this country, and
all our caravan to their heart's content make an amazing
consumption of powder. Lapwings, ducks, herons, are by
turns in imminent danger, but generally the poor crea¬
tures escape with the fright only. Not one of them thinks
of flying off at our approach ; the larks walk quietly
under our horses' feet. Evidently the natives of this
country are still less to be dreaded by the feathered tribe
than we are; the reason is this : they have all too great
an affection for powder and shot, which they keep for
better opportunities and for quite a different species of
game.
At a little distance from Saydah we crossed the
rivulet which the Arabs call the Nahr-es-Saynik • then
leaving to our left the Ain-el-Rhaziat, we fall in further
on with another little stream which forms a kind of
* Palaestina, p. 403.
vol. i. "
34
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
morass called Birket-et-tell. After this, on the sea-shore
and on a small promontory we see the Bordj-el-Akbea, a
square tower in very bad condition.
We come at last to a very fine spring, the Ain-el-
Khantarah, with a khan of the same name close to the
beach. The sea-shore is here shaded by splendid tama¬
risks, peopled by myriads of goldfinches who keep up
a most delightful warbling. It would be impossible
to find a more delightful halting-place; so we stop here to
breakfast until the heat of the day is over. We do not
start again until two o'clock. Soon after, we leave on the
height to our left the modern village of Sarfent; to our
right the promontory of Raz-Sarfent overhangs the sea,
and we arrive at the ruins of Sarepta, the Zarephath of the
holy Scriptures, called by the Arabs Kherbet-e-Sarfent.
Here resided the poor widow who sheltered the prophet
Elijah.* At present nothing remains of Sarepta but some
shapeless rubbish covering a good deal of ground.
A little further on we pass through other ruins of no
great extent, called by the Arabs Kaysarieh. What
Caesarea this can be, which is mentioned no where, I
cannot guess. We constantly fall in again with very
clearly marked remains of the Roman way, which led
along the coast of Phoenicia, and we are anything but
delighted whenever we come to them, for nothing can
be more wearisome than travelling over the stones which
formerly paved this road.
We soon descry to our left, and only a few hundred
yards from our path, the Necropolis of Adloun. Of
course we cannot pass it by without stopping for a
* 1 Kings, xvii. 9, 10.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
35
moment. Besides, I have been told there is in this
necropolis an Egyptian stelograph, indicating the passage
of Sesostris; the attraction is quite sufficient. We alight
from our horses, and begin climbing the rocks, which are
everywhere excavated into ancient tombs. After having
carefully examined some of them I set out in quest of
my stelograph. I do not leave a rock without inspecting
it from top to bottom, and, after a search of an hour
and a half, I discover that I am quite alone, that I
have completely gone round the hill, and that if I
have not lost my time—for I have thoroughly studied
the largest necropolis in Phoenicia—I have, at any rate,
lost all hope of finding here any thing shaped like an
Egyptian bas relief. Vainly I put the question to some
Motualis whom I meet accidentally—with no great satis¬
faction I confess; not one of them has ever heard of any
inscription cut out in the mountain. As I am holding a
pistol in each hand my interlocutors are very polite of
course. I think at last of rejoining my companions,
whom I find rather anxious for my safety, and shouting
out with all their might to recall me. It is nearly five
o'clock, daylight is on the wane, and it is getting cold,
so we take to our horses again in all haste.
The ground we tread on is damp and marshy; we
must proceed carefully not to break our horses' legs.
The country here is full of antelopes. Sayd, our moukri,
rides at the head of the column, singing away to break
the dulness of our march, when all of a sudden some
other musicians join in the chorus. First, it is a troop
of jackalls who accompany us for some distance with
their plaintive howling ; but the next moment they give
D 2
86
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
place to a more powerful performer. A hyena, still
fasting I suppose, follows for some time on our track
from bush to bush, sending forth doleful lamentations,
and seeming to implore us for a dinner of any kind.
Sayd immediately relinquishes the honour of marching
in front, and contrives to creep into the very centre of
the party. Every one cocks his piece, and we move
cautiously on, looking sharply to the side of the road
where lurks our uninvited travelling companion. How¬
ever, I do not understand why the Arabs hold the hyena
in such dread, for nothing can be more cowardly than
that hideous animal. In about half an hour the brute
gave us up, and all our guns were slung again.
On leaving Adloun we crossed the Nahr-aboul-Asoued,
close to the ruins of an ancient bridge; already, before
reaching the necropolis, we had met with a small
stream, over which were observed the abutments of
some very old construction of the same kind. Lastly,
towards half-past six o'clock, when night had nearly
closed in, we cross the Nahr-el-Kasmieh over a fine
modern bridge (Djesr-el-Kasmieli), built by Ibrahim
Pacha, and arrive almost immediately at the Khan-el-
Kasmieh, a sort of ruined fortress, where we are obliged,
whether we like it or not, to take shelter for the
night; the khandji does not look more inviting than his
establishment, and we determine to keep guard all night,
each of us mounting sentry by turns.
A host of pilgrims of both sexes had reached the
khan before us. Andre, who came on a-head, has
thought proper to turn out of the only sheltered vault,
the people who had already taken up their quarters
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
37
there. As he speaks to them in Turkish, and makes a
great deal of noise, he succeeds in rendering these good
people afraid of him, and they arc silly enough to give
up their room to him, or rather to us. So we turn in
in their stead, but reckon upon passing a wretched
night on account of the vermin.
In this respect we were not disappointed; we had
even the surprise of an additional pleasure. There were
next to us some cocks and hens belonging to the
khandji, and we had entered 011 possession of our
bed-room without imagining that we were not the only
occupiers of the place. But scarcely were we, with
the exception of the sentry 011 duty, stretched 011 our
camp cots, when one cock, then two cocks, then a
host of cocks began crowing so as to drive us mad.
We caught hold of the troublesome birds and expelled
them, notwithstanding the angry vociferations of the
khandji, whom we turned out along with his pets.
But alas ! the wall was quite full of holes which
we had not thought of stopping; just as we were
enjoying the idea that we were rid of our crowing
neighbours, they began once more as shrill as ever, all
the exiles having got in again with the exception of
the khandji. To turn them out a second time, and
to stop such apertures in the wall as we could discover,
was the work of a moment; but five minutes after it
was all the same, the fowls had invaded us a third
time. So we gave up further resistance, taking the
wisest course, that of laughing at our annoyance, and
doing our best to sleep as well as we could.
38
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
December 16th.
Daylight breaks again; no one this time proves lazy
or requires to be called. Now then let us be off.
Stop ! we are reckoning without our host. Last night
we frightened the khandji's poultry ; nay, we turned him
out himself. During our sleep he has taken his revenge.
Arab horses never stray from the encamping ground,
this is a well established fact. Still, this morning three
of our horses are missing; they have been stolen of
course. But this does not suit us, any more than it
suits our moukris. We inquire angrily after our
horses, and are quite prepared to deal vengeance on
the khandji, and an old ragged mendicant who seems
to be his accomplice. Threatening these two scoundrels
with our pistols, we announce to them that if our horses
are not brought back immediately, we shall take both
worthies with us as prisoners to Sour, where we promise
to procure for them the pleasures of a regular bastinado.
At first they listened to us with prodigious indifference ;
it would seem as if they were totally unconcerned
in what we were saying. But the khandji very soon
finds out that we are in no jesting humour, that we are
clearly the stronger party; and as, in this country, the
stronger party has always the best of the argument, and
as it is not quite safe playing tricks with people who
speak very roundly of shooting both him and his honest
friend through the head, rather than of submitting to be
robbed by them, he makes up his mind to go in quest
of our animals. He starts with two of our moukris
whilst we keep our eye upon his confederate. Within
an hour our three horses are brought back by him
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
39
ready harnessed. The reader may guess that for this
once we did not pay much for our night's lodging.
We are off at last by nine o'clock. The khan we
have just left looks like an old ruined fortress. Some
remains of ancient structures, some fragments of pillars,
are rudely built up into the walls ; and, as the Arabs
seldom employ any other materials but those they have
at hand, it is very probable that the Khan-el-Ivasmieh
has taken the place of a Phoenician town, which we shall
endeavour to make out by and by.
Leaving the banks of the Nahr-el-Kasmieh, the Leontes
of the ancients, we cross over some marshy ground, at
the extremity of which we come up to a kind of large
horse-pond, called Ain-el-Barouk. The water in it is
lukewarm, and abounds with pretty river shells, of which
we make an ample collection whilst our horses are
drinking. Our sportsmen again fired away at a great
rate during the entire march. In half an hour more,
having passed on our left the ruins of an aqueduct, we
enter the town of Sour.
We take up our lodgings at the Austrian consul's resi¬
dence, close upon a dock, of no great depth, formed
towards the open sea by the remains of an ancient mole.
We arrived early enough to obtain a look at the town
before dinner. Our first visit is to the ruins of the
cathedral: they are imposing; but what excites our
admiration even more, is the sight of some magni¬
ficent double columns of pink granite, and prodigious
size, half buried under the walls of some modern houses.
On one of these walls I find a fragment of an inscription
of the thirteenth century, but with only one word
40
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
left, the name Marescalcus. After this, we examine
the ruins of a large structure, which they call here the
Seraglio; but it is now deserted, having become
unsafe from repeated shocks of earthquakes. We
find here a considerable number of shells and insects;
and before daylight is quite spent, we proceed to an
esplanade of ramparts, commanding the sea from a
great height. At the foot of these ramparts the waves
break against a massive wall of masonry, in which
are buried without any order or distinction, a great
number of broken pillars, time-worn by the lapse of
centuries. Some excavated rocks, like those we have
seen in Beyrout, appear here and there along the coast.
Such are the remains of Tyre, the splendid metropolis
of Phoenicia.
We have scarcely light enough left to find our way
back when we make up our minds to return home : there
we are visited by a host of dealers in antiquities; but
they have nothing very interesting, and with the excep¬
tion of some medals and a pretty little head of an
empress in white marble, we find scarcely anything to
satisfy our taste for relics of by-gone ages. Compared
to our last night's resting-place, our lodging is a palace;
and this time, at all events, we shall enjoy a really good
night.
December 17 th.
This morning at eight o'clock, we have resumed
our march, leaving Sour by the same gate through
which we entered it; and that for an excellent reason,
the town has 110 other. About a hundred yards from
this entrance is a kind of square tower, or rather reser-
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
41
voir, called the Ain-Habrian. A fine ancient sarcophagus
is used here as a trough.
At first we proceed eastward, then we turn to the south,
in the direction of Deir-Khanoun, which we descry 011 a
distant height. To the right, and towards the sea¬
shore, at about five hundred yards from the city gate,
stands surrounded by gardens the Bordj-el-Mogharby
(western tower). The road stretches across a level of
very light sand, above which we perceive two shafts of
columns, standing at about a thousand yards from the
present town of Sour. A thousand yards further 011,
and in the same direction, is a Mussulman oualy (chapel),
called Naby-Yaliia, and also two considerable farms
(Mezrao), dependencies of Raz-el-Ain. In the hamlet
so called (Raz-el-Ain) are some very remarkable wells,
called Solomon's Wells, and some mills which are set
in motion by a small river called the Nahr Raz-el-Ain;
and lastly, beyond a mill which is built on the right
bank of the river, is a burying-ground. The hamlet
itself is about five thousand yards distant from Sour.
We shall see, by and by, what we are probably to make
of Raz-el-Ain at the time when Tyre was flourishing.
We cross the Nahr Raz-el-Ain close to the ruins of a
bridge, named by the Arabs Djesr-el-Maksour; and after
having proceeded for several hours southward, and along
the sea-shore, we direct our course straight on to
St. Jean d'Acre, where we trust to arrive in the evening.
Along the coast we fall in again pretty often, as we
have done for days before, with traces of the old Roman
road. The weather is still the same, and the tempe¬
rature may be compared in every respect to that of the
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
fine summer days of our own country. But our
happiness is unfortunately marred by an accident which
we were far from anticipating. Towards ten o'clock in
the morning, my son is taken ill again with fever, and is
seized by a very violent fit. I begin to discover that he
is not yet strong enough to endure the fatigues insepar¬
able from such a journey; and the thought of the
awful responsibility which would hang over me, if,
unfortunately, the health of my only child were to be
permanently injured, leads me to the resolution of sending
him back to France, where the affectionate care and
superior medical attendance which he is sure to find
will restore him before the disease has had time to grow
upon his constitution. However, we are now only three
or four days' march from Jerusalem. To return home
without having accomplished such a pilgrimage, I know,
would be to him a subject of endless regret. I there¬
fore impart my intention with hesitation and reluctance ;
but at the same time I comfort him as well as I can, and
explain how necessary it is to push 011 to Jerusalem, where
some days' rest will restore his strength sufficiently to
enable him to retrace his steps toBeyrout,and then proceed
from that place to Prance by the next steamer.
By eleven o'clock we pass the ruins of an ancient
town of considerable size, called now Kharbet-es-
Chebraych. These ruins lie at the foot of the abrupt
declivity leading to the summit of Raz-el-Abiadh, or
the White Cape, so called on account of the chalk
rock which forms the promontory. The road is cut out
of the rock, and is very steep and difficult for our horses.
Whilst we ascend it, the Abbe and my son have remained
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
43
behind—the Abbe, to collect some new plants; my son,
because, labouring under fever, he cannot keep up
with the pace of our horses. All of a sudden we hear
the Abbe calling out for help; and I hasten down to
join them in great anxiety. My poor son had fallen
heavily from his horse, his strength failing him, so that
he could not keep the saddle. Indeed, he had been
very nearly either killed on the spot, or rolled from
the highest point of the cape into the sea.
Supporting and helping him in the best way we can,
we carry him to the summit of the cape, where there is a
wretched khan, called the Khan-el-Khamrali, and a
deserted tower, called the Bordj-el-Biadeh, or White
Tower. Close to it runs a stream with very little water,
called the Ain-el-Khamrah. Here we make a halt,
which has become absolutely necessary, to allow my son's
fever to subside a little. Our cook Constantine sets to
work, and the invalid, covered with the cloaks and great
coats of all the party, enjoys a quiet sleep inside the
khan, whilst we breakfast in the open air.
Up to two o'clock we remain in this place examining
the rocks, and collecting from among them some sea-
urchins, and fossil shells, which we have great difficulty
in detaching from the chalky stratum. Some fine
plants, some insects, and some land shells, all quite new
to us, have made us bear our misfortune with tolerable
patience, so that we do not much regret the time we
have spent at the Raz-el-Abiadh. At two o'clock, we
mount again, or rather we pretend to mount our horses,
for on the southern declivity of this cape the road is
quite as bad as on the northern side, and we are obliged
44
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
to take great preeautions to avoid fresh accidents;
at last we are again on a level with the shore, and on
the Roman road. At some hundred yards only from
the foot of the cape, we stop before a double fountain,
overgrown with bright green moss, and placed at the
opening of a small eminence covered with rubbish.
These remains are named by the Arabs, Iskanderoon,
which indicates undoubtedly the site of the town, men¬
tioned in the " Itinerary from Bordeaux to Jerusalem,"
in the year of our Lord 333, under the title of Alex-
androschines.
We had lost too much time at the Khan-el-Khamrah,
to have any chance of reaching St. Jean d'Acre before
the closing of the gates, so we make up our minds to
stop at the Khan-en-Nakoura, which we shall find on
the road two or three leagues further on. We allow
our luggage to precede us, and my son being anxious
to reach the resting-place as soon as possible, goes on
with the luggage. The remainder of the party proceed
as usual, slowly, carefully examining everything that
appears worthy of observation.
Iialf-a-league beyond Iskanderoon, and 011 the summit
of some small hills covered with thorns and dwarf
trees, we perceive a pillar standing erect. I immediately
question our moukri, Said, who has a very good know¬
ledge of this country. " This place/' says he, " is
called Oum-el-Aamid; but no traveller ever visits it;
there's nothing to be seen." Oum-el-Aamid, the mother
of pillars! such a name is quite enough to make me
determine at once to run to the spot. I push my
horse out of the beaten path ; and through the high grass
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
45
and the brushwood I reach the foot of the declivity,
upon which stands out in bold relief the column we have
seen from afar. Once there we are amply repaid for
our curiosity, and for our firmness in not listening to
the moukris, who are always ready to declare there
is nothing to be seen wherever we propose to stop,
because the place appears to us worth our examining.
Instinctively—also, perhaps through a spirit of contra¬
diction, and to avoid travelling like common tourists,
who are led like so much luggage from one place to
another—whenever our guides assert there is nothing to
be seen, and that we had better go on, we immediately
stop and examine; and it very seldom happens that we
do not succeed in making some interesting discoveries.
We never, I believe, have had better cause to con¬
gratulate ourselves on this determination, than in the
present circumstance of Oum-el-Aamid. On the very
first eminence we ascended of the small range of wooded
hills on which we have just entered, we fall in with
sepulchral grottoes ; the coffin of an enormous sarco¬
phagus, ornamented in front with an altar cut out of
the same block of stone; then again with walls of
Cyclopean structure. When 011 the summit, it is not
one pillar, but three pillars that we find standing; one
only has preserved its capital, the same we observed
from the road. Numberless capitals and broken shafts
cover the ground. The capitals are Ionic, and elegant
palmettos curl round the shaft at the summit.
A fine mosaic paved the monument we are now
examining, and we succeed in clearing irom the sur¬
rounding rubbish a considerable portion of it. Black,
46
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
red, and white cubes, regularly intermixed, form graceful
figures on the fragment we have before us; but we
have neither time nor means to ascertain whether this
splendid pavement contains more elaborate designs.
Beyond this monument, and as far as the eye can reach,
the declivities are covered with briars, through which
numberless walls of Cyclopean structure, but of inferior
materials, spring up, forming quadrangular inclosures
with doorways, supporting terraces, and what may have
formerly acted as ramparts.
Two horns are employed in examining very imperfectly
a small portion of this ancient city, but the approach of
night compels us to tear ourselves away from a place
where many most interesting observations might be
made, which would occupy days ; however, we hasten
to get on horseback, as we have no guide with us, and
are anxious to recover our road again before night has
closed in.
In a few minutes we are on the proper track, and
cross an inconsiderable stream over which there is an
ancient bridge, in ruins, called the Djesr-el-Madfoun
(or the buried bridge). We thought we had no great
distance to go to reach our resting-place, but when we
examine the Khan-en-Nakoura, where we find only the
khandji, we think our servants have done right in
pushing on, and in believing that we should never consent
to pass a whole night on such a dunghill, where there
is not room enough for ourselves even without our
luggage. While we are completely at a loss in which
direction to proceed, the chief of our moukris comes
to meet us, not so much because he felt anxiety on our
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
47
account, but that he wanted to persuade us to turn off
to El-Bassah, a village quite inland and to the left of the
road leading to St. Jean d'Acre.
We leave the sea-shore at the cape called Raj-el-Ashraf,
and moving eastward, through a well-cultivated plain,
planted with fine olive trees, arrive after three hours'
ride at the entrance to El-Bassah. Here we have to go
from house to house, fighting our way through a legion
of savage dogs who bark at us most furiously, in quest
of the resting-place which has been prepared for our
reception; until we arrive at last in front of an extensive
barn occupied by a Greek priest, and used by him
both as church and habitation. A ladder, composed of
stones stuck into the wall at regular intervals takes us
to a platform on a level with a large shed which opens
into it. This is to be our drawing, dining, and sleeping
room. We should have been more comfortable here
than in our former dormitories had it not been for the
smoke and the mosquitoes. We had hoped that the
one nuisance would have rid us of the other; but
alas! it was an illusion; we were devoured all night;
but, everything considered, the day has been a splendid
one; we have made some capital discoveries, and
to-morrow, if we meet with no accident, we shall be
at St. Jean d'Acre.
December 18 th.
Before severi o'clock we were on horseback, and
directing our course diagonally across the country, so as
to fall in again into the Acre road. We reach it a little
above Ez-zib, the Ecdippa of Josephus, and the Achzib
of the book of Joshua (xix, 29). In the book of
48
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
Judges (i, 31), we read that although this town had
been assigned to the tribe of Asher, the children of
Asher did not succeed in taking possession of it, or in
expelling the Canaanites.
On leaving El-Bassah, we observed, two thousand
yards distant to our left, and on the summit of a hill, a
tall monumental pillar standing alone, which the moukris
call Amoud-el-Kamsy; I regret exceedingly not having
had time to examine it, and I hope the attention of other
travellers may be directed to this point.
Before getting into the beaten path beyond Ez-zib,
we meet with numerous herds of antelopes. But the
labourers are swarming in the fields ; they are often
concealed by the high grass, and the fear of sending a
stray bullet through one of them is enough to make us
give up all temptation to sporting. By ten o'clock we
halt on the bank of a rivulet, under magnificent orange
trees covered with flowers and fruit. This place is
called Djesr-el-Mejraah, on account of a paved road and
a bridge crossing the marshy ground formed by the
N ahr-el-Mejraah.
Whilst Master Constantine is preparing our breakfast
and complaining that we eat too much, and that we
have appetites which he never bargained for, judging
from what he had seen us do in that way in Greece; we
beat the country, some to kill birds, others to botanise
or look for insects. Our hunting is successful, in every
department, and Ave return on hearing the signal warning
us that breakfast is ready. Whilst we have been walking,
honest Constantine has been at his tricks again. A poor
devil of a negro, tenant of the ground upon which we have
and round the dead sea.
49
halted, has come to request a bakhshish (present). Master
cook has asked this man to sell him some limes and
oranges, and the rogue, after having paid him only twenty
paras, about twelve cents, for forty dozen of the fruit,
abuses the vendor for being dissatisfied with the price.
On our return we give some piastres to the negro, and
already foresee that we shall not keep M. Constantino
very long in our service. We are content to be robbed
by him ourselves; but to allow him to pillage other people
in our names, is more than we bargained for or intend
to put up with quietly.
At abont half-past twelve we resume our march. The
road improves, and it is plain we are approaching a more
important town than any we have passed through on
the foregoing days. Some very pretty houses, with real
gardens, appear to the left of the road. One of these
is pointed out to us as having been formerly the resi¬
dence of Abdalla Pacha, A little further on we pass
through the hamlet of Bakadjeh. To our left, and
running parallel to the road, a very fine aqueduct of
modern structure, supplies the inhabitants of Akka with
water. This was erected by the cruel Djezzar Pacha,
surnamed the butcher for his atrocities.
Akka lies before us. After having passed under one
of the arches of the aqueduct, the road inclines a little
Avestward, and at half-past three we enter St. Jean
d'Acre by a handsome gate of European architecture.
The fortifications, though in bad repair, still show that
they are the work of competent engineers.
We fix our quarters in the Franciscan Convent, where
avo are received by the good fathers with the most cordial
VOL. T. r,;
50
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
hospitality. One of tliem takes us over tlie convent, and
sliows from the terrace the still visible effects of the
bombardment of 1840. More than ten years have
elapsed since the town was riddled with shot and shell
by the English fleet, and everything is at this moment
in the same condition as when the bombardment
ended.
The Gnlf of Acre presents a magnificent prospect, with
the town in the foreground, Mount Carmel separated
from it by a beautiful sheet of clear blue water, and a
sea of dazzling light stretching out to the horizon. To
the left a fertile plain is bounded at the distance of two
leagues by green hills, surmounted by handsome villages.
Whilst we are gazing at this splendid panorama the sun
goes down and the fresh night air sets in; we return
to the convent, dine, and hasten to onr beds ; to-morrow
we have a long day's march before us to reach Nazareth,
and we must prepare for it by a good night's rest, which
we are much in need of after the heat we have endured
all day.
Let us now pause to inquire if we can make out the
ancient names of the places where we have fallen in with
ruins, on the way between Beyrout and Akka. Certainly
the question is well worth examining; but I will en¬
deavour to be brief, though without neglecting any
evidence tending to throw light on the subject. The
ancient geographical authorities which may be referred
to in this discussion, are the writings of Scylax,
Pliny, Dionysius Periegetes, Priscian and Strabo, the
Itinerary of Antoninus, Peutinger's Table, and lastly, the
(Pilgrim's) Itinerary from Bordeaux to Jerusalem. Let
and round the dead sea.
51
us compare the geographical information derived from
these authors, with the modern names which we have
ourselves verified on the road ; and when we have drawn
up a Comparative Tabic, let us discuss each separate
locality, place after place. By proceeding in this manner
we shall succeed, I hope, in solving a curious problem,
which has been often, though unsuccessfully studied;
or at all events, in correcting some erroneous assertions
with respect to mistaken identities, proposed and admitted
without sufficient examination.
We now propose to follow the present Itinerary from
Bey rout to Akka, proceeding along the coast from north
to south, and to review successively each name as we
find it.
beyrout.
The modern Beyrout is evidently the Brjpvros 770X1? of
Scylax, the Colonia Felix Julia Berytus of Pliny, the
Brjpvros of Strabo, the Berito of Antonine's Itinerary, the
Beritho of Peutinger's Table, and lastly the Civitas Birito
of the Bordeaux Itinerary.
The colonial medals with the legend col. ber. are still
found in Beyrout, though they have become rather
scarce; and the ruins which extend over the coast, from
the south side of the present harbour down to Raz-
Beyrout, and eastward to a great distance from the
shore, show that the town must formerly have been one
of great importance.
The beach is entirely covered with broken shafts of
columns constantly beaten by the surge; the mole itself
is made up of similar fragments, and three fine pillars
are still standing in a private garden, close to the Seraglio
E 2
COMPARATIVE TABLE FOR THE PLACES SITUATED ALONG THE PHOENICIAN COAST.
Or
JO
Pbriplb be Scylax.
Ed. Miller.
Pliny.
Dionysius
the Periegete.
Friscian.
Strabo.
Book xvi., ed. Letronne.
Itinerary
of Antoninus.
Ed. Miller.
Table
of Peutinger.
Ed. Miller.
Itinerary from
Bordeaux to Jerusalem.
Ed. Miller.
Modern Names.
Byfvroz TaXis z,cu \iuv,v.
Y>o^im6s ? [Bogf.i'vos ?
Beyrout.
Khan-el-Khaldah.
Nahr-ed-Damour.
Naby-Younes.
Nalir-el-Aoualy.
Saydah.
Sarfent.
Kaisarieh.
Adloun.
Nalir-el-Kasmieh.
Khan-el-Kasmieh.
Sour.
Raz-el-Ayn.
Nahr raz-el-Ayn.
Es-Chebrayeh
(ruines).
Rfiz-el-Abiadh.
Eskanderoon.
()mrn-el-Aamid.
Es-zib.
N ahr-el-Mezraah.
Akka.
Col. Fel. Jul.
Mutatio lleldua. m. xii.
(Forest of vEsculapius. Leon-
topolis)
Mut. Porphyrion. m.iiii.
rroA/? xot) XifJtsry. ..
i § (" o^iz/06/y jtoa/9
Azovtcov
^"o ( TO\l$.
p, v
Tv{tw toki% soc^atra ...
IloX;^ . . . Xi/xsvu
ix'jva-on, Ivtos rt/%ov$
Tlo&Aairvoos toXiq xaii ....
Tlorctuo<; dice, jxeo-yjs gu ...
I7oX*s rwi>'Ezdftnrav ...
Bostrenus.
Sidon, at 400 stadia from Be-
rytus
Sidona. m.xxx.
Sydone.m.xxix.
Civitas Sidona. viii. ...
Sarepta et Ornithon
oppida.
Ornithopolis(river),i.e.X€o?i^s
Tyrus, 200 stadia from Sidon .
Palsetyrus, at 30 stadia from
Tyrus
Mut. ad Nonum. m.iiii.
Tyro, m.xxiiii.
Tyro. m. xxiiii.
Civitas Tyro. m. xii. ...
jPromontor. album,
joppidum Ecdippa.
Mut. Alexandroschene .
m. xir.
Mutatio Ecdippa. m.xii.
Col. Claud. Cfes.
quondam Ake*
xxxii. (al.xxx.)
xxxii.
m. viii.
* Pliny mentions a town called Leontos between Beryte and the river Lycus !
AND ROUND T11E DEAL) SEA.
53
gate ; mosaics, imperfectly concealed by tlie rubbish, are
found in several places ; but all these ruins are to be
met with only to the east and south of the harbour, which
occupies the northern extremity of the modern, as it did
likewise of the ancient town. This remark will enable
us to decide at once a very curious geographical
question.
The text of Scvlax, re-produced by Reland, mentions
with regard to Beyrout, Brjpvrbs ttoxls ko! Atbopcvos •
the same text published by Gail, mentions Bripvros ttoXls
kcu bopivos; but here the two last words are sepa¬
rated by a comma; and thirdly, in the collection of
ancient itineraries, put together by the Marquis de Fortia,
and published by Miller, this comma of Gail has been
retained, and the table of the Periplus of Scylax has
been made out thus :
Bl]pvrbs TToXiS KCU MfXTJV,
Bopivos,
as if there were two distinct places to be noted.
Saumaise, with his usual sagacity, had proposed to
correct Bopwos into Bopewos, and Reland had accepted
that emendation. For my part, having thoroughly studied
the ground, I cannot entertain the slightest doubt of the
necessity of the correction. The harbour of Beyrout
was on the northern side of the town; there is 110
indication whatever, anywhere, of any town with a name
offering the slightest analogy with the word Bopwos: it is
therefore decidedly Bopetvos that we must read, translating
the above-mentioned passage of the Periplus as follows :
" the town of Beyrout with its harbour to the
northward."
54
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
KHAN-EL-KHALDAH.
At about the third part of the distance, by the beaten
road, from Beyrout to Saydah, are found some ruins,
and an immense necropolis cut out of the flank of the
first spur of Mount Libanus. On the very site of these
ruins is a khan (or caravansera) called Khan-el-Khaldah.
There, without any possible doubt, has existed an ancient
town of some importance; for the sarcophagi in this
necropolis are to be numbered by hundreds. But let
us hasten to add that the very form of these sarcophagi
of Grseco-Roman structure, shows that they are posterior
to the excavations of the Phoenician necropolises; for
instance, to the necropolis of Adloun, of which proper
notice will be taken by and bye. At El-Khaldah I have
not observed a single funeral chamber of Phoenician
origin ; and accordingly we do not find in the com¬
paratively ancient geographers any mention of a town
which could be identified with El-Khaldah. We must
go back to the year of our Lord 333, when the Itinerary
from Bordeaux to Jerusalem was written, to find at a
distance of twelve Roman miles from Civitas Birito, a
station for relay horses called Mmtalio Heldua. Between
Heldua and the modern form of El-Khaldah, the
difference in sound is not so great, but that both
might easily be made to apply to the same place, as
Pococke has first suggested. But here a difficulty
occurs : the Itinerary mentions a distance of twelve
miles from Birito to Iieldua, and only four miles from
Heldua to another relay station, Mutatio Porphyrion;
that is, to Naby Younes, as we shall shortly prove.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
55
The learned l)r. Robinson has imagined that the two
numbers referring to Ileldua and Porphyrion must have
been inverted by the error of a copyist, and we may
safely conclude that he has taken a correct view of the
case. Besides, we shall see presently, how often the
distances mentioned in the Itinerary are incorrectly
given.
NAHR-ED-D AMOUR.
Between the Khan-el-Khaldah and the Khan-en-Naby-
Younes, the road crosses the Nahr-cd-Daniour. Strabo
places precisely at the very same spot the river Tamyras.
We therefore read in his book: Mera oe B^pvrov eon bv
ocrov kv TerpaKocrLOLs crrabiOLS fiera^v o Ta/xvpa? 77orajU.os kcu
to tov 'Ao-k\i]ttlov " AXcros Kal Aeovraiv ttoXls. the liver
Damour is precisely half-way between Berytus and Sidon ;
as also the modern name I)amour retains enough of the
primitive form, which Strabo has expressed by the word
Tamyras, there can be no doubt as to the identity of
these two names ; and Strabo's information with regard
to the geographical position of the Tamyras was perfectly
correct. We shall now see that he is not equally so
when he speaks of Aeovrav ttoMs.
KHAN-EN-NABY-YOUNES.
At Naby Younes are found some fragments and some
fine shafts of columns lying in the hamlet behind the
khan. These relics are sufficient to justify the opinion
that an ancient town existed in this place. But
what was that town ? Let us consult the ancient geo¬
graphers. Scylax places after Berytus IT op</>upeW
•n-oAis. The Itinerary from Bordeaux to Jerusalem
56
JOURNEY IN SYlllA
mentions, as eight miles distant before coming to
Sidon, a relay station called Mutatio Porphyrion. No
other geographer speaks of Porphyrion; but Strabo
places in this very spot Aeovruv irokis, whilst Pliny speaks
of Leontos Oppidum as being to the north of Berytus, and
between this town and the river Lycus (the Nalir-el-
lvelb of the present day); and Scylax places Aeovrwv tto\ls
beyond Sidon. The two concordant testimonies of
Scylax, and of the Pilgrim from Bordeaux, are quite
sufficient, and nearly all travellers down to the present
day, have admitted, as 1 do, that Khan-en-Naby-
Younes occupies the exact site of Porphyrion. A
forest of tamarisc trees, several hundred years old,
surrounds the modern khan, and one might almost take
these trees for the descendants of those which formed in
days of yore the sacred forest of /Esculapius. It, there¬
fore, seems rational enough to admit that Strabo lias
been led into an error, and that, confounding Porphyrion
with Leonton, he has placed the one instead of the
other between the Tamyras and Sidon.
nahr-el-aoualy.
Within sight of Saydali, we cross a pretty river, now
called the Nahr-el-Aoualy. This river can be no other
than the Bostrenus, which we find mentioned in the
following passages :
Kat Sihova avOepoecrcrav
Naiofievriv yapUvros ecf)' vbaaai BocrTprivolo.
The poem of Dionysius the Pcriegete * has been
Towards the year 913 or 914 B.C.
AND 110UNI) T11E DEAD SEA.
57
translated into Latin verse by Rufus Fastus Avienus.
The passage corresponding to tlie one I have just given
is as follows :—
Sidoniique lares ; ubi labens agmine amseno
Cespitis irrigui Bostrenus jugera fmdit.
And lastly Priscian translated it as follows :
Sidonaque pulchram
Quam juxta liquido Bostrenus gurgite currit.
So, in this case again, it is beyond a doubt that the
Bostrenus of Dionysius the Periegete, of Festus Avienus
and of Priscian, is no other than the Nahr-el-Aoualy of
our days; which has probably received its present name
from some Mussulman chapel near which it flows.
sAYDAH.
This is undoubtedly the 2tbo)v ttoXls km AtkXzltos of
Scylax, the Sidon of Pliny, the StSwy of Strabo, who places
it at four hundred stadia from Berytus, the Sidona of
Antonine's Itinerary, the Sydone of Peutinger's Table,
and, lastly, the Civitas Sidona of the Pilgrim from Bor¬
deaux. It would be quite useless to argue this identity,
which proves itself. However, I think it may be useful
to compare the distances from Berytus to Sidon, according
to the different statements of the ancient itineraries
which we possess. Strabo says that Sidon is distant
from Berytus four hundred stadia; Antonine's Itinerary
makes it xxx. miles; Peutinger's Table only xxix.;
and, lastly, the Itinerary from Bordeaux to Jerusalem
mentions xii. miles from Berytus to lieldua, mi.
miles from lieldua to Porphyrion, and viii. miles
from Porphyrion to Saydah. The total of these three
58
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
last being only four-and-twenty miles, it is evident
that one at least of the distances is incorrect. It is
plain, besides, that there is no coincidence between
the three above-mentioned itineraries. That of Anto-
nine and Pentinger's Table, differing only by a single
unit, might easily be made to correspond either by
taking away the figure I. intercalated between the two
last x. of the number in Peutinger's Table, or by
intercalating this same unit in the same place of
the number in Antonine's Itinerary. As to the three
numbers in the Bordeaux Itinerary, I dare not take
upon myself to change tliem so as to make the total
correspond with the others, and I intend only to observe
that the first appears to be rather too high, the second
a great deal too low, and the third nearly correct. Thus,
in allowing ten miles only from Berytus to Heldua,
twelve from Heldua to Porphyrion, and, lastly, eight
from Porphyrion to Sidona, we accord exactly with the
thirty miles of Antonine's Itinerary. But I hasten to
repeat that I lay little stress on these corrections in
numbers which any one can alter according to his own
idea; I merely want to prove that those numbers,
which I have just examined, are wrong, and cannot be
accepted.
There still remains another point to adjust before
leaving Saydah. The text of Scylax, reproduced by
Iieland, mentions 2iSa>i/ tto\ls klcu KAeaos; the text
published by Gail does not mention this last word, which
is also omitted in Miller's edition. Reland has trans¬
lated this passage in the following manner: " Sidon
urbs cum portu clauso." But then he has substituted,
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
59
instead of the word «Aeitos, the word KAeioro?, wliicli
means " closed." As the harbour of Sidon was really
closed in by a mole, the remains of which are still
plainly visible, Reland's correction seems to me to be
perfectly well founded, and I have no hesitation in
adopting it.
Let us now resume the second part of our itinerary
along the Phoenician coast, I mean that portion which
lies between Sidon and Tyre.
SARFENT.
The first ruined town which you meet after leaving
Saydah is Sarfent, the Zarephath of the holy Scriptures,
which Pliny mentions thus: " Sarepta et Ornithon oppida,"
between Sidon and Tyre. It is also mentioned in the
Periplus of Scylax, the text of which I must quote to
support my argument.
Here it is according to Reland :—
SiScby 7ToXcs Kal Xlixijv k\€Ltos, 'opvbouv tto'Ais 2iSowiW, airo
aeovTuv Ttokewv jue'xpi 'Opvidoiv iroXeoos Tvp(a>v tto'Ais 2apa. . . .
Ezra aXXrj ttoXls Tupos Aip.eva exoucra evros reixofs.
The text of the same passage, published by Gail, is
as follows :—
cov iroXis Kal Xl[xt]v, 'opvbdwv 7toAi? 2i5amW. 'Airo Azovtoov
TToXecos, /xe'x/H 'OpvcOaiv iroAecos. . . . Tvptcov 770'At? 2apairra, aXkr\
7toX.ls Tvpos kipAva Zyovaa £vrbs tcl^ovs.
From this it appears that Gail adopts the correc¬
tions proposed by Saumaise, Vossius, and Reland, who
restore TroXecos for nokeuv, and 2apairra for 2apa elra.
These corrections are indeed indispensable. But are
they sufficient to make the text intelligible when studied
and compared with the actual localities ? Certainly
60
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
not. First, tliis text, if it were to remain such as it is,
would place Sarepta, or Sarfent, between Ornithon and
Leonton, which seems to me quite impossible, con¬
sidering that, between Saydah and Sarfent there are
no ruins of any town whatsoever. Are we then to
understand by AeoWow 770'Ats the City of the Lions ? I
doubt this very much, the more so as Pliny calls it
Leontos Oppidum, 01* Leontopolis. Leonton was pro¬
bably the name of the entire district, as Porphyrion and
Ornithon were the names of two other Phoenician loca¬
lities. Is it not much more natural to suppose that
the name Leonton was derived from the river Leontes,
in the vicinity of which it would then be advisable
to look for Leonton ? I have 110 hesitation in
believing this. The Leontes was the Nahr-el-Ivasmich
of the present day ; for this same river is also called
Nahr Lantaneh, or Nahr Lanteh; and in this modern
appellation we find the very recognisable transmission
of the original name. O11 the south bank of the
Nahr-el-Kasmieh is situated the Khan-el-Kasmieli, a
large caravansera, the walls of which contain numerous
fragments of ancient buildings, a very conclusive sign
that some ancient city has existed before on this same
spot. I therefore venture to place there the Aeovrwv tto'Xls
of Scylax, the Leontopolis which Strabo fixes very
unadvisedly 011 the south bank of the Tamyras, or
I)amour, and the Leontos Oppidum which Pliny, still
more erroneously, throws back to the north of Berytus,
between that town and the Lycus.
According to Gail, there is something wanting
between the words 'OpvtOoov -nokeus and the other words,
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
01
TvpLuv TroXis "SdpaiTTa; and this learned Hellenist declares
that he is inclined to consider as a foreign interpolation
into the original text of Scylax all this portion of the
phrase : 'A7to Aeovrwv ttoXzus, 'OpviOov TroXecos . . .
Tvptuv ttoXis Hap aura. And, lastly, Roland, who has good
reason to be surprised at the strange construction of
this phrase, appends to it the following commentary
(p. 431, note 4):—"Illud a-no et p4xp1 videtur secuin
postulare vXovs vel simile quid, uti arabCa, et nec antea
meminit Leontopolis." It appears that all those who
have examined the text of this passage of Scylax have
not been more fortunate than myself in making out its
real signification. What I consider very probable is,
that Gail was right in finding an interpolation in this
unfinished phrase. Indeed, were we to accept the
punctuation of Gail's edition, there would be three
localities mentioned successively in a direction from
south to north, besides still leaving something wanting
between the designations of Ornithon and Sarepta;
whilst the unvarying progress of the author of the
Periplus is in a direction from north to south. Perhaps
it might be possible to change the punctuation of the
whole phrase in the following manner, which would
be allowable without supposing any omission, as is
conjectured by Gail, but not by Roland. But then it
would be necessary to change a-no into acf) ?/?, and the
word 7ToXem, which comes after it, into tto'Ai? :—
7roAts Kai KAetoros-, 'Opvtdav ttoXls 2i8oonW, a<f ?}?
Aeovrwv ttoXls ' [i€XPL 'OpvLOoiv iroAecos, Tvptaiv ttoXls Hapairra.
This means, " The town of Sidon with a closed harbour;
Ornithon, a town of the Sidonians, after which the town
G2
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
of Leonton; before Ornithon, Sarapta, a town of the
Tyrians."
Of course, I give this correction in Greek of rather
inferior quality, for what it may be worth; I mean that I
scarcely insist upon it, though it has been suggested
to me by an inspection of the localities. Be that as it
may, at all events, the ruins at present called Sarfent are
unquestionably those of the Zarephatli of the Scriptures,
of the Sarapta of Scylax, and of the Sarepta of Pliny.
It may be observed, however, that Pliny, who in his
enumeration of the towns of the Phoenician coast,
proceeds from south to north, mentions Ornithon after
Sarepta, which seems to agree with the intricate passage
of the Periplus. But were we inclined to accept the
meaning which seems to result from the combination
of the texts of Pliny and Scylax, there would still remain
two great objections. Where are we to find between
Saydah and Sarfent the situation of an ancient town to
be identified with Ornithon ? And as a greater difficulty
and objection still, where are we to find to the north of
Sarepta, not the town of Ornithon as mentioned by
Pliny, but the town of Leonton ? The coincidence of the
two authors is then entirely factitious; and as there does
not exist in reality any ancient town between Saydah and
Sarfent, it is absolutely necessary to seek elsewhere for the
two cities of Ornithon and Leonton, which I think must be
placed in other localities. ButI shall return to them shortly.
KAISARIEH.
At a very little distance to the south of Sarfent is a
considerable rising ground, covered over with ruins,
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA. (33
and named by the Arabs Ivaisarieli. This circumstance
makes it quite certain that there has existed in this place
in days of yore a town called Caesarea; but no mention
of it that I am acquainted with, is anywhere to be found
in the ancient authors.
ADLOUN.
We have now reached a very important locality,
furnished with an immense necropolis which covers the
side of an extensive hill; a necropolis quite different from
that of El-Khaldah. Here we have no sarcophagi of
recent structure, formed out of fragments of loose rocks,
but sepulchral chambers excavated in the solid rock itself,
similar to those of the ancient necropolis of Jerusalem.
It then becomes important to find out what may
have been the Phoenician town to which Adloun has
succeeded.
The Itinerary from Bordeaux to Jerusalem mentions
but one relay station between Sidon and Tyre. This is the
Mutatio ad Nonum. A name like this was so significant
that one would think no copyist could have made a
mistake as to the number of miles separating this place
from Saydah. It was situated at the ninth milestone, ad
Nonum milliarium; and the number of miles mentioned
by the Bordeaux Pilgrim is only mi. A mistake of this
kind requires no correction. As to the figures inscribed
on the milestones from Sidon to Tyre, there can be no
doubt they began with No. 1 in starting from Saydah;
for I have found still lying on the road-side two fine
granite milestones, the first of which, a little more
than two thousand yards from Saydah bears the
64
.TOURNEY IN SYRIA
cypher n. It is therefore clear that the name " Ad
Nonum" meant a place situated at the ninth milestone,
starting from Saydah, on the way to Tyre. Ad Nonum
was positively in the year 333 the name of that locality,
and this name the Arabs have converted into Adloun.
With the natives of Syria, lam and noun are easily
confounded; nearly all pronounce, for instance, Ismayn
for Ismayl, and by an inverse alteration, Ad Nonum,
without much difficulty, changes into Adloun.
But it is not a mere relay station, a Mutatio of the
fourth century, which can have produced the magnificent
necropolis of Adloun. There must, I insist upon it,
have existed in this place a flourishing Phoenician city.
That city, in my opinion, was Ornithon; and here
follows what Strabo tells us of its situation :
Ate'^et Se tt/9 2tbovos ?/ Tvpos ov irXeiovs rcov btaKoaiov
arab[o)v. 'E;- oe tm [xera^v iroXiyjum', '0pviOiov ttoXls Aeyojxevi],
etra -irpos Tvpco irora/xos eftrj<n. " Tyre is not more than
two hundred stadia distant from Sidon. Between these
two cities is the town called Ornithon. After that, near
Tyre, a river empties itself into the sea,"
From the above quotation it appears that Ornithon was
situated about half-way on the road from Sidon to Tyre,
and before the river which, near Tyre, empties itself into
the sea. This river is, and can be no other than the
Leontis, or Nahr-el-Ivasmieh. Ornithon was a more
considerable town than Sarepta, since Strabo mentions
the first without alluding to the second. All these
indications apply admirably to Adloun. Upon the
ruins of the Phoenician town Ornithon, has probably
been established the relay station Ad Nonum, so called
AND "ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
wlicii the Phoenician name was forgotten; and thus it
happens that we find the relics of Ornithon in the
magnificent necropolis, and the traces of Ad Nonum in
the modern name of Adloun.
I said just now that the text of the Itinerary from
Bordeaux to Jerusalem was to be corrected with respect
to the cypher iiii, indicating the number of miles between
Saydali and the place called Ad Nonum; as this place
was necessarily situated at the ninth mile from Sidon on
the way to Tyre, it is possible to guess from this that a
still graver error has crept into the text; for instance
we read after the word Civitas Sidona, this phrase ; "lb
Helias ad viduam ascendit ct petiit sibi cibum." Now,
it is in Sarepta, and not in Sidon, that the holy
Scriptures mention this historical fact as having taken
place. It becomes therefore very probable that the word
Sarepta has been omitted with the cypher v, which had
been correctly attached to it; the existence of this
cypher would then make equally correct the cypher iiii,
which follows the name of Ad Nonum in the printed texts
of the Itinerary. And, to conclude, it would seem that
between the words " Civitas Sidona," and the following
passage concerning the prophet Elijah, a restoration
ought to be inserted, written thus : " Sarepta—V."
NAHR-EL-KASMIEH AND KHAN-EL-KASMIEH.
I have already observed that the Nahr-el-Kasmieh, also
called the Nahr-Lanteh, throughout its course in
Ccelosyria, between the Libanus and the Anti-Libanus,
is exactly the same as the Leontis. I have 110 hesitation
in believing that the ancient locality, signs of which are
VOL. 1. F
66
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
very distinctly recognisable at the Khan-el-Kasmieh,*
is positively the Leontoupolis of Scylax, the Leontos
oppidnm of Pliny, and the Leontopolis of Strabo.
SOUR.
Sour is unquestionably the tt6\ls Tvpos xifxeva txovcra
h-ros reCxovs of Scylax., the Tyrus of Pliny, the Tvpos of
Strabo, the Tyro of Antoninus's Itinerary, and of Peu-
tinger's Table, and the Civitas Tyro of the Bordeaux
Pilgrim. Every one agrees on this point, and it would
be useless to prove what is proved already.
We now proceed (as we have commenced with the
first portion of our route between Beyrout and Saydah)
to compare the different figures of the distances between
Saydah and Sour, as given by the ancient geographers.
According to Strabo, Tyre is distant two hundred
stadia from Sidon; Antonine's Itinerary and Peutinger's
Table agree in reckoning xxiii miles between these two
extreme points, whilst the Itinerary from Bordeaux to
Jerusalem, if we were to take into account only what has
been published of the text, would give but 1111 + xn.,
that is xvi. miles only. Let us examine these different
figures. The number in Antonine's Itinerary is exactly
* Maundrell mentions in his narrative that between Sarepta and Tyre,
and at three hours' distance from the first-named place, he fell in with a
large and deep river, which he calls Casimeer. It is evident that Maundrell
has tried to express in English, the name which he heard the people in Syria
pronounce. Reland (pal. p. 291) after having quoted Maundrell, adds;
" Ceterum nomen Casimeer videtur, satis bene cum Ta/ivpas (quod nomen
fluvii est secundum Strabonem) convenire. Sed Strabo Tamyram facit
septentrionaliorem Sidone." So, if the learned Reland had not very atten¬
tively examined the question, he would have been completely led astray
by the distorted name introduced by Maundrell. This proves how very
necessary it is to have your ear well accustomed to the sounds of the
Arab tongue, if you wish to travel with any profit in Syria.
.AND ROUND TTTE DEAD SEA. 67
the same as that in Peutinger's Table; it therefore appears
most likely that this is the correct one : but if so, the
distance given by Strabo is erroneous ; for if there were
according to this author's statement, four hundred stadia
from Beyrout to Saydah, and if those four hundred stadia
were only equal to xxix. or xxx. miles, given as the
distance between these two cities by Antonine's Itinerary
and by Peutinger's Table, it would be impossible to admit
that the two hundred stadia given by Strabo as the
distance between Sidon and Tyre, coidd be equal to the
xxiv. miles which the two above-mentioned Itineraries
make out as the distance between the two same points.
Let us examine now the figures of the Bordeaux
Itinerary. To make up the difference between the total
of the two numbers mentioned in this Itinerary, and the
xxiv. miles, which appears most likely to be the correct
one, there are only wanting eight units. But the name
Ad Nonum of itself provides us at once with a well-
established, and authentic number of ix. miles. Then it
is necessarily the last cypher xn., given as the distance
between the Mutatio Ad Nonum and Civitas Tyro, which
is deficient. It ought to be xv. ; and if we observe,
that it was very easy for an awkward copyist to separate
the two strokes of the v., the second sign of the cypher
here mentioned, we find that in that case we should
fall again precisely into the erroneous cypher xn.
which has been printed. So it is most likely the
cypher xv. which ought to be substituted for the
cypher xn., and we shall have then the correct total
ix + xv = xxiv. I consequently propose to make this
correction in the text, and I feel the more confident
F 2
68
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
in doing so, as it is in perfect accordance with the
real distances.
RAZ-EL-AYN AND NAHR RAZ-EL-AYN.
Scylax, after having mentioned Tyre, pursues his
COlirse southward, and says : YlaXairvpos 7roAis kcu tt0Tap.bs
ota [Ataris pet. Pliny quotes Palsetyrus in the following
phrase: Tyrus quondam insula .... circuitus xix.
M. passuum est, intra Palaetyro inclusa; and lastly,
Strabo is still more explicit. He writes thus : Mera
oe rijv Tvpov f] -naXairvpos ii> TpiaKovra (ttciolols. Strabo, m
his enumeration of the Phoenician localities, invariably
proceeds from north to south; consequently Palsetyrus
was situated to the southward of Tyre, according to
the implicit statement of both Scylax and Strabo, and
about a league and a half distant from the metropolis.
But such being the case it is impossible not to place
Palsetyrus at Raz-el-Ayn. Here, indeed, are still to
be seen the ancient wells which have been admired
by all successive travellers, and ruins which attest the
presence of an ancient town. Besides, at Raz-el-Ayn,
there is a river, a very insignificant one it is true, but
which, nevertheless, bears the name of Nahr Raz-el-
Ayn. I may be allowed to consider it as the 7rora^os-
which Scylax mentions as flowing through the town of
Palsetyrus.
Some modern writers have been inclined to place
Palsetyrus on the site of Adloun. But such an opinion
can scarcely be accepted, first, because Adloun is
to the north of Sour, whilst Palsetyrus stood to the
south of Tyre ; and besides the distance is too great
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
69
from Sour to Adloun, (without taking into account
the Leontis which divides the two localities) to admit
of Alexander's having employed the ruins of Palsetyrus,
in the works he constructed for the reduction of Tyre;
a fact attested by Diodorus Siculus. Already Reland
with his usual sagacity, has placed Paketyrus at Raz-el-
Ayn ; and I merely join cordially in corroborating his
opinion, which, it appears to me, cannot be seriously
contested.
ES-CHEBRAYEH.
To the north, and a few hundred yards distant from the
Raz-el-Abiadh, are some considerable ruins, called by the
Arabs, Es-Chebrayeh. There can be no doubt that some
ancient city has existed in this place. But what the
name of that city was, I am completely at a loss to
decide; not having, as yet, discovered any trace of it
in any of the ancient authors I have had the opportunity
of consulting.
RAZ-EL-ABIADH.
This is the chalk-hill which Pliny calls Promontorium
Album. The modern name is a literal translation of
the ancient one.
ESKANDEROON.
After having crossed the Raz-el-Abiadh, you fall in
as you come down to the beach, with the ruins called
Eskanderoon by the Arabs. The Itinerary from Bordeaux
to Jerusalem is the only work in which this place is
named. After the mention of Tyre, we read as follows :
—Mutatio Alexandroschcnc, M. xn., from which it
70
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
appears that this relay was twelve miles distant from
Tyre, on the roacl to Ptolemais, or St. Jean d'Acre.
'AAi^avhpov (TKijvri means Alexander's tent. Is it an
encampment of the Macedonian hero which has given its
name to the town built on the same spot ? The sup¬
position is very probable.
OMM-EL-AAMID.
Following the old Roman road, you perceive upon
the heights to the left, distant only a few furlongs from
Eskanderoon, some shafts of columns rising above the
high thorny briars. If in spite of the obstinate resistance
of your moukris and dragoman, who protest there is
nothing to be seen in the place (although the modern
name of Omm-el-Aamid, or the Mother of Pillars,
gives a very different promise) you ascend the ridges
that lead to the columns, you will be amply repaid for
your trouble by the sight of immense ruins of a very
remote period, which alone deserve an investigation of
many days. But is it possible to assign any historical
name to this city which covers such an extensive sur¬
face ? I regret to say, no. I have vainly studied and
sought in the historians and geographers of old for some
indication of this important place. I have found none
whatever; others may, perhaps, be more fortunate, and
[ shall rejoice to hear of their success.
AKHZIB OR ES-ZIB.
I give purposely these two pronunciations of the
same word, because both are indifferently used by the
Arabs. The second, however, I take for an alteration.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
71
Akhzib is a rising-ground overhanging tlie Roman
road, and close to the sea-shore; whilst Omm-el-Aamid
is two or three thousand yards distant from the beach.
Akhzib is unquestionably the 7ro'At? tS>v 'EnbCmrav of
Scylax, the Oppidum Ecdippa of Pliny, and the Mutatio
Ecdippa of the Itinerary from Bordeaux to Jerusalem.
This last places Ecdippa at a distance of twelve miles
from Alexandroschene, which is sufficiently correct.
NAHR-EL-MEZRAAH.
After the town which he calls hoXls tS>v 'Ek8i7T77&>i/, Scylax
places a ttoto^os or river, without giving the name.
Eor once we have no choice. This river is necessarily
the Nahr-el-Mezraah, which, though not a very consider¬
able stream, is still the only one that can be called a
river between Akhzib and Akka.
AKKA.
Here again it is impossible to have a doubt; Akka is
unquestionably the "A/07 ttoAis- of Scylax, the Colonia
Claudia Csesaria Ptolemais, quondam Ake, of Pliny, the
vAkt] of Strabo,. the Ptolemais of Antonine's Itinerary,
and of Peutinger's Table, and the Civitas Ptolemais of
the Bordeaux pilgrim.
Let us now examine the distances stated in the ancient
Itineraries as existing between Tyre and Ake, or Ptole¬
mais. Antonine's Itinerary gives xxxn. miles; another
reading of the same gives only xxx.; Peutinger's Table
xxxn.; and lastly the Bordeaux Itinerary gives xn. miles
from Tyre to Alexandroschene; xn. from Alexandroschene
to Ecdippa, and vm. from Ecdippa to Ptolemais,
72
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
altogether xxxn. miles. These three numbers being in
exact coincidence, we must conclude that the second
reading (giving xxx. miles) in some copies of Antonine's
Itinerary is to be rejected as erroneous.
Akka being the extreme point which I was enabled to
visit on the Phoenician coast, I shall end here my review
of the ancient geographical authorities, and I hasten to
resume the narrative of our journey, without regretting
the length of a digression that has, I hope, thrown some
light upon several points hitherto involved in obscurity,
December 12th.
13y ten minutes after seven we had left St. Jean
d'Acre, and were moving southward through the
plain of Acre, or the Merj-sahel-Akka. Five hundred
yards distant from the city walls there is a small
hillock, known by the inhabitants under the name of
the French Mount. It was there General Bonaparte
placed in battery the few field-pieces which he had
brought from Egypt to the attack of St. Jean d'Acre.
All this plain is excellent soil, and highly cultivated;
but the rains have cut up the roads, and we cannot get
oil as fast as we should like. ,
Half an hour after leaving the town, we cross a
muddy stream, on the margin of which some Arab
women are busy washing their tattered linen. We
observe here a strange phenomenon: mole-hills, innu¬
merable and quite fresh, are spread all over the plain;
but such mole-hills ! a yard high, and three or four
yards in circumference. Of what size can be the
moles who turn up such a mass of earth ? Our moukri
Sayd pretends that they are grey, and as large as our
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
73
domestic cats. I am inclined to believe him, but I
confess that I should have been glad to have procured
one of these extraordinary moles, to verify the fact.
After two hours' march we reached the foot of a
hillock quite round, and most likely artificial. It is about
fifteen or twenty yards high, the base entirely covered
with rubbish; and I cannot help, when I look at it,
thinking of the mounds of Nineveh. Who knows if
well-directed trenches would not bring to light, here
as at Kliorsabad, some important discoveries ? However
that may be, this enormous mound bears the name
of Et-Tell-Kisan, and a small fountain 011 the foreground
in the direction of the plain of Acre, is called the
Ain-et-tell. From this place we discover very plainly,
to our left and in advance on the heights, the villages of
Ivirkeh, Beroneh, Ed-Damoun, Er-Raouys, and Tamrah.
These villages form something like a right-angled
triangle, the summits of which are occupied by Kirkeh,
Tamrah, and Er-Raouys, whilst Ed-Damoun and
Beroneh lie upon the hypothenuse. Among the four
sacerdotal towns of the tribe of Asher, we find mentioned
in Joshua (xxi. 13), the name of a locality which the
Greek version transcribes by XeAKar. Does not this
village of Ivirkeh, which we find here, occupy the site
of the biblical town ? I believe, without venturing to
affirm, that it does.
After having got over the Tell-Kisan, our march still
leads us through the plain for about a thousand yards,
and we enter upon ground which gradually rises by
slightly marked degrees. Numerous tombs, cut out
of the rock, to the right and left of our road, appear
74
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
in the neighbourhood of a ruined Mezraah (farm) called
Et-Theireh. After this we pass through a pretty valley
of no great extent, where we fall in at every step with
distinct traces of an ancient paved road. By half past
ten we reach a higher ridge, and still follow the same
road, leaving to our right, distant about half a league,
on a height, the village of Abillin ;* probably the very
same from which the celebrated Sire Jean d'Abilin, the
sage chronicler of the Assises of Jerusalem, derived his
name. To the right and left the hills are covered over
with holm-oaks and briars.
Up to a quarter past twelve, that is, for more than
an hour and a half, we have been proceeding along the
old road, through an agreeable valley, which opens
into the Merdj (or plain) El-Bathouf. Here are the
mill and the ruined khan of El-Bedaouieh, where we stop
to breakfast. This khan is on the declivity of an
isolated and regular hillock, in shape something like the
Tell-Kisan; but from the rocks appearing through the
soil, it cannot be supposed to be artificial. To the right
and left the plain extends a few thousand yards, but it
scarcely reaches a league forward, and we descry before
us on the hills which enclose it the village of Safourieh.
Several villages are situated in proximity to the
Merdj-el-Bathouf, and to the left of the road leading
to Safourieh. These are, Kafer-Mendah, at only
twenty minutes walk from Bir-el-Bedaouieh ; then at
* In the book of Joshua (xis. 28,) we read among the towns of the tribe of
Asher, a Hebrew name which has been transcribed Ebron. But is this
transcription correct ? Nothing proves that it is so, and from the way in
which this word Abillin is written in Arabic should almost be inclined
to think that this place is the site of the town mentioned by Joshua.
AND ROUND TIIE DEAD SEA.
75
the bottom of the valley Lebayneh, El-Aczir, and
Roummaneh. The two first are distant about thirty
minutes' walk from each other ; and from Aczir to
Roummaneh requires twenty minutes. Roummaneh
lying at the foot of the ridge, upon which is situated
Safourieh, occupies the site of the place called Rimmon,
belonging to the tribe of Zabulon, (Josh. xix. 13) for
Josephus (Ant. v. 1) assigns to this tribe the territory
enclosed between the lake of Gennesareth, Mount
Carmel, and the sea. As to the villages of Lebayneh
and El-Aczir, I cannot find any biblical localities to
which they may be referred.
During our two hours' halt at the Khan El-Bedaouieh,
our entomologists have well employed their leisure. By
fifty-five minutes past one we get on horseback
again, and enter the Merdj-el-Bathouf. Six minutes
after leaving the khan we cross a small morass formed
by a little muddy stream, and we take altogether
twenty minutes crossing the merdj (plain), then we
begin ascending the Safourieh ridges. After having
surmounted and descended one of these, we follow a
ravine which leads us, by forty minutes past two
o'clock, between the village of Safourieh, and the
burying-ground which it divides from the village.
To the right and left the ground is very stony, and all
around are accumulated vast heaps of ancient fragments,
certifying abundantly the departed splendour of this
miserable hamlet.
Safourieh is indeed a memorable place ; Josephus
calls it Sepphoris, and it appears from his narrative
that it was then the strongest fortress in Galilee. At
7(5
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
a later period it received the name of Dio-Ccesarea.
Safourieh was the seat of one of the five Sanhedrims
of Judsea. It was reduced by the Romans commanded
by Varus, and Herod Agrippa made it the most im¬
portant station in the country. In the year 339 of the
Christian era, an insurrection of the Jews having
broken out at Dio-Ca)sarea, the Caesar Gallus left
Antioch to crush the revolt; all the inhabitants were
slaughtered, and the town rased to the ground. From
that time it never recovered any importance.
A few hundred yards further on are two watering-
places for cattle, cut out of the rock,—these are called
the Ain-Safourieh. After having passed a small plain
planted with olive trees, the road leads through the
Ouad-el-Aama, a stony and melancholy valley, from
which you have to ascend the opposite ridge by a
very difficult path. Having reached the top of the hill,
you discover, to the right on the height, and about
six thousand yards off, a Mussulman oualy (or chapel) :
this is En-Naby-Sayn ; at the foot of it, in the
foreground, stands the Greek church called Mensa
Domini, and behind it the town of Nazareth, the
En-Nasara of the present day. I will not attempt to
describe the emotion which we all felt at the first sight
of this humble city where the Virgin conceived the
Saviour of the world.
To reach Nazareth the descent is very rapid, so we
deemed it prudent to dismount and proceed on foot.
By twenty minutes past four we stopped at the gate of
the Casa Nuova, belonging to the Franciscan convent of
Nazareth. As we had already experienced at St. Jean
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
77
(l'Acre, tlic holy men who lent us the shelter of their
hospitable roof, collected with eager solicitude around
us, and vied with each other in kind attentions. It is
impossible not to feel deeply moved by such touching
goodness.
Whilst our dinner was getting ready, we went to
present our respects to the superior of the convent.
Here again we met with a most pleasing reception. But
night has come on in the meanwhile, and it is too late
to visit the holy places ; we are therefore compelled to
wait until to-morrow morning.
December 20th.
This morning very early we were on foot. Besides
that we had a pretty long day's march before us, we
were, above all, anxious to visit the church of the
Annunciation. Without loss of time, we obtained the
company of one of the fathers to guide us, and point out
the sanctuaries which we were so impatient to examine.
The present church is built on the site of the old one,
erected by St. Helena; and some remains of that vener¬
able structure are still recognisable in the court of the
convent. From the sacristy a staircase of primitive
simplicity leads to a chamber excavated in the solid
rock. This, we were told by the monk who directed
us, was the habitation of a friend of the Virgin Mary.
A short corridor, likewise cut out of the rock, leads
to a second apartment, as simple as the first. This is
the chamber of the Annunciation. I pity, from my
inmost soul, the man who can find himself in such a
place without feeling a strong and deep emotion; his
insensibility must be affected. If some travellers are
78
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
unhappily inclined to boast that they have stood there
unmoved, I class them with those vainglorious sceptics
who think they lower their dignity, unless they treat
with ridicule, all that exceeds their limited compre¬
hension. Such, however, is usually the error of youth.
He who, at twenty, scoffs at religious belief, is very
likely at a later period to fall into an opposite extreme,
and to exceed in faith, as once he did in incredulity.
For myself, I avow, without hesitation, that upon entering
this venerable cave, I was moved to tears. Some years
ago perhaps I might have been ashamed to acknowledge
this; but I have lived long enough to alter my opinions,
and I deem myself most fortunate in the change. No
doubt, in many people's eyes, I am rendering myself
ridiculous by this confession ; but on such a subject I
care little for the judgment of the world. I had a
strong desire to carry away with me some small particles
detached from the walls of the holy cave. I succeeded
in obtaining them, and have divided them between my
good mother and several other friends. They are simple
enough of heart to prefer this humble souvenir to the
most precious jewels which I could have collected in my
travels. But let us return to our journey.
Before eight o'clock we were ready to mount our
horses. As I wished to take with me a man who had
a thorough knowledge of the route, with a view of
obtaining from him as much geographical information
as possible, I begged the good fathers to provide
me with a faithful and trustworthy guide. Thanks to
their obliging recommendation, I have enlisted a fine
brave fellow, an Arab by birth, and standard-bearer in
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
79
a squadron of irregular Turkish cavalry. I intend
taking him as far as Jerusalem only. He is called
Mohammed-Arha-Beyrakdar; and, as his face and
bearing please me exceedingly, our terms are soon
settled. At a quarter past eight we are all in the
saddle and in motion. Mohammed sticks to me as if he
were my shadow, and I soon discover that he will prove
a valuable acquisition. He knows every corner of the
country we propose to traverse; speaks Arabic with
perfect purity, and I sometimes ask myself, when
chatting with him, whether I am talking to a scholar
or a soldier. We shall see, by and bye, that I had been
very lucky in engaging him.
On leaving Nazareth we enter a valley which narrows
as we go along, for about an hour, until it reduces itself
to the bed of a torrent. Here we are obliged to turn
off to the left by a zigzag path along the mountain-side,
until we reach the level of a magnificent plain, spreading
out on all sides as far as the eye can reach. The features
of the valley we have just crossed are most lovely; and
no doubt, when we pass it again in spring, we shall find
it beautifully green and full of flowers, for there is water
in abundance.
We have found on our road, distant 4^ furlongs from
Nazareth, a small pond, where rain-water is col¬
lected : it is called El-Mehafer. About a thousand
yards further on is a very abundant well, named Bir-el-
Emir. Here, as in many other parts of Syria, a
sarcophagus has answered the purpose of a trough until
the well was converted into a place for washing woollen
clothes. Nothing can be more fresh and graceful than
so
JOURNEY TN STRIA
the surrounding scenery—a complete bower of orange
trees and cactus. To the right of our road, and on the
other side of the rocky heights that bound it, just oppo¬
site to Bir-el-Emir, is a village called Iafa. It is easy
to recognise in this the Ia<pd, which Josephus mentions
as one of the places he caused to be surrounded by
walls when the Romans threatened to invade Galilee.
A vain precaution, as we shall soon discover. (Bell.
Jud. iii., vii., 31.)
After the sack of Jotapata, Trajan, commander of
the Tenth Legion, was sent by Vespasian, at the head
of two thousand infantry, and a thousand horse, to invest
and besiege Iafa, the population of which, inspired by
the example of the Jotapatanians, and thinking them¬
selves quite safe behind a double row of fortifications,
prepared for a desperate resistance. But too much
confidence led to their ruin. Seeing the small force
that was sent to attack them, they imagined they
could easily overpower it ; they therefore marched
headlong against the Romans, but gave way at the
first collision, and were thrown back behind their
outward barriers, which the legionaries penetrated
along with them. Those who had remained within
the town hastened to shut the inner gates. The
Romans immediately did the same with the outer
ones ; and twelve thousand Galila)ans were slain be¬
tween the two ramparts, uttering more dreadful
imprecations against their own fellow-citizens than
against the enemy by whom they were slaughtered.
Trajan, wishing then to reserve for Titus the honour
of taking the town, sent a message to Vespasian,
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA. .SI
informing liim of the state of tilings, and asking him
to despatch his son to reap the glory and finish the
siege of Iafa. Titus marched, in consequence, with five
hundred horse and a thousand infantry, and imme¬
diately on his arrival the assault began. The terrified
Galilceans opposed but a slight resistance, and were all
put to the sword, excepting only the women and children.
The book of Joshua (xix. 12) mentions a station of
the tribe of Zabulon, called Japhia ; this is probably
again our Iafa. Reland thought he had discovered the
biblical Japhia in He'ifa, a town placed at the foot
of Mount Carmel, on the site of Sycaminos ; but the
aspirated orthography of the word He'ifa destroys all
connexion between it and the word Iafa, which admits
of no aspiration.
At a quarter-past nine we had reached the summit
of the winding path which leads down into the plain.
This is the plain of Jezreel or Esdraelon, now called
Merdj-ebni-Aamer. It is six leagues wide, and about
twelve in length from north to south. To our left the
valley is majestically closed in by the Djebel-Thour,
Mount Tabor. Before us is the Djebel-ed-Dalry. In
the distance, as far as the eye can reach, is Djenin,
where we intend to quarter for the night ; and lastly,
to the right, fading away in the horizon, we see the
range of hills among which is situated El-Ledjoun,
the Megiddo of the holy Scriptures.
As we reach the level of the plain of Esdraelon, we
leave at a few hundred yards to our left a wretched
hamlet, now uninhabited, called El-Mezraah. Then,
after only a few minutes' ride further on, we stop to
VOL. I. G
82
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
breakfast near the ruins of a deserted farm. Our
kitchen is soon established on the slope of a little low
mound, and we remain there two whole hours, doing
our best to kill time in looking for insects which we
cannot find. There is not a single stone on the ground,
which is composed of the richest vegetable soil, and,
consequently, our entomologists have no chance of
adding to their discoveries. By forty-five minutes past
eleven we strike our camp and resume our march,
following our luggage which has gone on in advance.
To our left, and distant a little more than a league, we
leave the village of Iksal, built at the foot of the moun¬
tains of Nazareth. This is the Chesulloth of the holy
Scriptures. Kesulloth is a town of the tribe of
Issachar; in the book of Joshua (xix. 18) it is named
Chesulloth. But these transcriptions are most likely
erroneous, and there is every reason to believe, from
the modern structure of the name, that the true pronun¬
ciation, whatever the advocates of Masoretic criticism
may say, was Ksalouth or Eksalouth. Another proof
of what I advance is, the name of vE£aAous given to this
locality in the acts of the council held in Jerusalem in
536, and in the " Onomasticon " of Eusebius.
Still further on, and quite close to the foot of Mount
Tabor, stands at the present day the village of Dabou-
rieh, which may very probably be identified with the
town of Tabor, or Daberath, of the tribe of Issachar,
which we find mentioned in the book of Joshua (xix.
12), and in the Chronicles (i.; vi. 72). The same town
is named Aa/3eipcbv in the Greek version, and Saint
Jerome calls it "Dabeira." Evidently there is no great
AND ROUND TTTE DEAD RE A.
83
difference between all these designations and the modern
name of Dabourieli.
The ground we travel over continues wonderfully
fertile, notwithstanding that the plain rises a little. At
a quarter-past twelve we are in sight of the village
of Naijn, situated about a league distant to our left,
at the foot of the Djebel-ed-Dahy. Naijn is the village
where Christ raised from the dead the son of the
widow. Eusebius writes the word Nairn, but Saint
Luke (vii. 11) writes it Nab, coinciding exactly with
the Arabic pronunciation of the present day. A little
further on, in the same direction, is Ayn-Dour, the
Endor of the translators of the Bible, a village celebrated
for the visit paid by King Saul to the witch who conjured
up in his presence the shadow of Samuel, and prophesied
to him that he should perish at Gilboa in the battle in
which he was about to engage with the Philistines.
Above Naijn, and nearly on the summit of the Djebel-
ed-Dahy, is a village called Ed-Dahy, containing a
small oualy, or Mussulman chapel. By a quarter-
past twelve the plain declines again, and a quarter
of a league further on, we cross the road leading
from Naijn to El-Afouleh. El-Afouleh is situated to
our right, about half a league distant from another
village called El-Fouleh, built on the summit of a small
hill, at the foot of which we are passing ; for us French¬
men these names of El-Afouleh and El-Fouleh awaken
glorious memories. Here began the battle of Mount Tabor.
Before El-Fouleh * a small muddy stream intersects
* El-Fouleh was occupied during the Crusades by a fortress built by the
Knights-Templars, called Castrum Fab re, the Castle of the Bean. This is
the literal translation of the Arab name.
(j 2
84
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
our road. The plain continues to preserve an appearance
of extraordinary fertility ; everywhere it is covered
with high corn-stubble, through which we perceive a
great many footmarks, such as might have been left by
a number of men running away in haste either on
foot or on horseback. All these traces are in the same
direction ; and, with the curiosity natural to travellers, I
inquire from Mohammed what may have caused them ?
He then tells me without the least emotion that, only
yesterday, the Arabs from the hills of El-Ledjoun came
to attack the inhabitants of some villages of Mount
Tabor ; that they fought all day without much damage
on either side ; only a few men and women were killed
here and there in the skirmish. But the worst of the
matter was, that a large quantity of cattle has been
carried off by the assailants, and the tracks we notice
mark the line of their retreat, with the captured
plunder. The story is encouraging to travellers, and
gives us an idea of the security we may look for in
passing through this country. Nevertheless we go on
with merry hearts, rejoicing under the glorious sun,
which warms us rather more than we desire ; and ready
for anything, even to do battle with the Bedouins, if
chance should throw such adventures in our way.
On leaving the foot of the hill upon which El-Fouleh
is built, we descry at a league and a half to our left,
and on the northern declivity of the Djebel-el-Mazar,
the village of Soulem ; this is again a biblical name.
Soulem appears to be the Shunem of the tribe of Issachar
(Josh. xix. 18), the same as the Soulem of Eusebius and
Saint Jerome, and also the village of the Shunamite.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
85
Nine furlongs further 011, towards the south-east,
and a little higher up the mountain, is the village of
Nouns. By a quarter-past one o'clock we cross the
road which leads from El-Afouleh to Zeraijn, at a place
where the plain rises a little. Zeraijn is the Jezreel of
the tribe of Issachar, that is to say, the site of the
palace of Aliab, where Jezebel's dead body was devoured
by dogs.
By half-past one we cross the bed of a dry ravine ;
and after leaving to our left, distant a league and a
half, the village of El-Mazar, built on the summit of the
Djebel-el-Mazar, we arrive, by marching directly south¬
ward, at the foot of a hillock of no great height, upon
which stands the hamlet of Omkeibleh. Here again we
cross a beaten road leading to the village of El-Djelameh,
which we perceive about two leagues off to the eastward,
and at the bottom of a valley formed by the Djebel-el-
Mazar, and by the hill upon which stands the village of
Arraneh, distant only fourteen furlongs from the road
we are following.
It is now about half-past two, and another hour
elapses before we reach Djenin, a considerable town
situated at the entrance of the plain of Esdraelon, and
at the foot of the mountains of Naplouse. During this
last hour's ride we have come up with some Arab
horsemen, going like ourselves to Djenin. They soon
enter into conversation, and our new companions make
110 scruple of treating us with a familiarity to which we
are very little accustomed. For them we are plain
Touar and Selcy (meaning Edward and De Saulcy),
for they have taken good care to inquire our names at
86
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
first, to mutilate them according to their own fancy.
But as we are intruders in their country it would be
bad policy to show ourselves offended, so we pay them
off in the same coin, with which they appear perfectly
satisfied.
On our way we encounter herds of antelopes, and a
sudden fancy seizes me to show my skill as a marks¬
man. Either I am a bad shot, or (to save my vanity)
I think I must have fired at too great a distance. Yet
I have had my moment, of glory; out of five antelopes
upon which I fired, four bolt off, but one remains. 1 am
already preparing a shout of triumph, when all of a
sudden the loiterer starts to its legs, and in three bounds
is up and running with the foremost. Decidedly the
animal has received a fright.
Nothing can be prettier than Djenin ; before us arc
groves of palm trees, and orchards enclosed by hedges
of cactus : above these rises the minaret of a mosque.
A rapid spring furnishes the adjacent gardens and
meadows with an ample supply of pure water. We
follow for some time the margin of this rivulet and at
length enter Djenin, surrounded by a throng of the
inhabitants, who press on us with eager curiosity.
A khan, even more than usually dirty, receives us
for the night. All its approaches are peopled with
lookers-on, inquisitive but civil and inoffensive. Whilst
waiting for our dinner I chat with the principal
personages amongst them, and graciously treat them
with a pipe, which act of generosity completes their
high opinion of our importance. Our conversation
embraces a variety of serious subjects, Islamism, the
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
87
Prophet, &c., &c., and as I have adopted the general
rule of never offending anybody's religious prejudices,
I become at once a favourite with the magnates of
Djenin. But the most agreeable society must break
up ; the weather is bitterly cold, the dinner is ready,
and so I take a hasty leave of my new acquaintances,
who would very willingly follow me into the khan,
but Mohammed, with a most persuasive gesture, invites
them to remain outside. I trust my bitterest enemy
may never be condemned to pass a night in the khan
of Djenin.
Beyond all doubt our cook, Constantine, is a consum¬
mate rascal. We learn from Andre that the day
before yesterday the sacrilegious varlet stole everything
he could lay his hands on in the convent of St. Jean
d'Acre ; and that yesterday he has repeated the same
manoeuvre at Nazareth. Robbing Catholics seems to
this fellow quite a religious obligation, which he strictly
observes. Patience ! in a few da}rs we shall be in
Jerusalem, and then I will settle accounts with master
Constantino after my own fashion, and call him to
such restitution that the good fathers of the Holy Land
may acquit us of being accomplices in his roguery.
December 21 st.
Long before daylight, for many good reasons, I was
up and stirring. Yesterday before dinner I had taken
a little walk in the direction of the mosque, and had
admired the splendid orange and palm trees with which
it is surrounded. This morning at dawn I repeat my
visit to this pretty spot. Yesterday I had also greatly
SS
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
admired the damsels of Djenin as they came down to
fetch water from the fountain. This morning I have
enjoyed again this innocent pleasure, and I have had
an opportunity of passing in review all the beauties of
the place. Nothing can be more pleasing than the
graceful ease with which they carry 011 their heads,
supported by the right arm, the vessel that contains
the provision of the day. Their dress is also most
picturesque, and becomes them admirably. I recom¬
mend to artists the arms and legs of these ladies, with
their bracelets of massive silver, and I wish they may
never have less graceful models to draw from.
The modern Djenin has taken the place of Ginsea,
the same of which Joseph us has given (Bel. Jud. iii. 4 )
a very pleasing description, and which is still correct in
all points up to the present day. Of the ancient Giiuea
all that remains are a few foundations of walls close to
the mosque ; the inhabitants pick the stones out of them
as if they were a convenient quarry. There might also
possibly be an identity between Djenin, and Engannim of
the tribe of Issachar (Jos. xix. 21 ; and xxi. 2D); the
Hebraic form of this word and the presence of the
beautiful spring of Djenin incline me to this belief.
By a few minutes after eight we leave Djenin, and,
entering a rocky confined valley, direct our march
towards Naplouse, where we hope to arrive early.
Almost everywhere our path preserves unmistakeable
signs of an ancient paved road. From time to time
appear some old olive trees ; on the branches of one of
these sleeps, without dreaming of any mischief, a very
fine eagle, who seems unconscious of our approach until
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
89
we are close to his resting-place ; but, awaking too late,
lie receives a shot from Edward. Sportsmen do not kill
eagles at every shot, not even in Syria more than any¬
where else. The consequence is that my young friend
is much envied by the ordinary Nimrods of our caravan,
I mean by Belly and Loysel. Since our departure from
Beyrout, Belly fires at everything, and kills his bird
very often. Loysel fires at everything also, but misses
with equal constancy. His sporting failures produce
unceasing merriment; for instance, we meet with lap¬
wings in all directions ; the country we are travelling
through seems their exclusive domain, and Belly kills
every day sufficient for our meals ; Edward kills some
now and then, Loysel never kills any. One might think
that the little jeering cry which these pretty birds
scream out as they fly away had been invented on
purpose to teaze him. One day, as we all burst out
laughing because he had just thrown away as usual
two more shots upon these enchanted lapwings, I asked
Loysel what the unfortunate creatures had done to him,
that he should be so ferocious against them.
" What have they done to me V' said he, with most
comical indignation, " the villains won't allow me to
kill them !" There was no answering such a just
complaint.
From time to time the rocks present some signs of
ancient architecture. Just at the end of Djenin we
discover the steps of a staircase, and opposite, a
tower called El-Burj, which we leave on the height
to our right. About a league distant from Djenin,
on the other side of the road, we fall. in with a
90
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
sepulchral cave excavated in a rock on the declivity of
the hill.
For about an hour we pass through ravines, then
we ascend a small flat eminence which takes us to the
village of Qabatieh. This village, surrounded by
gardens, is built on the side of a wooded hill, covered
with olive trees. After passing through Qabatieh we
descend again into another hollow, where we still find
distinct signs of the ancient road. A small, narrow,
and deeply enclosed plain soon opens to our left.
This is the plain of Mecilieh, so called from a village
distant about an hour's ride from our road. Beyond the
plain the valley becomes narrower again, and the hill
sides to the right and left are much wooded. Finally,
after three hours' march, the country opens suddenly,
and the road enters into the plain of Sanour to the
left of some labourers' huts, which here, as everywhere
else, go by the generic name of El-Mezraah (the farm).
"VYe find here the same soil as in the plain of
Esdraelon; but the Merj-Sanour has greater moisture,
and Mohammed tells me that in winter it becomes
a lake. This fine plain spreads out to a considerable
distance, about three leagues to our left, whilst to the
right of our road the hills are only a few hundred
yards off. At about five or six thousand yards in front
of us an eminence, detached from the mass of hills, is
crowned by a village, which from afar looks like a
fortress. It is called Sanour, the residence of a rich and
powerful Scheikh, who reigns as sovereign over all
the country we are about to travel through before
entering the mountains of Naplouse.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
91
Tlie Merj-Sanour is enclosed within a belt of
mountains of a very woody and agreeable aspect. We
discover two villages built on the southern declivity of
the plain ; these are Meltzaloun, fourteen furlongs from
Sanour, and Seyr, about six miles further on.
In the book of Maccabees (i. ; ix. 2,) mention is made
of a Galila)an station called Maioakwd, and I am inclined
to find it again in Meltzaloun. Masaloth, according
to Maccabees, was in the territory of Arbela ; and
Joseplius places Arbela (xii. 2, 1 ; and xiv. 15, 4)
at no great distance from Sepphoris. He tells us that
Baccliides, sent by Demetrius against Judaea, came
with his army to encamp before Arbela, a town of
Galilee. Sanour occupies the strongest position in the
entire country. It seems almost impossible that the
hill on which it stands should not have been anciently
the site of a fortress ; perhaps Arbela stood there! *
What appears certain is, that it would be difficult to
find an encamping ground more suitable to an army
than the plain through which the ancient road passes,
and which extends all the way between Sanour and
Meltzaloun ; supposing of course that the commander of
this army might have the prudence to occupy with a
strong line of outposts all the approaches by which an
enemy could advance against him.
In the foreground of the hill of Sanour is a lower
hillock, on the top of which is raised a mound so regular
that it must be a tumulus. Down by the foot of these
two eminences and winding along their base, the ancient
* However, I must not conceal that another locality proposed for Arbela,
identical with the ruins found at no great distance from Tiberias and actually
called Irbid, seems also plausible enough.
92
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
road is in better preservation than anywhere else. On
a near inspection Sanour resembles a square fortress.
Only a few hundred yards off, and on the flank of the
same range of hills, upon one of which Sanour stands,
is a hamlet of miserable appearance called Djerbah,
and a small oualy in ruins.
We consult a moment with each other to decide if
we shall go up to-Sanour and halt there for breakfast.
Instinctively we prefer the open air. Under an olive
tree, far from the village, we shall perhaps escape the
annoyance of vulgar curiosity. We therefore determine
to push on for half an hour longer, notwithstanding the
rebellious cravings of our appetites ; and alight in a field
half way up the narrow valley which divides Sanour
from Djerbah.
The weather is delightful; myriads of beautiful insects
swarm around us, and we hunt them with great zeal
whilst our breakfast is being prepared. As we are busily
engaged in packing up our entomological treasures, a
stout powerful young man, about thirty years old,
comes up with us at a hand-gallop, followed by two
other horsemen, whose tattered garments contrast with
the elegant dress of their leader. All three are well
armed, but from their countenances it is quite clear they
have no hostile intentions. Mohammed and the new¬
comer exchange salaams and shake hands, and I join in
the conversation to ascertain who is our friend. He
proves to be Khaled, son of the Scheikh of Sanour,
travelling through his estate on a tour of inspection
amongst his farmers. Of course we are as polite as
possible to such an eminent personage, and invite him
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
93
to breakfast with us. He accepts without ceremony,
and orders one of his companions to go on with the
inspection in his stead.
This order is given with the air of an autocrat, and
accordingly the Arab is very soon on horseback and off
on his master's errand. In the meanwhile here we are,
the hosts of the young Scheikh of Sanour. He sees
us picking up and pinning down insects here and there,
he discovers the eagle which Edward had killed in the
morning, and it quite puzzles him that people should
throw away their time and their powder upon such
unprofitable game ; last and worst of all, the culinary
preparations which that arch rogue Constantine elabo¬
rates under his eyes, give him, apparently, a very poor
opinion of our fare. We sink in his estimation before
the repast begins. He takes us for physicians at the
best, and he would almost prefer to dine with his
illustrious father. He may please himself for what
we care.
Still, whilst smoking our pipes, the brave fellow keeps
peeping at our arms, which we exhibit to him one after
the other, at his request; the thing that most astonishes
him is Loysel's powder-flask. At the sight of this imple¬
ment, which seems to him of incomparable value, the
Scheikh's eyes acquire additional lustre. Here is a
famous opportunity of recovering the ground we have
lost in his opinion. I prevail upon Loysel to give up
his powder-flask, and I beg the Scheikh to accept it as
a remembrance of our meeting. Of course there is no
need to repeat our offer; but what requires to be
explained more carefully is, the mode of managing the
94
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
spring. After every lesson lie tells me with great
alacrity : " Thaijb, fehmt! " (Very good, I understand.)
He then tries and fails. I have an idea that some day
or other he will blow himself up with our unlucky
present.*
The desired effect is produced ; we have become men
of distinction again in the eyes of the Scheikli. It is his
turn now to show off the grandee. Guess a little what
he will think of to prove his generosity \ He draws
from his breast a pocket-handkerchief with one corner
tied up ; he unties it with a sigh, and pulls out a rhazy,
worth about twenty piastres, that is to say, the equiva¬
lent of about a five-franc piece, and slips it into my
hand. At first I cannot understand his meaning, and
I look with rather an astonished air at the diminutive
piece of gold so generously bestowed, asking myself
what I am to do with it ? I confess I was some time
before I could comprehend that he was giving me a
pour boire.\ When I found it out at last, I hastened
to return his coin, ordering Mohammed to explain to
him and telling him myself that I made presents but
accepted none.
So we have changed parts ; but the Sanour Scheikli
is by 110 means affronted ; he pulls out his handkerchief
again, ties up his money as before, and we hear no
more about it. From this moment lie has but one
thought, that of taking leave of us and letting us
breakfast by ourselves. However, as lie is about
* Alas ! I have learnt that since our meeting at Sanour, the poor Scheikli
Khaled has been killed in a brawl with some of his countrymen.
+ The small gratuity, so called, usually given to the Parisian cab-drivers, in
addition to their fare.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
95
to mount his charger, a fine idea crosses him.
Addressing Mohammed, he says, " Well, I also wish that
the Frenchman should keep something to remember
our meeting ; I present him my horse,—tell him it
belongs to him." His horse was an old Rosinante,
perfectly worn out in every limb ; of course I refused
again. No sooner are we rid of our visitor, who returns
to Sanour at a gallop, than we sit down to breakfast ;
and whilst we enjoy our meal, our moukris, with their
usual prudence, take off our horses' bridles and allow
them to graze at liberty; a bright idea as we shall
presently see.
We have halted now two long hours, and Naplouse
is still at a distance ; it is high time to start, so let us
mount and move on. There is one small difficulty,
which is, that some of our horses, who relish exceedingly
the pasture-grounds of Sanour, play off all sorts of
gambols to avoid being caught again, and gallop away
towards Djebaa. Patience! the creatures will, no doubt,
soon tire of this unusual exercise. But the moukris
are the first to get tired; they throw down bridles
and bits, and refuse to run any longer after the
fugitives. The Abbe, my son, and myself are the
three dismounted cavaliers, and we wear ourselves out
in vain efforts to catch our cattle. Edward and Philippe
in their turn go racing after them, but with no other
result than wasting their own breath, and infusing new
spirit into the mutineers.
Just as we had proposed starting from our breakfast-
ground, we descried a troop of horsemen coming round
the hill of Sanour. Were they friends or foes 1 It was
96
.TOURNEY IN SYRIA
difficult to guess ; and their sudden appearance made
us still more angry with the carelessness of our moukris.
We had been for a moment weak enough to imagine
that the Scheikh, delighted with our politeness towards
him, was sending us an escort. Such an idea was indeed
exceedingly simple on our part. In a few minutes the
troop I speak of came up with us, and we recognised a
detachment of Turkish regular cavalry, on march to
garrison some place near Naplouse. Our misfortune
seemed greatly to amuse these gentlemen, who, for a
moment, made a show of helping us to catch our horses,
but succeeded in frightening them a great deal
more, and then passed 011.
My son and Andre had remained behind, waiting
until my son's horse should be brought back to him ;
for myself, I had proceeded on foot, and grumbling, 011
the road to Djebaa. It was only at the entrance of the
village that my horse and my son's horse gave in, and
submitted most unwillingly ; but as to the Abbe's
charger, it was quite another matter. He threaded
one after another all the lanes of Djebaa, leaped 011
the terraces, and from one house to the next; in short,
he seemed to have wings. Whilst our friends were
employed chasing this ill-conditioned animal, I tried to
inflict a castigation on mine ; but after only two blows
of the whip, he began such a fantastic waltz, turning-
round and round on the same spot with such rapidity,
that if he had not stopped, the punishment would have
recoiled 011 me; three turns more, and I should have
been off in a tangent over his ears.
At last the confounded horse of the Abbe is caught :
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
97
Philippe, who is an excellent rider, leaps into the
saddle, and, notwithstanding the generous entreaties of
the real master of the brute, gives him a sound thrashing.
We are delighted with his success, when, just as he is
setting to rights the heavy musket which he carries
slung across his shoulders, and not minding his horse,
the rascally creature takes advantage of his inattention,
rears, throws his rider on his back, and begins de novo
all his tricks.
By this time Edward's indignation and mine pass all
bounds, and we determine upon shooting the rebellious
quadruped. Ten times we think his account is settled;
we have him well covered, but just as we are going
to pull the trigger, we always perceive peeping out in
the very direction in which we are going to fire, the
grinning face of some inhabitant of Djebaa, who rails
at our impotent fury. It is enough to make us lose the
little self-control we have left. The Abb6, who under¬
stands that we want to kill his horse, torments us with
his supplications, and gets rebuffed accordingly. In
short, we never can get an opportunity of shooting the
beast; and after four mortal hours of this sport, that
is, four hours of dreadful perspiration, Mohammed suc¬
ceeds in recapturing the four-footed demon. The Abbe
immediately mounts, and begins caressing him!!!
He is assailed by the whole company with a perfect
hurricane of abuse and maledictions—but he heeds us
not! "What can you do against the untiring patience
of an Abbe % Nothing.
The sun was setting; our luggage had been gone
four hours in advance ; no doubt it had already reached
VOL. I. t H
98
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
Naplouse; and my son, whose horse awaited him at a
fountain, distant four hundred yards from Djebaa, had not
yet made his appearance. My anxiety may be easily
understood. Two roads, leading one to the right, the
other to the left of the village, meet again at the entrance
of the Sanour valley. How are we to guess which
he will take T Fortunately, after some minutes, he
comes up by the road to the right, mounted on
Andre's horse, Andre following on foot.
We were at last all assembled, but worn out with
fatigue and in very bad humour, especially against the
Abbe, for without his interference we should not have
lost so much time ; and we had still a four hours' march
before us by night, and in the mountains of Naplouse,
mountains of which the inhabitants enjoy as bad a
reputation as they deserve. Just as we have joined
forces again, Mohammed, no doubt to cheer us, warns
us to be quick, to ram down a bullet in each of our
barrels, and to give him a charge for his own gun,
all with the quietest and easiest manner in the world.
We are marching at last, for which we may be
thankful! Andre moves on first, for, by his account,
he is afraid of nothing; Mohammed comes next, then
Philippe, then my son, then all the others. In less than
half an hour it becomes quite dark, and Mohammed
perpetually urges us to hurry on. Towards seven
o'clock we are moving on through the darkest night,
but far from dreaming of any mishap, when Mohammed,
thinking he is speaking to my son, whom he supposes
close behind him, but from whom he is separated by
Philippe, points out a narrow field on the left hand side
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
99
of the rocky defile which we are threading, and says, in
a whisper:
" Fill, nas! Fih, harami! Nemchi aleihim." (See, men
—thieves ! Let us rush down upon them.) Philippe,
who does not understand the invitation, makes no answer
of course. Mohammed insists, " Nemchi!" (Let us go.)
Still no answer. Then the gallant fellow, in a fury, rushes
forward with his gun at his shoulder, and we hear the
following words : "Aich ente V (Who goes there ?)
A silence. "Aich ente, ea kelb V' (Who goes there,
you dogs'?) The same silence again, immediately broken
this time by the explosion of Mohammed's gun, accom¬
panied by the usual form of malediction: " Allah ula
anek, ona abouk, ona abou abouk\" (May Allah damn
thee, thee and thy father, and the father of thy father !)
On the shot being fired, a dark form rose up and
tried to run off, but fell again heavily upon the earth,
without uttering a groan. Other dark forms fled
rapidly towards the mountain. Mohammed rides up to
the man he has just slain, compels his' horse to touch
him with his foot, and then comes back quietly towards
us. " Aich kan V' say I to him. (What's the matter ?)
" Houa mirt." (He is dead !) " Allah akbar!" (God is
great!) "Nestaajeh." (Let us make haste.) And
lie fills his chibouk, and lights it as quietly as if he
was sitting on the divan of a coffee-house. During
the few minutes that this disagreeable scene lasted,
I had ordered the whole party to alight. Every one of
us cocked his piece, and, placing himself behind his
horse, stood ready to fire. - All executed this movement
with satisfactory steadiness, and from that instant I
h 2
100
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
felt convinced I had none with me but brave and
resolute hearts.
On Mohammed's urgent remonstrance, we mounted
our horses again, and taking once more the road to
Naplouse, rode on at a rapid pace. For half an hour
we remained on the qui vive, listening to the angry
shouts that were sent after us from the heights ; but
the gentlemen we had to deal with, convinced by
experience that we were rough customers, contented
themselves with shouting, and went no further.
It was nine o'clock when we entered Naplouse,
somewhat concerned, I confess, for the possible conse¬
quences of the ill-timed adventure we had encountered
on the way. At the gate of Naplouse we met our
moukri, Schariar, who was waiting with a lantern to
lead us to our inn. After having threaded several
narrow and muddy streets, we arrived at last through
a series of stinking, filthy passages, at the foot of a
staircase, something like the ladder of a henroost; but
at the top of this staircase we find a very handsome
room, with a small terraced court in front, commanding
the valley of Naplouse, and also a complete view of the
mountain of Ebal. Behind us is the Gerizim, but
concealed by the neighbouring houses.
Our host, who is a Christian, is very attentive, and
extremely anxious that we should admire the lodging
he has prepared for us. Indeed, we have met nowhere,
excepting at Damas, so comfortable and clean an inn
as this of Naplouse ; it is, of course, a little infested
with vermin—but how is that to be avoided in Syria 1
During our meal, which we found only in preparation,
AND BOUND TIIE DEAD SEA.
101
notwithstanding the great advance our luggage
had made, we talk over the affair of Djebaa, and all
agree as to the necessity of being silent on the subject.
In this country of Naplouse, scoring out a debt of
bloodshed is no subject for a jest; and we have every
reason to be uneasy at the account we have run up this
evening. The Abbe, who sees none but honest people
everywhere, is very angry at what has happened. In
his opinion, the man who has been shot was quietly
enjoying a walk after dinner, intending no harm, and
our consciences are burthened with a foul murder.
I tell him it is all his fault, and that if he had not
prevented us from killing his wretched brute of a horse,
we should not have been surprised by night, nor placed
in the disagreeable necessity of killing a man. This
argument has no effect upon him, and I really believe
that we part in ill-humour, though we bid each other
good night.
To have done with the scruples—certainly most
praiseworthy ones—of this excellent friend, I will say at
once that he obstinately retained his conviction with
respect to Arab morals, until one day. when looking
out for plants, quite alone as usual, and at some
distance from the caravan, he found near Saydah, in the
safest country in the world according to his estimate,
a hollow, containing objects very different from the
rare plants he was searching for—two dead bodies
of men just slaughtered, and slaughtered for the
miserable sum of a hundred piastres. No one ever
took the trouble of inquiring by whom the deed
had been done, and the perfect indifference of the
102
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
people who passed by, when called upon by the Abbe
to come and look on this horrid spectacle, made him
reflect, no doubt, that the police constitutes an excellent
institution in general, and might not be superfluous in
Syria in particular.
As we must return again to Naplouse, once at least
during our journey, we decide not to examine any of
the curiosities of the place at this visit. Time presses
upon us, for we have still two days' march from hence
to Jerusalem, and we are already on the eve of the
22nd of December. It is therefore agreed that we shall
start to-morrow, early in the morning, so as to halt
for the night at El-Bireh.
December 22nd.
Notwithstanding our wish, we have not been able
to start before eight o'clock. Our moukris, our horses,
the idlers and mendicants crowding around us, form
in the lane where we lodge a mass of confusion,
through which it is very difficult to escape. Every one
demands a bakhshish, which we refuse with a pertinacity
equal to their entreaties. At last we succeed — no
easy undertaking—in getting out of Naplouse with an
accompaniment of abuse, and even stones, which the
amiable children of the town hurl at us from the
terraces as they look down upon our transit. Whilst
riding through a miserable bazaar, we catch a hasty
glimpse of an attractive portico of a church of the
twelfth century, now transformed into a mosque, and
before which we were not permitted to halt even for
a moment. 0 hospitality ! thou art but a vain word at
Naplouse.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
103
Having cleared the town, we find ourselves in a fresh
valley, planted with aged olive trees, and irrigated by
numerous springs of running water. Everywhere
under the turf we discover vestiges of ancient buildings.
Where we tread just now, stood the town of Shechem,
the cherished city of the patriarchs ; and the ruins
we see are most probably those of Neapolis, which
succeeded Shechem. To our left is the huge mass of
Mount Ebal, with its base excavated into numerous
funeral caves, remains of the necropolis of Shechem.
To our right we admire the summits of the Gerizim,
on the green side of which is pleasantly seated the
modern Naplouse.
For about a mile we follow this delightful valley.
As we are going to leave it, we pass before the
well of the woman of Samaria, called Bir-Yakoub
(Jacob's well) by the Arabs. A little further 011
towards the east is a small Mussulman oualy (chapel),
said to be the tomb of Joseph. From this spot we turn
suddenly southward, and enter another rich valley,
which we follow during more than two hours. The
wind blowing very strong from the south, incommodes
us much, and I have great difficulty in taking notes as
we ride along.
Nearly opposite the spot where the vale of Shechem
opens into the second valley we are now in, we descry,
at the foot of the surrounding hills to our left, the village
of Azmout. A little further on, half-way up the decli¬
vity, and in nearly the same direction, stands the hamlet
of Ed-Deir. A few furlongs further, but to the east-by-
south, we perceive on a height a considerable village.
104
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
called Beit-Dijan ; and on this side of it, on a lower
hill, the village of Roujeb.
The Book of Nehemiah (vii. 28), and that of Esdras
(ii. 24), mention a locality called Azmout, which Reland
supposes to have belonged to the tribe of Judah or to
the tribe of Benjamin, because its inhabitants are
spoken of along with those of Netopha, Gilgal, and
Geba. The complete identity of the name might
make us suppose that the Azmout of the Scriptures,
erroneously transcribed Azmaveth, and the modern
Azmout, were but one and the same place, if we did
not read, at the same time, in Nehemiah (xii. 28, 29),
that " The sons of the singers gathered themselves toge¬
ther, both out of the plain country round Jerusalem,
and from the villages of Netophathe; also from the
house of Gilgal, and out of the fields of Geba and
Azmaveth ; for the singers had builded them villages
round about Jerusalem/' Really, a village in the
neighbourhood of Naplouse cannot be considered as
built near Jerusalem. Let us then come to this
conclusion, that we find here one example more of the
frequent repetition of geographical names in the Bible,
the same name being very often given to several
different localities.
If we cannot assign positively to Azmout a biblical
antiquity, we shall, I think, be more fortunate with
respect to the next village, Beit-Dejan. It is identical
with Beth-Dagon, where Saul's head was carried after he
had perished on the mountain of Gilboa. In Joshua
"(xv. 41) we find mentioned a place called Beth-Dagon,
belonging to the tribe of Judah: evidently this is not
AND KOUND THE DEAD SEA.
105
the same as ours. Joshua also mentions (xix. 27)
another Beth-Dagon, belonging to the tribe of Asher ;
neither is this our Beit-Dejan, since we are now on the
territory of the lialf-tribe of Manasseli (on this side of
the Jordan) and of the tribe of Ephraim. We must
therefore look elsewhere. In Chronicles 1 (x., verses 3rd
and following) we read :•—And the battle went sore
against Saul, and the archers hit him, and he was
wounded of the archers. Then said Saul to his armour-
bearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through there¬
with ; lest these uncircumcised come and abuse me.
But his armour-bearer would not ; for he was sore
afraid. So Saul took a sword, and fell upon it. And
when his armour-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell
likewise on the sword, and died. So Saul died, and
his three sons, and all his house died together. And
when all the men of Israel that were in the valley saw
that they fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead,
then they forsook their cities, and fled: and the
Philistines came and dwelt in them. And it came to
pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip
the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen in
Mount Gilboa. And when they had stripped him,
they took his head, and his armour, and sent into the
land of the Philistines round about, to carry tidings
unto their idols, and to the people. And they put his
armour in the house of their gods, and fastened his
head in the temple of Dagon."
The bodies of Saul and of his sons had been carried
to Bethsan (the Beysan of the present day). The
inhabitants of Jabesh, in the country of Gilead, came
106
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
and carried them off during the night, and, having
repassed the Jordan, buried them with funeral honours.
I am very much inclined to believe that the Beth-
Dagon of the passage just quoted, is no other than our
Beit-Dejan, because this village is indeed only one
day's march from Djilboun, the locality in the mountain
to the north-east of Djenin, which was unquestionably
the scene of Saul's disaster. As to Houjib, if it is not
a village of modern foundation, I do not know to what
ancient locality it might be referred.
Nearly opposite Roujib, and on the right bank of the
valley, is the village of Kafr-Kallin. About fourteen
furlongs further on, and on the same side, is a hamlet
of no great importance, called El-Makhna. May there
not be in this name El-Makhna an alteration of the
biblical name, incorrectly translated Michmethah (Josh,
xvi. 6), which belongs to a locality placed like this, on
the limit of Ephraim and Manasseh, and in the vicinity
of Shechem (Josh. xvii. 7) 1
Among the hills on the right, forming the continua¬
tion of the Gerizim range, there is one with such a
regular figure and so smooth and easy a declivity,
that it is scarcely possible not to recognise in it the
signs of human industry of a very ancient date. A
league further on, two large villages are again situated,
one on the right, the other on the left flank of the
valley. These are Haouarah and A'ouarta. As we
were proceeding as fast as possible, so as to reach
Jerusalem and Bethlehem in proper time; and as,
besides, we intended passing again by this road, I con¬
tented myself with merely noting the localities, without
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
]07
studying them with as much attention as I did on our
return. For this reason, in another part of this work, I
shall recur to the important ruins, which I did not
observe the first time I travelled this way.
The village of Haouarah is in some sort the key of
this fine opening, which leads directly into the vale of
Shechem. It is built on a hillock of no great height,
commanding the road ; and the heaps of dirt and
dunghills which surround it, give it almost the look of a
fortified village. A little beyond Haouarah, the valley
is closed in to the south by rather a steep hill, over
which ascends the road leading to Jerusalem; but as
here the valley suddenly turns off to the west, it is still
in that direction several thousand yards in breadth.
Behind Haouarah, and at a very little distance, is the
hamlet of Aijn-Ouris ; and at the bottom of the valley,
the village of Kousa, both easily distinguishable from
the Jerusalem road.
For a moment we thought of halting half-way up the
hill to breakfast. We were protected there from the
southerly wind, which was still increasing, and a small
spring, unfortunately not abundant enough to water our
horses, seemed to invite us to stop. But the morning
was still early; and we knew by experience how much
is gained in travelling, by marching as far as possible
before breakfast: so we pushed on, after having decided
not to halt before reaching the Khan-es-Saouijeh, where
we were assured we should arrive in less than an hour,
and find water sufficient for all our necessities.
The table-land, on the top of which we have arrived,
is very stony and difficult of passage, but of no great
108
JOURNEY" IN SYRIA
length. Half an hour later we descend again, and pass
through a pretty, well-cultivated dale, watered by a
modest little rivulet. To the left, we leave on the
declivity of the hill we have just passed, the village of
Yitma,* and opposite to this village, on the hill facing
it, the village of Koubalan. We climb again over a
small range of low hills, and reach at last the long-
wished-for khan. The Khan-el-Saouijeh is built on a
very small plain; in front of it, and a few hundred yards
to our right, some ruins are visible, which seem to belong
to the Roman period.
We had hoped to arrive at a real khan ; but we find
only a mass of ruins. Four walls of large stones, half of
them crumbled down,—such is the Khan of Saouijeh.
We try to shelter ourselves behind its walls ; our cook
instals himself, and produces some hard-boiled eggs ;
add to these a half-starved fowl, mildewed bread,
and wine which, from having been too much shaken,
looks like mud, and our breakfast is before you. It
may be readily supposed that such a feast was quickly
despatched, and we were soon again in the saddle. A
quarter of an hour later we cross another valley,
commanded to the right by the village of Loubban,
and at the bottom of which is an abundant spring,
close to the ruins of an ancient khan, called Klian-
el-Loubban. Maundrell was the first to recognise, in
the village of Loubban, the Lebonah of the Scriptures.
* We read in the second book of Kings, xxi. 19, that the name of the mother
of King Anion, son of Manasseli, was Meshullemeth, daughter of Haruz of
Jotbali, without any other indication. I am much inclined to think that this
biblical locality must be identified with the modern Yitma; for the sound of
the m and b is too much alike to allow of any difference between the two
names. Josephus gives to this same locality the name of lapdrt].
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
109
The village of Shiloh, according to the Bible (Judges
xxi. 19), was northward of Beth-el, and southward
of Lebonah. This description is quite exact; for
Beitin, which has taken the place of Beth-el, is exactly
south of Seiloun, which is to the south-east of
Loubban.
To get out of the Ouad-el-Loubban, we begin climbing
the mountains of Judaea, which we shall leave no more
until we reach Jerusalem. Arrived at the summit, we
discover to the left the village of Seiloun : this is Shiloh,
the celebrated place where the tabernacle and the Ark
of the Covenant were established. Josephus writes the
name hXovv, precisely as its inhabitants pronounce it
at this very day. It is now a poor village of 110
importance.
We next descend into a fertile valley, and perceive
on the declivity opposite the two villages of Sendjil
and Tourmous-Aya,* between which we pass. They
are scarcely distant from each other more than
a mile. At first, one might be tempted to find in
Tourmous-Aya a very important biblical locality often
mentioned in the holy Scriptures. I allude to Ai.
But several very distinct texts forbid the identification :
for instance, among others, in Genesis (xii. 8), we
read that Beth-el was situated westward, and Ai
eastward. This description cannot be made to tally
in any way with the respective positions of Tour¬
mous-Aya and Beitin ; as the first of these two villages
is nearly exactly north of the second, and about
four leagues distant. Any assimilation, therefore,
* Tourmous means a kind of pulse (Lupine).
110
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
between Ai and Tourmous-Aya would be more than
doubtful.
When we are nearly opposite Sendjil, the sun begins
to decline, and we have not }ret accomplished two-thirds
of our day's march. Besides, the wind continues
blowing, and we have it full in the face, which is very
fatiguing. Half an hour later, we leave on our right
the village of Ras-Abou-Kesh; then we pass between
the two villages of Yebroud and Selouad, not far distant
from each other; we move along the crest of the vale,
in which are the cultivated grounds of Yebroud, and we
descry from above a kind of well in front of the habi¬
tations, bearing the name of Ain-Yebroud. Descending
next from the heights, we wind along the hill, on the
side of which is built Selouad ; and we enter a narrow
pass, well wooded with olive trees, with a somewhat
suspicious name, that of Ouad-el-Haramyeh, or the
thieves' valley. The road here becomes very bad;
some portions have been swept away by the rains, and
we are obliged to be very careful lest we should break
our horses' legs and our own.
In about an hour we arrive at some inconsiderable
springs, dropping from the vertical rocks which line the
right side of the valley ; they form the Ain-el-Haram-
yeh. Here are two ruined cisterns of fine ancient
workmanship, but without a single drop of water in
either. They are, I think, of Roman construction, and
close to the border of the ancient road, which we have
followed throughout the day.
Towards the southern extremity, after having passed
theAin-el-Haramyehand the cisterns, the valley widens
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
Ill
a little, and we discover right and left, but principally
to the right, some fine sepulchral excavations, dating most
certainly from a very ancient period. In outward
appearance they resemble those of the necropolises we
have already seen. Unfortunately, we have no leisure
to examine them. Night is coming on rapidly, and
we are still very far from El-Bireh.
The Ouad-el-Haramyeh opens abruptly into a much
larger valley, planted with magnificent olive trees, and
leading to the village of El-Tayebeh. After having
advanced some four or five hundred yards, we enter a
new defile not quite so narrow as the Ouad-el-Haram¬
yeh, but commanded by rocks admirably disposed for
an ambuscade of the kind of gentry who have given
their name to the country. This defile is in the same
direction as the other one, and deeply hollowed, being
the bed of a torrent now dry.
This bed of a torrent forms the high road; and a
scrambling, sandy, difficult road it is, with this variation
only, that the word sandy should often be changed into
rocky. Whilst we are trying hard to scale it, rain comes
on as a fresh comfort to reinforce the wind ! A little
rain will subdue a great wind, says the proverbial
wisdom of nations ; a gentle rain in this country is
exceedingly like a heavy squall in France ; but, for¬
tunately, it soon passes over. Darkness is of longer
duration ; for night has closed in quite black, and the
best we can do now is to give the rein to our horses,
trusting to fortune and their instinct. We can scarcely
see two steps before us, and find it very difficult to
keep together. When we have gained the summit
112
JOUBNEY IN SYRIA
of the pass, we move on as rapidly as we can, over
flat and slippery rocks. There is no sign of vegetable
earth.
As we proceed onwards, and whilst I am shivering
in my great-coat, and endeavouring to screen myself
as much as possible from the cutting wind, Mohammed
informs us that we are opposite Beitin. Another
half-hour wears away, and we find ourselves at last
before a large stone shed, which proves to be one of
the houses of El-Bireh.
Thank Heaven we have arrived at last! But we are
worn out with cold, bruises, fatigue, and want of sleep.
We have been on horseback twelve long hours, exposed
to wind and rain, and might feel tired with less hard¬
ship. As soon as we have alighted we are introduced
to our new resting-place. What a horrible den !—
Imagine a muddy corridor, six feet long by three feet
broad, without any light. Do they pretend to lodge us
here % With the most accommodating disposition it would
be perfectly impossible, unless we were made to lie in a
heap. " Up-stairs, sir," says Andre, "please to go up."
Go up ! it is easily said ; but how, and which way ?
Our dragoman then makes us feel in the dark three
stones sticking out of the right-hand wall, in an oblique
line, and three feet distant from each other. " This
is the staircase," says he. Well; we are much obliged
to you, and up we climb one after the other.
Arrived at the top of the wall, which we had taken
for a simple partition, we find a barn-floor made of
beaten clay, with the house-roof for ceiling; and such a
roof !—actual trellis-work—through which the wind
AND ROUND THE DEAD SKA.
113
exercises its right of entry, as in all respectable Arab
mansions. Another little platform in a corner, placed
above, nearly as large as the corridor at the bottom
of the staircase, and raised two feet above the level of
our apartment, is used as a bed-room by the ladies of
the house. They are squatting there with their lord
and master, and two or three invited friends from the
neighbourhood. One of these, a Christian of the village
of Ram-Allah, possesses a pair of eyes which I shall
never forget. Evidently, they remain within the sockets
merely from habit. Three immense jugs or chests of
dried clay, serving either for clothes-presses or corn-
bins, garnish the sides of the two rooms. We have
just space enough to lay our beds side by side, the one
encroaching upon the other. If there is not the shadow
of a chair, there is at least a log of wood upon the fire,
which makes a show of burning, but smokes enough to
choke us all. A little iron lamp, thrust into a hole in
the wall, completes the furniture.
It is lialf-past nine o'clock, so we may be permitted
to be hungry, but it requires some time to cook our
repast. It is quite impossible to lay out our beds at the
same time with our table and canvas stools ; and as long
as our meal is undisposed of, we must be content to
squat or stand as best we may, at our own preference.
We prefer putting up and taking down alternately
such portions of our furniture as may suit the wants
of the moment. The canvas stools, the table, and two
beds out of seven are arranged; the bales enclosing
the remainder act as chairs in the meantime; and as
we clearly understand it would be but knocking our
VOL. I. I
114
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
heads against the wall to think of bettering ourselves,
we make up our minds to bear with what accommo¬
dation we have. We sit down anywhere, and smoke
or sleep whilst our dinner is getting ready.
I take advantage of the opportunity to speak Arabic,
presenting myself alone to the society of the ladies'
elevated drawing-room, and the conversation begins.
The man with the huge eyes asks me to teach him
French : I give him a few words and phrases which he
pronounces tolerably, after having been told three times,
and an hour slips away in this manner before our long-
expected dinner makes its appearance. Constantine,
who begins to have some misgivings as to our good
humour, has concocted for us even worse poisons than
usual, and it is near midnight before we can scramble
into our beds, passing over each other's bodies, at the
risk of disarranging all our furniture. Weariness is a fine
specific for a good night's rest. We are eaten up with
vermin, and notwithstanding, until daylight returns, not
one of us has moved a limb from the position in which
he has fallen asleep !
December 23 rd.
The day arrives at last on which we expect to reach
Jerusalem. We are all up with the dawn; the Abbe
runs to visit the ruins of a Christian church of the period
of the Crusades, and I hasten to examine some ancient
cisterns which have certainly given their name to the
village, El-Bireh. It is the Beeroth of the Bible, a town
of the Gibeonites (Joshua ix. 17.), which became
afterwards one of the cities of the tribe of Benjamin
(2 Samuel iv. 2.). And so indeed, St. Jerome tells us
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
115
in the Onomasticon. " Beeroth sub colle Gabaon, osten-
ditur hodieque villa ab iElia pergentibus Neapolim in
septimo lapide." As to this hill of Gabaon, it is
(according to St. Jerome's statement) near Rama, and
there is really now on the spot a village called Djeba.
Is it the ancient capital of the Gibeonites, the Gibeah of
the Book of Judges (xix. 13.), called also Gibbethon in
the Book of Joshua (xxi. 23.) \ Since St. Jerome,
who was so perfectly well acquainted with all the Holy
Land, places Gabaon near Rama, it seems to me there
can be no doubt as to this identity.
The map of Syria by Zimmermann places a village
called El-Djib at the distance of a league to the west of
Kliouraib-er-Ram, and he recognises in it the Gibeon
of the Scriptures, which he distinguishes from Gibeah.
I know not whether this village of El-Djib really
exists, but at all events, in accordance with St. Jerome,
I prefer looking for the metropolis of the Gibeonites on
the site of Djeba.
Our readers will remember the deceit which the
Gibeonites made use of to avoid the terrible conse¬
quences of the Judaic conquest (Joshua ix). The
inhabitants of Jericho and Ai had just been exter¬
minated ; all the generation of the Canaanites was
threatened with the same fate. The Gibeonites, belong¬
ing to that race, concocted a stratagem to get out of
this cruel dilemma. Messengers chosen from among the
inhabitants of Gibeon, Beeroth, Chephirah and Kirjath-
jearim, came and presented themselves to Joshua. "We
are not Canaanites," they said ; " and we reside so far
from this place that our clothes and our shoes are worn
I 2
] 1G
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
out with the journey. Sec in what a state they are ;
they were new when we left our own country. Look at
our bread ; it is dry and mouldy ; it was fresh when we
brought it from home. We come to offer you the alliance
of our people who have nothing in common with the
Canaanites. Give us your friendship in return for ours !"
Joshua (who probably was not very well acquainted with
the topography of the country he was sent to conquer),
and the high-priest Eleazar, allowed themselves to be
deceived by this audacious fraud, so like the arts of
the Bedouins. The treaty of alliance was made and sworn
to, and the Gibeonites were spared for the time being.
They were even saved shortly afterwards by Joshua
from the attack which the king of Jerusalem and the
other kings of the neighbourhood made upon them, as a
punishment for having entered into a treaty with the
common enemy. Joshua, having been summoned to
the assistance of his new allies, fell suddenly upon the
kings of Canaan, routed them and pursued them
sword in hand, through the valleys as far as Bethora,*
according to Josephus (Ant. Jud. v. 1—17). At a later
period, Saul, notwithstanding the plighted faith, ravaged
the country of the Gibeonites, and caused them such ruin,
that David, to obey the prophets who threatened him
with the vengeance of the Almighty, if he did not give
satisfaction to the nation which Saul had treacherously
attacked, was obliged to surrender seven men of Saul's
family, required by the Gibeonites to be placed at
their mercy. The seven unfortunate victims were
delivered over to them and put to death accordingly.
* Beth-lioron (Josh. x. ii.)
AND HOUND T1IE DEAD SEA.
117
After my short morning's walk, I return to the khan,
and find everybody ready to start. According to
our daily custom, before mounting our horses, we
take a basin of soup and a cup of coffee, after which
we smoke a chibouk. The unlucky Constantine, who
begins to look on us with perfect disgust (which we
amply return whenever we think of his cookery), hands
us some coffee flavoured with oil. We are not accus¬
tomed to this whimsical beverage, and compel him
to change his mixture ; but the second is still more
oily than the first, and one of our cups is uncere¬
moniously emptied into the face of the contumacious
cook, who begins to suspect from this moment that his
situation of purveyor-general is beginning to totter.
This time we go without coffee, and resume our march.
Before us, mounted on a jackass, is a fat man in
European costume, who since yesterday keeps as near as
possible to our caravan. We are told he is an inhabitant
of the Tiberiad, going to Jerusalem on private business.
We encountered him again some time after, and
exehanged agreeable intercourse, which I shall mention
in the proper place.
On leaving El-Bireh, the road descends through
fertile lands and enters into a narrow valley bounded
by rocks, called the Ouad-Atara. Some ancient ruins
arc visible at the entrance and the egress of this defile,
resembling fortified posts erected to defend the pass.
This time again there is no mistaking the identity.
The modern name Atara has taken the place of the
biblical name, Ataroth, one of the stations on the southern
frontier of the tribe of Ephraim, close to the territory
118
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
of the tribe of Benjamin (Josh. xvi. 5, 7 ; xviii. 13 ; and
xxi. 18).
The Ouad-Atara is not much more than two thousand
yards in length ; on emerging from it we leave to our
right the Tillage of Rafat; then, on a summit further
off, and separated from the first by another mountain,
is a Mussulman oualy, called Nebbi-Samouil. I do not
know to what biblical locality Rafat may have succeeded.
From this spot the ancient paved road is recognisable
by most evident signs, which continue to show them¬
selves all the way to Jerusalem.
We soon reach the place called Er-Ram. This is a
small hill, on the summit of which are some shapeless
ruins. On the site of this hill, along the old road,
the rocks present numerous marks of ancient con¬
structions, such as square areas and stairs. A little
further on, and to the right of the road, are other ruins
evidently of a more modern origin, and among them
may be easily distinguished, by some remains of pointed
arches, a large structure of the middle ages. Is
it the castle of the Sires de Raines ? is it an Arab khan 1
—this is very difficult to decide. One thing is certain,
that this structure bears the very significant name of
Khouraib-er-Ram (the little ruin of Er-Ram). Ramah
was a town of the tribe of Benjamin (Josh, xviii. 25),
and we read in Judges (xix. 13), "Let us draw near
to one of these places, to lodge all night in Gibeah or
in Ramah." The hill of Er-Ram is most certainly the
site of the biblical Ramah, and the village of Djeba is
close at hand. The scriptural text which I have just
quoted is then quite clear by itself.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
119
Proceeding oil oar march we leave, distant about
fourteen furlongs to our right, the village of Beit-Hanoun,
opposite to which, to our left, and only a few hundred
yards distant from our road, is a regular mound of 110
great extent covered with ancient rubbish : it is called
Tel-el-Foul (the hillock of the bean).
From this spot we discover afar off, on an eminence
to the right, the village of Beit-Hour-el-Fougah. West¬
ward of this I am told by Mohammed there is a second
village called Beit-Hour-et-Tattah. It would be difficult
not to recognise in these two villages the two biblical
towns of Beth-horon, the one called the upper, the
other the lower, which were on the confines of the
tribes of Ephraim and Benjamin (Josh. xvi. 5 ; 1 Chron.
vii. 24; and 2 Chron. xxv. 13). Beth-horon (Josh,
xxi. 22) was given to the Levites. I consider it
extremely probable that the locality called by Josephus
Bethora (Baidapa), and up to which Joshua pursued the
Canaanite kings who had attacked the Gibeonites, is no
other than our Beit-Hour-et-Tattah.
After having passed infront of the village of Kalounyeh,
visible to our right, we arrive at the foot of a hillock on
which stands the village of Schafat. This village has
the appearance of a castle of the middle ages with a
square keep. We pay little attention to it, as our minds
are otherwise employed. In our front, beyond some
hills of no great height, a plain spreads out covered
with olive trees, and from this grove of olive trees
rise majestically the domes and minarets of Jerusalem.
In an instant our tarboushes are lifted from our fore¬
heads, and every one of us salutes the holy city. A
120
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
cry of joy and admiration bursts from our hearts, and
a deep sentiment of emotion pervades the whole party.
From this point our march considerably quickened,
and we passed rapidly the walls of El-Qods. But I
must delay a moment to say a few words of this village
of Schafat.
Alexander had taken Tyre after a seven months'
siege. Gaza, after resisting for two months the Mace¬
donian hero, fell in turn before his victorious arms.
From Gaza, Alexander determined to march on
Jerusalem. The high-priest, Jaddus, on hearing this
terrible news, orders public prayers to be offered up,
to avert the ruin impending over the city of David.
During the night the Lord appears to him in a dream,
tells him to banish all fear, to open the city gates and
to proceed to meet Alexander with all the pomp of
religious ceremony. The pontiff taking courage again,
hastens to obey the commands of God, and when he
hears that the Macedonian army is drawing near the
city, he goes forth with the gorgeous retinue which he
has marshalled in order, and advances as far as the
place called Sapha. This word translated into Greek,
2k07tt/, means an eminence, " a place from which one may
see at a distance," as Joseplius adds ; from this point
Jerusalem and the Temple are distinctly visible.
The Phoenicians and Chaldeans who formed a portion
of Alexander's army, were already rejoicing in imagina¬
tion at the sack of the town and the death of the
high-priest. But it pleased God to disappoint their
hopes : for Alexander perceiving from a distance this
multitude of men in white robes, headed by their priests
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
121
in linen tunics, and by the high-priest with a violet gown
embroidered with gold, and wearing on his head the
pontifical tiara, ornamented with the golden plate, upon
which was engraved the name of Jehovah,—Alexander
halted his army, advanced alone to meet the procession,
adored the holy name of the Most High, and was the first
to bend the knee before the pontiff. Then all the people
of Jerusalem surrounded Alexander and shouted forth
his praise with one voice ; and the kings and generals
who followed him thought that he was stricken with
madness, when they saw him accept this homage with
a satisfied and courteous demeanour.
Parmenio was the only one who ventured to question
his master, and to ask him how he could have thought
of bowing himself down before the high-priest of the
Jews. Alexander answered that he had not adored the
man, but the God, whose minister he was ; that he had
recognised in him a mysterious being who had appeared
to him in a dream and promised him that he should
achieve the conquest of all Asia, overthrowing the
empire of Darius; and that in consequence he could no
longer doubt the triumph of his arms. Taking the
pontiff by the hand, Alexander walked towards Jerusalem,
went to the temple and offered there a sacrifice according
to the Judaic rites. The next day Alexander convoked
the high-priest and the people, and asked them what
boon they wished to obtain from him. Jaddus replied
that they only wished for permission to preserve the
customs of their fathers, and to be exempt from tribute
every seventh year. Both these demands were granted.
Shortly afterwards Alexander went away from Jerusalem,
122
JOUREEY IN SYRIA
taking along with him a number of Jews who had
enlisted in his army, to march against the Persians.
(Joseph. Ant. Jud. xi., viii. 5).
The place of the meeting between Alexander and the
high-priest Jaddus, is the very spot where we halted
to salute for the first time the city of the Lord. Now,
as in days of yore, Shafat means an eminence, a place
from which one may see at a distance ; and this
designation is as correct at the present day, as it
was twenty-two centuries ago.*
Before noon we had passed through the plain,
well planted with olive trees, which lay between us
and the walls of Jerusalem. Following the stony road
which leads from the last hills to the Bab-el-A amoud,
or Bab-es-Cham, that is to the gate leading to Damascus,
and leaving to our left the Tombs of the Kings, we had
at last reached this gate. But instead of passing
immediately through it, our moukris led us all along the
whole line of walls from the Bab-es-Cham to the
Bab-el-Khalil or Hebron gate. So by this last-named
entrance, passing before David's tower, and the castle
of the Pisans, we finally entered Jerusalem.f
Some friends had recommended to us the Hotel of
Palmyra, kept by Stefano Bari. As it is situated near
the Damascus gate, we proceeded there at once, and
found we had to pass again through the streets the whole
la Arabic i jli (shaf) means to see, and Isbuo (shafat) summit of a bill.
In Hebrew the corresponding word means, locus eminent, collis planus. But
what is rather curious, is to find the two Greek words 2/co7rei;a! and ~Xkottt] in
the same correlation with each other as the two Arabic words above mentioned.
+ It appears that people are allowed to ride out by the Damascus gate; but
to ride in they must choose the Hebron entrance ; this is owing to some
quarantine formalities.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
123
distance which we had already traversed to no purpose.
On reaching the hotel we find the host absent on a
journey, his wife sick, and no lodgings at our disposal.
Luckily the factotum of another inn, kept by an English¬
man named Meshulam, comes running to us, and entreats
us to alight at his master's house. As we were quite at
a loss what to do, we thought ourselves fortunate in this
unlooked-for rencontre. Besides, the house is not far
from the French consulate, where, of course, we shall
often have occasion to go. Everything appears for the
best, and half-an-hour afterwards we were duly installed
in our new quarters.
Let me now mention the first impression which
Jerusalem produced upon me. The walls built by the
Turks are of a very imposing but melancholy aspect.
The streets are narrow, filthy and loathsome, as they
are in all oriental towns; the vaulted roofs which usually
cover them over produce in these narrow passages a
dampness and a stench exceedingly disagreeable; and
lastly, the pavement is dreadfully out of order, so that
people run the risk at every step of breaking their horses'
legs or their own necks. So much for the physical
impression. As to the moral effect, that is quite a
different affair : we are in Jerusalem. Everything is
comprised in that word.
As soon as we are established at Mr. Meshulam's,
where we encounter Mr. Gustavus de Rothschild (who
has just travelled all through Syria proper, and with
whom Edward renews an acquaintance which began in
their childhood), I run to visit our consul. Our consul
is M. Botta, the same who had the good fortune to
124
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
discover the wonderful ruins of Nineveh, M. Botta my
fellow member in the Academy of Inscriptions and
Belles Lettres, M. Botta whom I love with all my heart,
and who, I hope, returns a little of that attachment. We
fall upon each other's neck. In five minutes we speak
of France, our common friends, politics, antiquities,
travels, every subject that comes uppermost. On both
sides it is a perfect hailstorm of questions and answers.
I inquired if any letters had arrived for us. But we
must have patience; the Beyrout steamer is detained
at Alexandria from some accident to her engine, and
our despatches have been delayed in consequence.
M. Botta, who had expected us, invites Edward and
myself to dine with him that very day in company
with Mr. Pizzamano, the Austrian consul, and another
consul who is about to leave Jerusalem. As it is scarcely
proper to be presented to consuls in the outre costume
we have adopted for the convenience of travelling, and
as I have not yet changed my clothes, in my anxiety to
shake hands with M. Botta, I hasten back to the inn
to rummage my portmanteau for something of a suit
that may give me the appearance of a human being for
an evening of half-a-dozen hours.
The weather has been beautiful all day. My son,
Edward, and I, are lodged in a room opening on a
terrace. From this terrace we may study the panorama
of Jerusalem. To our right is the dome of the church of
the Holy Sepulchre ; before us the Mosque of Omar, and
beyond it the Mount of Olives, behind which, towards
the horizon, we discover the mountains rising over
the Dead Sea. To our left the ground ascends in an
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
125
inclined plane up to the walls of the city, whicli com¬
pletely shut out the view of the country in this direction.
Cupolas and grey walls everywhere, heads of palm trees
here and there, some domes, and a very few minarets;
such is the general aspect of Jerusalem.
Before going to the consulate, I have a small reckon¬
ing to settle with Mr. Constantine. We have unani¬
mously condemned him, and in my capacity of leader
of the part}r, I must of course execute the sentence. I
therefore assemble my travelling companions and sum¬
mon the ex-cook to our presence. " Constantine, " I
begin, "go and fetch me your agreement, I want to
examine it." If the dome of the Mosque of Omar had
suddenly fallen upon his head, I do not believe the
rogue would have been more disagreeably astonished.
A Greek does not easily give up the hope of con¬
tinuing to prey upon his fellow creatures ; and
Constantine, without exactly knowing what is going
to take place, would most willingly bargain for a
savage reprimand, on condition that he might retain
his fee of three guineas a day. He takes some
time in finding the agreement, which he always
carries in his pocket, but which he pretends to go
and fetch from his room, to gain time to collect
himself. At last I obtain the paper, read aloud the
contents, and then address him : " I cannot find/' say
I, " that it has been stipulated as part of your service
that you should steal for your kitchen such utensils
and such provisions as you might require. You have
robbed the convent of St. Jean d'Acre; you have
robbed the convent of Nazareth ; you rob everywhere.
126
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
You are a consummate villain, and we dismiss you from
our service. Here is your agreement," and tearing the
paper into pieces, I fling them in his face. " But
before you go, you shall deliver to Andre everything
you have stolen. If, in a quarter of an hour all is
not given up, as I have procured for you a passport
which places you under French law, I will deliver you
over to the French consul, and you may get out of his
hands as you can. Lastly, I warn you to do what you
are told, with a good grace, otherwise you may receive
a sound thrashing to stimulate your honesty. So now,
be off, wretch, and make haste : we give you a quarter
of an hour to obey the orders you have just received."
I knew quite well that it would take longer than
that for our man to disgorge what, as a good Greek, he
considered his legitimate property as soon as he had
laid his fingers on it; but we actually succeeded in
the end in extracting from his luggage, to his infinite
sorrow, all the stolen articles. And that being done,
we left him to look out for another berth elsewhere.
It remained still to decide what we were to do with
his alter ego, the Macedonian Nicholas. This fellow, an
habitual drunkard, but tolerably honest in the main,
had helped not a little to enlighten us 011 the infamies
of his chief; he was therefore as expeditiously dis¬
missed by Constantine, as the rogue himself had been
by us. Constantine would have greatly relished giving
him a little manual punishment; but as Nicholas was
the stronger of the two, the attempt might have
proved detrimental to the physiognomy of the ex maitre
d'hotel, a consideration which checked his ire. The
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
127
respectable Constantine never condescended to laugh,
but he greatly valued his personal appearance, dressed
with the utmost care, and buckled himself in his girdle
as tightly as any beauty in her bodice. Nicholas
came to us in despair, demanding how he was to get
home again. From Jerusalem to Macedonia, the
road is interesting, but the distance is long; and if the
traveller is without a piastre in his pocket, he runs
great risk of breaking down on the way. So we took pity
on the poor devil, and retained him in our service.
These little domestic affairs being settled, we pro¬
ceeded to the consulate, where we were much delighted
to sit down again to a real table, and a regular
Parisian dinner. Genuine cordiality and unforced
mirth are also desirable additions to any repast. After
dinner, pipes were brought in, and whilst we were
inhaling the perfumes of Djebely, M. Barbier, an
amiable young gentleman, attached to the consulate
in the capacity of interpreter, and acting for the time
as chancellor, sat down to a magnificent grand piano
of Erard's, and entertained us with choice music selected
from Mozart, Beethoven, Handel, and Bach. Taking
in turn my station at the instrument, I gave him,
awkwardly enough, but with resemblance that could
be guessed at, the splendid andante of the symphony
in A. " Are you fond of old music, and of this style V'
asked M. Botta. " It is the only kind I like," replied
I. " Good ! " he exclaimed ; " here's a man at last
with wThom I can talk—the first I have seen in Jeru¬
salem." "You may say the three first/' answered I,
" for here is Edward, who dotes on the " Conservatoire'
128
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
as much as I do, and Belly, whose head is crammed
with fuguesA meeting of freemasons is less cordially
sympathetic than a convocation of five enthusiasts in
music, who believe in the pre-eminence of the old
masters.
The party breaks up at half-past ten. Two kaouas
of the consulate, armed with lanterns and long canes,
resembling those of our drum-majors, which they strike
violently against the pavement until they sound again,
conduct us back to our inn. A vaulted passage leads
from the lane in which the French consul resides to
the main street of Jerusalem, which crosses the city
from one end to the other. Under this vault we
observe, for the first time, a negro squatting on a stone
bench, with a small chafing-dish between his legs.
Every evening we find him there at the same place.
He is the watchman of that quarter, and passes the
night on this bench, as we are told, three hundred and
sixty-five times per annum, and three hundred and
sixty-six times in every leap-year. Let our national
guard, after this, complain of an occasional watch, and
the hardship of a camp bed. On summing up the
events of the day, we find ourselves in Jerusalem, and
have looked on the faces of friends and countrymen.
The entry ought to be made in our diary with a rose-
coloured pencil.
December 24 th.
In spite of the mosquitoes we have passed a refresh¬
ing night in a comfortable bed. We are delighted to
have arrived in time for Christmas Eve, and prepare
to proceed to Bethlehem. As it is quite understood
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
129
hero tliat all travellers are pilgrims, and that all
pilgrims intend visiting Jericho, the Jordan, and the
Dead Sea, the Bedouins, who hire themselves as guides,
are always 011 the look-out for new arrivals, and hasten
to offer their services. About one o'clock, an important
personage, with a good spice of the gallows in his
look and manners, comes to propose to us his protection
for the above-named tour. As we think to make better
arrangements than those of ordinary tourists, I
stand on the reserve, the more so as Mohammed, who
is perfectly well acquainted with all these gentry,
winks at me in a very significant manner, whilst he
returns the salaam of the new comer. I therefore
decline entering into an engagement with the Scheikh,
to whom I announce formally that I treat with 110 one
except through the French consul.
By half-past two our horses are brought to the door
of the inn, when we mount and commence our journey.
The weather continues splendid ; the sun warms us
most agreeably, and we get over the two short leagues
separating us from Bethlehem, with many capricious
deviations ; I mean galloping at random, just as Parisian
loungers do at Montmorency.
On leaving Jerusalem, we descend first into the
valley of Hinnom, crossing it at its commencement;
we pass, on the left, the Birket-es-Soulthan, a splendid
cistern hollowed in the rock by the kings of Judah ;
and on the right, some rocks, amongst which we descry
numerous sepulchral caves. A little further on, upon
the level ground, we tread the site of the ancient
hamlet called, by Josephus, 'EpzftivOuv otxos. This flat,
VOL. I. K
130
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
which extends all the way from Jerusalem to the
Greek monastery called Mar-Elias, is the spot where
Pompey pitched his camp, when he came to wage war
against Aristobulus, and to restore the pontificate to
Ilyrcanus, son of Alexander Jannseus. A little before
we reach the convent gate, a well stands right in the
middle of the road; it is the Bir-en-Nedjur (or well
of the star). Tradition relates that the miraculous
star which appeared on the night of the Nativity,
stopped over this very place.
The buildings of the convent of Mar-Elias are in a
wretched state, and resemble a fortress much more
than a place consecrated to religious purposes. From
hence the road hollows down into a deep ravine, planted
with meagre olive trees, and traversed by a path cut
out of the rock. On the opposite side of this ravine the
flat range re-appears again, following and commanding
all the windings of the valley. On this track, and to
the right, we encounter the ruins of an ancient
aqueduct, which is supposed (correctly, I have no
doubt) to have been constructed by the kings of Judah.
In front of the ruins of this aqueduct (which is little
more than a canal covered over by large blocks of stone
bound together), we come to a Mussulman oualy
(chapel), held in great veneration by all the inhabitants
of the country, whether Christians, Maliommedans, or
Jews. It is the tomb of Rachel.
We read in Genesis that Rachel died on the road to
Bethlehem, in giving birth to Benjamin (Gen. xxxv.
19 and 20), " And Rachel died, and was buried in the
way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.'"' " 20. And Jacob
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
131
set a pillar upon her grave : that is the pillar of
Rachel's grave unto this clay." In a country like this,
tradition is entitled to every respect, and I have not
the least doubt that this is really the place where the
patriarch's wife was buried.
A little further on, we leave to our left some ancient
cisterns, known by the name of David's wells. At this
point the roacl, to round the valley in which Bethlehem
stands, turns off at an angle, and thus suddenly takes
us in front of the first buildings of the holy city. From
this spot the aspect of Bethlehem is really delightful. It is
an extensive village, with houses grouped together in the
most picturesque manner, and at its eastern extremity
appear the imposing masses of the church and convent.
In front of Bethlehem, a large, well-cultivated valley
opens, with plantations of olive and fig trees arranged
in terraces.
Nothing can be more extraordinary than Bethlehem
at the moment of our arrival. Christians from all the
countries of the East are there congregated. Arabs,
Greeks, Armenians, Copts, and Abyssinians swarm in
the streets : all are dressed in festival habits; and,
whilst waiting for the ceremony of the night, each
group of pilgrims kills the sheep which is to form the
foundation of their evening meal. Our horses literally
flounder through the blood spilt on all sides by these
extemporaneous butchers. The open yard in front
of the monastery is crowded with pilgrims, to whom
the Bethlehemites sell chaplets, crosses, and small
pictures carved in olive wood or mother-of-pearl.
We alight at the convent gate, in front of the
K 2
132
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
burying-ground, in which are interred the Franciscan
fathers who die at Bethlehem. A small door, four feet
and a half in height, admits into the monastery the
pilgrims who come to claim its hospitality. This
door is closed behind them, and they then find them¬
selves in large corridors, where crowds of Christian
Arabs are constantly circulating. We are, as usual,
cordially welcomed ; rooms are assigned to our exclusive
use, and we become members of the establishment for
four-and-twenty hours.
As we have arrived early, we take advantage of the
remaining portion of the day to ramble in the neigh¬
bourhood. Service is going on ; we cannot therefore
at present visit the sanctuaries, which we must reserve
for our return. As we leave the convent, we pass
entirely through the town, and at a fountain, sur¬
rounded by a group of the prettiest women imaginable,
we make an abundant collection of insects. When,
at the close of day, we retrace our steps, other
women have succeeded the former ones at the
fountain, equally attractive and elegantly attired.
The women of Bethlehem are celebrated throughout
Syria for their remarkable beauty and graceful
bearing. I can safely affirm that this reputation is
well deserved.
We find, 011 returning to the convent, one of our
fellow-passengers of the steamer, Count Fadini, a
young Milanese nobleman of great distinction; M.
Pizzamano, and the two attaches of the French consulate;
besides two other Frenchmen, with whom we travelled
from Constantinople to Beyrout. We form altogether
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
133
a numerous company, and no doubt the evening will
pass agreeably.
Whilst they are preparing the dinner provided by
the convent, we visit the holy places. One of the
fathers, a Belgian by birth, obligingly offers to act as
our guide. The Latin church and the Greek church—
this last being no other than the one built by the
Empress Helena—are very different from each other.
The first named is small and unadorned ; the latter is
too much ornamented with pictures, mosaic work, and
tinsel. Am I influenced by sectarian prejudice 1 I
scarcely know ; but I prefer the simplicity of our little
Latin chapel to the splendour of the Greek sanctuary.
We then go down into the vaults. First, are the cham¬
bers of St. Jerome and St. Paul ; then the apartment
occupied by St. Joseph during the Virgin's delivery ;
and lastly, the room of the manger where our Saviour
was born. Here, as at the Holy Sepulchre, the Greeks,
much richer than the Latins, have succeeded in
becoming possessors of the most valuable relics. We
were shown a carved opening in the pavement, which
formerly contained a massive silver star, that had been
inlaid there in memory of the miraculous star which
led the Magi and the shepherds to the cradle of the
Messiah. Wo are told that the Greeks have carried it
off. I doubt the fact, though I cannot refute it. I
can only affirm that the pavement is at the present day
unadorned by any precious metal.
After this interesting visit we ascend again to the
convent, where we arc conducted immediately to the
refectory. The repast provided for us is strictly
134
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
meagre, without quibble. Peppered soup, fish with
peppered sauce, fish without any sauce at all, but
peppered still; and lastly, dry figs and coffee : such is
the convent fare. We should most gladly compound
for the same, and offered with similar good-will,
throughout our journey. After dinner we assemble in
my room to smoke a chibouk and sip our coffee. As
we were to get up again at half-past eleven o'clock, to be
present at the night service, we went to bed very early.
It would be quite superfluous in me to detail this
touching ceremony, so often related by pilgrims who,
like ourselves, have happened to be in Bethlehem
during this solemn night. By four o'clock in the
morning we had again returned to our apartments.
From December 25th to January 5th.
This morning, by six o'clock, we were already up to
assist at the mass, which was to be performed expressly
for us by the Abbe Michon, our kind and worthy
fellow-traveller. He had seized this opportunity for a
discourse on the great event which took place eighteen
hundred and fifty-one years before our arrival on the
very spot where he was speaking. I need not say that
he found touching language adapted to such a theme,
and that he succeeded in renewing in our bosoms the
emotion we had felt for the first time at Nazareth.
The good fathers will not allow us to depart until we
have shared the abstemious breakfast which they offer
us. We are thus compelled to tarry at the convent a
little longer than we should have preferred. We
employed two hours in purchasing a quantity of those
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
135
little pious remembrances, made up at Bethleliem, which
are so popular in France. We chat with the Arab
Christians, who are crowding into all the corridors of
the convent. Among them there is a Scheikli, who
pretends also to be Scheikli of Er-Riha, and makes us
the same offer of his services as his predecessor we
have named before. We decline engagements with
him as with the other, his countenance being scarcely
more prepossessing. He is on the whole as fine a
figure for a brigand as could be well imagined.
By half-past ten we leave the convent and return to
Jerusalem, riding as briskly as on the preceding day.
As soon as we reach our inn, we hasten to take a
second breakfast, and then proceed to examine in order
all the sacred and profane monuments in the scriptural
city. Of course, our first visit was to the Holy
Sepulchre.
As all I could say would be but a mere repetition of
the minute descriptions which may be read elsewhere
of the Christian monuments contained in that venerable
church, and as I must expect that, after the eminent
writers who have devoted so many glowing pages
to the subject, my simple narrative could not but
appear weak and colourless, I prefer to leave the sub¬
ject altogether untouched. Besides, the Abbe Miclion
has undertaken the history of Christian Jerusalem, and
1 cannot do better than leave the task to him, in the
full confidence that it will be nobly executed.
The ancient monuments which abound in Jerusalem
require to bo studied with the most scrupulous atten¬
tion, and to be examined again and again. The reader
13G
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
must, then, allow me to put off, until I arrive at the
narrative of my second sojourn in that city, all the
observations I have been able to collect. I shall thus
not be obliged to divide the results of my researches,
and the reader will escape the tediousness of a twice-
told explanation, and the annoyance of having con¬
stantly to recur from one volume to the other to
compare my observations on any given monument.
Just now, then, I will only say that I endeavoured to
see everything before my departure for the Dead Sea,
because it did not seem to me quite evident that we
were sure to return hearty and healthy from this
adventurous expedition. From the day of my arrival
in Jerusalem I had acquainted M. Botta with my
desire to accomplish the journey by land round the
asphaltic lake. Although the undertaking did not
appear to him an easy one, he saw nothing in it that
was impossible. I was delighted to find him of this
opinion, and begged of him to introduce me as soon as
possible to some influential Scheikh, who might provide
me with an escort, and serve as a guide during the
whole expedition.
On the 27th of December, early in the morning, I
was summoned to the consulate, and there I met with
a fine old man, whose noble and intelligent face was
often lighted up by a benevolent smile, which imme¬
diately engaged my confidence. This man was Hamdan,
Scheikh of the Thaamerah, a tribe which, after having
lived many years in a social village, one fine morning
took to the Bedouin's wandering life again, never more
to abandon it. I explained tu Hamdan the plan of my
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
137
intended journey. He assured me at once that all I
proposed might certainly be accomplished ; and that he
would undertake to conduct and bring us back again in
safety. He stipulated only that he must take with
him a certain number of his tribe to afford us, in case
of need, a sufficient protection. Three mounted and
five 011 foot he considered a sufficient escort. The
horsemen were to be paid twenty piastres a day, the
infantry only fifteen. For himself, he would be content
with such bakhshish as we might choose to present him
011 our return. We gave him to understand that lie
might depend upon a thousand piastres ; and ho
appeared to be quite satisfied with this promise.
Nothing remained now but to fix the time of our
departure. I begged of Hamdan to come again in a
few days, when I should be able to tell him the precise
moment when we might leave Jerusalem ; and we
parted on mutual terms of good understanding. Before
allowing him to take his leave, I asked our brave
Scliiekh what kind of presents we ought to carry with
us, with a view of gratifying such of his colleagues as
we might meet on our way, and of securing their
friendship. The list of articles was made out as
follows :—
Black abayas (cloaks) . . . . , , G or 7
White do. (zeraki) ....... 6
Pairs of red boots . . . • . .12
Arabian kafieh (turbans) . . . . . 20
Tobacco for smoking . . . . . .10 oques.
Lulelis or bowls of tobacco-pipes 100
Powder ........ 5 oynes.
Small shot . . . . . . . . 10 pounds.
Needles for sewing ...... 500
138
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
We thought with such a store that we had enough to
civilise all Arabia Petrsea. Pleasant, but short-lived
illusion!
Gustavus de Rothschild, who had been preparing to
cross the desert into Egypt, allowed himself to be
seduced by the idea of a journey of discovery, such
as ours promised to be. We were delighted when he
offered to join us. This addition increased our caravan
by three more persons : himself, then his dragoman,
Francis Dzaloglon, a powerful, intelligent man, entirely
devoted to his master, and a Nubian, called Selim,
perhaps the most amusing creature to be found in all
the East. Active, faithful, greedy, lazy, stupid, and
cunning at the same time, Selim is the very image of
Pierrot, with this difference, that instead of having his
face whitened with flour, he has it blackened with
charcoal.
Francis and Andre undertook to hunt the bazaars to
make our purchases ; and as we could not in conscience
cook our own food, we begged of them to find out a
successor to Constantinc. The very same day we con¬
cluded a bargain with an honest fellow, called in Italian,
Matteo by the Franks, and Matthya by the Arabs.
This man is a Christian of Jerusalem, well versed in
the mysteries of Syrian cookery; that is, he knows
how to prepare hard-boiled eggs, to scald or roast a
fowl, and to divide it with his fingers, to fricassee
mutton in three or four different ways, to make coffee,
and to light chibouks. Besides all these accomplish¬
ments, he is acquainted with the country, speaks a
little French and Italian, a fair quantity of correct
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA
L39
Arabic, and as much of the incomprehensible jargon
of the wandering tribes.
We entrusted Matteo with the purchase of our
provisions for the journey. As Andre had secretly
reserved to himself the little peculations usually levied
by all dragomen on stores laid in for their employers,
we saw that hostilities would soon be declared between
the two conflicting powers, in consequence of a mutual
love for the same piastres. To check this lowering
cloud at once, we commanded Andre to abstain hence¬
forth from any purchase, unless he received positive
orders to that effect.
Little by little all our preparations were completed.
But the weather had become uncomfortably rainy, and
we were obliged to wait a few days longer, until the
sun chose to make his appearance, before we ventured
on a start. Whilst we were preparing for the cam¬
paign of Arabia, my son, weakened by fever, was
anxious to return to France. I had decided that
Andre should accompany him back to Beyrout. But
I had not sufficiently relied upon the friendship and
devotedness of the excellent Abbe. He never would
consent to let my son go back alone, in the weak
state to which he was reduced ; and, though it was
a very great sacrifice for himself to give up the journey
round the Dead Sea, he determined upon returning
to Beyrout, whence he would retrace his steps as fast
as possible to Jerusalem, so as to continue with us the
examination of Syria. I accepted his friendly offer
with the deepest gratitude ; and everything being
thus settled, we agreed that on the 5th of January,
140
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
whatever might be the weather, we should turn our
faces towards the Dead Sea. On the day following
our departure my son was to leave Jcrusalem in another
direction, so as to arrive at Beyrout in time for the
steamer appointed to sail on the IGth.
We waited patiently enough the arrival of the
expected day ; employed in searching every corner
of Jerusalem, inside and outside the walls, in taking
drawings and plans, and in looking for plants and
insects. We added something else, but the experiment
to which we had recourse for passing our time, turned
out so utterly disagreeable, that I may safely say not
one of us will ever be tempted to try it again. I am
speaking of the hachich, an abominable poison, which
the dregs of the population alone drink and smoke in
the East, and which we were silly enough to take in
too large a dose on the eve of New Year's day. We
fancied we were going to have an evening of enjoyment,
but we nearly died through our imprudence. As I had
taken a larger dose of this pernicious drug than my
companions, I remained almost insensible for more than
twenty-four hours, after which I found myself completely
broken down, with nervous spasms, and incoherent
dreams, which seemed to have endured a hundred years
at least.
January 5th.
I was yesterday so awkward as to get a fall in
returning home from Mr. Botta's. It was not raining ;
but, as the Jerusalem mud seldom gets dry at this
season, you must keep close to the heels of the kaouas
unless you choose to do as I did. I ran my foot
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
141
against a stone, and fell down heavily at full length,
severely injuring my right knee. Two large pieces of
English sticking-plaster have admirably repaired the
damage, by stanching the blood. This morning my
leg is as stiff as a poker ; but I don't want to use it at
present, and the additional fatigue will fall more on my
horse than on myself.
At a quarter-past three our entire equipage is at the
gate ; and, as we intend sleeping at the convent in
Bethlehem, we send on Matteo with the luggage to
Mar-Saba, where we propose to join him to-morrow.
Mr. Botta accompanies us, with my son and the Abbe.
We are off at last! Shall we ever see Jerusalem again %
Allah dalem ! Allah only knows, say the Arabs, and so
we think too, if we don't utter it. In fact, we are not the
only people who feel anxious about this journey : every
one, excepting our brave consul and the Bedouins, con¬
siders our undertaking as rash in the extreme ; our
servants and moukris, who understand that they are in
for a share of the dangers we are likely to run, arc
somewhat downcast, and some of them are crying. Is
it through fright, or from regret at leaving so agreeable
a sojourn as Jerusalem % I cannot say; but at any
rate our starting is anything but joyful. We are off!
Now the die is cast, and we must be prepared for every
chance that happens.
The Scheikh Hamdan, mounted on a noble grey mare,
rides foremost, flanked by two gallant cavaliers, Meidany
and El-Khatib. The last is thus named from his func¬
tions, which consist in repeating the Khotbah, or Friday
prayer, before his brethren of the tribe. Then follow
142
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
our five foot-guards, strong, well-made, and active,
leaping like goats from one side of the road to the
other. They are all armed with long guns or match¬
locks, swords, and yataghans. Hamdan is the only one
who carries pistols and a powder-flask slung across his
green robe, over which he wears a cloak of brown and
white stripes. A yellow and red kafieh forms a turban,
which sets off admirably his fine countenance. Meidany
has rather a sinister look, though he is really a very
good sort of fellow ; and so is the Khatib, who has
much more the appearance of a brigand than of an
Iman.
Among them there is one clothed only in a long black
robe, with a small sheepskin cloak over his shoulders,
much worn out, and with the hair outside. This is
Ahouad, the Scheikh Hamdan's nephew, the most
devoted, obliging, and indefatigable of our escort. We
soon become sworn friends, and he scarcely ever leaves
my horse's side.
We then follow, helter-skelter, with Mohammed, who,
whenever he can find a piece of even ground without
mud, begins capering and curvetting, and loses his
turban every time. I could not make up my mind to
part with this faithful follower, notwithstanding hints to
that effect from Mr. Botta, who thought the presence of
a Turkish non-commissioned officer might be disagree¬
able to the Bedouins, and bring us into trouble.
We reach Mar-Elias by four o'clock; the sun is going
down, and the gates of Jerusalem shut at the Moglireb,
that is to say, at the moment when he disappears
behind the horizon. Those of our party who must
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
143
return this evening have no time to lose, if they expect
to find the gates still open. None but a father can
understand what I feel at this painful moment: my
only son is about to part from me ; I may perhaps
never see him more : and though, in my heart, I am
almost tempted to thank the fever which has perhaps
saved him from the unknown dangers towards which wo
are hurrying, I do not suffer the less for this separation,
to the idea of which I am not yet reconciled. At the
convent-gate, without alighting, we bid each other
farewell. Felicien weeps without endeavouring to
conceal his emotion ; restrained by false pride, I try to
appear more calm, but the tears are beginning to choke
me, and I hasten to close this painful scene. After a
last shake of the hand, I spur my horse forward to show
the lookers-on that I am a man. Edward, whose kind
heart sympathises with mine, approaches to offer con¬
solation. My son has left me ; but another immediately
supplies his place, so I have no reason to complain.
Mohammed and Ahouad understand my feelings ; both
press my hand affectionately, and utter kind expres¬
sions. We move on ; and I dare not look behind to
catch another glimpse of our parting friends. It is
only when we arrive at Bethlehem that I am myself
again. The sacrifice is over, and now I must resign
myself entirely to the task I have undertaken, of
exploring a country as little known as the interior of
Australia.
We are lodged again at the convent in the same
room we had occupied on Christmas eve. The good
fathers appear pleased to see us once more, and we are
144
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
not slow in returning our expressions of gratitude.
Immediately on our arrival, as it is still broad daylight,
I ascend the terrace on the top of the convent, to mark
the bearings of all the important places in the sur¬
rounding country.
At the distance of three or four miles due east, there
is a range of lofty mountains called Djebel Mottala.
Half-way between them and Bethlehem lies the hamlet of
Beth-Sahour (Domus vigiliao which the Franciscan
Friars call II pastore. From this place, they tell us, the
shepherds came who adored the new-born Saviour in
his humble crib. Only ten minutes distant from where
I am, to the south-east, is the Grotto del Latte, where
the Virgin took shelter, and suckled the infant Christ
before the flight into Egypt. Then, again, by east-
north-east, and about four miles distant, we descry on
an eminence the village of Sour-Bahel; and lastly,
behind us, due west, the village of Betli-Djala.
Whilst I am studying the environs of Bethlehem,
darkness comes on, and with it a piercing cold, which
drives us from our observatory. We descend again to
the convent, where we find Messrs. Pizzamano and
Barbier, who have followed to join our party in a visit
to Mar-Saba. Belly and Loysel have been to explore
the country in the direction of the fountain ; they have
returned also, and dinner is brought in. Our meal
passes over gaily. I exhibit no outward signs of sorrow,
* There was in the territory of the tribe of Judah a station called Betli-Zur,
(Josh. xv. 58). Can this be the modern Beth-Sahour? I should think not.
Eusebms tolls us that this town was situated at the twentieth mile-stone oil
the road from Jerusalem to Hebron, and this topographical description cannot
apply to Beth-Sahour.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
145
and if I still feel a pang or two, I conceal them. I
shrink from intruding on my friends my private
sorrows, and only wish to share with them my joys.
Though it costs me an effort, I look at least as happy as
themselves.
The Greek patriarch has given us a letter of recom¬
mendation to the superior of the convent of Mar-Saba,
as the only certain passport to the hospitality of the
good monks. All is now ready, and to-morrow we
commence in earnest our adventurous expedition.
January 6th.
Before eight o'clock in the morning we are all
actively employed. The artists have gone to take a
sketch of the females at the fountain ; Edward and I
are searching for monuments in the neighbourhood. A
young Arab tells me there is an inscription in characters
unknown to him on a large stone close to Rachel's
tomb. It is a good mile off; but on the way we shall pass
by the ancient cisterns called Biar-Daoud, or David's
Wells, and they alone are worth our going back for.
Guided by the lad, who undertakes to point out the
inscription, we set off at once. The sun shines brightly,
and though there has been a hard frost, and the road
is covered with ice, it is impossible to wish for finer
weather.
We first stop at the wells, three in number, and
formed in the solid rock. While drawing a plan of the
connecting drains, we observe a number of small mosaic
cubes, which show that in days of yore these wells
have been held in considerable reputation. Why has
this name of Biar-Daoud been given to them 1 Are we
vol. i. r,
146
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
to take them for the wells where three brave soldiers
of the pious king came to fetch water for him 1 I am
inclined to do so, although these wells are situated five
or six hundred yards from the modern Bethlehem.
We read in 1 Chronicles (xi. 16), "And David was
then in the hold (or Cave of Adullam), and the
Philistines' garrison was then at Bethlehem. (17.) And
David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me
drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, that is at
the gate! (18.) And the three brake through the
host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well
of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and
brought it to David ; but David would not drink of it,
but poured it out to the Lord. (19.) And said, My God
forbid it me that I should do this thing ; shall I drink
the blood of these men that have put their lives in
jeopardy 1 for with the jeopardy of their lives they
brought it. Therefore he would not drink it. These
things did these three mightiest."
The present fountain of Bethlehem is just outside the
village, quite close to the convent, and on the hill-side.
Is it the cistern that was at the gate, and where David's
soldiers came to draw water % This seems possible ;
only I must observe that the name of Biar-Daoud
seems to connect the cisterns we are now visiting with
the curious fact which we have just related.
Whilst Edward continues his operations to procure
an exact plan of this relic, I hasten on to Rachel's tomb,
attracted by the hope of finding there some interesting
and perhaps unknown inscription. We arrive at the
ancient aqueduct, which I have already mentioned when
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
147
describing the road from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, and
on one of the blocks that cover in this aqueduct (known
to the Arabs by the name of Qanat-el-Tchouffar),* I
am shown a single word, written in characters rather
more than three inches high, and of the twelfth century,
judging by their form. This Avord is Strosi. Is it the
name of some Italian crusader 1—or of an ancestor
of the illustrious Florentine family of the Strozzi % I
cannot venture to decide.
As I am at the aqueduct, I take the opportunity of
studying its construction. The canal, cut out of the
blocks buried in the ground, is covered over by other
blocks formed into small circular arches, alternately
jutting out or scooped in, about four inches in thickness.
The blocks are a yard wide, about two feet and a half in
height, and the canal itself is eighteen inches broad.
No one can tell me exactly where the aqueduct ter¬
minates. The lad who accompanies me pretends that
it unites the Bourak (meaning the celebrated reservoirs,
—or tanks of Solomon) to the city of Jerusalem, to which
it conveys their waters. Although this aqueduct is
nearly everywhere dismantled of its casing, the water
is still pure, as I see when the casual passers drink it
from their hands.
I next enter the inclosure of Rachel's tomb, where
I find a small oualy (chapel), lately built and white¬
washed. The walls are covered with inscriptions
scrawled by Mohammedan or Jewish visitors. Having
examined these, I return to Biar-Daoud, where I find
* Meaning in Arabic tlic Aqueduct of the Infidels. In and about Jerusalem
tlio letter Kef is pronounced tcli.
L 2
148
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
Edward, Rothschild, and Philippe searching for insects
under the stones. I join them ; and in another half
hour we think of returning to the convent.
Intending to take a short cut, we climb over a dry
stone wall; and in doing this I am clever enough to sit
upon my compass, which I had placed in my great-coat
pocket, and crush it into fragments. Luckily, I have
another, of which I must be more careful, if I intend to
keep a reckoning of our journey. The box, which I
have thrown away, affords us the edifying spectacle of
young Arabs fighting furiously with each other, to
decide who shall remain the happy possessor of such a
treasure. I am obliged to check the skirmish, and
reclaim possession of the box as a present for our
guide.
We re-enter the convent by the small low door,
which I have already mentioned, and against which
you run the risk of breaking your head, unless you are
very careful. We breakfast with all speed, and by
three quarters past eleven take our departure for the
monastery of Mar-Saba. We pass along the side of the
hill upon which the convent of Bethlehem stands, and
take our course directly east towards the bottom of the
valley. The valley is planted with very poor-looking olive
trees, and the road is rough and full of stones. Fifteen
hundred yards from Bethlehem we reach another
cistern, hewn out of the rock, but too far off to contend
with Biar-Daoud for the honour of having produced the
water which the King of Israel offered as a libation to
the Lord.
Five minutes later we are abreast of the hamlet of
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
119
Beth-Sahour, which we leave about four hundred yards
to our right, on the declivity of a low, rugged limestone
hill. Five hundred yards further on we discover to our
right a range of high mountains, the summits of which
may be six thousand yards distant from the road we are
following. These are the Djebel-Ouerdis. Here we cross
the plain commanded by Bethlehem, and move along the
flank of the opposite hills, through rocks the formation
of which appears identical with the Jurassic limestone.
We next enter a deeper and narrower valley, intersected
by the dry bed of a small torrent, which we cross
several times while following the beaten track. This
valley, encircled by rugged, frowning rocks, is called
the Ouad-Elouah. On either side we encounter steep
and desolate ravines, untenanted by inhabitants, which
give us a tolerable foretaste of the deserts we are
about to visit.
At half-past twelve, just as the valley opens into a
small plain, a little more than four hundred yards in
diameter, Ave reach a paltry Mussulman oualy, the
Qobr-Elouah. Beyond this, the dale narrows; the
broken rocky hillocks become more numerous, and form
what the inhabitants call the Djebel-el-Qournaa. At a
quarter to one we are on the level of another valley,
deeper, but much wider than the last. Here the rocks
are intersected by large veins of flint, and terribly
dislocated. Seven minutes later we have reached the
termination of this new valley. It runs in an easterly
direction, is well cultivated, and we observe some
Arabs tilling with ploughs drawn by asses. These
labourers belong to the Scheikh Hamdan, who returns
150
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
their salaam, and shakes hands with them as we pass
by. The Ouad-el-Arays (so is the valley called) is
edged with stone hillocks, and exceeds a mile in length,
"We emerge from it by ten minutes past one ; then
pursue for a short time a north-easterly direction, and
cross another valley. To our left, about fifteen hundred
yards off, we note a building called Dur-Mirbeh.
At twenty-three minutes past one we reach the summit
of a hill, from whence we obtain our first view of the
shores of the Dead Sea. We pause for several minutes to
indulge our full admiration of this imposing spectacle.
Before us lies the range of mountains called Djebel-Mar-
Saba; to our left, a formidable precipice, at the bottom of
which winds the steep bed of the Ouad-en-Nar (torrent
of Kedron). From this we are at the distance of about
half a league ; but it bends rapidly towards the Djebcl-
Mar-Saba, and wo shall most probably soon come up
with it, for the convent is built on the steep declivity of
its right bank.
Having passed another ravine at forty minutes after
one, we file along a narrow neck of land, about a
hundred yards in length, overlooking, on the left, the
Kedron, and on the right a valley, the bottom of which
is occupied by the numerous black tents of an encamp¬
ment of Bedouins. Close to the tents, on the flank of the
valley, we perceive some tolerably large caves, called by
the inhabitants Morliarrat-el-Hedjar. On the opposite
bank of the Kedron, to our left, and towards the front,
we note a succession of chalky hills, commencing at the
distance of about half a league. We are now on the
Djebel-Mar-Saba. Pushing on for some minutes in an
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
151
easterly direction, then descending about a hundred
yards by a difficult zigzag path, we find ourselves, at a
quarter past two, in front of the convent where we come
to ask for hospitality. The Kedron, which had been
running parallel with our road for several thousand
yards, now crosses in our front, and goes directly south.
Two masses of buildings, connected by a double wall,
and erected on the opposite sides of a shallow ravine,
constitute the Greek monastery of Mar-Saba. The
building on the right, reserved for the reception of
females who may visit Mar-Saba, is in consequence
named Deir-el-Bcnat. These lofty elevations are with¬
out windows, and bear exceedingly the aspect of a
fortress or a state prison. The only entrance is by a
small, low, and strongly-secured gate. Immediately
over this, and about twenty feet above, there is a narrow
gap, or loophole, in the wall. We knock loudly; a
basket fastened to a rope is lowered, receives the letter
of the patriarch, and ascends again without any visible
agency. In a few minutes the gate opens, and we are
admitted within the holy asylum.
I make no attempt to count the stairs, the narrow
corridors, the innumerable turnings, which we have to
traverse before reaching the court of the convent.
Nothing can be more extraordinary than the situation
of this edifice, standing perpendicularly over the
rugged bed of the Kedron. A small garden, planted
with orange-trees, occupies one of the terraces ; and
blackbirds, with yellow wings, skipping in every
direction, impart with their merry songs some cheerful¬
ness to this dismal sanctuary. These birds, we are
152
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
told, constitute the principal amusement of the monks
shut up in Mar-Saba, and seem to have been provided
by Providence for that special avocation. We have
never encountered them anywhere else ; and they are
called in consequence the pigeons of Saint Saba.
The monks treat us with much kindness, and are
eager to show the marvels of their monastery. These
wonders consist, first of all, of a chapel of little pre¬
tension, crowded, according to the Greek fashion, with
miserable pictures in the worst possible taste. From
the interior of the chapel a narrow and steep corridor
leads us to an opening overhanging the Kedron. A
ladder about twelve feet long, which the monks are
very careful to draw up after them, leads down into the
bed of the torrent. To the left of the spot where you
alight is a low grotto, at the bottom of which rises a
cold and very limpid spring. This is the spring of
Saint Saba, the pious hermit who has given his name
to the convent.
The banks of the Kedron are formed by walls of
natural rocks, perforated with caves, but at present
inaccessible. The entrances arc barricaded by piles of
stones without mortar, which indicate that they have
been formerly inhabited. By whom 1 The monks tell
us by anchorites, who, retiring from the world, came
to live and die in this desert. The Scheikh Hamdan is
not of the same opinion. According to his version, the
convent has succeeded to an ancient Jewish town, the
inhabitants of which lived in the caves and built the
walls which so much astonish us. The true solution
appears to be that we have before us numerous samples
AND BOUND THE DEAD SEA.
153
of the retreats inhabited in ancient days by the
primitive Essenians.
In every direction the eye rests on naked rocks,
without a blade of grass—a universal barrenness which
strikes the heart with melancholy. Nevertheless, we
find scattered here and there on the banks of the
torrent some pretty hyacinths, with a delightful
perfume. A few dwarf bushes, very thorny, and as
brittle as glass, complete the vegetation of Mar-Saba
at the time of our visit. The rains have probably
swollen the Kedron a few days before our arrival,
for we find at the bottom of the bed some small ponds
of clear water, but so shallow that two or three days'
sun must dry them up.
I have named the Essenians ; let us enquire a little
into the tenets of the sect of Jewish enthusiasts
anciently called by that name. The historian Joseplius
furnishes us with the necessary information. Ever
since the days of the Asmonean prince, Jonathan, the
Jewish nation had been divided into three sects—the
Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Essenians. The
doctrine of the Pharisees admitted that some events,
but not all, were regulated by Providence. According
to them, much depended entirely on human will. The
Sadducees, on the contrary, acknowledged no inter¬
ference of Providence in the affairs of the world, and
denied the existence of such a power. According to
their creed, all the occurrences of this life were sub¬
mitted to human control; so that happiness was the
fruit of man's own wisdom, and unhappiness the con¬
sequence of his folly. The Essenians asserted that
151
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
everything rested with Providence, and that nothing
could happen to man unless it was pre-ordained.
(Ant. Jud. xiii. v. 9.)
These sectarians were in high estimation with
King Herod the Great, for which Josephus assigns the
following reason :—" Amongst them was a man reputed
above all others for the holiness of his life, and who
foresaw the future by a divine intuition ; his name was
Manahem. This Manaliem, meeting Herod one day,
when a child, as he was going to school, predicted to
him that he would become king of the Jews. Herod,
thinking that the Essenian either did not know him,
or was mocking him, replied that he was of humble
extraction. But Manahem, smiling, struck him with
his hand, and said, ' Thou shalt reign ; never forget
the blows which Manahem has given tliee on this day,
so that thou mayest remember that fortune is but
fickle. It shall be well for thee if thou lovest justice,
religion towards God, and clemency towards thy fellow-
countrymen. Unfortunately, I, who know everything,
know that such will not be thy behaviour; thou shalt
be prosperous, thou shalt acquire everlasting renown,
but thou wilt forget religion and justice, and at the end
of thy life God will punish thee.' At that time, Herod
paid no attention to this prophecy; but when fortune
had made him a king, he sent for Manahem, and asked
him how long his reign would last. The Essenian
made no answer ; and Herod repeated his question :
'Shall I reign ten years V ' Thou shalt reign twenty,
nay, thirty years ; but I cannot name the period of thy
existence.' Herod was satisfied with this answer,
and round the dead sea.
155
shook Manahem by the hand, and allowed him to
depart. From that day the monarch felt a great
veneration for the Essenians." (Ant. Jud. xv., x. 5.)
In another passage (Ant. Jud. xviii., ii. 5), the
historian of the Jews alludes again to the doctrine of
the Essenians, and expresses himself thus:—"The
Essenians believe that everything must be left to the
will of God. They admit that the soul is immortal.
They send, indeed, presents to the temple, but they do
not attend to celebrate any religious ceremony, because
they believe that they offer to the Almighty a more
satisfactory worship in their own common sanctuary.
In other respects, they are excellent people, employing
themselves much in agriculture. Justice is so much
respected by them that their behaviour deserves every
admiration. All goods are in common, and the rich
man does not take a larger share than the poor
man who has nothing. They are above four thousand
in number. They have neither wives nor servants.
They live, each man by himself, but they assist one
another. They select from amongst their own body
collectors of the public revenue. Those who are so
chosen exercise a true priesthood ; their office is to
provide the subsistence for the community. Lastly, all
submit to the same uniform regulations."
It would occupy too much space to introduce here all
the details given by Josephus, in other passages, of the
customs of the Essenians. Let me rather refer the
reader to the history itself. (See Bell. Jud. n. viii. 2,
and following.)
Pliny (Hist. Nat., lib. v., cap. xvii.) informs us that
15G
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
the Essenians inhabited the western coast of the
Asphaltic Lake. He writes as follows :—" To the west¬
ward, the Essenians draw off from the shore until its
vicinity ceases to be noxious. They are a people
unlike any other people in the world. They have no
women, no natural affections, no money, no companions
but the palm-trees. Every day their number is
increased by the addition of candidates, who, wearied
with a worldly life, expect repose in utter seclusion ;
and thus, through centuries, these people miraculously
exist without propagation. Below the country of the
Essenians is Engadda," &c.
Salvian (Thesaurus lleruin toto Orbe Memorabilium,
cap. xxxviii.) repeats the same facts, nearly in the very
same words ; it is evident that he has copied Pliny,
clothing his ideas after his own fashion.
Let us return to our ramble around Mar-Saba.
Leaving the bed of the Kedron, Ave ascend between the
rocks the height 011 which stands the Deir-el-Benat.
On the way we enter a spacious cave, closed in with a
Avail, and find ourselves in one of the singular habita¬
tions of the Essenians. The rock is rudely excavated,
and exhibits no signs of laboured workmanship. It is
evident that, Avhoever lived here, was satisfied with a
retreat, and sought for nothing more.
Philippe has picked up, in the bed of the torrent,
some cubes of Avhite stone, which have unquestionably
belonged to some very ancient mosaic. Have these
cubes been carried by the Kedron from Jerusalem to
this spot? Nothing can be more unlikely; and yet,
in size, in shape, and materials, they are identical with
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
157
those which are picked up in immense quantities in the
Kedron, in the valley of Jehoshaphat. Our doubts are
soon removed ; as we follow a drain constructed by the
monks between the two divisions of the convent, we
find entire rows and slabs of these cubes in regular
position. Here, then, has existed, at a very remote
period, an important structure. Perhaps the principal
sanctuary of the Essenians, the situation of which has
been inherited by the Convent of Mar-Saba, just as
many other religious monuments have succeeded those
belonging to the creeds overthrown by Christianity.
The conclusion is probable, although I cannot venture to
affirm it.
Our first ramble has been most productive : land-
shells and curious insects have been gathered in great
abundance, giving good promise of what is yet in store;
but, under every stone turned over by our naturalists,
scorpions and scolopendras abound. They are not yet
sufficiently accustomed to these new acquaintances to
find them under their hands without a shudder.
Hamdan comes to announce the safe arrival of our
luggage. The Scheikh looks thoughtful, so I enquire
the reason of his apparent anxiety. He answers me
as follows :—" Thou hast many loaded mules, the sight
of which is sure to excite the cupidity of the Bedouins
we are likely to fall in with. Of course they must kill
us all before they touch a single hair of thine head;
but our number is too small to keep a sufficient watch,
night and day, and to defend thee, if need be, from
such attacks as arc likely to be directed against thy
caravan. If thou dost not double the number of men,
158
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
on foot as well as on horseback, who march with me,
assuredly we shall all perish. Now that I have warned
thee, choose Avhat thou wilt do.'; To this not very
encouraging declaration, which I hastened to communi-
O O 7
cate to my companions, there was but one answer to
be returned. I authorised the Scheikh to double the
number of our escort, and he pledged himself that the
very next morning the reinforcement should arrive.
Meidany was therefore immediately despatched to the
tents of Thaamera, with orders to bring back the
additional force we required.
As daylight waned, we re-entered the inclosure of the
monastery. An hour afterwards, dinner was served up in
a room furnished completely round with large cushioned
divans : these divans were mattresses spread on the
ground. Our evening passed tranquilly in writing
down the observations of the day, in arranging our
zoological acquisitions, and in smoking, as we chatted,
innumerable tchibouks. At last the cold began to
intrude, and there was no other means of escaping it
but by retiring to bed. By ten o'clock we were
stretched upon couches much harder than the divans
of the dining-room, but enjoying, notwithstanding, a
sound and refreshing rest.
At midnight we were suddenly startled from our
slumbers by a most extraordinary hubbub. Certainly
110 bells ever rang out such a discordant chiming as
that we heard, calling the monks to the office of the
night. On the following day the mystery was ex¬
plained to us. Some strong iron bars are firmly fixed
by one end in the wall of the chapel, and these bars,
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
159
rudely struck by another, produce tlie extraordinary
sounds wliich here supersede the duties of a bell. On
the whole (not reckoning the vermin), our night has
been satisfactory. We have slept well; and, 011 rising,
feel quite fresh and hearty.
January 9th.
Yesterday I thought I had perceived that the
Scheikh Hamdan felt a little uncomfortable at the
presence of Mohammed. I had, therefore, made up my
mind to send him back. A conversation with the
Scheikh has removed my impression ; and I have
retained my trusty follower. My Bedouins have all
positively assured me that they have no dislike to this
comrade, whose presence I thought might be a restraint
011 their usual habits. Everything seems well arranged,
and we have now only to think of our departure.
Once more a repetition of the hesitation, delay, noise,
and brawling which accompanied our departure from
Beyrout. We were ready by seven ; but it is ten
before we are permitted to mount. Hamdan has kept
his word ; the additional escort he undertook to provide
arrived at dawn ; and whilst we are vainly trying to
stimulate the activity of our sluggish moukris, the
Bedouins, squatted on a mound in front of the convent
gate, with their horses picketed to their lances, form a
striking and picturesque group. No trace of impatience
appears on their immovable visages. They whisper
and smoke quietly, without seeming even to be aware
of the ill-humour, which we check at last by angry
words and sound blows.
I try in vain to kill time by collecting some frag-
100
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
ments of fossil ammonites, which characterise the soil
upon which the convent is built. Three long hours are
consumed in running from one mule to another, and in
pacifying two pugnacious moukris, by thrashing both.
At last, Allah be praised ! all are ready; and the
signal of departure is given. Our Bedouins leap into
the saddle, gallop off to the front, and lead the way.
With marvellous circumspection they reconnoitre
every hillock, and examine every hollow ; and truly
they have enough to do, for it would be difficult to find
a country more broken and rugged. On every side the
limestone rocks, with their jagged surface, are inter¬
spersed with veins of twisted flint, shrivelled up like
the strings of a violin, grilled in a frying-pan.
Hamdan has resumed his habitual self-possession, and
rides gravely with the advanced guard of his little
army. All our Bedouins have a frank and trusty look.
Not one of them loses an opportunity of friendly
greeting, when he happens to be near us. Their
ordinary phrase is this —" Elite mabsouth % Ana
mabsouth ; Koullhou mabsouth." (" Are you satisfied I
I am satisfied. We are all satisfied.") The Kliatib
and Ahouad especially never fail to N repeat this.
Ahouad, who sees me rather incommoded by my heavy
double-barrelled gun, offers to relieve me from the
burthen. I entrust him with it, on condition that he
always keeps close to me, that I may resume it at any
given moment. Edward is condemned to follow me
almost step by step, to be ready to tell me the hour
every time we alter the bearing of our route and I
require to study the compass. Generally, when 1" call
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
1G1
upon him to look at his watch, lie is busily engaged
filling his pipe, or lighting a cigar, which leads to some
humorous altercations. If he happen to be too slow,
I treat him to a volley of abuse in the name of injured
topography, to which he usually replies by laughing in
my face.
I had not yet experienced the pleasures of travelling
in such a country with loaded mules ; and now, for the
first time, I learn experimentally how much passion
these self-willed brutes will force a man to waste who
has no disposition to lose time, as the moukris affect
great independence, and never look after their beasts
unless they are compelled ; the mules also pretend to be
as independent as their masters, and, guided by the
stubborn habit of selecting the most impracticable paths,
generally succeed in throwing themselves down. The
loads fall on one side—the animals 011 the other ; then
the men come up, screaming and making a great display
of zeal to remedy the disaster, which a very little care
would have avoided. In the meanwhile the traveller's
time is lost, or uselessly employed in cursing both
mules and moukris.
The European section of our caravan has decreased
by the departure of Messrs. Pizzamano and Barbier,
who returned to Jerusalem at the same time we were
starting for the Dead Sea. These gentlemen had been
long enough with us the day before to find it rather
tedious to accompany travellers who think themselves
called upon to map the country they pass through.
They therefore declined persevering with us in our
adventurous peregrination. But to return to our route.
VOL. I. M
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
On leaving the convent of Mar-Saba, we proceed
first north-north-east, following the course of the
Keclron, the bed of which is at least a hundred yards
in depth. Along the banks, as we can easily dis¬
tinguish, the Essenian excavations increase in number.
Gradually our road descends to the level of the bed,
which we cross at twenty-six minutes past ten, having
been 011 our way twenty-two minutes, twelve of which
have been lost in picking up fallen mules and luggage.
We then enter the bed of another torrent, which comes
directly from the east to empty itself into the Kedron,
as do several others running from north to south.
At the junction of the Kedron and the new torrent,
which we arc about to follow, there is a well hollowed
in the rock, the name of which I have not been able to
learn from any of our Bedouins. They call it simply,
El-Ber, the well; and thus I am as wise as I was
before.
Eighteen minutes suffice to take us to the source of
the torrent. We now enter 011 a narrow table land,
bounded by low hills, and crossed by the dry bed of a
rivulet running from north to south ; here we find an
encampment of Bedouins, whose vicinity we are made
aware of by a host of half-naked children, women in
blue shirts, and barking dogs, all hurrying out to gaze
011 us, though at a sufficiently respectful distance.
They are friends of Scheikh Ham dan, who occupy this
country ; we therefore pass close to them without feeling
any uneasiness.
At fifty-four minutes past ten, we have crossed the
plain. Then a rocky descent takes us to the bottom
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA. ] ():}
of a rugged valley by nine minutes past eleven.
Here again our mules detain us five-and-twenty
minutes. As we cannot leave our luggage to take
care of itself, if we ever wish to see it again, we arc
obliged to halt every time our mules arc pleased to
roll into a pit, which occurs incessantly. I profit
by this involuntary halt, to take a glance at the sur¬
rounding country. To the right is a range of hills
of no great height, the centre of which is distant
about five miles and a half. This is the Djebel
Emdenys. Beyond is an extensive plain, divided by
the Ouad-en-Nar, or Kedron : this is called the Mcrdj-
cl-Beqaa. Before us, to the east, an unbroken range
of calcareous hillocks ; and lastly to our left, several
detached mountains, the highest of which is about
a league from where we stand. The formation is
always the same, limestone rock, intersected by large
veins of flint, curled and twisted as if by the effect
of fire. On the side of this mountain, to our left,
we descry a large reddish spot. I send one of our
Bedouins to bring me a sample of the rock that gives
it this colour, so different from the yellowish white
appearance of the whole surrounding country. The
fragments which he produces resemble exactly the
limestone of our own country after it has been burnt.
We are off again at thirty-five minutes past eleven ;
ten minutes later we pass the red spot, then proceed
along the Merdj-el-Beqaa, and after mid-day, almost
constantly eastward, after having observed, two thou¬
sand yards distant to our left, and backed by broken
cliffs, a ruin called by the Arabs, Qalaat-el-Mardeh.
M 2
JOURNEY IX SYRIA
Concerning this Qalaat or fortress, Hamdan tolls me
that it is a ruined castle, formerly inhabited by giants,
whose bones have been found in the neighbouring
tombs. How much of .this Arab legend is true 1 I
cannot tell, and I have 110 time to inquire. We
follow again the dry bed of a torrent, turning eastward.
It begins between chalky hillocks, through which it
runs nearly in a straight line for little less than
three thousand yards ; then it sinks to a considerable
depth, and its banks become very steep ; the stones
of which they are composed, appear as if they had
been scorched by a violent fire.
At half-past twelve we halt about half an hour
for breakfast; then we resume our march in a south¬
easterly direction, drawing towards the Ouad-en-Nar,
or rather this torrent by a sudden turn inclines
towards our road. After having passed numerous
hollows, and wound along a number of hills, all
exhibiting the marks of fire as I have already often
mentioned ; and after having (from twenty minutes
past one) proceeded invariably towards the east, we
arrive at fifty minutes past one on the last crest
which separates us from the shores we were so
anxious to behold. We are now nearly opposite the
fountain called Ayn-feclikhah ; but to reach it we
have to encounter one of those perilous descents
leading from the summits of the mountains of Canaan
to the borders of the Dead Sea. How can men
and beasts get over such difficulties 1 Even now
that 1 have surpassed them, I can scarcely under¬
stand. By six minutes after three we reach the
AN1) ROUND THE DEAD SEA. 105
level of the shore, not more than two hundred yards
from the water. From the summit of the mountain
which we have just descended, this strange sea, which
all writers describe as presenting the most dismal
aspect, appeared to us like a splendid lake, glittering
in the sunshine, with its blue waves gently breaking-
oil the sands of the softest beach. Through the
transparent water appeared a white tint which enlivened
the shore. We guessed at once that this appearance
was owing to the salt crystallised under the water,
and when near, we find that our conjecture is right.
Are we now to be convinced that no living thing
can exist on the shores of the Dead Sea, as has
been so often repeated ? We ascertain the contrary
fact the very moment we touch the shore. A flock
of wild ducks rises before us and settles on the water
out of gun-shot, where they begin sporting and
diving with perfect unconcern. As we advance, beau¬
tiful insects show themselves on the gravelly beach ;
rooks are flying and screaming among the rent cliff's
of the steep hills which border the lake.
Where then are those poisonous vapours which carry
death to all who venture to approach them % Where ?
In the writings of the poets who have emphatically
described what they have never seen. We are not
yet five minutes treading the shores of the Dead Sea,
and already, all that has been said of it appears as
mere creations of the fancy. Let us then proceed
fearlessly forward, for if anything is to be dreaded
here, certainly it is not the pestilential influence of
the finest and the most imposing lake in the world.
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
From the spot where we reached the shore, we
move directly south, and enter the Delta, situated at
the mouth of the Ouad-en-Nar. This delta is com¬
posed of gravelly downs, furrowed by the deep water¬
courses which convey to the sea the waters of the
Kedron, when the rains give to that stream an
ephemeral existence. This delta occupies along the
shore a space about a thousand yards broad; and
from the cliffs to the sea, the distance covered by
the downs is also about a thousand yards. The
mouth of the Kedron itself, where the steep hills,
rent by the torrent, dip vertically down upon the
beach, is between five and six hundred yards wide.
The present bed is at the southern extremity of
the delta. On leaving the mountain it runs south,
but turns off almost immediately to the eastward,
where it loses itself on the beach. We need scarcely
add that it abounds in scattered fragments of rock,
or boulders, swept along by the force of the torrent
in its periodical overflows.
Beyond the delta, we cross, at half-past three, an
unnamed ravine, passing easterly through a chasm
in the cliffs. From this spot, the ground we move
011 is composed of very fine light sand, in which
our horses' feet sink at every step. This sand is
efflorescent at the surface, owing to the soil being
saturated with salt, occasioned by the reflux of the
water during the summer months, when the level of the
lake becomes lower. I say the level falls, and this
fact cannot be doubted, for at about ten yards from
the shore there are trunks of trees half buried in
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA. L(i7
the sand. On seeing tliem one would think they
had been burnt, for the wood is quite black, as if
taken from a fire. Judging by the state they are
in, these trees have lain, most probably, for centuries
in the same place. Carried away by the mountain
torrents which empty themselves into the Dead Sea,
they have been deposited on the shore by these
waters. Every year, no doubt, the number of these
ominous-looking trees increases during the rainy
season ; and the Jordan, running with great violence
between banks well furnished with vegetation, must
have supplied the greater portion of this floated forest.
At the point we have reached by fifty-six minutes
past three, the shore is scarcely four hundred yards
broad, and the inaccessible cliffs rise perpendicularly.
Another water-course forms here another delta, much
smaller than that of the Kedron, for it only increases
the beach by two hundred yards. The nature of
the soil is still the same. Suddenly the shore hollows
into a gulf and draws towards the foot of the moun¬
tain, from which it is separated scarcely two hundred
yards. By three minutes past four, we descry a
grotto hollowed in the side of the cliff, about three
hundred yards from us. A little further on, an
opening in the rocks gives passage to the bed of
a cascade which has covered the beach with pebbles.
Soon after this the shore disappears under a tangled
cover of gigantic reeds, coming up to within a few
yards of the cliff. Their presence is owing to a mag¬
nificent fountain of sweet warm water, peopled with
myriads of shells of the species of melanopsis and
16 S
JOUKNEY IN SYRIA
nerita. Several beautiful kingfishers flutter over the
rivulet formed by the spring, which is called Ayn-
el-Ehoueyr (the brook of the little morass). We halt
here at a quarter to five, and our tents are quickly
pitched, within fifty yards of the spring.
Whilst we have been following the beach, our
Bedouins have gone in quest of pieces of bitumen
and sulphur which the lake often casts upon its
shores. They have picked up a good many, but
what they most rejoice in showing me, is a small
dead fish which they discovered on the sand. At
first we are inclined to attribute one more error to
the writers who have said so much concerning the Dead
Sea. This fish picked up at a distance of several
leagues from any river, has also quite the outward
appearance of a sea fish. Are we to conclude from
this, that creatures of this kind really live in the
lake ? Our Bedouins alone can decide the point.
We question them one after the other, and from their
answers, perfectly coincident, we feel convinced that
110 fish indigenously belongs to these waters saturated
with salt. The floods of the Jordan and of the Anion
(called by the Arabs Cheryat-el-Kibir, and Nahr-el-
Moudjeb) frequently carry away the fish that have
ventured too near the mouth of those rivers in
pursuit of some smaller fry, and waft them with
their prey into the sea : but no sooner do they enter
the waters of the lake than they feel as if poisoned,
and, unable to escape, die in a short time ; their
bodies then float, and the slightest breeze throws
them on the shore.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA. 1(59
A few days afterwards, towards the shore of Sdoum,
our Bedouins picked up two other fish of the same
description, but nearly decomposed. In these three
specimens I thought I recognised a species which
abounds in the lake of Gennesareth, and which has
been often served on our table during our stay at
Thabarieh.
Whilst our servants and moukris arrange our tents,
the Thaamerahs who accompany us, procure fodder for
the horses, by cutting as much as they can of the tall
reeds which separate us from the shore, and which our
horses seem to relish exceedingly. I follow them and
gather a plentiful collection of pretty plants that grow
between the reeds, especially near the spring. Among
others I find a convolvulus, which twists round the
high stalks of the reeds and forms an impediment
through which our Bedouins open a passage with their
yataghans.
Edward and I have brought with us a small double
tent; we take possession of it with Philippe, and
Mahommed, who sleeps across the entrance. Rothschild
has another tent to himself, surmounted by the tri-color
flag, astonished, no doubt, at flying for the first time
011 the shores of the Dead Sea. Our other friends,
Belly, Loysel, and Papigny, lodge together in a very
large tent, spacious enough to hold us all. Lastly, two
other tents, the one reserved for the dragoman, Francis,
and Selim, the other for Matteo, and the kitchen appa¬
ratus, make up our camp, which in less than an hour
assumes a very imposing appearance.
Behind the tents, and on the ascent of the mountain,
170
JOUKNEY IN SYRIA
our horses are picketed, each provided with a large
bundle of reeds which he eagerly devours. Our
Bedouins pick up some floated wood along the shore,
and fires are lighted round the camp. Every fire has
sentinels who keep watch by turns, to guard against
any sudden surprise. Throughout the night Hamdan
visits these different posts, to be satisfied that all his
people are on the alert and vigilant. From hour to
hour we hear resounding to a distance the prolonged
challenge of " Ya Scheikh Hamdan ! " to which the
brave fellow replies, by " Thayeb," (" All's well,") and
then all would relapse into silence, were it not for the
bells of our luggage mules, which alone break the
stillness of the night.
The weather is warm, the air extremely pure, and
when the moon adds her light to that of the stars,
the Dead Sea and our encampment complete such a
picturesque scene that we all feel deeply moved, and
gaze in ceaseless admiration on a spectacle so new to
wondering Parisians.
During the evening I have arranged the plants I
gathered during the day ; I have named the geological
specimens collected 011 the road ; I have completed my
journal and traced my map in Indian ink. Midnight
overtakes me before my task is done. Every one is fast
asleep except the Arabs of our escort, who smoke their
tchibouks by the bivouac fires, whilst murmuring the
guttural intonations of their strange language. In my
turn I visit the different posts, chatting and smoking with
the faithful Bedouins, who receive me with all possible
respect and affection ; I then re-enter our little tent,
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
171
where I stretch myself without undressing, on my
couch, with my arms in order and close at hand.
Not to repeat these trifling details, I shall merely
observe that during the twenty nights and more which
we passed on the shores of the Dead Sea, we never
thought of taking off our clothes to repose comfortably.
Security was preferable to convenience. By this
arrangement, if not fortified against attack, we are at
least prepared and ready to encounter any unexpected
danger.
Though the night has been a mild one, we have
been literally smothered in our tent, which resembles
an oven. We shall therefore be obliged to give it up.
January 8th.
At dawn we were roused from our slumbers by the
voice of the Khatib repeating the morning prayer ; but
I could scarcely affirm that all our Bedouins joined in
his devotions. The sun had not yet appeared when we
were all up performing our usual ablutions with much
zest, in the warm spring of El-Rhoueyr.
Tents such as ours are not struck, nor twenty mules
loaded, in a moment. It is near nine o'clock before we
are ready to mount and resume our march. This
morning the sky is remarkably pure, the sun has risen
radiantly, and the Dead Sea presents altogether a
splendid view. The mountains of Canaan are clearly
defined behind us ; those of Moab are still in the shade,
and reflect their outline distinctly in the waters of the
lake. We look with impatient curiosity towards the south¬
ern extremity of the sea, but a slight haze obscures our
172
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
view ; it is still so far off that we can only mark the in¬
distinct profiles of the high lands by which it is bounded.
Yesterday on our arrival at the shore, we marked a
large black mass on the water, which seemed to be
advancing towards us, but which we were unable to
identify. The Arabs say that it was most probably the
trunk of a tree brought down by the Jordan. It may
be so, but to day the mass has disappeared, and the
surface of the sea, as far as the eye can reach, is smooth
and unbroken as a mirror. A narrow belt more clear
and bright than the remainder, extends throughout its
whole length, at not more than a thousand yards from
the beach where we have halted. How are we to
account for this smooth unbroken stripe ? I am utterly
at a loss for an explanation.
Whilst breakfast is preparing, to show the Bedouins
that our guns are not likely to prove useless in our
hands, we send a few bullets against the cliff. A small
natural excavation serves for a target, and, though the
distance is about a hundred yards, our friends contrive
to hit their mark. Some rooks, startled at the unusual
sound, come fluttering over the hill side. Rothschild
brings down one of them—a feat which completes the
astonishment of our Arabs, and their respect for weapons,
evidently diabolical. Our eight-barrelled pistols excite
their most unbounded wonder. When we have fired
the eighth shot, we cease carelessly, remarking that it
is quite useless to throw away more powder and ball ;
and as the brave fellows quickly observe that the lower
barrel always fires last, and that there are eight exactly
like each other, they are thoroughly convinced that such
AND ROUND TIIK DEAD SEA.
178
a pistol can fire as long as it pleases, and that a Cheytan
(a devil) alone can have invented and constructed it.
At a quarter before nine we mount our horses and
leave the Ayn-el-Rhoueyr. The beach narrows almost
immediately, and the foot of the mountains, which are
here six hundred yards in height, comes in close contact
with the thick forest of reeds we must penetrate to
gain the open ground. Our progress is much impeded
by this singular vegetation : the loads of our baggage
animals are caught at every step, and in constant danger
of being dragged off. Our unfortunate mules resemble
corpulent gentlemen endeavouring to squeeze through
narrow passages.
The beach is here scarcely twenty yards wide, and
our entire caravan is so completely entangled in the
reeds and prickly thorns, that it takes us ten good
minutes to clear this defile. A little further on, the
shore widens again considerably, and we find ourselves
in front of the beds of two cascades, two hundred yards
apart from each other. The gravel swept down by these
torrents, when swollen, forms the delta upon which we
are moving. By thirteen minutes past nine we
reach a spot where the reeds become taller, inter¬
mixed with gum-trees. A spring of fresh water must
necessarily exist here ; we therefore find ourselves
at the Ayn-ct-Thera, the position of which we merely
mark as we pass on.
Up to this moment we thought we were marching
directly towards Ayn-Djedy, and that a few hours would
take us to that important spot. But we had reckoned
without our Bedouins, who inform us abruptly that the
174
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
track by the shore is no longer practicable, and that we
must climb the mountain before we reach Ayn-Djedy.
This arrangement discontents us not a little ; we have
endangered our necks to reach the level ground by
descending precipices where a single false step would
cost a broken leg or arm at least, and now we are
condemned to repeat our unwelcome gymnastics for
two entire days. Scheikh Hamdan says we shall
occupy that time at least in winding through the desert
of Canaan to reach a point, not four leagues distant, in
a direct line. Opposition is useless : our trusty guide
assures us there is no other passage, as the mountain
hangs perpendicularly over the sea. Prudence whispers
that it is better to yield than venture on an obstinate
experiment ; and thus with deep reluctance we turn
our faces from the shore so anxiously desired and reached
with so much difficulty.
At twenty minutes past nine we are still between the
mountains and the lake, thirty yards from the foot of
the cliffs, and five hundred from the shore, to our left,
concealed as before by the border of tall reeds. By
half-past nine we cross the bed of a torrent forming
another double cascade which has deeply indented the
side of the hill. Here again the gravel washed down
from the heights is heaped up to the extent of nearly two
hundred and fifty yards. Once beyond this torrent we
find ourselves encircled by the mountain.
The road now becomes steep and stony. The term
road is quite imaginary, for there is not really the vestige
of a beaten track in this strange country. We have
already climbed two cliffs, one above the other, and each
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
175
a hundred yards in area at the top, before we gain the
dry bed of the torrent; then by a zigzag path we
ascend a very steep ravine, which narrows continually to
a breadth of five or six yards, enclosed between two
precipices. This is called the Nakb-et-Tlierabeli; and
terminates in a small rocky table-land, two hundred and
fifty yards above the level of the Dead Sea. It is now
fifty-three minutes past nine ; we have a fatiguing day
before us, and as Hamdan has gone on with his horse¬
men in quest of a practicable road for our beasts of
burden, we profit by necessity, and halt for breakfast.
Our entomologists avail themselves eagerly of this
delay. While they are employed in seeking for rare
insects, I gaze with rapture on the splendid panorama,
stretching out before me. But let my readers be under
no apprehension : I shall not detain them by a repetition
of my delight. We tire even our dearest friends by
constantly reminding them of our regard. How much
more surely then do Ave weary those who are but little
interested in our feelings, by dwelling on emotions with
which they cannot personally sympathise. This said I
resume my journal.
By two minutes past eleven we leave the Nakb-et-
Therabch to join Hamdan, who has placed himself as a
signal post 011 a rocky summit, a few hundred yards
above the level of our present position, in a westerly
direction. We can just distinguish a pinnacle of black
and grey : it is the Scheikh 011 his beautiful mare, both
motionless, and were it not for our lynx-eyed Bedouins,
we should scarcely recognise a friendly cavalier in a
small mass visible with difficulty.
176
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
Passing between two limestone hills, we arrive at
twenty-five minutes past eleven on a rugged plain.
Five minutes later we discover to our right, at the
distance of six hundred yards, a high mountain with
pyramidal spurs, not unlike the indented declivities of
the Seine, between Pont-de-l'Arche and Rouen. But
here, instead of the rich verdure of the hills of Normandy,
we find only the uniform grey tint of the limestone
which constitutes the soil of this desert region.
About a thousand yards to our left a deep and abrupt
chasm runs in a parallel line with our road : this is called
the Ouad-el-Merabbeh. After having received a water¬
course running from north to south, it converges rapidly
towards us until within a hundred yards. We then
turn west, and again north-west, and find ourselves at
fifty-five minutes past eleven opposite the southern
extremity of the mountain we have just mentioned. We
pass a second water-course, tending also towards the
Ouad-el-Merabbeh ; and crossing a plain, arrive at four
minutes past twelve on the brink of the chasm, just where
it begins to open. We escape from it with some effort
and loss of time in preventing our mules from going
down head foremost; no easy undertaking, as these
intelligent animals generally select the most dangerous
and impracticable paths. Having surmounted this
difficulty, we move on without further obstacles, west-
north-west, over an uneven plain. At twenty-three
minutes past twelve we observe two heaps of stones
piled artificially : they mark two Arab tombs, called
Taala-ed-Daouary, as our Bedouins inform us.
At twenty-nine minutes past twelve we have reached
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
177
the crest of the plain, and descend by the winding bed
of a water-course to the brink of an abrupt chasm,
running due east and about fifty yards wide, called the
Ouad-ed-Derajeh ; the sides of this chasm are perpen¬
dicular, and yet we must endeavour to cross them.
The feat appears impossible. Our Arabs tell me by
way of encouragement that the army of Ibrahim Pacha
passed this defile with a moderate loss. The place is
appropriately named "Break-neck Valley truly these
Arabs are a humorous race. You go down fast
enough—there's no fear of that—only remember the
name of the place, and take care not to go too fast.
Prudent people try it on foot, and as I have no wish to
have the death of my poor horse on my conscience, I
dismount and consign him to my friend Ahouad;
I shall have enough to do to take care of myself. As
the scene promises to be interesting, I sit on the brink,
and allow the most impatient to go first. Bedouins are
like monkeys in scrambling through paths. Not one of
our mules is killed, or precipitated down the chasm;
all reach the bottom in safety. But the harder task is
still before them—they have to surmount the opposite
bank, which is likely to take more time and greater
labour.
Our infantry lead the way, and move on in perfect
composure over narrow ledges overhanging the abyss
from top to bottom. The path is along the bare and
slippery rock : mules and horses become obstinate and
rebel in terror ; the poor animals have no taste for the
hazardous experiment. But as they can neither turn
nor retreat, between exhortations and blows they are
VOI,. I. N
178
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
forced reluctantly to advance. One spot is pre¬
eminently dangerous : the ledge overhanging the
precipice is here not more than a foot and a half in
width, circumscribed by a perpendicular rock which
turns short round within a space of two feet more.
The moukris invoke the prophet, exclaim, shed tears,
and would no doubt pluck out their hair by the roots—
if they had any under their turbans. One of them for¬
gets himself so far as to abuse Hamdan, who prepares
very quietly to blow his brains out, but checks his
momentary anger, and does nothing.
The Bedouins then set to work; every mule is
divested of his load, dragged by the bridle, pushed
forwards with the but-end of a musket, or beaten with
the flat of a yataghan until the point of safety is
reached. Our horses are disciplined after the same
fashion. The luggage is transported on the shoulders
of the men, and the whole party are fairly through
the scrape. Well! we must thank Providence, which has
constantly protected us, and not provoke disaster by
repeating the experiment. It is thirty-eight minutes
past one when we are ready to move on again. An
hour has carried us over fifty yards, which threatened
to terminate our travels for ever.
Again we find ourselves on another plain with small
hillocks and many chasms, where we lose a quarter of
an hour in sedulously watching our luggage. We now
turn southward, and at nineteen minutes past two are
enclosed between two mountain-ranges, divided from
each other by a plain of fifteen hundred yards in length.
Beyond this plain there is a curtain of limestone hills,
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
179
where we hope to find a cave, a well supplied with
water, and an eligible encamping ground. We double
our speed, and by twenty-six minutes past two arrive
in front of the entrance of the cave and the well, which
is called the Bir-el-Manqouchieh. But the well
contains no water—nothing but a sediment of white clay
cracked and parched by the heat. Hamdan himself
looks disconcerted at this untoward discovery, by which
we are much more astonished than are our escort.
During ten anxious minutes we hold a council. What
are we to do % Where are we to go 1 Where shall we
find water to slake our thirst 1 A puzzling question in the
desert! One thing is clear : we must shift our quarters,
and move on. We may as well be thirsty somewhere
else, and spare the mortification of encamping by a
well, renowned in name—but without water.
We resume our march and pass between the hillocks,
on the brow of which is hollowed out the unlucky
Bir-el-Manqouchieh, and enter another plain, rugged as
the one we have just quitted. The Arabs call this
district Belad-Hasasa. Our path is now south-west.
At forty-five minutes past two we cross without
difficulty the Ouad-Hasasa ; and ten minutes later, being
fairly worn out, determine to halt some two hundred
yards in advance, at the bottom of a defile between
calcareous hills.
Good news! Our Bedouins, who have no desire to
die of thirst any more than ourselves, in searching the
bed of the Ouad-Hasasa, have discovered some pools of
tainted water. On hearing their joyous exclamation,
" Fik ma'ieh!"—" water, water ! "—we resume our self-
N 2
180
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
possession. Positively, the Belad-Hasasa is a charming
country! We have some foul water to drink. What
would we ask for more 1
Whilst they are pitching the camp, Hamdan, who has
seen some antelopes and heard some heath-cocks, entices
us to search for game along the Ouad-Hasasa. Belly
and Loysel look out on their own account; they bring-
back some partridges : we cannot get a shot, and bring
back nothing but ourselves.
To-morrow we expect to be at Ayn-Djedy, and there
at least we shall find, so we are told, an incomparable
spring. The remainder of the evening passes most
agreeably; we dine, smoke, chat, write our notes, and
trace the map of our day's journey : all have reason to
be satisfied. Edward and I have given up our small
tent, and joined company with our friends in their large
one. Here, at least, we have room to breathe. The
usual fires made up of dry branches are lighted round
our camp, and after paying a visit to Hamdan and his
people, and partaking of their coffee, we retire to rest.
The weather is less warm than at the Ayn-el-Rhoueyr,
by twelve degrees at least; but the night is still genial
and fine, and we sleep as soundly as we could wish.
Edward and Philippe arrange our newly-acquired shells
and insects, which promise an abundant harvest.
Whence originate these names of Belad-Hasasa and
Ouad-Hasasa % Let us consult the Bible. We read
in Genesis (xiv. 7), " And they returned and came to
En-mishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the country
of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites that dwelt in
Hazezon-tamar."
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
181
We read also in 2 Chronicles (xx. 1, 2) : 1. "It
came to pass after this also, that the sons of Moab, and
the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the
Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle."
2. "Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat,
saying: There cometh a great multitude against thee,
from beyond the sea, on this side Syria ; and, behold,
they be in Hazazon-tamar, which is En-gedi."
Thus, the original name of En-gedi was Hazazon-
tamar. Our Belad-Hasasa is situated too near Ayn-
Djedy, at the mouth of the Ouad-Hasasa, to allow of
any doubt as to the intimate connection between the
biblical name and the name still given to that district
at the present day. From this we may judge how
primitive names are transmitted from generation to
generation in the Holy Land.
For the last two days a singular coincidence has
attracted our attention, but it is only now we have
been able to account for it. From a particular point,
the grey hillocks between which we have passed, as
well as all the small plains, were marked with long,
reddish, oblong stains, always taking the same inclina¬
tion, and consisting of calcined fragments of flint.
When facing the west, the eastern parts of the hillocks
were streaked with them ; and wherever a crest had
intervened, they appeared no more on the western side.
All these streaks were evidently converging towards
a common centre ; and the farther they receded from
that centre, the larger were the fragments ; and, con¬
trariwise, the nearer our route approached the centre,
the fragments diminished in proportion.
182
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
Yesterday, while in the neighbourhood of Mar-Saba,
we scarcely noticed this curious geological fact; to-day,
the red veins became so frequent that they forced
themselves upon our attention.
With a little reflection this apparent phenomenon is
easily explained, if we consider the regular disposition
and nature of the veins. Any one who has witnessed
the operation of springing a mine, especially by a
fougade, and noticed the arrangement of the displaced
stones after the explosion, will be immediately struck
by the coincidence of the same effect on the rocks we
are now considering. The larger fragments, detached
from a superior mass, and operated upon by a greater
force, are projected to the greater distance ; the smaller
ones fall nearer the centre. The converging tendency
of each axis of these disjointed fragments, begins
necessarily at the point from whence they have been
propelled. In the present case, the nature of the
dislocations, characterised by the action of intense
fire, can allow but the one hypothesis, that they
have been ejected from a crater. But where was
this crater situated 1 Of course, at the point
where every converging axis terminated in a common
centre.
From our first arrival on the heights overlooking the
Dead Sea, we agreed a priori that craters had existed
there, the position of which we had not yet determined
de visu, but which we might confidently expect to dis¬
cover at particular spots. Let me anticipate by saying,
that we have constantly found these craters at the exact
places where we were prepared to look for them.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
183
The fragments are invariably silicious, and proceed
from those contorted veins of flint which we have
observed traversing the limestone rock throughout the
country. The volcanic eruptions which have thus
dispersed them, must consequently be referred to a
recent period, since they have pierced through secondary
formations of earlier existence than themselves. And
as the same phenomenon is to be met with everywhere,
the conclusion forces itself upon us, that these craters
are nearly contemporaneous.
January 9 th.
With our utmost exertions we are unable to start
before forty minutes past eight,—only five minutes
earlier than yesterday ; but in a journey like this, even
five minutes are a valuable gain. We quit the ravine
where we have spent the night, and, leaving to our
right the Ouad-IIasasa, which runs hence eastward
towards the Dead Sea, we march first south, then south¬
east, then south again, over plains dotted with calcareous
and chalky hillocks, crossing, at two minutes past nine,
a watercourse, and, two minutes later, a dry rivulet,
both running eastward.
The long streaks of volcanic ejections are visible
everywhere on the eastern sides of the hills, and the
ground resounds under our horses' feet,'—indications
that it is hollow beneath a very thin surface.
For nearly an hour the country continues to wear
the same appearance : plains, with calcareous eminences,
right and left. Our course has been first south-west,
then south-south-east. At thirty-eight minutes past
nine we reach another deep ravine, which we
184
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
enter and follow for some time, though difficult of
passage.
At two minutes past ten we enter on an elevated
plain, and alter our direction to south-west. Here the
hillocks rapidly increase, and at the distance of between
three and four miles to our right, lies a range of hills
inclining from north-east to south-west. To our left,
only five hundred yards off, stands a lofty mountain,
called the Djebel-ech-Cheqif. We continue our course
to the south-west until nineteen minutes past ten, when,
having passed a table-land entirely composed of flint,
we arrive above the Ouad-ecli-Cheqif, a deep valley,
lying one hundred and fifty yards beneath us. But
this time the descent is easy. After the Ouad-ed-
Derajeh, all roads appear excellent.
At thirty-three minutes past ten we reach the
bottom of the Ouad-ecli-Cheqif, which forms a tolerably
extensive plain, across which we shape our course in a
southerly direction. At forty-nine minutes past ten
we pass a watercourse, then another uneven plain,
towards the centre of which we find an Arab burying-
ground. By eleven we reach a crest, from which we
discover, to our right, a rugged plain, fifteen hundred
yards wide ; and to our left, at the distance of a
hundred yards, a deep watercourse running from north¬
east to south. This is called the Ouad-el-Rhor. We
march south-west over the plain, and observe a range
of high mountains about a league to the right. By
fifteen minutes past eleven we turn again suddenly to
the east, and find the Ouad-el-Rhor two hundred and
fifty yards distant to our left. Here the volcanic
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
185
vestiges entirely disappear. We are therefore in all
probability quite close to the crater from whence they
have been ejected.
At twenty-three minutes past eleven we reach
another burying-ground, composed of detached heaps
of stones, each covering a separate body. The presence
of a cemetery in such a desert, can only have arisen
from a battle between two hostile tribes. Eight minutes
later, we reach a level eminence, five hundred yards in
width, overlooking on the west the shores of the Dead
Sea. From this height we descend into a kind of
circus, two hundred yards in diameter, joined by a
small isthmus (only ten yards broad) to a platform
which projects like a spur of the mountain. At this
last place we halt for breakfast.
Before us, and about six hundred yards below the
spot on which we stand, is the brook of Ayn-Djedy,
near which we purpose to encamp this evening. Two
hundred yards lower still, lies the Dead Sea, which we
find again, to our infinite joy, as beautiful as ever.
The only question is how to reach it by the Nakb-
Ayn-Djedy (the pit of Ayn-Djedy), a perilous descent
we are doomed to encounter, and which even from a
distance we contemplate with terror.
During breakfast rain comes on, but fortunately
passes over. Our beasts of burthen and our moukris
have not halted; they have gone on with the main
body of our little army of Bedouins ; but Hamdan,
Meidany, the Khatib, and Ahouad remain with us.
We must, however, make up our minds to take the
leap,—the expression is not too strong ; and, being
186
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
refreshed with food and rest, we venture boldly at
the Nakb.
Hamdan proposes to me to take a short cut, and I
follow him. Every minute we are obliged to sit, and
glide down from one rocky pinnacle to another shooting
up some yards lower. This operation lasts for nearly
two hours. Here and there we encounter skeletons
of camels and mules, remains of the victims of the
Nakb-Ayn-Djedy. A single false step has broken
their limbs, and necessity has left them there a prey
to vultures, ravens, jackals, and panthers. The sight
is anything but cheering; but the lesson is profitable,
and warns us to be doubly careful, lest we should fall
into the same predicament.
Hamdan and I soon pass the caravan, and arrive
first on the level of Ayri-Djedy. It was well the race
was over, for I was nearly exhausted with anxiety and
perspiration. Once on level ground, or nearly so, I feel
rejoiced and confident in being still possessed of all my
limbs, and able to stand upright as I move from place
to place. A few minutes more, and I find myself
surrounded by a grove of trees, beautiful and inviting
as fancy can imagine.
I gaze for the first time on an unknown vegeta¬
tion. Gum-trees, asclepias (swallow-wort), solanums
(night-shade), marsh-mallows, and reeds constitute
a magnificent oasis, in which a multitude of small
birds are warbling harmoniously. The spring is
just close by ; the water is rather warm, but
limpid, and delicious to the taste. It separates into
several brooks, which meander and lose themselves
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
187
under thick brakes, rendered impenetrable by the
thorns.
You see on all sides inviting fruits, which you
cannot gather without pricking your fingers. This is
the orange of Sodom (the Bortoukan-Sdoum of the
Bedouins), or fruit of the Asclepias procera. It resem¬
bles a middle-sized citron. When not ripe, the green
pulp, which is nothing but a thin husk intended to
protect the seed, is easily fretted by the mere touch of
the hand when gathered carelessly, and then it emits
drops of a thick milky juice. When ripe, it opens
easily under the slightest pressure, and then a quantity
of small flat black seeds appear, surmounted by a
silky coating of the purest white. The composition of
this fruit has no doubt produced the fable of the
apples of Sodom, mentioned by Josephus, which, with
the most attractive exterior, dissolved, when handled,
into dust and ashes.
Another fruit may likewise claim the honour of being
the apple of the Dead Sea, so often commemorated by
writers who have never visited the country. This is
the produce of a large thorny nightshade, with pink
flowers, the Solanum Melongena. The fruit is quite
round, and, as it ripens, changes in colour from yel¬
lowish green to golden yellow. The size is that of a
small red apple. It is more agreeable to look at than
to gather. When quite ripe, a slight pressure of the
fingers squeezes out thousands of small black grains,
very like poppy-seeds ; and these seeds the imagination
of poets has also converted into ashes.
Whilst waiting for the arrival of the caravan, I visit
188
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
the spring, the ruins of an Arab mill formerly
turned by its waters, and two heaps of large stones,
ten yards apart from each other, which indicate the
site of two important structures resembling towers.
I attempt to botanise, grumbling every minute at the
thorns which pierce my fingers, and rejoin Hamdan,
loaded with treasures, which I throw down twenty
times, with the ill-liumour of a pointer compelled to
carry a hedgehog.
In another lialf-hour we are all collected once more.
Our friends have passed the Nakb-Ayn-Djedy without
casualty ; our horses and mules have not remained
behind to augment the dismal show of skeletons ; our
tents are soon pitched, and the weather is delicious.
All combines to elevate our spirits. Every one admires,
while smoking, the delightful spot we have reached.
At this moment Hamdan whispers to me that the
Scheikh Abou-Daouk, to whom he had notified our
arrival, will soon present himself; that his coming is
most opportune, for if he should delay, we must stop
here and wait for his permission before we proceed
beyond Ayn-Djedy. Hamdan says no more ; but I now
perfectly understand why the road along the beach
was impracticable the day before yesterday, when we
left Ayn-el-Rhoueyr—of course, he wanted to secure
a job for a friend. A good lie is readily forged in
Arabia ; and in this traffic, Europeans, with all their
aptitude, are poor practitioners in comparison.
Whilst waiting for the Scheikh of the Djahalins, our
naturalists ravage the neighbourhood of the camp, and
I employ myself in arranging my own specimens.
AND HOUND THE DEAD SEA.
ISO
I begin by the usual method of laying them between
sheets of paper ; but they perforate both paper and
adjoining plants, and I must invent some other means
to preserve my acquisitions. A deal-board and a piece
of rock accomplish the business. I crush and flatten in
this way the rebellious thorns ; and I succeed at last in
collecting in a single packet all the prickly vegetables
I have gathered.
Whilst I am thus engaged at our tent-door, the
Scheikh Hamdan approaches to tell me that our
expected guests have arrived, and wait an interview.
They are as rough and thorny as the produce of their
land, and I arm myself with patience beforehand, for
on the result of this conference depends the issue of
our journey.
I prepare to open our case in Arab fashion to the
noble chieftains who honour us with their visit. I collect
our pipes and findjans (these are the small coffee-
cups which in Arabia are the emblems of civility) ;
Matteo hastens to prepare the coffee, and I advance
with Edward to meet the new-comers. They are four
in number, and I find them sitting upon one of the
massive ruins which I had visited an hour before.
After the customary Salam Aleikoum, to which they
rise and answer immediately, Aleikoum Salam, accord¬
ing to the established etiquette when peace is intended,
I invite them to sit down again, and we seat ourselves
by their sides.
Coffee and pipes are handed round without interval,
while we repeatedly exchange the reciprocal forms of
politeness which constitute the current coin between
190
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
gentlemen of the desert. " Entoum thayebin 1 "
" Thayebin !" " El-hamd Lillah !" " Oua entoum 1"
" Thayebin !" " Marhaba bekoum !" " Allah iseallem-
koum," &c. &c.—(" Are you well %" " Good!" " Praised
be the Lord !" " And you 1" " Quite well!" "You
are welcome !" " The Lord protect you !" &c. &c.)
As it does not require any great expenditure of intellect
to keep up a conversation of this nature, I avail myself
of the opportunity to study the countenances of our
guests, without seeming to stare at them with inquisi¬
tive rudeness.
The Scheikh Dha'if-oullah-Abou-Daouk, who is a
mighty personage, lording it absolutely over all the
country we are about to travel through, is a tall fellow,
nearly six feet high.* He looks sixty, though strong
and muscular as a bull; his brown face is smiling ; his
cheeks plump ; his nose aquiline ; his mouth enormous.
When he unfolds it, three or four teeth as long as the
keys of a piano, and, rari nantes in gurgite vasto, protrude
at least half an inch. His voice is hoarse; his eyes
bloodshot, and affected by acute ophthalmia. A valu¬
able observation ! I will cure the Scheikh with some
Regent's pomatum, and expect ever after to become his
dearest friend. The costume of the desert monarch is
shabby in the extreme. His gown is threadbare ; his
cloak no better ; his turban scarcely retains any distin¬
guishable colour ; and his boots, originally red, are in a
state of dilapidation painful to contemplate. Another
happy discovery! Here is a ready opportunity to dispose
* Translator's note :—Five feet eight in the original; but the French inch is
longer than ours.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
191
of a complete equipment from our stores, and another
avenue to the affections of the honourable Scheikh.
On his right hand sits his brother, a fine old man
with the expression of a benevolent bandit; always
smiling, while his large black eyes embrace your whole
person. The dress of this magnate consists of a ragged
shirt, a cloak, and turban, equally tattered, and a pair
of boots in even worse condition than thope of Abou-
Daouk. It is quite evident a second suit of clothes will
be in speedy requisition.
Let us pass to the two others : I am much mistaken
if the first is not the cunningest old rogue within
thirty leagues. His nose and lips are thin, his eyes
black and piercing as a terrier's, his body as lean as
that of a cuckoo. The second, a tall, truculent-looking
fellow, between thirty and forty; a glance convinces
me that he would strangle both father and mother for
twenty piastres.
All four have come on horseback, and their horses
are tied to the lances, which Bedouins never part with
except in circumstances like the present. But they
have taken care to retain a complete equipment of
swords, khandjars, and pistols, which give them
altogether a very complete brigand-like appearance.
Half-a-dozen pipes and cups of coffee being duly
discussed, these worthy gentlemen hint, through
Ham dan, that they would have no objection to eat
a little, and that bread for instance would prove
particularly acceptable. Matteo runs to the cantine,
and distributes to each of them half of one of the small
round thick loaves which are made in Jerusalem. Our
] 92
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
guests seem greatly pleased, and each nibbles his share
with as much zest as if it was a bun from Felix's.
But we have lost an hour, and have not yet entered
in medias res. Every time I venture to approach the
point of interest, I am saluted with a new volley of
" Entoum thayebin \" (" Are you well ?") &c. Of course
I repeat the appropriate answers, and the conference is
once more postponed. Ten times I have expatiated
upon my love of the country and its inhabitants, upon
my wish to reside as long as possible among them, my
very dear friends, my brothers. I might as well be
whistling. "Marhaba bekoum," ("You are welcome,")
is their only reply ; and then follow again the questions
concerning my health. It is enough to drive one mad ;
but there is no remedy.
A second hour slips by us. With untiring perse¬
verance I go through the part I am compelled to act,
when just as I am reduced to despair, Ham dan politely
begs me to retire and leave him alone to settle business
with the Djahalins. Edward and I depart most
willingly, and the worthy confederates proceed to
debate the question among themselves. For the
sake of dignity they remove also, and seek a more
sequestered council-chamber.
A third hour rolls on, at the expiration of which we
are invited to join the discussion. The pipes and coffee
are introduced again, and finally the conditions of
Abou-Daouk for allowing us a free passage through
his territory, and affording us also his most gracious
protection, are explicitly stated. They constitute a
duplicate of the agreement we have alread}^ made
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
103
with Hamdan. Abou-Daouk engages to provide us
for the same price, with the same additional number
of guards on foot and horseback, and to superintend
them himself. Our little army is thus doubled at a
word, and now amounts to thirty-two effective men ;
for our Thaameras have not the slightest idea of leaving
us, and, though beyond their own ground, they cling to
the salary we have promised, and mean to receive it as
long as they possibly can. The two tribes appear on
the best of terms, and we feel convinced of their cordial
co-operation, if danger •should arise.
Abou-Daouk considers it his duty to warn us of the
imprudence of our attempting to go as far as Karak.
This design seems to him quite impracticable, and he
advises us to halt at Djebel-Sdoum. Hamdan had
cautioned me already not to hint to the Djahalin
Scheikh our fixed purpose of visiting the eastern side
of the Dead Sea. I therefore hold my tongue, and
subscribe at once to the proffered conditions. We
shake hands over the bargain, and feel satisfied that
we shall reach at least the mountain of Sodom, and
re-commence our march to-morrow morning.
It was high time to conclude the treaty, for we were
half starved, and night came on before we could sit
down to dinner. After our meal, Abou-Daouk and
his friends visited our tent, when I introduced my
travelling companions, towards whom the Djahalin
chiefs were lavish of their expressions of friendship
and devotion.
Our evening has been delightful: the sky is
admirably pure, and our camp, with its bivouac fires,
VOL. I. O
194
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
presents under the gum-trees a most curious sight.
As soon as our visitors retire, each resumes his usual
task : our notes are finished, our acquisitions of the
day arranged in order, and we retire to rest with
perfect satisfaction.
January 1 iHh.
At break of day we are all on foot, but we lose more
time than usual. Our moukris, like ourselves, find
Ayn-Djedy a delightful halting-place. In such a
dreary wilderness no one could expect to stumble on
this enticing spot. With the fijst blush of dawn the
birds begin to warble, and the unclouded sun sheds the
bright lustre of the morning on the oasis we are little
likely to visit again.
By four minutes past nine we are in the saddle, and
in line of march passing before the ruined mill I have
already mentioned. A door with a pointed arch forms
the entrance, and a stone aqueduct, now broken, formerly
conveyed the water from the spring to turn one of those
primitive and clumsily-constructed wheels, still used
throughout Arabia. The foot of the cliff is scarcely
a hundred, and the sea-shore not more than six
hundred yards to our left, but both are two hundred
yards below the level of the platform where we passed
the night.
By seven minutes past nine, marching south-west, we
reach the brink and cross the bed of a ravine running
towards the Dead Sea. Looking to our left, the shore
appears entirely covered with vegetation, verdant as a
garden. Ruins are plentifully scattered around, but
all apparently of inferior buildings. There are also
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
195
vestiges of enclosing walls, and massive abutments
formed of huge stones. Such are the remains of
Ayn-Djedy, the En-gedi of the Scriptures.
We are now nearly on a level with the Dead Sea;
and the shore, covered with detritus, is here four
hundred yards in breadth. By thirty-two minutes
past nine we pass between two hillocks crowned
by ruins. Upon the right hand, about three hundred
yards from the road, we descry the remains of a square
structure, called by the Arabs El-Qasr (the palace).
Here the shore widens rapidly and forms a true delta,
receiving the Ouad-el-Areydjah, which opens to our
right on the flank of the mountain side. Opposite the
eminence, on the summit of which is the Qasr, the
shore is barely seven hundred yards broad; in front
of the bed of the Ouad-el-Areydjah it widens to a
thousand yards.
By thirty-seven minutes past nine we cross the bed
of this ouad, which is commanded, right in front of us,
by a large eminence, one hundred and fifty yards in
diameter, cleft vertically by the torrent, and covered
with ruins similar to those I have already mentioned.
By forty-three minutes past nine we halt among the
ruins, eight hundred yards from the sea, to await the
rear of the caravan, which is more straggling and
extended than prudence recommends.
In something more than a quarter of an hour we are
all collected, and pursue our course south-west. The
shore narrows again, and at seven minutes past ten we
cross a water-course, opening between two large hillocks,
standing in advance of others, and forming part of a
o 2
"1.96
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
chain extending to the mountain which constitutes the
right bank of the 0 uad-el-Arey dj ah. The ruins of
Ayn-Djedy cease here, and it is evident the ancient
city never passed this boundary.
Let us pause a moment to review, as briefly as
possible, all that sacred and profane writers have taught
us of the history of this celebrated locality. I have
already said, when speaking of the Ouad and Belad
Hasasa, that the primitive name of Ayn-Djedy was
Hazezon-Tamar (the town or hamlet of the palms).
Under this same title the town built near the magni¬
ficent spring of Ayn-Djedy (spring of the goat, which
name became in after years the designation of the town
itself), is spoken of in Genesis (chap. xiv. 7).
Moses, when stating the expedition of the kings
leagued with Chedorlaomer (the powerful for ever),
says, "And they returned and came to Enmishpat,
which is Kadesh, and smote all the country of the
Amalekites, and also the Amorites that dwelt in
Hazezon-Tamar." This event was anterior to the
disaster of the Pentapolis, and it seems to result from
the sacred text, that at that period Hazezon-Tamar was
the capital of the Amorites. This primitive name is
mentioned but once again, in Chronicles, where it is
positively identified with that of En-gedi (Chron. ii.
xx. 2). As the fact concerning which the original
name of this town happens to be recalled is contempo¬
raneous with King Jehoshaphat, whilst we find the name
already exchanged for that of En-gedi in the passages
concerning David, it seems pretty certain that these
two designations were employed indifferently.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
197
In Joshua (xv.), amongst the towns of the tribe of
Judah, we find:—61. "In the wilderness Beth-arabah,
Middin, and Secacah62. " And Nibshan, and the
city of Salt, and En-gedi; six cities with their villages."
At a later period we read in the Book of Samuel:—
xxiii. 29. " And David went up from thence and dwelt
in strong holds at En-gedi.
"Chap. xxiv. 1. And it came to pass, when Saul
was returned from following the Philistines, that it was
told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of
En-gedi.
" 2. Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out
of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon
the rocks of the wild goats.
" 3. And he came to the sheep-cotes by the way,
where was a cave ; and Saul went in to cover his feet
(I purposely abstain from giving the meaning of this
expression, which I translate literally), and David and
his men remained in the sides of the cave.
" 4. And the men of David said unto him, Behold
the day of which the Lord said unto thee, Behold, I will
deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest
do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then
David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe
privily.
" 5. And it came to pass afterward that David's
heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt.
" 6. And he said unto his men, the Lord forbid that
I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord's
anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him,
seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.
198
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
" 7. So David stayed his servants with these words,
and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul
rose up out of the cave, and went on his way," &c. &c.
" 22. David and his men got them up unto the hold."
I should be very much inclined to place the scene of
that event in the spacious cavern, called the Bir-el-
Mauqouchieh, which is so close to the Ouad-Hazaza.
I leave to abler scholars to decide whether this
hypothesis is admissible. However, I must observe
that although the Bir-el-Mauqouchieh is situated indeed
in the desert of En-gedi, and on the road leading to that
beautiful spring, it is still sufficiently far from it to leave
some doubt as to the identity, which I propose with
due reserve.*
In the Song of Solomon (i. 14) we read again, " My
beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the
vineyards of En-gedi."
The camphire (kifer) is the henna, a shrub, the
leaves of which produce the colour used by the Arab
and Turkish women to tinge their nails with pink. Is
this shrub still to be found in Ayn-Djedy 1 I cannot
say. I only know that I have not found it ; neither
could I discover the vines which Cohen, the learned
translator of the Bible, affirms to have been still in
existence up to the middle of the last century.
* M. do Saulcy's hypothesis, with respect to this cavern, is the more likely
to prove correct; as, in Oriental countries, especially among wandering
tribes—for instance, among the Algerine Arabs of the present day—caverns
and grots are usually preferred for sheep-cotes, because they offer both shelter
and security. The cavern of the Bir-el-Mauqouchieh was the more convenient
in that respect, as it also contained a well to water the sheep. Now read again
the third verse: " And he came to the sheep-cotes by the way, where was
a cave." Here is a threefold coincidence.—Translator.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
199
We find En-gedi mentioned once more in a passage
of the prophet Ezekiel, and I confess myself unable to
understand the following verse (xlvii. 10) :—
" And it shall come to pass that the fishers shall
stand upon it from En-gedi even unto En-eglaim;
they shall be a place to spread forth nets ; their fish
shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the
great sea, exceeding many."
If this verse, the mystical sense of which I shall not
venture to inquire into, was to be understood literally,
it is plain that the words of the prophecy are as
yet not accomplished ; as, from En-gedi to En-eglaim
(probably identical with Ayn-Adjlah, a locality situated
towards the northern point of the Dead Sea, between
Jericho, and the Jordan), fishermen might spread their
nets for a long while without drawing up anything
except pebbles and floated wood.
This is all that the Scripture tells us of Ayn-Djedy
or En-gedi. The existence of this city, now completely
deserted, lasted until a comparatively late period.
Stephen of Byzantium, who calls it Engadda, mentions
it as a large town, situated at a short distance from
Sodom, in Arabia.
Saint Jerome, in his commentary on the verse I have
just quoted from Ezekiel, says that En-eglaim (Ayn-
Adjelim) is at the head of the Dead Sea, where the
Jordan empties itself into it, and that En-gedi is at
the other extreme point, where the sea terminates.
This is quite inaccurate, for En-gedi is situated near
the middle of the western coast of the Asphaltic Lake.
Josephus, who was perfectly well acquainted with this
200
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
town, which he calls indifferently Eyya8e, EyyaSai, and
EyyaSt, places it close to the Dead Sea, at a distance of
three hundred stadia from Jerusalem (Ant. Jud. ix).
He mentions (Bel. Jud. iii. 2) that it was the seat of one
of the eleven toparchies (governments) of Jud tea. And,
lastly, he tells us (Bel. Jud. v. 3,) that the assassins who
had taken refuge in Masada, under the command of
Eleazar, got possession of it shortly before the capture
of their fortress by Silva.
Pliny, who calls it Engadda (1, v. 17), says that it
was situated below (south of) the country inhabited by
the Essenians, and that it was remarkable for its fertility
and forests of palm-trees. Lastly, Eusebius (ad vocem
Engaddi) assures us that the balm of Gilead came from
this city.
I have mentioned all that remains of this celebrated
place—an immense area, overspread with fragments of
antiquity, the ruins of an Arab mill (perhaps more
ancient than it looks), a spring of pure water, and a
splendid vegetation. As to the vines and palm-trees,
they may have existed formerly, but there is no sign of
them left.
Let us now return to our itinerary.
At the spot where the ruins of Ayn-Djedy end, we
are only two hundred yards from the sea, and, as we
keep moving in the same direction, we draw nearer and
nearer to the shore, so that by fifteen minutes past ten
we find ourselves at the head of a gulf, the beach not
being more than sixty yards to our left. By seventeen
minutes past ten we reach another ravine. Here the
beach, which is one hundred yards broad, is covered
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
201
with large stones. To our right is a high mountain,
distant five or six hundred yards ; for the first time we
find the air strongly tainted with sulphur, exactly like
the smell of the Bareges water. Every, one knows that
this smell is not unwholesome, and only in a slight
degree disagreeable. The water of the lake is here of
O O
a whitish colour, and the stones it washes are coated
with a milky tint, which sufficiently denotes the presence
of sulphur, even if the odour had been less perceptible.
At twenty-three minutes past ten we reach another
ravine, the shore continuing to widen; at thirty and
thirty-six minutes past ten we meet two waterfalls on
the side of the mountain, two hundred and fifty yards
to our right. Two corresponding trenches furrow the
delta, which is here five hundred yards in breadth,
formed by the gravel washed down by these torrents,
which at certain periods empty themselves into the sea.
We halt five minutes to allow our luggage to close
up, and then resume our course south-south-west.
From thirty-nine to fifty-four minutes past ten the shore
narrows to about two hundred yards, and is broken by
large pools formed by the retreat of the sea when it
sinks below the usual level. By fifty-four minutes past
ten we reach another rent in the cliff, down which
a cascade precipitates itself into the sea.
At fifty-six minutes past ten we are marching due
south, between a high mountain, not more than fifteen
yards distant to our right, and the sea, which is only
five or six yards to the left. By two minutes past
eleven the hills we have rounded are succeeded by
another range a great deal lower; and at length, by
202
JOUllNEY IN SYRIA
eight minutes past eleven, we reach Birket-el-Khalil,
which marks the extremity of the deep gulf beginning
at Ayn-Djedy. From what is this name of Birket-el-
Khalil derived ? I put the question to our Bedouins,
when the Scheikh Hamdan relates the following story
during our temporary halt:—
"Abraham, known to the Arabs by the name of
El-Khalil (the friend of God), which name he has also
left to the town of Hebron, where he resided, came one
day to this very spot, with his mule, to purchase his
usual provision of salt—the inhabitants of the place
being accustomed to prepare salt, and sell it to the
people of the upper country. The salt-merchants had
the impertinence to tell Abraham they had none to sell,
though there were large heaps of salt lying around.
The friend of Allah, incensed by such audacity, deter¬
mined to punish the offenders. So he answered thus :
' You say you have no salt—so be it : you have none
left, and never shall you have any more. You shall
no longer find salt in this place, which I curse; and,
moreover, the road from hence to Hebron is closed
against you.' Immediately the anathema of the patriarch
was accomplished—the salt changed into stone, retain¬
ing still its original appearance, and the Ouad-el-Khalil
ceased to be practicable for travellers. The guilty
traders vainly entreated for pardon : Abraham was
inexorable—he ceased to traffic with them, and from
that day the Birket-el-Khalil is strewed with salt, which
is not salt, but tasteless stones."
I have not altered a syllable of Hamdan's story,
which, told on the spot, produced considerable effect,
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
203
the Bedouins believing in it implicitly ; nothing would
shake their conviction that the stones forming the soil
of Birket-el-Khalil are the identical heaps of salt
metamorphosed by the curse of Abraham. " Chouf,"
say they, " fih melehh, ouelakin ma fich melehh" (" See,
'tis salt, and still it is not salt.") I picked up some
samples of the crystallisation which has given rise to
this strange legend; and we resumed our march at
twelve minutes past eleven.
In front of Birket-el-Khalil the shore is only a hundred
yards broad; then comes the Ouad-Khabara, a valley
extending five hundred yards to our right, and com¬
manded on its southern flank by a large mountain of
the same name, Djebel-el-Khabara. The highest pinnacle
of that mountain is nearly three miles off, and along its
declivity are smaller hills and hillocks, lowering gradually
until they approach within one hundred and fifty yards.
By thirty-five minutes past eleven we are opposite the
Ouad-el-Khalil, which opens by a small triangular plain,
five hundred yards wide, into a wide delta. We are
here one thousand or twelve hundred yards from the
sea, and on the eastern shore, opposite, we have directly
in face the summit of the Djebel-Atarous.
By forty minutes past eleven, still bearing to the
south-south-west, we cross the various beds through
which the waters of the Ouad-el-Khalil rush from the
mountains of Canaan into the Dead Sea. We are then
equally distant from the shore and the high mountain
range which bounds the horizon to our right, and about
O ^
six hundred yards from both. The side of the mountain
is indented with a circular hollow, resembling a crater,
204
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
overlooked on the north and south by two lofty pinnacles.
Ten minutes later we are opposite this spot; the
plain which separates us from the mountain is dotted
with small eminences of a dirty green colour—
mere sand hills, worn and corroded by the winter
floods.
At fifty-five minutes past eleven we halt for breakfast
in this glen, four hundred yards from the shore. By
twenty-eight minutes past twelve we mount again, and
pursue our march in the same direction, soutli-south-
west. We cross the bed of another torrent, containing
an islet composed of sand and rolled pebbles, and arrive
by forty-five minutes past twelve in front of the Ouad-
el-Seyal (the valley of the gum-trees), which opens
nine hundred yards off on our right. We are now two
hundred and fifty yards from the sea, marching due
south in a parallel line with the shore.
The range of hills commanding the southern side of
the Ouad-el-Seyal inclines rapidly to the west. We
cross many more dry water-courses before one o'clock;
the foot of the hills is now distant about two thousand
yards. We change our course and march south-east
until eight minutes past one. The shore is then three
hundred yards off, and a new range of hills appears at
the distance of nearly two miles to our right. The
green sandy hillocks we have already noticed, cover the
plain lying between us and this range. We then alter
our course to south-south-west, coasting a small gulf,
beyond which the shore widens rapidly. By twenty-
nine minutes past one we are seven hundred yards from
the sea. The calcined fragments of rock composing
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
205
the volcanic ejections, already noticed, appear again,
profusely scattered over the ground.
By degrees we incline almost due west, bearing away
from the Dead Sea ; and by forty minutes past one
march in the direction of a mountain, the side of which
seems to have been rent by some volcanic eruption; this
mountain, commanding the northern side of the valley,
or Ouad-el-Hafaf, is distant about three-quarters of a
league. By forty-eight minutes after one we pass the
bed of a torrent, thirty yards wide, which forms the
outlet for the wraters of the Ouad-el-Hafaf. Beyond
this lies a plain, deeply furrowed and covered with
hillocks of greenish sand, between which we wind our
course until ten minutes to two, when wre reach a lower
level, bounded by a water-course, 011 the other side of
which we turn again to the south-south-west.
Nothing can be more fantastical than the variety of
shapes assumed by these crumbling hillocks. Some of
them resemble an old gothic castle, with round towers
built close to each other, but without connecting curtains,
and with their bases half buried under conical heaps of
fallen rubbish. By six minutes past twro we are in front
of the Ouad-en-Nemrieh (the valley of the tigers or
panthers), with the hill commanding the southern side
of this valley only fifty yards off to our right. We then
march nearly west, but soon after turn suddenly to the
south, and keep steadily moving in that direction until
forty-five minutes past twTo, when we arrive at our
halting station for the day. We encamp on the side
of a hill, nearly three miles from the sea.
Five or six hundred yards to our left a plain com-
206
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
mences, covered with sand hills of a whitish green.
These hillocks present a most extraordinary aspect.
It is necessary to assure us positively that we are not
gazing on an extensive city, for we see distinctly what
appear to be palaces, mosques, towers, houses, streets,
embankments, and other innumerable edifices, constructed
of white marble. From the elevated spot where we pitch
our tents, we discover eastward, towards the sea, the
peninsula of El-Lisan, the shores of which do not seem
divided from the western coast on which we are standing
by more than two or three thousand yards. The sand
hills re-appear again on this peninsula, and one could
almost affirm that two large towns face each other on the
opposite but closely-approaching shores of the Dead Sea.
Behind us we observe a large rent in the mountain,
surmounted by a high peak, crowned with ruins; this
is the hill of Sebbeh, and these ruins are the remains
of Masada, the last rampart of Jewish independence.
To-morrow morning we project an antiquarian pilgrimage
to these venerable relics.
The Schiekh Abou-Daouk has kept his word: our
tents are scarcely pitched when his people join us ; they
are much darker in complexion than the Thaameras,
and their dress consists only of a coarse grey shirt, with
a kafieh (turban) of no definable colour. Their shoes,
when they have any, consist merely of soles, bound with
strings round the great toe and the ankle, bearing some
analogy with those worn by the mountaineers ofArragon;
some wretched-looking matchlocks, with yataghans and
khandjars no better than the fire-arms, complete the
equipment of our new body-guard.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
207
When passing in front of the Ouad-el-Seyal, we had
descried at a great distance the heads of two or three
camels, and we had been somewhat startled by the
apparition. Some of our attendants went out to
reconnoitre our neighbours, but they were reported to
be friends, and so we thought no more about them.
During the day Hamdan has left us in quest of some
encampment where he might purchase two sheep, one
for ourselves, the other for our escort, whom we propose
to astonish with a treat. As he has not yet returned, to
the general dissatisfaction, our trusty Arabs find them¬
selves obliged to resign their gastronomical visions, which
we had rather imprudently excited.
Unfortunately the want of fresh meat is not our greatest
privation : we have only enough water left in store to
make our soup and coffee for this evening and to-morrow
morning. We have none to spare for drinking, and
must endure our thirst with patience. Our horses,
mules, and Arabs are reluctantly compelled to follow
our example. We had been promised water in abund¬
ance in the bed of the cascade that divides us from the
hill of Sebbeh, but we find not a single drop. " Ma fich
ma'ieh !" (" No water ! ") On hearing this dismal cry, our
thirst naturally increases, while our poor beasts are
the only uncomplaining members in the party, though
they suffer even more than ourselves.
On our arrival at the encamping ground, Mohammed,
who, from the first, had felt mistrustful of the water in
this sombre-looking place, had gone on in advance, and
scrambled with his horse up the side of the Sebbeh.
He returns to announce that the wisest course we can
208
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
adopt to-day is to persuade ourselves that we drank
enough at Ayn-Djedy yesterday to serve us for eight-
and-forty hours. However, he confides to me in strict
confidence that he discovered, in a hollow between the
rocks, water enough to satisfy his horse, and that the
whole adjacent country is not likely to produce as much
more as would slake the thirst of a pigeon. It is true,
we may retreat on our wine : but such wine ! —shaken,
heated, nauseous from the leather bottles in which it has
been tossed for many days under a burning sun. The
substitute is lamentable, but despair will not furnish
water, so we summon our philosophy, and resign our¬
selves to the chance of hydrophobia.
We purpose to console our Bedouins by increasing
their usual allowance of oil and flour, and we find our
calculation fortunate ; with more to eat, they willingly
compound for less to drink, and bear the privation
patiently. Our moukris are less resigned, and for the
first time evince some show of compassion for their
beasts. I do not wish to analyse too closely this novel
sentiment in favour of the poor creatures committed to
their charge, who look this evening more dull and beaten
down than usual, when consigned to their accustomed
pickets.
The ground on which we encamp is parched and arid;
rocks which seem to have been toasted for ages, excoriae,
and fragments of lava ; such are the components of this
attractive soil, the aspect of which would alone suffice
to make patience itself irritable and thirsty.
It may be readily supposed that our dinner passes
heavily ; but, to our surprise, when night comes on, we
AND ROUND TITE DEAD SEA.
20!)
hear our whole suite singing. Truly miraculous is the
effect of a supplemental ration of Hour and oil on the
heart of a Bedouin ! The fellows are as gay and joyous
as if each had drank a bottle of champagne. They
dance as well as sing ! Let us hasten to enjoy this
curious sight. We forthwith leave our tents, and
proceed to smoke our chibouks by the side of these
merry companions, whose outlines are reflected in dark,
whimsical shadows upon a fire of dry thorns. I say
thorns ; for as to finding wood to burn at Sebbeh, the
idea is chimerical.
The dance our Arabs are executing is called the
" Sword Dance." This sample of barbarous chorography
is thus arranged :—Eight performers, holding each
other by the arms, but with their hands thrown for¬
ward, chant a burden which is repeated ad libitum.
The four 011 the right begin ; they clap their hands in
cadence, whilst swinging their bodies either from right
to left, or backwards and forwards. When they have
done, the four 011 the left repeat the same words, clap
their hands in the same manner, and perform exactly
the same contortions. Facing them stands another
actor, who is silent, and keeps time with the blade of
his sword striking against the faces of the singers.
Sometimes he advances upon them, when they draw
back ; then he retreats in turn, and they advance on
him, bending down and almost crouching to the ground.
As they spring up, they send forth a shrill, guttural
cry, which gives a fiendish effect to the whole perform¬
ance. As the singing and dancing become more and
more energetic, their faces assume an expression of
VOL. I. P
210
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
increased ferocity ; and after half an hour of this
strange exercise, they resemble so many wild beasts,
anticipating a projected murder.
This spectacle, witnessed by night, in such a place,
and by the light of the bivouac fires, is highly exciting,
as much to ourselves as to our Bedouins, who remind us
of Red Indians and their savage pastime. Those who
are not engaged in singing, accompany with their
hands. The Khatib himself, their chaplain-in-ordinary,
leads the choristers ; and Meydany is the actor with the
sword, at the same time gathering up the skirt of his
gown with his left hand, that his rapid motions may
meet with no impediment.
This performance has already lasted a whole hour,
when our moukri, Schariar, takes the place of Meydany,
and exhibits his artistic skill. Never was sabre handled
with such dexterity ; he seems surrounded with a circle
of steel, so rapid are the rotations of his blade in every
direction. Meydany is but a novice when compared to
Schariar. But the " Sword Dance " soon finishes, and
our moukri, who is well known as a choice spirit, and
the most accomplished vocalist of Beyrout, volunteers a
succession of songs, as highly flavoured with salt as the
waters of the Dead Sea, embellishing the words with
most expressive gestures. The enthusiasm of our
Bedouins exceeds all bounds; their sunburnt faces gleam
with rapturous admiration, and Schariar's unrivalled
exhibition is greeted with loud bursts of applause.
One word more before I take leave of Schariar. On
quitting Jerusalem, this fellow wept in utter despair ;
but ever since our march began, he has become the
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA. :> I 1
gayest and most reckless of the party. How constantly
we make mistakes in judging character ! Schariar, who
voluntarily cut off two joints from his right hand to
escape the conscription, would make a first-rate soldier ;
for lie fears nothing, and is thoroughly expert in the
use of every weapon. But, as I said before, Schariar is
an habitual lounger in low cafes and dens of ill repute—
what, in Parisian cant, is called a viveur—" a loose fish."
This explains the riddle of his conduct, which we attri¬
buted at first to cowardice.
As we cannot pass the entire night in looking on the
revels of our Bedouins, we bestow an additional dona¬
tion of coffee and sugar, which inflames their joy and
gratitude to the highest pitch of enthusiasm ; Ave then
retire to rest, for to-morrow we purpose to be up by
sunrise to visit the ruins of Masada.
January ll</t.
This morning we were all stirring before daylight.
The ascent of Masada, judging by the height we
had to climb, promised to be no easy task. It was,
therefore, desirable to start before the sun had made
much progress. We have hurried Matteo's culinary
preparations, and after having, as usual, sipped some
broth in which meat was the principal ingredient
missing; after having discussed a cup of coffee, a
chibouk, and a taste of arrack, we find ourselves
en route. Our faithful Ahouad, and two Djahalins
almost naked, are our only guides and escort; we
are well furnished with loaded pistols, the priming
of which has been carefully looked to. We then
commence the arduous escalade we must achieve
r 2
212
JOURNEY TN SYRIA
before we reach the eminence we are so anxious to
explore.
I shall not attempt to describe, after Josephus, the
stupendous path that leads to Masada ; I prefer copying
exactly the text of the Jewish annalist, which I can
scarcely hope to improve. What was Masada, and
what were the events connected with that place,
unparalleled in the history of the world, Josephus
tells us ; I shall, therefore, borrow from his " History
of the Jewish War" the entire narrative of the sad
catastrophe, the scene of which was laid in Masada.
I beg to offer one more observation before I enter on
this recital. The word Masada signifies " fortress
this is the Hebraic meaning, without any alteration.
Never has any spot been marked by a more appropriate
title. The name is now unknown to the Bedouins, and
was merely, perhaps, a general term, quite distinct from
the real appellation of the locality. What inclines me
to this opinion is, the correct signification of the word
Masada; and the existence of another name, Sebbeh,
retained by the Arabs, and which it is not likely they
could have invented without analogy. After the sack
of Masada, to continue calling a place " the fortress"
par excellence, which Roman tactics had reduced,
would have been a downright mockery ; and thus I
propose to account for the disappearance of the word
Masada.
Pliny * speaks of this town as being a fortress situ¬
ated on the summit of a rocky hill, and he places it
quite correctly as coming next to Engaddi. Strabo
* Lib. v. 17.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
2L:i
calls it Moasada, * and mentions the calcined stones
which are found in the neighbourhood of this singular
spot.
Let us now proceed with our quotation from Jose-
plius:—" The high-priest Jonathan," says he, " was the
first man who conceived the idea of fortifying this post,
considered impregnable, and who gave it the significant
name of Masada (the fortress). At a later period,
King Herod added considerably to the fortifications,
and increased their strength.'7 f
In another very striking passage, Josephus expresses
himself as follows :—" There was, not far from Jeru¬
salem, a very strong citadel built by the ancient kings,
where, when they happened to meet with reverses in
war, they placed in safety their treasures and their
persons. The Sicarii, or assassins,"—(Josephus gives this
appellation to those among the Jews who, being deter¬
mined not to submit to a foreign yoke, had resolved to
die, to the last man, in carrying on a desperate resistance
against the Romans. In our days, we have heard
French citizens denounced by their own countrymen as
brigands of the Loire, who quite as justly deserved that
infamous appellation as the last defenders of Jewish
independence. And it is a Jew, a traitor to his
country, who brands with the name of cut-throats the
handful of heroes who took refuge in Masada ! To
what inconsistencies will human passions lead us ! But
let us copy without further commentary) : —" The
Sicarii, then, having got possession of Masada, made
continual inroads 011 the surrounding country, seeking
* Lib. xvi.
f Bel. Jud. vii. viii. 3.
214 JOURNEY IN SYRIA
for no other plunder than what they absolutely required
for subsistence ; fear restrained them from committing
depredations on a larger scale. Hearing, however, that
the invading army of the Romans had gone into
quarters for rest, and that the Jews of Jerusalem were
divided by sedition, and driven to despair by the most
oppressive tyranny, they sallied out by night, and com¬
mitted the most fearful excesses. On the day of the
feast of the Azymi they fell suddenly upon the small
city of Engaddi. The inhabitants, taken by surprise,
and having no time to prepare for defence, were dis¬
persed and driven out of the town. All who could not
escape by flight—men, women, and children—number¬
ing above seven hundred, were put to the sword. After
having plundered the houses and ravaged the gardens
full of ripe fruit, they hastened back with their booty to
Masada. From that time they continued to waste the
neighbouring country, supplying their ranks daily from
the numerous predatory bands who had no other means
of life.*
" Shortly after that, Simon, the son of Joras, who for
his presumption had been deposed by the high-priest
Ananas from the government of Acrobata, contrived to
escape from Jerusalem, which was then placed under
the tyranny of John, and came to ask for an asylum
with the Sicarii of Masada. They at first suspected him,
and confined his residence to the lower town, where he
established himself with the women who had followed
him, while the Sicarii remained exclusive masters of the
upper town. Soon, however, the zeal that Simon dis-
Bel. Jud. ir. vii. 2.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
215
played in their expeditions, gained him their confidence,
though they still rejected the advice he gave them to
strike more decisive blows. This Simon succeeded at
last in forming an army of his own ; and then, sepa¬
rating from the inhabitants of Masada, began committing
the most atrocious depredations throughout the whole
of Judaea.'" Solicited by the people to come to Jeru¬
salem, it was he who co-operated the most strenuously
in the defence of the town against the Romans ; but,
being taken prisoner, Simon was transported to Rome,
where he figured in the triumph of Titus. The last act
of that ceremony was the execution of the Jewish hero.
" Jerusalem and Machscros had successively fallen ;
the Jews retained but one stronghold, Masada ; and the
Romans determined to destroy, at any cost, this focus
of insurrection.
" Battus, Prefect of Judaea, having died, Flavius Silva
was appointed his successor. His first thought was to
march against Masada. The place was then commanded
by Eleazar, of the tribe of Judah, a skilful and intrepid
warrior, who, when the Censor Quirinus had been sent
into Judaea, had excited a general rebellion. The Sicarii,
by the order of Eleazar, denounced as enemies all their
countrymen who had submitted to the Roman yoke—
plundered their possessions, and burned their habitations.
To give a sanction to these lawless acts, they pretended
that there was no difference between the invading;
foreigners and the degenerate Jews, who had betrayed
their country, and had voluntarily become the vassals
of Rome, liut the plea was an idle pretence," adds
* l!cl. .J nd. iv. ix. o.
216
JOUKNEY IN SYRIA
Josephus, "to excuse and give a colour to their own
barbarism and cupidity."""
Accordingly, Silva determined to crush what, in his
opinion, was but the last nest of the rebellion : we
give verbatim from Josephus his narrative of this
expedition :—■
" The Roman general, at the head of his army,
marched against Eleazar, and the banditti who held
Masada. Having seized the surrounding country, he
established garrisons in every convenient post, encircled
the fortress with a wall so as to cut off all means of
escape from the besieged, and placed detachments to
watch them narrowly. Silva selected for his encamping
ground the most commanding point in the immediate
vicinity of the fortress ; but, in other respects, it was
extremely difficult for him in such a position to provide
himself with the necessary supplies. Not only were the
ordinary articles of subsistence brought from a great
distance, and with enormous difficulty, by the Jews who
had undertaken to furnish provisions for the army, but
even the water had to be conveyed to the camp, for no
spring was to be found in the neighbourhood. Having
made his preliminary dispositions, Silva began the siege
with great skill and infinite labour, owing to the position
of the fortress, of which the following is an accurate
description.
" It stands on a very elevated rock, the circumference
of which is considerable, surrounded on all sides by
valleys so deep that, from the summit, the bottom is
scarcely distinguishable. This rock is perpendicular,
* Bel. Jud. vii. 8.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
and totally inaccessible, excepting in two places, where
the slope is difficult of approach. There is one road to
it leading from the Asphaltic Lake on the eastern side,
and another, more practicable, coming from the west¬
ward. The first is called the Coluber (or Snake), on
account of its narrow breadth and numerous windings,
which give it some resemblance to a serpent. It is, in
fact, little more than a broken ledge on the side of the
rocks which overhang the precipice, often turning back
again, and scarcely forming a connected passage.
Ascending by that path, you must walk with cautious
and stealthy pace—a single false step wTould lead to
certain death; for the rocks are nearly vertical above
and below, and their appearance strikes terror into the
boldest hearts. When you have clambered up a space
of thirty stadia, the rest of the ascent is perpendicular;
but the rock does not end in an acute point, and the
summit widens to an esplanade. The high-priest Jona¬
than wras the first who built a citadel here, which he
called Masada. In after years, King Herod added
many formidable defences. He enclosed the summit
within a wall of polished stone, having a circuit of seven
stadia, twelve cubits in height and eight in thickness.
The wall was flanked by thirty-seven towTers, fifty cubits
high. These towers communicated with buildings
resting on and continued along the line of the interior
wall. The circle of the esplanade contained a soil more
productive than any in the vicinity. The king reserved
this space for purposes of culture, so that, if provisions
could no longer be obtained from the exterior, the
garrison of the fortress might still be saved from famine.
218
JOURNEY IN SYEIA
"Herod built also, opposite tlie approach on the
western side, a palace within the fortifications, looking
towards the north. The outer walls of this palace
were high and solid, protected at the angles by four
towers of fifty cubits in height. Within it were
contained many spacious apartments, porticoes, and
baths, supported by columns formed from a single
block of marble. The pavements and the walls of
the chambers were inlaid with mosaics. In every
habitation, on the esplanade, around the palace, and
before the walls, large tanks were hollowed in the
rocks, to preserve the water as abundantly as if there
had been natural springs within the place. A covered
way, imperceptible without the walls, led from the
palace to the most commanding part of the citadel.
The open paths of approach were almost useless
to an enemy. The eastern road, as we have already
explained, was by its nature inaccessible ; and a tower
placed in a very narrow defile, closed the avenue on
the western side. This tower was distant from the
citadel a thousand cubits; it could not be passed by,
and was unassailable by force. Thus nature, seconded
by human ingenuity, combined to render the fortress
secure against every possible attack.
"As to the interior resources, their abundance
was even more surprising; corn was heaped up in
magazines, and in vast quantity. These secret stores
contained also ample provision of wine, oil, vegetable
seeds, and dates. Eleazar and his banditti, when they
obtained possession of the fortress by stratagem, found
all these provisions in as good a state as if they had
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
219
just been placed there, though nearly a century had
elapsed since the magazines were first formed to resist
the Roman invaders. The Romans themselves, when
they became masters of the place, found in it the
remains of these supplies, which seemed quite fresh.
This extraordinary preservation of food must doubtless
be attributed to the pure atmosphere, and the height
of the fortress, which protects the air against the dele¬
terious influence of the plains. The citadel contained,
besides, a sufficient quantity of arms to equip ten
thousand men, with stores of unwrought iron, brass,
and lead.
" Such precautions had not been taken without
important motives. It is said that Herod had caused
this citadel to be built, as a refuge against the double
danger which he apprehended : in the first place, he
dreaded that the Jewish people should drive him
from the throne, to restore the descendants of their
ancient kings; and secondly, he was still more
apprehensive of the intrigues of the Queen of Egypt,
Cleopatra, who took very little care to conceal her
designs; for she openly urged Anthony to put
Herod to death, and transfer the kingdom of Judaea
to herself.
"Long after Herod, induced by the fears we have
mentioned, had constructed Masada, the capture of
that fortress was the last feat accomplished by the
Romans in their war against the Jews.
"As soon as Silva had succeeded in completing his
wall of circumvention, and had adopted every measure
that care and vigilance could suggest, to prevent the
220
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
possibility of escape by any of the garrison, he began
the siege at the only point against which an attack
could be directed. Beyond the tower which closed the
western path, towards the palace and the summit of
the fortress, there was a rocky eminence of great
extent, but lower than Masada by three hundred
cubits; it was called Leuke. As soon as Silva had
reached this post, he began to construct thereon an
earthen mound. By the persevering labour of his
soldiers, he raised the level about two hundred cubits ;
but the ground was not yet solid enough, nor was the
height sufficient for the battering engines. Above
this mound, again, he built another platform, composed
of huge rocks, and measuring fifty cubits in length and
breadth. On this he placed his engines, similar to
those used by Vespasian and Titus in besieging towns ;
and lastly, he erected a tower sixty cubits high, com¬
pletely cased with iron, from the top of which the
Romans, by means of slings and cross-bows, drove the
defenders from the wall, and suffered not a man to
show his head.
" Silva, having at the same time erected an enormous
battering-ram, assailed the wall without intermission,
and succeeded in throwing down a considerable por¬
tion. Meanwhile the garrison laboured hard to raise as
fast as possible an interior rampart, which might not,
like the outer one, be damaged by the action of the
engines. To render this second wall soft, so as to
deaden the violence of the blows, it was constructed in
the following manner : long beams were placed end to
end; two parallel rows of these beams were separated
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
221.
by the intended thickness of the wall. The interval
between was filled with earth; and, to prevent the
earth from bursting out, cross-beams were added to
strengthen those which were connected lengthwise.
The construction of this rampart resembled a solid
edifice ; whilst the blows of the engines, falling on a
yielding surface, lost their power; and the repeated
shocks helped to combine the materials more strongly
together, and gave additional compactness to the entire
fabric. When Silva discovered this, he commanded his
soldiers to hurl against this new obstacle a quantity
of lighted brands. The wall, almost entirely made
of wood, caught fire immediately, and, burning from
one end to the other, projected a tremendous flame.
At first the wind, blowing from the north, carried the
flame directly towards the position of the besiegers,
and threatened the destruction of their own engines.
But, suddenly shifting round to the south, as if by Divine
interference, the flames were hurled back again, and
consumed the rampart of the besieged from top to
bottom. The Romans, thus favoured by Providence,
remained at their post, with the fixed intention of
advancing to the assault 011 the next morning. During
the night they increased their usual vigilance to
prevent the escape of a single individual of the
garrison.
" Eleazar had no idea of flight himself, and he was
fully determined to allow no such refuge to his
followers. Reduced to despair by seeing his last
intrenchment destroyed ; reflecting, also, on the cruel
treatment reserved by the Roman conquerors for the
222
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
women and children, he resolved to die, with all his
people, as the best alternative remaining in their choice.
He assembled all the bravest spirits in the garrison,
and implored them to adopt this dreadful resolution ;
he pointed out the consequences of a capitulation, the
abject misery of bondage. ' With to-morrow's dawn,'
said he, 'you are lost men, and will no longer possess
the privilege of dying with those dearest to you.
The enemy, who has no hope but that of taking you
alive, is not all-powerful enough to prevent your
escaping by voluntary death. You cannot resist him;
you know that God himself has declared against us,
and abandoned the Jewish nation, which he has ceased
to love. Had we not been accursed and condemned,
do you think he would have permitted the destruction
of the Holy City? We, the last of our race, are
crushed under his anger. This impregnable fortress,
what protection has it afforded us 1 These warlike
stores, these arms—what have we been able to achieve
with them 1 Nothing. The flame which threatened
our enemies has turned back upon ourselves ; is it not
the vengeance of Heaven that has vanquished us % If
we have guilt to expiate, let not the Romans have the
satisfaction of being the instruments of Divine wrath;
let us become ourselves the instruments. Our wives
will escape outrage ; our children will avoid servitude ;
after we have killed them, let us kill each other; we
shall thus preserve our liberty and win a glorious
sepulture. Let us first destroy our treasures and the
fortress, to defeat the cupidity of these Romans. Let
us leave them nothing but the provisions, to show that
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
223
we have not yielded to famine, but have preferred
death to slavery.'
" Such were the words of Eleazar ; and those who
listened were not all inclined to follow his proposal.
Some prepared to adopt, without hesitating, a resolution
so heroic. Those who wavered, were moved by pity
for their wives and children, and, seeing their death so
near, looked on each other with tearful eyes, and
showed, by their expressive silence, that they rejected
the advice of their commander. Eleazar, observing
this, began to fear that even those who had applauded
his speech, might allow themselves to be softened by
the supplications and tears of the more timid. He
therefore repeated his exhortations with increasing
energy. lie spoke of a glorious immortality, and
fixed his eyes in stern reproof on those who wept
and trembled.
"By this second appeal he succeeded in inflaming
them to such enthusiasm," (if we are to believe
Joseplius,) "that all, without exception, interrupted him
with loud exclamations of fanatic frenzy, seeming to be
instigated by demoniac excitement, and hurried to the
fearful sacrifice, as if each dreaded to be anticipated by
his companions. They were seen to embrace their
wives and children with convulsive tenderness, and the
next moment to stab them with unshrinking hands.
There was no hesitation, no exception. The horrible
necessity to which they were impelled was felt to be a
release from greater miseries
" This scene of carnage finished, the perpetrators,
overwhelmed with horror, and longing to rejoin in
224
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
death the victims they had slaughtered, heaped up
their riches in an enormous pile, which they consumed
by fire. Ten were chosen by lot to kill the rest, who,
taking in their arms the lifeless bodies of their wives
and children, presented their throats to the selected
executioners. The ten achieved their task without
flinching; and then a second lot decided that one of
their own number should slay his nine companions,
and lastly immolate himself. The solitary survivor
examined all the bodies stretched around him, and,
when convinced that none required his further ministry,
he fired the palace, and fell on his own sword.
"All perished with the conviction that not a single
living being remained to grace the triumph of the
Romans. But they deceived themselves. An aged
woman, with one of Eleazar's female relatives (distin¬
guished by her knowledge and wisdom), and five
children, contrived to conceal themselves in a subterra¬
nean acqueduct, where they were unthought of, and
unsought for, in the hurry and agony of the moment.
The assassins of Masada perished thus, to the number
of nine hundred and sixty, including women and
children. This happened on the fifteenth of the
month of Xantichus.
"At dawn of day the Romans, prepared for a deadly
conflict, issued from their intrenchments, planted their
scaling-ladders, and rushed to the assault. They
encountered not a single opponent. Nothing but soli¬
tude, silence, and devouring flames in every direction.
They were still far from suspecting what had happened,
and with one voice sent up a mighty shout, to unmask,
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
225
if possible, tlieir hidden enemies. The terrified women
crawled from their concealment, and the kinswoman of
Eleazar related what had happened, with all its horrible
details. At first, the Romans were incredulous, and
refused belief to such an act of devoted patriotism,
and having extinguished the fire, penetrated into the
palace, where they discovered the long files of human
bodies. They did not give vent to the joy of a victory
obtained in the ardour of battle. The pride of conquest
was checked by admiration of the heroic deed they
could no longer doubt; and they respected the sublime
contempt for death by which so many noble-minded
warriors had immortalized their fame for ever."
Such was the fate of men recorded by Josephus
under the title of assassins. The annals of the world
afford but few parallels.
For many years 1 had lost sight of the history of
the Jewish war ; my studies had never led me back in
that direction. I therefore visited Masada without any
particular reminiscence. Besides, the name " Sebbeh,"
the only one which I heard pronounced by the Arabs,
was not likely to refresh my memory ; and I confess,
in all humility, that even if I had been aware that I
was treading the soil of Masada, unprovided with books
as I was in our adventurous expedition, it would have
been quite impossible for me to recal the events which
had given to this place such pre-eminent celebrity.
Perhaps this may serve as a hint to future travellers,
and if they do not prefer depriving themselves of the
most exciting gratification, let them come prepared
by previous reading before they enter on an exploring
VOL. I. Q
226
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
expedition I shall never cease to lament tlie unlucky
ignorance which induced me to shorten our halt at
Sebbeh, notwithstanding the impossibility of procuring
water. If ever chance conducts me to the spot again,
I shall not do as I have done this time, but, at whatever
cost, I will bring back from Masada all that I can collect
together in the shape of plans and drawings.
Now that I have digressed to the expedition of
Flavius Silva, let me revert to the more pacific enterprise
of which I happened to be myself the leader. Leaving
our encampment in our rear, we direct our course
towards the right bank of the large chasm which
divides us from the mountain of Sebbeh. The ascent
is steep, and the rocky fragments roll under our feet;
but, everything considered, we have seen worse roads
before. After some minutes' progress, the path becomes
more difficult, and goats alone might be content with
it, supposing they were not over-difficult to please.
There can be 110 doubt we are moving on the perilous
ledge called by Josephus " the Snake but I avouch,
and my companions will scarcely gainsay me, that the
historian of the Jews has described it in too flattering
colours. It is one continual scaling-ladder, several
hundred feet in perpendicular height, which increase
when we think they are exhausted. If you venture a
glance to the left, while on this picturesque ascent,
beware of the vertigo, and a bottomless abyss which
threatens you with a kind of fatal fascination. We
determine, therefore, to look only to the right as we go
up ; going down we shall have the variety of looking
to the left, which will be some consolation. Loysel
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA. 2:27
soon finds this kind of promenade rather unpleasant ;
he therefore sits down quietly on a rocky point, lights
his pipe, and enters in his note-book, " January I I th.—
Excursion to Sebhch." Papigny joins him, and it is
only a few hundred feet higher up, when we venture to
cast a look behind us, that we become aware that two
of the troop have parted company, without even
wishing us bon voyage.
Edward, Belly, llothschild, and Philippe are the only
members of our band who have persevered, and we
follow, panting and out of breath, our three Bedouins,
who seem to be treading a royal high-road. Pride will
not permit us to yield to difficulties which seem trifles
to these iron savages of the desert, and we rush
recklessly forward. At last we reach a platform, pre¬
eminently rugged and narrow at first, rent by a chasm
bearing away to the north-west. But the area soon
becomes wider, and we find ourselves encircled by
fragments of walls, and heaps of other ruins, unques¬
tionable evidences of ancient habitations.
To our left the crest of the precipice is protected by
a wall of dry stones, heaped up without order, and this
wall dips rapidly, with the rock that bears it, to the
bottom of the chasm, 011 the northern side of which we
have left our camp. There is 110 mistaking the locality;
it is the spot which Josephus calls Leuke. To our left
begins the Snake, the path we have just followed,
leading down to the Dead Sea. Behind us must be the
western path, with the tower which intersected it, as
both roads met at this point. Unfortunately our time
is limited, and the remains of Silva's camp (placed on
Q 2
228
JOURNEY IX SYRIA
this very spot, and 011 the ruins of the lower town,
where Simon, the son of Joras, resided), conceal from
our sight the vestiges of this tower, situated most likely
much further down, as well as the path itself, which we
have no intention of investigating.
When facing eastward, Ave have before us the perpen¬
dicular rock of Masada, two hundred feet in height, on
the smoothly scarped side of which appear a few excava¬
tions, resembling those of a necropolis, and placed about
fifty feet below the summit, without any protuberant
stones or steps by which we might be enabled to reach
them. There could have been no access but by subter¬
raneous passages from the interior of the fortress.
A ridge, as narrow as the blade of a knife, leads
along the top of an artificial causeway, made of light
earth. This causeway, uniting Leuke to the side of the
rock of Masada, is all that remains of Silva's mound.
The platform by which it was surmounted has crumbled
down by the action of time and the rains on the soft
soil which formed the foundations. The stones have all
rolled over into the precipices on either side, and there
remains now no passage but this dangerous ridge before
us, which we must adventure on like rope-dancers,
without even the advantage of a balancing-pole.
In a few seconds we have crossed the abyss, and
here we are, hanging on to the side of the rock of
Masada. Another desperate escalade is before us, and
fifty feet higher up we reach the remains of a flight of
stairs, on the side of the precipice, and on the ruins
of a buttress, built of fine freestone.
At last we gain the summit, and a small remnant of
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
229
a path, enclosed between the precipice on one side and
the ruins of a free stone wall on the other, leads us to
a well-preserved gate of beautiful workmanship, with
an ogival (pointed) arch. The invention of this form
GATEWAY AT MASADA.
of arch is thus carried back to the epoch of Herod the
Great, or at the very latest, to that of Titus and the
destruction of Masada. On the stones of this gate have
been scratched, with some sharp instrument, at a
period impossible to determine, crosses, signs resembling
the symbol of the planet Venus ?, and Greek letters,
such as A and T. Are these the marks of the stone¬
cutter 1 I doubt it; because, though rudely executed,
they have not a very ancient appearance, and their
light colour is not accordant with the darker tint of
the stone. But as some are upright, whilst others
are inclined, and even reversed, this may seem to
corroborate the opinion that they are merely to be
considered as the symbols of the builders. For myself,
I leave the question to the decision of others.
230
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
Beyond tliis gate, a level space appears before us : it
is the platform of Masada. Thank Heaven! we have
reached it with sound limbs, and as we have not halted
on the way, fifty minutes have sufficed to bring us from
the camp to the spot 011 which we stand.
The crest we have attained, I mean the western one,
is furnished with buildings looking towards the platform,
and resting against the surrounding wall. These structures
are mostly square cells, in tolerable preservation, with
many small apertures, disposed angularly, like the holes
in a pigeon-house. Before us, within a hundred yards, is
a ruin, which resembles a church with a circular apsis.
Our Bedouins inform me that this is the Qasr, or Palace.
I hasten to examine it. The principal chamber is ter¬
minated by this oven-like apsis, with one small round
window. The whole is constructed of fine freestone,
elaborately worked; the supporting walls are covered
with a very hard plaster, inlaid with mosaic work of a
novel description." It consists of thousands of small red
fragments of broken pottery fixed in the mortar, and
forming regular designs. These are the only ornaments
of this hall. Some small detached cubes of red, white,
and black stone induce me to suppose that the hall is
paved with real mosaic ; I therefore tempt my Bedouins
with the promise of a bakhshish, and whilst I am drawing
the plans of the different apartments, and Belly is engaged
in taking a sketch of this extraordinary ruin, the rubbish
* This kind of mosaic is seen nearly everywhere in eastern countries,—
I mean in tlie large cities,—and is of very ancient use. Only, instead of
broken pottery, tlie mosaic work is generally made of pieces of looking-glass,
or of earthen and cliina vessels, quite whole, of all sizes and descriptions,
firmly stuck into the wall; for instance, in the Sheesh or China Muhuls of the
natives of India.—Translator.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
231
is cleared from the floor, and a handsome mosaic pave¬
ment, disposed in circular knots, is brought once more
to light. Unfortunately all is broken in pieces ; I feel,
therefore, no scruple in carrying away some specimens.
We also take designs of several fragments of moulding
in white marble, and pick up samples of the pieces of red
pottery and glass with which the ground is covered.
No time is lost by any of us ; Edward makes a survey
of the gate at the entrance, whilst Belly and I are
working at our plans.
When our sketches are finished, we explore the entire
platform. Starting from the Qasr, which stands exactly
east of the original entrance, and moving in a northerly
direction, we find a large rectangular cistern, containing
of course no water, and entirely overgrown with thorns.
Further on, to the north-east of the Qasr, is a quad¬
rangular enclosure, of much more ancient style than
the Qasr and the other buildings. A wide deep ditch
divides it from the remainder of the platform, and
begins from the left flank of a square ruined tower,
which commands the entire ground, and is situated
about the middle of the face opposite the palace. We
ascend this tower, and obtain a full view of the interior
of the oldest portion of the fortress; marked, in the
direction from south to north, by continuous lines and
heaps of large, black, irregular stones, remains of build¬
ings that have crumbled down where they were erected.
I have no doubt that this enclosure constituted the
original Masada built by Jonathan, according to Josephus.
All the remainder is the work of Herod the Great.
Some of the walls are built with large cut stones,
232
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
fastened together by smaller ones, instead of mortar.
The same style of building is to be found in the cisterns
of Jerusalem and El-Bireli. Looking towards the east,
I mean in the direction of the Dead Sea, there are no
traces of defences as solid and as carefully constructed
as those which protect the platform of Leuke. The
reason is obvious : there was no dread of attack on
this side, where nothing but birds could ascend by
the direct way. Nevertheless, a circle of ruined
walls entirely surrounds the crest of the platform of
Masada.
From the brink on which we are standing we can
discover very plainly, and judge the surprising state
of preservation, of the besieging works constructed
under the orders of Silva. Nothing is easier than to
describe the entire plan. Four square redoubts command
—one the chasm on the left, and the three others the
Ouad-el-Hafaf (valley of the ruins). Beginning from
these posts, which are connected by a curtain made
of stones and pebbles, two other retrenchments, of the
same construction, enclose the rock of Masada, as it
were, between the branches of a pair of tongs. These
lines of circumvallation are of great extent, taking in
without interval the left flank of the mountain of Sebbeh,
as well as that of the lofty eminence opposite Masada,
011 the other side of the Ouad-el-Hafaf. The last line
in all probability terminated at the camp of Silva, as
I have verified the fact with regard to the line on
the left.
The platform contains no other structures beyond
those we have mentioned—viz. towards the northern
AND BOUND THE DEAD SEA.
point, the palace, and a cistern ; and towards the south,
another cistern and a mass of ruins, belonging perhaps
to a barrack. On the southern side of the rock are a
well and a vault, lined throughout with a hard and
smooth cement. To reach this vault a serious danger
must be encountered, as you are literally suspended
over the Ouad-el-IIafaf, which is more than twelve
hundred feet below, and the only entrance is by a few
steps almost impracticable. It would be difficult not to
identify it. In this vault we readily recognise one of
the subterranean magazines in which the provisions
had been accumulated, which could be preserved in
Masada for centuries without spoiling. On our way
we passed another reservoir, or rather a well ; then
returning to the northern side, where the entrance gate
is situated, we have accomplished indifferently the entire
circuit of the fortress. But deeply do I regret our hurried
examination of this celebrated place : two days actively
employed would scarcely have sufficed to make us
thoroughly acquainted with Masada.
We had spent more than two hours on the platform.
Our Arabs were impatient to return to camp, strongly
urging the necessity of shifting our quarters to a spot
where men and beasts might be supplied with water.
This argument, backed by the intense heat, prevailed
over our enthusiastic love of ruins. "We prepared to
encounter the descent, and it was only in retracing our
steps by the same road that we were able to estimate
the full dangers of an excursion to Masada.
On passing the narrow ravine which opens on Leuke,
the youngest of our Djahalins fortunately entered to
234
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
search for water in some crevice between the rocks ;
suddenly he sent forth the joyous shout fill maieh !—-
(there is water !) and all rush madly towards him. One
must have endured thirst in such a country to conceive
the delight with which we plunged our heads into this
dirty reservoir, to quaff as much as we could gorge.
Frenchmen and Bedouins, lying at full length round the
stagnant pool, drank to repletion, immersing their heads
and arms without caring in the least how they might
annoy their neighbours. Our affected exquisites should
try a short experiment of life in the desert to cure them
of delicate refinements. Invigorated by this unexpected
refreshment, we resumed our march with fresh energy;
and by half-past ten o'clock we returned to camp, or
rather to the place where our camp had been, for the
tents were struck, and all our baggage had gone on in
advance, to spare our beasts of burthen, and reach as
soon as possible the fresh spring of water, promised
for this evening's halting ground.
Matteo had long prepared our breakfast, to which it
may be supposed we did full credit. Our infantry had
marched with the luggage ; our Scheikhs and horsemen
were sitting composedly in a circle, and chatting, under
a burning sun, with their horses tied close by to the
poles of their lances. Hamdan had returned, during
our absence, from the excursion he had undertaken to
the mountains, with the object of procuring a couple
of sheep. The worthy vendors had asked him a hundred
piastres for each. As he was not the man to adopt
expedient measures on preposterous terms, he preferred
returning without his errand, rather than submitting to
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
235
see us imposed upon. No doubt lie had reason on his
side, but it is not always convenient to be reasonable
in the desert, and to haggle in a bargain, when you are
in want of provisions, which you hunt after for two
whole days without the certainty of finding them.
However, we had to submit to our disappointment, and
thanked the Scheikh of the Thaameras for his economical
consideration of our finances.
On our arrival, Abou-Daouk, after the usual salutations
and compliments, advised us to get on expeditiously
with our breakfast, that Ave might reach our encamping
ground before dark. We require no additional hint,
and swallowing our viands in double-quick time, are
soon ready to mount. I freely acknowledge my delight
at finding myself once more in the saddle. What at
any other time would have been fatigue, after the march
to Masada appeared like voluptuous repose.
One word more about Masada before resuming our
itinerary. The ruins—the celebrity of which I think I
have clearly demonstrated—have been very seldom
visited by Europeans. Messrs. Robinson and Smith,
the first who instinctively identified Sebbeh with Masada,
only looked on that locality from the heights of Ayn-
Djedy; that is to say, they contemplated, from a
distance of several leagues, the profile of the mountain
upon which Masada once stood. Trusting to the details
derived from the Arabs they had an opportunity
of consulting, with admirable perspicacity they have
given a description as clear as if it had been founded
on personal investigation. Their account bears date
Friday, the 11th of May, 1838.
23G
JOURNEY m SYEIA
Four years later, from the 12th to the 15th of
March, 1842, Messrs. Wolcott (an American missionary)
and Tipping (an English painter), were the first to scale
the ascent of Masada, and to verify the conjectural state¬
ment of Messrs. Robinson and Smith. Mr. Robinson, in
the book entitled "The Biblical Cabinet,"* has published
two interesting letters, written, the one from Sebbeh,
the other from Jerusalem, by Mr. Wolcott, and in which
that zealous traveller gives in full detail the narrative
of his visit to Masada. He has correctly observed all
the remarkable points, identified the different structures
mentioned by Josephus, and recognised the besieging
works constructed by Silva. Mr. Wolcott is of
opinion that all the remains still visible at Masada are
of the same period, that is, of the epoch of King Herod ;
but he considers the gate leading into the town as
a modern ruin. The presence of a modern ruin in
Masada would certainly be a more extraordinary fact
than the existence of the ogival arch in the days of
Herod. The fortress of Jonathan is too distinctly
defined to be the subject of argument; but a few
exceptional opinions on minor points cannot take from
Mr. Wolcott the merit of having been the first to explore
the time-honoured ruins of Masada.
There is one thing with which I must reproach the
reverend American missionary : namely, that he amused
himself by rolling to the bottom of the rock several
stones dragged from the ruins of the fortress. The
oo
American naval expedition, as we shall perceive, indulged
in the same pastime. It is fortunate that travellers are
* Vol. xliii. p. 67, and following.
AND HOUND THE DEAD SEA.
237
scarce in Masada ; for if they all gave way to the same
fancy, the ruins of the Jewish citadel would soon have
to be sought for twelve hundred feet below their
present elevation.
On Saturday, the 29th of April, 1848, at day-break,
Captain Lynch, commanding the American expedition,
detached from Ayn-Djedy, where he was encamped,
Messrs. Dale, Anderson, and Bedlow, with a dragoman,
a Turkish soldier, and some Arab guides, with com¬
mission to explore the ruins of Sebbeh. By sunset
these gentlemen returned, and after comparing their
different reports, Captain Lynch published a narrative
of their excursion.
As we are now treating of a most interesting spot,
on the present state of which we cannot have too much
information, I think it appropriate to reprint this
narrative ; the correctness of which is greatly to be
commended, as I can certify from my own visit three
years later to the same places described by the
American officers. Here is the extract:—
" A little after eight o'clock they came to Wady-
Scbbeh, and discovered a distinct road, fifteen feet wide
and marked by two parallel rows of stones, which
continued, with interruptions, for the space of a quarter
of a mile.* At nine o'clock, when the heat of the sun
* I did not observe this road marked with stones, because we took another
path. Indeed, the American officers, having travelled 011 the mountain side,
all the way from the Ouad-el-Seyal, which is more than a league distant
from the rock of Sebbeh, must have marched from north to south towards
Masada. Did they follow the road which Josephus calls the Serpent ? Or is
the one by which we ascended entitled to that name ? I leave to others the
decision of this point. It appears very probable that they must have fallen
in with our goat-track, as there is no other approach from the Dead Sea to
Masada.
238
journey in syria
began to be oppressive, they reached a low cave in the
southern face of the mountain, over Wady-Seyal,—a
deep ravine, which separated the cliff from the main
ridge on the north ; here they dismounted, as it was
impossible to proceed further on horseback. Thence,
sometimes upon their hands and knees, they clambered
up the steep and rugged cliff—its perpendicular sides
pierced with apertures, like the rock of Gibraltar. They
were inclined to believe that the path by which they
ascended is the one which Joseplius calls the Serpent,
as resembling that animal in its narrowness and
perpetual windings ; for it is broken off at the prominent
precipices of the rock, and returns frequently into itself,
and lengthening again by little and little, hath much to
do to proceed forward, and he that would walk along it
must first go on one leg and then on the other : there
is also nothing but destruction in case your feet slip,
for on each side there is a vastly deep chasm and
precipice.
" They crossed the ravine upon a chalky ridge, which,
although considerably below the highest point of the
cliff, yet connects the southern steep of Seyal with the
northern escarpment of Masada, and reached the
top a little before 10, a.m. The whole summit was
surrounded by the ruins of a wall, built on the brink of
the precipice.
" Passing through a gateway with a pointed arch —
the keystone and arch of which were of hewn stone,
curiously marked with Greek delta-shaped figures, A,
and others resembling the planetary symbol of Venus,
5 ; some upright and some reverted ; and others again
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
239
with rude crosses and the unfinished letter T—they
came upon an area of about three-fourths of a mile in
length from north to south, and one fourth of a mile
from cast to west.
" There was very little vegetation, except in the
bottoms of a few excavations, which seemed to have
been used as cisterns or granaries, and which were half
filled with a rank weed and a species of lichen. Else¬
where the earth was as sterile as if sown with salt ; yet
llerod spoke of it as being ' of a fat soil, and better
mould than any valley for agriculture.' Concerning
these excavations, Josephus says—' Herod also had cut
many and great pits, as reservoirs for water, out of the
rocks, at every one of the places that were inhabited,
both above and around the palace and before the wall;
and by this contrivance he endeavoured to have water
for several uses, as if there had been fountains there.' *
" Towards the northern and western edge of the cliff,
and near the point which is probably the ' White Pro¬
montory' mentioned by Josephus, f they observed one
of these excavations, of considerable extent, much choked
with the ruins and rubbish of its own cemented walls,
together with the decomposed thistles and rank weeds
of many centuries.
" In the south-west corner of the rock they found one
still larger, finely stuccoed, with a gallery, J a flight of
* I do not undertake to guarantee the correctness of the translation of
Josephus given by Capt. Lynch.—Author.
*f- Leuke was at more than two hundred feet below the area of Masada.
There appears to be some confusion of places in this part of Capt. Lynch's
narrative.
X If it be the same excavation which I myself visited, my memory is very
defective, for of the forty steps here mentioned, I can only recollect four or five
2 40
JOURNEY IN SY11IA
forty stone steps, and lighted by two windows 011 the
southern face of the cliff. This large room was beauti¬
fully stuccoed with pebbles, and as smooth and clean as
if just finished. This excavated chamber led them to
infer that there were numerous others, lighted by the
apertures of the cliff they had seen outside on their
ascent ; but they could find 110 access to them.
" At the distance of about one hundred feet below the
northern summit, 011 an inaccessible precipitous ledge,
they saw the ruins of a round tower ; and at about forty
or fifty feet lower still, on another ledge, the foundations
of a square enclosure, with a triangular wall abutting
with the angles of its base upon the wall of the circular
tower, and the west side of the enclosure. They found
it impossible to descend to examine these ruins.
" Besides the remains of the round tower, or donjon-
keep, there were on the summit the fragments of walls
with circular recesses of tesselated brick-work, arched
door-ways, and mullioned windows, partly surrounding
an enclosure which was, perhaps, the courtyard or quad¬
rangle of the castle, now filled with rubbish, fragments
of marble, mosaic, and pottery.
" The foundations and lower portions of the wall,
built around the entire top of the hill by Herod, are
still remaining 011 the eastern side. The officers amused
themselves by displacing some of the stones, rolling them
over the cliff, and watching them as they whirled and
bounded to the base, upwards of twelve hundred feet
below, with more fearful velocity than the stones hurled
at the utmost. Besides, these gentlemen mention a cave, quite different,
at the very same spot. I much fear there is another misunderstanding.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
241
from the Roman ballistic, when Silva pressed the
siege.
" One of the windows, apparently a remnant of a
chapel, looked out upon the sea. It was the one resem¬
bling an arch which we saw when passing in the boats.
Thence the sea could be seen throughout its whole
extent, its northern and southern extremity clearly
defined, even through the haze which overhung them.
The configuration of the peninsula lay distinctly before
them, and bore some resemblance to an expanded wing.
" Immediately below them, along the base of the cliff,
could be traced the wall of circumvallation constructed
by Silva on the exterior, surrounding the whole place,
and by which he effectually blocked up all attempt at
escape on the part of the besieged.
" Continuing their researches towards the southern
and eastern edge of the cliff, they followed a perilous
track along the face of the rock, which could not have
been less than a thousand feet in perpendicular height
above the chasm, and came upon an extensive shelf or
platform, encumbered with masses, of rubbish and
masonry, evidently the ruins of the wall which edged
the cliff above. Scrambling over the heaps, they
reached an excavation called by the Arab guide a
cistern, which is probably correct, for in descending
they saw narrow troughs or aqueducts, the inner half
scooped in the rock ; the whole forming an oblong cell,
measuring thirty feet in length, fifteen in breadth, and
eighteen or twenty in depth, cemented on all sides. At
the entrance of this excavation they saw the carcase of
an animal recently killed. It resembled a rabbit, and
VOL. I. R
JOUKNEY IN SYRIA
was called by the Arabs ' webr' or ' webeh,' tlie coney
of Scripture. To the left of the entrance, and within
the cell, was a small flight of steps terminating in a
platform. Like the walls, the steps were coated with
cement. Above was an aperture not accessible by the
steps, which they contrived to reach by making notches
in the Avail. It was the entrance of a low cave, roughly
hewn in the rock, with a window looking out upon the
steep face of Wady Senin. Around the rough and
uncemented walls were rude crosses in red paint, and
upon the dust of the floor were the fresh foot-prints of
the ' whal' or ' bteddin/ "
" They attempted to explore the southern face of the
mountain by following the zigzag path along the ledge,
projecting a few feet from the rough surface of rock ;
but found it impracticable, from the looseness of the
stones and the fearful dizzy depth below.
" On their return, they observed a singular ruin about
the centre of the quadrangle. The square blocks of
stone, cemented together with great regularity, were
cellular on both sides, and so abraded by the weather
as to present the appearance of a honey-comb. They
supposed it to have been either a storehouse or
barrack. Before descending, they sketched the sea,
and took many bearings.
" On their return to the cave, the Arabs asked them
if their visit had been productive. These people believe
that we come here to search for treasure, or to visit
places we consider holy. In the Wady Sey&l (Ravine
of Acacias) were many acacia-trees.
* Captain Lynch probably means a beden or antelope.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
243
" On their return, they noticed a fetid, sulphureous
smell in passing Berket-el-Khalil (the Tank of Khalil).
" This report confirms the supposition of Messrs.
Robinson and Smith, that the ruins of Sebbeli are
those of Masada. At every stage in our route, where
these gentlemen have been, we found that accurate
and learned observers had preceded us; and in these
precursors, with no little satisfaction, we recognised
our own countrymen."
Such is Captain Lynch's narrative. Our readers
may see that it agrees sufficiently with what we have
ourselves observed. I must remark only, that it is not
exactly just to attribute to Messrs. Robinson and Smith
(so rich already in their own discoveries) the honour of
having been the first to visit the ruins of Masada. That
honour belongs unquestionably to Messrs. Wolcott and
Tipping : the officers dispatched to Sebbeh by Captain
Lynch were the next; and with reasonable pride we
find ourselves the third party who have braved this
perilous expedition.
It is high time now to resume the Diary of our
journey, though I need scarcely apologise for the length
of the digression on so celebrated a place as the Jewish
fortress of Masada.
By twenty minutes past eleven we are on horseback,
and leave our last night's encamping ground. After
one turning, which takes us to the brink of the ravine
extending all the way to the right flank of the hill of
Sebbeh, we march directly south-south-east. That
ravine diverges into a fork towards the mountain, and
forms, beginning at the spot where we cross it, a small
R 2
244
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
triangular area, occupied bj one of tlie square stone
redoubts constructed by Flavins Silva to defend the
weak points of his line of circumvallation. Opposite the
eastern angle of the redoubt, and on the corresponding
crest of the ravine, there still exists a wall of dry stones,
extending to the south, and joining three other square
redoubts, which mutually flank each other, and cover
the opening of the Ouad-el-Hafaf (Valley of Ruins).
From the southern angle of the first redoubt the line
of circumvallation continues, and leads directly up the
side of the mountain until it rejoins on the Leuke the
site of Silva's camp.
By twenty-five minutes past eleven we have passed the
ravine, and two minutes later cross the line of circum¬
vallation, which bears away from the direction we are
following by the foot of the Sebbeh, to approach it
again shortly, and run for some time in a parallel
direction. The sea is about three thousand yards
distant to our left, and the sandy hillocks which bear
such an extraordinary resemblance to the ruins of a
large city, lie between us and the beach, commencing at
three hundred yards from the road. The foot of the
mountain itself is scarcely fifty yards from our right.
By thirty minutes past eleven we reach the bank of
a wide and precipitous ravine, about fifteen yards in
depth. This is the Ouad-el-Hafaf. At the spot where
we cross, stands another Roman redoubt, connected by
the line of circumvallation with the first redoubt we
have already recognized. The whole mass is thrown
down outwardly to the left of the line of wall, which
rejoins the face again by the north-west angle. From
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
245
the other extremity of the same face begins a portion
of the intrenchment cresting the brink of the Ouad-el-
Hafaf for twenty or thirty yards, and ascending towards
the besieged fortress. It then turns off to the south
and crosses the Ouad, in which there still remains,
close to the left bank, a portion of wall more solidly
and more carefully erected than the rest of the line, of
which it formed a portion. Facing this, and on the
opposite bank, commencing again from the crest, we
trace distinctly the mass of rough stones forming the
line of circumvallation until it reaches the north-east
angle of a redoubt somewhat smaller than the others.
From the north-west angle of this third redoubt an
enormous branch of the line runs directly up the
side of the lofty eminence which commands the right
bank of the Ouad-el-Hafaf and faces the hill at Sebbeh.
The small redoubt is only a few yards from the right of
our road, while on our left, at a distance of twenty
yards, appears a much larger one, square like the rest,
and provided on its southern and eastern faces wTith
two arched entrances. This was evidently the head
quarters of all the posts established by Silva to
protect and strengthen his line of attack from the
shores of Lake Asphaltites.
By thirty-seven minutes past eleven we have left
behind us the Ouad-el-Hafaf, and proceed along the
flank of the mountain facing Sebbeh, at a distance of
fifty yards from the first acclivities, and at the same
distance from the nearest sandy hillocks situated on
our left, which form a continuation of those already
noticed. Two thousand yards to the left we descry
•246
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
the further end of one of the gulfs of the Dead Sea.
Our direction leads us gradually from the foot of the
mountains and brings us nearer to the sand-hills.
We next march, through a plain furrowed with hollow
trenches. By twelve o'clock we are two hundred and
fifty yards distant from, and in face of, a deep rent in
the hill side, occasioned by a waterfall which rushes
down occasionally, but not often, during the season of
the heavy rains. A deep and wide ravine forms the
outlet of this cascade. We soon incline eastward, and
approach still nearer to the sea shore. By eleven
minutes past twelve we are opposite the southern point
of the mountain along the flank of which we have been
marching since we passed the Ouad-el-Hafaf, and we
observe, a thousand yards in advance, the entrance of a
very large valley which the Bedouins all agree in calling
again Ouad-el-Hafaf. This double use of the same name
puzzles me. I again question our informants as to the
correct name of the Ouad defended by Silva's redoubt.
They still answer, Ouad-el-Hafaf, and I must content
myself perforce with this repetition. This proves the
necessity of receiving with due caution the names given
by the Bedouins to localities which they pass through
seldom, and at distant intervals ; and the designa¬
tions of which may get jumbled in their memories,
especially when these localities are near each other.
Captain Lynch mentions an Ouad-Sebbeh, which I have
not found ; but as an equivalent I have discovered two
Ouads-el-Hafaf. The first may very probably be the
Ouad-Sebbeh of my predecessors. Let me relieve my
conscience by declaring that I used every endeavour to
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
247
clear this point of nomenclature, which, to my great
regret, I am still obliged to leave in the dark.
Before a quarter past twelve we enter the hollow
bed of the Ouad, and follow it for some time, taking
our course nearly due east. At intervals the right
bank which we follow is cut like a perpendicular wall, six
or eight yards high. In the bed of the torrent are some
half-buried trunks of trees, rooted up and carried along,
Heaven knows when, by the flood of waters in the rainy
season. Some fine acacias and clumps of tamarisks
occasionally adorn the bottom of the Ouad-el-Hafaf.
By twenty-two minutes past twelve we turn our
backs upon the mountains of Canaan, and leave them
at a distance of about two thousand yards. At this
moment we are facing a point of the shore not more
than two or three hundred yards off, and which
seems to be divided from the opposite cape of the
peninsula of El-Lisan by less than three quarters of
a mile.
By thirty-two minutes past twelve another water¬
course opens to our right, the entrance to which is
concealed by a small hill. The mountain on the
southern bank of this Ouad is not quite so high as
those along the Ouad-el-Hafaf; it inclines directly
from north to south, so that its axis nears rapidly the
direction of our route, which now bears south-west.
Here the shore of the Dead Sea is one hundred and
twenty yards to our left, and the mountain side three
hundred yards to our right. Between forty and fifty
minutes past twelve we cross six tolerably deep water¬
courses, indenting a plain covered again by those
248
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
strange-looking sand-hills we have already noticed
more than once.
In such a wild country one might expect to find
game; at least so thinks our friend Belly, who rides
on the flank of our caravan, gun in hand, ready for
action. This seems to us a superfluous precaution,
considering that game could find here absolutely
nothing to feed upon, and would starve if it ventured
on a visit. Our friend rejects this reasoning with
contempt, keeps on the look out as he trots along,
and suddenly discovers what he was not looking for.
On the sandy soil there are some recent and very
distinct marks which have certainly not been left by
the feet of a partridge. A large round paw, with five
divisions, terminating in claws of most respectable
development, has very lately sunk into this sand.
Having duly inspected the same, Belly resigns the
chance of sport as promising rather too much, and
falls back into the ranks to communicate his discovery.
In hunting phraseology he has tracked a lion, and as
none of us are Gerards,* we have no wish to form
personal acquaintance with the owner of the paws
which have left such interesting traces. Our Arabs
tell us that the nernr (or panther) has his favourite
haunts in these wilds; but a panther has a smaller
foot, and I question whether the marks which we all
observe, from time to time, are merely those of a nemr.
Let this be taken as a hint to naturalists. Lions have
not entirely disappeared from the deserts of Judcea ;
* Gerard, the lion killer, a celebrated non-commissioned officer serving in
the French army in Africa.—Publisher.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
219
but we are satisfied to have had no positive proof of their
existence beyond these footmarks. If future travellers
are more fortunate, I humbly acknowledge that I shall
not envy their superior luck.
By fifty-six minutes past twelve the mountain has
approached so near our path that we ascend its side
on the first acclivity, the sea being scarcely five hundred
yards distant. We are then opposite the head of the
gulf south of the peninsula of El-Lisan. Until two
minutes past one we continue our course south-west.
We then turn soutli-south-west. Three hundred yards
to our right the side of the mountain opens into a vast
circus, most probably a crater; the shore is then eight
hundred yards on the other side. By five and nine
minutes past one we cross other ravines running from
west to east towards the sea. We follow the same
south-south-west direction until twenty-two minutes
past one, when forty yards to our right, on the mountain
side, we pass the bed of a cascade ending in a ravine.
We then proceed along a narrow level platform, shut
closely in between the mountain and the shore, called
Rabath-el-Djamous (the Buffalo's Band). This platform
is closed in front by a promontory of fallen rocks,
stretching out into the sea, and designated Redjom-es-
Senin (the Heap of Broken Stones).
We have a favourable opportunity of testing the
quality of the water of the Dead Sea at this particular
spot, and we are too conscientious not to take advantage
of it. One of our Bedouins goes to fill two bottles as a
sample. I scarcely believe the world produces any
water more abominably offensive, although clear and
250
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
limpid in appearance. At first it seems to have the
taste of ordinary salt water ; but in less than a second
it acts with such nauseous effect upon the lips, the
tongue, and the palate, that your stomach instantly
rejects it with insufferable disgust. It seems to be
a compound of salt, coloquintida, and oil, with the
additional property of inflicting an acute sensation of
burning. In vain you clear your mouth of this horrible
liquid ; it acts so violently on the mucous system that
the taste remains for many minutes, causing at the same
time a painful contraction of the throat. The water
of the Dead Sea, at the northern point, is atrociously
bitter and salt, but it is lemonade in comparison with
what Ave so rashly tasted at llabath-el-Djamous.
I have mentioned the various qualities of the Nubian
in Rothschild's retinue, and amongst these, the reader
may remember that greediness held the first rank.
We are cruel enough to play off a school-boy's trick on
our sable Pierrot. We offer him the bottle out of which
he has seen us all drinking from a distance, saying,
" Drink, Selim ; 'tis arrack." The poor devil swallows
at once a huge bumper with an eagerness upon which
we had fully reckoned. I have never seen anything
to compare with his face a moment after; he makes
grimaces and contortions like a lunatic ; and it is only
by giving him a piece of an orange that we succeed in
consoling him for having allowed himself to be entrapped
into the very bitter joke we have so remorselessly
perpetrated. We tell him too, that we have all been
poisoned like himself; he then forgives the trick, and
joins in the laugh at his own mishap.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
251
From twenty-six to thirty-one minutes past one we
climb to the top of the Redjom-es-Senin, and reach the
crest; from which we discover to our right a high cliff,
bordering a large ravine or water-course, with two
arms, both of which we cross in a quarter of an hour :
this is the Ouad-omm-el-Bedoun (the Mother-valley of
the Antelopes). Here the mountain is one hundred and
fifty yards to our right, and the shore five hundred to
our left. Our route is then tending south-south-east.
We proceed along a beach formed of small gravel, very
similar to that of Rabatli-el-Djamous. Before us is a
scorched and broken mountain, which we must clamber
over : it is called the Djebel-Hatroura. By fifty-one
minutes past one we begin the ascent; at two o'clock
we reach the crest ; and by three minutes past two we
descend again upon the other side. A more repulsive-
looking mountain cannot be conceived : its flank, rapidly
inclining and dipping into the Dead Sea, is a perfect
chaos of huge blocks violently rent and overthrown.
We are evidently in the vicinity of a volcano ; and by
twenty-six minutes past two we reach a bed of lava,
coming from the west, and resembling a hollow filled
with melted iron, formed of concentric layers. Until
half-past two we keep winding up and down the side of
the mountain, through rocks dislocated by the action of
centuries. The real descent commenced then, and in
a few minutes more we clear the Ouad-Hatroura, ending:
7 O
in an immense crater encumbered with detached rocks.
By forty minutes past two we are opposite the southern
limit of this crater.
We then find ourselves again upon the beach, at a
252
JOURNEY IN STRIA
very short distance (about fifty yards) from the shore,
and in a plain nearly eight hundred yards in breadth,
well sprinkled with high sandy hillocks, which lie
between us and the mountains. At forty-seven minutes
past two we turn south-south-west, and then again
almost immediately west-south-west, and keep marching
in this last direction until three o'clock. We wind at a
distance of about two hundred yards along the foot of
a high mountain, with its axis parallel to our route.
The distance from the shore varies but little, between
twenty and forty yards only, until fifty-six minutes
past two. Here the beach widens rapidly, to the extent
of five hundred yards : this is again a delta, formed by
the gravel brought down by a torrent coming from the
Ouad, which we discover before us.
Two hundred yards to our right, and about fifty
yards higher up than our road, on the mountain side,
we perceive a thicket of acacias and reeds, occasioned
by the presence of a spring ; but the Arabs tell us that
the water is brackish and not fit to drink. A little
further on before us is a small hillock, surmounted by a
square ruin, built of fine hewn stone ; this proves to be
a small fort of ancient structure, called now-a-days
Qalaat-Embarrheg. By three o'clock, exactly, we are
at the foot of this hillock, which is scarcely twenty
yards distant to our right. Masses of rubbish and
masonry, spread over a very large surface, surround the
Qalaat. Such ruins ought to be carefully examined ;
but our most urgent affairs for this evening are to find
water to drink, and to overtake our luggage. Judging
from the maimer in which our Scheikhs have hurried the
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
25.'3
clay's march, we suspect that we are still at a consider¬
able distance from our proposed encamping ground.
Along the foot of the Qalaat-Embarrheg runs a
ravine twenty yards deep, which we cross, shaping our
course then due west: this Ouad is about fifty yards
wide. Some hundred yards further 011 we turn south
again, and find ourselves by seven minutes past three
in the centre of an extensive area, closed in on all sides
by perpendicular cliffs, rising even out of sight. Here
our tents are pitched : our horses, quite refreshed, are
greedily devouring the reeds they are so fond of; our
kitchen is already established, and all our people have
assumed a joyous mien. It is easy to perceive we have
here an unlimited supply of fresh water. This valley
is, in fact, called Ouad-el-Maiet-Embarrheg (the Valley
of the Water of Embarrheg).
O11 the western bank, flanking the area upon which
we have pitched our camp, several lines of wall, regu¬
larly built and of chiselled materials, are hanging some
ten or fifteen yards above the level of the ground.
What could have been the object of these walls 1 I
cannot comprehend. Asking information from the
Arabs, and trying to get out of them anything
beyond the names of the places, is mere loss of time and
labour. At Sebbeh, the redoubts of Silva, according to
Ilamdan, were merely " Maqbourat-il-Belad" (" the
Burying-grounds of the Place)." Here at Embarrheg,
just as at Ayn-Djedy, the ruins are all—gardens : so
much for our local authorities.
Once alighted, after having looked in wonder for some
moments on the extraordinary, rectangular, shy-roofed
254
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
liall in which we are lodged, apparently without egress,
I inquire from the Arabs where they have found the
reeds and the water. They point out the southern
extremity, saying, " Hin ! " (" There !") I could almost
think they were joking with me, had I not before my
eyes abundant proofs to the contrary. The wisest plan
is to go and see. We do so, and the reader can
imagine our surprise when, on arriving at the bottom of
our inclosure, we discover, in a westerly direction, an
opening eight or ten yards wide, teeming with reeds,
many trees of ten different species, and various creeping
plants interlacing and twining round them all. The
delightful murmur of water running over pebbles is
heard a few yards off; it is the sound of a fresh and
limpid rivulet, flowing gently down to lose itself in the
finest sand, at the exact spot where you enter this
picturesque cleft. Another noise, different from the
murmur of the water, resounds through the thicket;
the merry song of our Bedouins, the repeated blows of
their yataghans upon the trees and rushes, and the
crash of both as they fall to the ground. Other Arabs
are drinking, and performing the ablutions of which
they have been balked since we left Ayn-Djedy. This
example is too tempting not to be followed by our
whole party.
Belly and Loysel commence sketching; Edward,
Rothschild, and I, begin our search for insects and plants,
and, until darkness drives us from this enchanting spot,
we forget that our dinner is waiting for us. At last
we return to the camp, where I have a long conversation
with Abou-Daouk. Until now the brave Scheikh had
AND BOUND THE DEAD SEA.
255
been dissuading us from passing along the eastern shore
of the Bahr-Louth, and hinted plainly enough that he
had not the slightest inclination to accompany us in that
direction. This evening he has changed his mind ; and
is now ready to attend us with his people wherever we
may choose to go. Of course we are highly pleased to
find our long-cherished hopes likely to be realised. I
attribute the Scheikh's present zeal in our service to the
fact of my having cured his ophthalmia. When I
advised him to use some Regent's ointment, I had
warned him that during the two first days it would
increase his sufferings, but that he would find himself
better afterwards. My prediction has proved true ;
the inflammation disappears, and Abou-Daouk, who has
the greatest desire to obtain from me the little box
containing the unguent that has cured him, is ready to
make any sacrifices in the world to achieve his object.
He dares not yet plainly make the demand, but it will
come in due course ;—I have strangely miscalculated
the Arab character if I am mistaken in my conclusion.
The evening passes delightfully ; joy sits round
every fire ; tchibouks, coffee, and gossip are going 011
famously ; I have never before seen our camp so
thoroughly merry. At Sebbeli we sang and danced,
'tis true ; but we were thirsty. This evening we want
nothing. Our people indulge their present happiness,
careless of the future,—repose under the finest sky in
the world, sheltered from every breeze, and have all
they require in ample abundance.
Mirth is contagious; it has possessed us all; and
were it not for the fatigue consequent upon our hard
256
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
morning's work at Sebbeh, we should be in no hurry to
retire to our beds. But to-morrow we have a long
march before us, and, as we are assured, a rough road
to travel on. Let us then to rest, to be better prepared
for the difficulties in store.
Abou-Daouk's brother has left us and gone on in
advance to sound the dispositions of the wandering
tribes whose country we have to pass through. Upon
the answers that he brings back depends much of our
future success. I have completed my day's work, and
may at last, to my very great satisfaction, follow the
general example and seek repose.
January 12tk.
This morning my first visit has been to the beautiful
ravine we are about to leave, in all probability, for ever.
It looks as fresh and smiling as it appeared yesterday.
The world cannot produce a more attractive spot ; no
wonder, then, that we find extensive ruins to attest the
presence of a military station near such a pure and
abundant spring as that of El-Maiet-Embarrheg. On
my return to camp I find our tents struck and breakfast
ready. As I am determined not to leave the place
without a closer look at the Qalaat-Embarrheg, which I
only glanced at from the road as we passed by, and as
I wish to obtain some more information as to the nature
and origin of this ancient relic, I hasten to mount my
horse, taking with me my faithful Ahouad ; and casting
a last parting look of regret on the delightful glen,
where we have found a shelter, I gallop to the ruins.
I find a castellum, or small fort, built on a hillock, about
fifty yards above the platform that forms the right bank
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
257
of the valley. This hillock abuts on the side of the
mountain. The construction is similar to that of the
piscina (or pool) at Bethesda, and of several Avails in
Masada; I mean that the successive rows of hewn
stone arc cemented together by other stone chips of a
very small dimension.
The castellum is a parallelogram, the exterior sides
of which, parallel with the direction of the Ouad, are
four-and-twenty yards long ; the two other faces being
only eighteen yards broad. An opening with a circular
arch, on the face looking towards the mountain, forms
the entrance to the castellum. Another opening exists
in the left-hand quarter of the opposite face. At each
angle there is a bastion, or rather a square tower ; the
flanks of which are one yard in height above the
connecting curtains, and the faces are four yards long.
The base of the whole structure is covered with the
broken fragments of the higher walls. The similitude
between this military edifice and the defensive works
of Masada render it impossible to trace the Qalaat-
Embarrheg to any other period than that of the
fortifications of the latter post completed by the
orders of Herod the Great.
A circuit of heapcd-up pebbles and rubbish, exactly
similar to the circumvallation of Silva round Sebbeli,
embraces the fort and hillock. Are these the advanced
posts or the besieging trenches of the Romans 1 I
cannot tell. As I had not leisure to examine the ground
separating the castellum from the mountain, I could
not decide whether these lines may be traced in that
direction ; though it is very probable in either case. On
VOL. I. S
258
JOUKNEY IN SYPJA
the opposite side of the Ouad are other remains of walls
in fine cut stone, which have most likely constituted
additional works, uniting with the castellum to complete
the defences of the Ouad-el-Maiet-Embarrheg.
Everything well considered, it seems to me a natural
conclusion that we have here military works originally
constructed by the Jews ; at a later period taken pos¬
session of by the Romans, and then again used by the
conquerors to strengthen so important a station as the
locality of the best and most abundant spring of fresh
water on the road between the countries of Canaan and
the land of Moab. Let us now inquire if it is possible
to find in history some traces of a Roman military post
somewhere in the neighbourhood of this desirable supply
-—an advantage which such skilful warriors were not
likely to neglect.
Eusebius, at the word 'Ao-acrav 6aixav, mentions a station
named Thamara, with a Roman garrison, distant one
day's march from Hebron, on the road to Aila. The text
of Eusebius, with regard to this locality, has unfor¬
tunately been corrupted, for it contains the word /xaAi?,
(literally, a horse's cough), which evidently has no business
there. Saint Jerome has understood this passage as I
have just quoted it, but in his turn he has introduced
the word Memphis, which is another mistake. Reland
substitutes for the single word [j.d\is, the two words
paXaduv ixovr]s, which would give the meaning : " Distant
one day's march from Malatha, on the road from Hebron
to Aila," It seems to me much more natural to replace the
word by ixovrjs, which has the same number of letters,
and clears the text of Eusebius. With this alteration,
AND BOUND THE DEAD SEA.
259
Thamara was one day's march from Hebron, going from
that town to Aila on the Red Sea. In a direct line this is
exact, but which was the road followed % We have lost
sight of it. By which ever way you travel now, it would
be a very long day's march from Hebron to Embarrheg.
if Embarrheg is, as I believe, the Thamara of Eusebius.
If the substitution proposed by Reland be sound, as
Malatha was an Idumaean fortress,* situated in the
southern territory of the tribe of Judah, at about twenty
Roman miles from Hebron, it would be quite correct to
say that Thamara (supposing it still to be identical with
El-Maiet-Embarrheg) is distant one day's march from
Malatha.
Ptolemy places in the lowest rank amongst the towns
of Juda)a one which he calls Thamaro : this is unques¬
tionably the Thamara of Eusebius. I give the three
last calculations, taken from Ptolemy. Eyya85a, 66^° and
31^°; Biibwpa, 66-|° and 31° ; ©a/xapw, 66^° and SO-^*^.0
Roland observes, quite correctly, that Ptolemy assigns
precisely the same longitude and latitude to Thamaro
and Kakyvia, a town in Arabia Petrsea, and that conse¬
quently either one or other of these two calculations
is necessarily erroneous. If we construe the longitudes
and latitudes as given by Ptolemy for Jerusalem,
Engadda, and Thamaro, we fall again, for the situation of
Thamaro, as near as possible, upon El-Maiet-Embarrheg.
In Peutinger's Table we find Thamaro placed as follows
with regard to relative distances: f—From Raba-Bathora
(otherwise Rabbath-Moab, or Rabbali) to Thamaro (other-
* Joseplms, "Ant."xvi. 2.
+ Sec "Collection of Itineraries," edited by M. Muller, a.d. 1845.
s 2
2G0
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
wise Thamara, or Tell-el-Msoggal), lxviiii miles;" from
tlience to Jerusalem, liii miles. Colonel Lapie has
placed Thamaro at Tell-el-Msoggal, in which, we must
recognise the Redjom-el-Mezorrhel, certainly situated
on the site of Sodom. But this mistaken identification
arises from the circumstance that the ruins of Embarrheg
were unknown to the learned geographer; for, if we
carry back Thamara to this last point, the respective
distances of lxviii or lxviiii miles from Er-Rabba to
Embarrheg, and of liii miles from Embarrheg to Jeru¬
salem, given by Peutinger's Table, are much nearer the
truth, than if we carry Thamara three leagues lower
down to the south, on the site of Redjom-el-Mezorrhel.
And, lastly, in the "Notitia Imperii," we find again,
amongst the garrisons under the command of the Dux
Pahestirne, Cohors quorta Palcestinorum Thamance
(most likely meant for Thamara?)—" at Thamara the
fourth cohort of the Palestines."
I have quoted all the passages I am acquainted
with, in which there is any mention of Thamara. I
must now try to justify the identification which I
propose between El-Maiet-Embarrheg and Thamara.*
I. The modern name itself, with the sound of the
letter t, uniting it either with the word Mai'e^, or the
word Qalaa^ (Malet-Embarrheg, or Qdl&&t-Embarrheg),
retains in my opinion most evident signs of the primitive
appellation ; supposing, however, that it was not the
Romans who crippled the word Ma'ie^-.Embarrheg, to
* The first edition has 68 instead of 69 miles,
t Thamara means the Palm-trees. Can there possibly be any identity
between the ancient Thamara and the place called Palmar by William of
Tyre, who at that time confounded this place with Zouera or Zoar.
AND BOUND THE DEAD SEA.
2G1
give it the Latin form Thamara. However that may
be, between Malet-EmbarrJieg and Thamara the differ¬
ence is not so great but that the two denominations
might be made to identify.
2. El-Mai'et-Embarrheg was positively situated on
the road described in Peutinger's Table, leading from
Er-Rabba to Jerusalem ; for in that Itinerary there is not
a word said of Zoara, which would certainly have been
mentioned if the road had gone up the valley of the
Ouad-ez-Zouera.
3. We have seen at the Qalaat-Embarrheg, and on
the other bank of the Ouad, military constructions,
which can be referred to the Romans ; or at any rate,
which were likely to have been used and occupied by
them; and this circumstance agrees perfectly with the
assertion of Eusebius.
4. And lastly, the presence of a plentiful spring,
like that ofEmbarrheg, would be enough (even supposing
that there did not remain any vestiges of buildings in
the vicinity) to prove that all the successive masters of
this arid country felt the importance of a strong post
at that particular point.
From the evidence I have adduced, I boldly maintain
that Qalaat-Embarrheg is precisely the fort where the
garrison of Thamara was stationed.
Whilst I am taking notes and studying the general
disposition of the ancient town, whatever it may have
been, which once stood at the entrance of the Ouad-el-
Mai'et-Embarrlieg, my companions and our luggage,
issuing from the ravine, and climbing its right bank,
march due south. I hasten to join them, and leave the)
262
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
foot of the castellum at forty-nine minutes past eight.
It takes me rather more than five minutes to reach the
other side of the Ouad. By fifty-eight minutes past
eight I pass the southern wall of the inclosure round
Thamara, after having crossed a considerable space
covered on either side with heaps of ruins, similar to
those I observed at Ayn-Djedy.
We have now to our right a high mountain, the
culminating point of which is about two thousand
yards off. We are treading the beach, and the sea
is only eighty yards from us. By one minute after
nine we cross a ravine running from west to east, and
our road inclines south-south-east. Seven minutes
later we come to three other ravines, being the three
branches of the bed of a torrent, which descends from
a circular fissure, scooped in the side of a mountain
distant from us some twelve or fifteen yards.
By thirteen minutes past nine we cross another
water-course coming down from the same chasm. The
beach, about eight yards wide, is strewed with large
stones. To speak more correctly, it is not a beach,
but the declivity of a low hill, sloping gently to the sea.
By nineteen minutes past nine, we encounter again
some very palpable remains of a current of lava, and
are in front of the Ouad-en-Nedjid, the bed of which
we cross without impediment. Here appear again the
green-sand hills so often referred to, the nearest of
which are situated about six hundred yards to the
right of our road. The sea is distant about fifty yards.
By half-past nine we are opposite a well-defined
crater, distant from us fifteen hundred yards, and
AXD ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
263
from which issue five torrents, the beds of which we
cross successively in a few minutes. To our right are
hillocks of pebbles along the foot of the mountain : to
our left the usual sand-hills. The mountain is low in
comparison with those we have rounded until now; I
scarcely think it reaches three hundred yards in height.
By forty-two minutes past nine, the hillocks of sand
disappear, and we march over the side of an eminence,
strewed with small scattered stones. Behind this hill
are low mountains, the bases of which appear to be
distant about eight hundred yards. By a quarter to
ten, the beach, scarcely forty yards wide, is covered
with brambles ; many salt springs issue from the foot of
the hill, and form a kind of morass, grown all over
with a thick oily plant of a dark green colour, called
by the Arabs, "kali." This salt morass extends over
a length of about three hundred yards.
Since forty-two minutes past nine o'clock we have
been marching due south; at fifty-one minutes past,
we turn south-south-west, keeping in this direction for
about six minutes ; then we turn again south-south¬
east. The sand-hills re-appear to our right, and we
discover, five hundred yards off, the vertical steep
of an immense crater, encumbered with huge heaps of
sand. The beach is here only fifty yards wide; and
about fifteen hundred yards beyond the crater begins
the valley or Ouad-ez-Zouera, divided from us by a
plain covered with sand-hills.
Here we make our first halt of five minutes, to listen
to the advice of Scheikh Abou-Daouk. It appears that
the country we are about to enter has a bad reputation,
2G1
JOUENEY m SYEIA
and that it would be imprudent to allow our luggage to
travel in advance, without our escort.
By twelve minutes past ten we resume our march,
closing as much as possible the ranks of our caravan,
our direction being south-east. As I have said just
now, we are about fifteen hundred yards distant from
the mouth of the Ouad-ez-Zouera. To our left the
beach widens rapidly, and is covered with small trees,
forming a sort of thicket, through which protrude some
specimens of the arborescent glass-wort, which one
might take for tamarisks, if we did not recognise their
identity. The plain we are crossing is strewed with
large boulders and rolled pebbles. To the south,
another plain begins to open, with a few scattered
acacias. This is the plain of Sdoum (Sodom !), bounded
by the Djebel-el-Haoua. The bottom of this plain is
covered by small sand-hills, beginning at the distance
of two thousand yards, and extending as far as the
foot of the mountain.
Another mountain is before us, and its first declivities
are distant not more than one hundred and fifty yards.
This mountain is the Djebel-Sdoum or Djebel-el-Melehh,
the Mountain of Sodom. Let us be thankful, we have
reached it at last, without accident, by twenty-nine
minutes past ten.
While we are contemplating, with intense joy, this
place, which we have attained without encountering
serious danger, although with great exertions, Belly,
Loysel, and Rothschild incautiously plunge into the
thicket, in search of game. Our Scheikhs are vexed
at their imprudence. If we can credit them, this copse
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
2G5
is peopled with robbers and assassins. For some
minutes we sliout with all our might to recall our
adventurous sportsmen. They give no answer, and
we send some of our escort in pursuit.
Abou-Daouk becomes enraged. "If you want me to
escort you and to bring you back alive," says he, " do
not separate from each other ; for I could not then
answer for your safety. Besides, it is not only the
robbers you have to fear in this country. Look at this
pit; it was caused, a year since, by an unfortunate
camel, swallowed up in a bottomless abyss, which
opened suddenly under his feet. Do you want the
same accident to happen to any of your party ? Do
you wish to be murdered, or robbed at the very least ?
If so, you have only to indulge in such excursions as
your companions are now undertaking, and you will
very soon meet what you will bring on yourselves, in
the face of my urgent remonstrances." Fortunately, for
once we escape with the alarm. Our Bedouins have
overtaken the rash sportsmen, and bring them back to
us. I lecture them, with as grave a countenance as I
can assume, pointing out the fatal pit, close to which
we are standing, a plunge into which would be badly
compensated by the death of every partridge in the
world.
Once more collected, we resume our march, and
proceeding eastward, with the object of rounding the
base of the hill of Salt or Sodom, we find ourselves, by
thirty-eight minutes past ten, exactly between the foot
of this strange mountain and the sea. The shore is
two hundred and fifty, and the mountain only fifty
266
JOURNEY m SYRIA
yards from us. The beach we are treading is composed
of loose sand, covered with saline incrustations. Our
horses' feet constantly sink in it above the fetlock. To
our left are small pools of water, constituting real salt
wells, and producing a perfectly crystallised salt of the
most dazzling whiteness. A Bedouin, nearly naked, is
here disposing this salt in heaps. We draw near him,
and ask him to give us two or three handfuls of his
commodity. He complies with great readiness; and
as we present him in return two or three piastres, he
seems perfectly astonished at our munificence.
After five minutes' halt near the salt-maker, we
resume our march heavily over this harassing ground.
By ten o'clock we pass close by a hillock, fifteen yards
in diameter, covered with large rough stones that look
as if they had been burnt, and which constituted at
some remote and unascertainable period, a part of a
round structure immediately commanding the shore.
The sea is only thirty yards off to our left, and the
mountain side not more than twenty in the opposite
direction. The sight of this building impresses me
strongly, and my thoughts revert to Sodom. I question
Abou-Daouk ; " What is that V' " Qasr-Qadim" (" An
ancient castle"), is the answer. "The name'?" "Redjom-
el-Mezorrhel" ("The Heap of fallen Stones.)
On this identical spot Colonel Lapie has placed
Thamara. I know not in what narrative he has found
mention of this ruin, which he calls Tell-el-Msoggal.
All I can say on the subject is, that in the map of
Egypt, Arabia Petrtea, and Syria, published by Herisson
(At Jean's, rue Saint-Jean-de-Beauvais, No. 10), I
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
267
find marked at the south-western point of the Dead
Sea, and consequently in a correct locality, this same
Tell-el-Msoggal.
For myself, I entertain no doubt that I see before
me the ruins of a building which was anciently a part
of Sodom. The Sclieikh, Abou-Daouk, is very explicit
on this point. When I ask him " Where was the town of
Sodom V lie answers me, " Here." " And did this ruin
belong to the condemned city'?" " Sahihh" ("Assuredly").
" Are there other vestiges of Sodom V' " Naam ! Fill
kherabat ktir" ("Yes, there are a great many"). " Where
are they V " Hon oua lion " (" There, and there"), and he
points to the extremity of the Salt Mountain which we
have just wound along, and the plain, planted with
acacias, extending to the foot of the mountain towards
the Ouad-ez-Zouera. Most unfortunately it is now too
late to retrace our steps, and take a cursory glimpse of
these ruins, even for a moment. But the warning will
serve ; and as we shall return this way in a few days, I
purpose to look out more carefully, and to examine into
these ruins to which our gallant Scheikh has called my
attention. I really think I feel more pleasure in know¬
ing that I shall then be enabled to contemplate the
remains of the celebrated Sodom, than I feel regret in
having now only seen this kind of advance post, placed
like a light-house close to the sea-shore, and called
Redjom-el-Mezorrhel. The halt at the camel's pit, the
admonition of Abou-Daouk, and the uneasiness caused
by the imprudence of my companions, naturally
prevented me from examining the base and declivity of
the Salt Mountain with as much care as I should, have
268
JOURNEY" IN SYRIA
done under other circumstances. On the return of our
sportsmen we resumed our march with increased speed
to make up for the time lost. I now begin to lecture
the rash wanderers myself, and this additional avocation
consoles me for the negligence I so bitterly regret, but
which I hope to retrieve on our return. During the
next hour we continue marching over the same light
and efflorescent soil, between the Salt Mountain and the
sea ; keeping nearly at the same distance from either ;
about fifty yards from the shore, and thirty from the
cliffs. Thus we wind along the uneven flank of the
mountain, which at the summit scarcely exceeds one
hundred yards in height. When opposite the lledjom-
el-Mezorrhel our course was south-east; eleven minutes
later we turned to south-south-east; then for twenty
minutes again alternately south-east and south-south¬
east, until by half-past eleven our direction became
south-south-west; at forty-eight minutes past eleven
we march south-south-east again.
At eight minutes before twelve we stop to breakfast,
close to a cavern which, we are told, penetrates the
Mountain of Sodom from one side to the other. It is
called El-Morharrah, meaning simply, the grotto, or
cave. Here, Abou-Daouk tells us, the robbers resort
for refuge, who watch to plunder the few travellers
venturing across this country. Unhappy thieves ! they
must live poorly indeed if they have no other provision
than the produce of their rapine! At any rate, they
have but a dismal habitation in the cave, before which
we have halted to eat some starved fowl and mildewed
bread.
AND HOUND THE DEAD SEA.
2G9
One word concerning the general aspect of tlic Salt
Mountain. The Djebel-el-Meleh.li, or Djebel-Sdoum,
presents a compact mass of rock salt, the height of
which varies, but never exceeds one hundred yards. It
is of a greyish colour, but the upper layers are tinged
with green and red. At the summit, the salt is covered
over by a stratum of clay of a dirty white hue. In
some parts we observe, very distinctly, the same kind
of green sandy eminences which we have so often met
since we left Sebbeh. The whole of the hill-side we
have just coasted presents numerous fissures hollowed
by the winter torrents, and the constant crumbling of
the soil. At many points appear vast pyramidal
columns of salt, one of which has no doubt been taken
by Captain Lynch for the famous pillar into which Lot's
wife was transformed at the time of the destruction of
Sodom. All the disconnected masses, and those which
still adhere to the mountain, have their surfaces deeply
furrowed and indented by the rains. And lastly,
wherever the rock leans over, its lower part is hung
with stalactites of salt. As to the pillar, mentioned by
Captain Lynch, it resembles anything you please,
excepting the hill of Sodom.
Is it possible to explain the death of Lot's wife ? I
I am inclined to believe so, and this would be my solution.
At the moment when the huge mountain was heaved up
volcanically, there must have been throughout its whole
extent tremendous falls of detached masses, similar
to those we have observed at every step. Lot's wife
having loitered behind, either through fright or curiosity,
was most likely crushed by one of these descending
270
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
fragments, and when Lot and liis children turned round
to look towards the place where she had stopped,
they saw nothing but the salt rock which covered her
body. The catastrophe may be explained in many
ways, but having visited the spot, I hold to the opinion
I have now advanced, without seeking, however, to
impose it on others.
By a little more than half-past twelve we mount our
horses again, and proceed, in close order, in a south-
south-east direction. Scarcely have we been two or
three minutes on the march, when, at the entrance of a
sunken plain, covered with saline incrustations, an
unusual movement takes place in our caravan. Abou-
Daouk and the other horsemen start forward at a
gallop. Hamdan, who has turned as pale as death,
follows them almost immediately, and our infantry, who
have hastily unslung their guns, and tucked up their
skirts to give a greater freedom to their motions, range
themselves around their respective Scheikhs. One, who
had lingered a little in the rear, comes running at full
speed whilst preparing his weapon, for fear he should
be accused of having remained intentionally behind at
such a moment. " Well, what's the matter V' I inquire
of Mohammed, who has drawn close to me, and like the
others has prepared his fusil. "You can see
tliem/' " See whom \ " " Robbers! These are the
Ahouethats !" At that moment I could see absolutely
nothing, but in a few seconds after I perceived about
thirty ill-looking fellows on foot, nearly naked, but armed
with matchlocks, yataghans, and dabbous (wooden
clubs). We had evidently fallen in with bad company.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
271
In a moment our guns were cocked, and our pistols
in hand. Our baggage mules and moukris in a mass,
some paces behind us, advanced unwillingly. As Abou-
Daouk came up to the brigands, they were sitting on a
small sandy ledge, clutching their weapons. A colloquy
had already begun between them, when we reached the
scene of action in close platoon. When they spied our
ample provision of double-barrelled guns, and pistols,
the rascals thought it more prudent to parley than to
attack us. Abou-Daouk had already said briefly, " In
half a minute you will bo killed to the last man and
when they became convinced that such a result was
more than probable, they changed their manner. Then
all rising, each drew near to one of our men, took him
by the hand, and touching foreheads, embraced several
times, like loving brothers.
It was then forty-nine minutes past twelve. Peace
being declared, our new friends offered the hospitality
of their encampment; and while we were hesitating as
to our compliance, two new cavaliers galloped towards
us, and joined in conversation. The one was Abou-
Daouk's brother, the other a young man of five or six
and twenty, called Sellam-el-Lahman, Scheikh of the
marauders, with whom we had just began to make
acquaintance.
Abou-Daouk's brother, as I have already said, had
gone on in advance, to sound the dispositions of the
tribes established on the opposite shore of the Dead
Sea, in the Bhor-Safieh, where we purposed encamping
this same evening. The first living beings he had met
were these Ahouethats, whose tents were pitched in the
272
JOURNEY m SYRIA
llhor, at the outlet of the muddy plain before us, and
which we have to pass through. He had placed him¬
self in communication with their Scheikh, Sellam, who
had consented to receive us in his encampment, under
the promise of a bakhshish. His faithful subjects had
then declared they would have their share, otherwise
they would intercept, attack, kill, and plunder us.
"You shall have nothing at all," answered Sellam.
" Go, and much good may it do you."
The advice of Abou-Daouk's brother had determined
Sellam to take no part in a fray where his men were
sure to get nothing but broken heads, and thus it was
they had arrived just at the spot where they expected
to help themselves at our expense. I have said how
their evil designs were speedily abandoned, and how
they were wise enough to prefer peace to war.
Sellam came towards me, after a few words with his
banditti, which I did not understand; he took me
tenderly by the tip of my beard, kissed it in the most
reverential manner, calling me his father, and then
began to caracole and caper round us with the most
engaging smile and demeanour possible. He was
mounted on a small bay horse, without a saddle, and
nothing in the shape of harness but a small piece of
whipcord ; yet still he contrived to manage his charger
with wonderful agility. His dress consisted of a short
grey cloth shirt, and a kafieh. On his left side was
suspended a straight yataghan, the sheath formed of
two thin plates of wood bound together with pieces of
packthread. But though the Scheikh's accoutrements
were miserable in the extreme, his air was graceful,
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
273
and all liis motions were in such perfect harmony with
those of his horse, that the group seemed a living
fragment of the friezes of the Parthenon.
All that I have just related took place within four
minutes, and by fifty-three minutes past twelve we
resumed our march, directly across the plain opening
before us, in a south-south-west direction. The side of
the Salt Mountain was then a hundred yards distant to
our right ; we went on flanking it, but increasing our
distance until nearly half-past one, when we found
ourselves opposite its southern extremity, and at a
distance of eight hundred yards. Beyond re-appeared
again the everlasting hillocks of green sand, so strongly
resembling ruins. The ground, over which we were
advancing with difficulty, was muddy and yielding, a
naked plain, destitute of vegetation. This plain is called
the Sabkhah (the Plain of the Salt Mud).
By thirty-one minutes past one we crossed the wide
bed of a river with much water—most probably the
Ouad-el-Feekreh of M. de Berton ; but none of our
Arabs are acquainted with that name. This water¬
course, and those we met a little further on, are called
among them esli-Chothnah (the Rapids). Having
gained the opposite bank, we turned east-south-east,
then almost immediately due east.
The Ahouethats have left us, with the exception of
their Sclieikh, Sellam, and, quickening their pace, have
gained, much faster than we can, the eastern side of
the Dead Sea. An immense thicket of reeds lies some
thousand yards in our front; this thicket divides the
Sabkhah from the Rhor-Safieh, where our new friends
VOL. T. T
274
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
are encamped, on wliose faithful co-operation we have
not yet, I confess, unlimited reliance. Sellam continues
capering round us, repeating his protestations of loyalty;
but I read in the somewhat anxious looks of Abou-
Daouk and Harridan, that the fine phrases of their
brother Scheikh are coin of no great current value in
their eyes ; instinctively, "\ve all understand that
henceforth we had better keep a sharp look-out.
To our right we have a range of high hills bounding
on the south the Sabkhah, through which we are
passing. The foot of these hills seems woody, as far as
we can judge from a distance of between five and six
miles at the least, and the trees we distinguish are
evidently the continuation of the copse overspreading
the Rhor-Safieh before us.
By twelve minutes past two we have crossed
other water-courses, tolerably rapid, and running
directly from south to north, until they empty them¬
selves into the Dead Sea. Our ground is difficult of
passage, saturated with moisture, and as slippery as
soap. Our horses sink in it fetlock deep, and cannot
get rid of the adhesive mud which clings to them every
step. We ride in Indian file, and follow exactly
the track of our Arab leaders. The precaution is
indispensable, for the bogs are numerous in this
desolate plain, and it would be exceedingly disagreeable
to be engulphed in the mire.
By thirty-six minutes past two we make a sharp
turn to cross another very large water-course, running
from south-west to north-east. We then move east¬
ward, and by forty-nine minutes past two we plunge
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA. :275
amongst the reeds, which are here of such enormous
height, and so densely planted, that we have great diffi¬
culty in keeping together. The Ahouethats would have
a fine chance of picking us off, man by man, if they had
conceived the notion, and we speculate with some little
anxiety on the real motive of their sudden start in
advance, leaving us to thread this confounded defile of
reeds, where you can scarcely keep sight of your
preceding file, and your immediate follower.
After some minutes the reeds disappear, the ground
becomes a little firmer, and we enter fairly on the
Rhor-Safieh. This time we are in an actual forest; but
of a most novel description. It consists of clumps of
slender trunks of trees, entwined and huddled together
like the sticks in a fagot. Thousands of prickly
branches interlace each other around these impene¬
trable clusters, forming countless thickets, several feet
in diameter ; thickets which you cannot pass without
leaving portions of your dress suspended from the
thorns. In the intervals between the thickets, the damp
greasy soil is covered with dry stalks, the gigantic
stubble of last season's harvest. Everywhere the ground
is raked up by the wild boars abounding in the R,hor,
and living there on the fat of the land, but always
having an eye on the hostile panthers. Upon all the
upper branches perch beautiful little pink doves, who
look at us, as we go by, with perfect indifference, and
who are evidently on terms of complete understanding
with the Bedouins. Here and there, humming-birds,
with ruby and emerald frills, flutter from tree to tree,
disturbed by the noise we make in treading over the
T 2
270
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
dry stalks, rather than frightened by the approach of
any familiar danger.
As we are now altogether in a new world, our sports¬
men are much disposed to assail some of the birds we
are admiring ; but I strictly forbid a single shot, for the
slightest alarm in a place like this might bring on a
disagreeable collision. Besides, we perceive distinctly
on our flanks, through the small glades, troops of armed
Bedouins, and we are not quite sure whether they are
friends or enemies watching for a favourable oppor¬
tunity of sending a ball through each of our heads.
We remain on our guard, although the Sclieikli, Sellam,
is continuing his fantasia, stopping only now and then
to take me delicately by the beard, with the tip of his
fingers, and then kisses it in token of respect. At
last we arrive at an opening in the forest, where the
trees have been cleared by men and beasts : in every
direction small black tents, three or four feet high at
the utmost, are suspended from the thickets, and Ave
alight at last in a glade in the very centre of the
encampment; the grand square of the present capital
of the Ahouethats.
The men who were running along the flank of our
column arrive at the same time. We recognise in them
our Thaameras and Djalialins, who, fearing an ambus¬
cade, had been beating the bushes to the right and
left, like practised skirmishers. We must now put our
trust in Providence ; for we are in the wolf's mouth,
and have gone too far to retreat.
In a twinkling, Sellam has tied his little bay horse to
his tent, and comes back to us bounding through the
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
277
bushes. He begins by pushing aside, haughtily enough,
all his people who are flocking around us, with the
curiosity of savages who have never seen Europeans.
In the number we recognise the sinister-looking faces
we had already gazed 011 with so little satisfaction some
hours before, at the Djebel-el-Melehh; and amongst
others a tall, villanously-featured negro, for whom each
of us, in sympathetic, but silent accord, had reserved
our very first bullet. All these good folks retain their
arms. We imitate their prudent example, and allow
the most curious to admire our guns and pistols while
the tents are being pitched.
Sellam traces a line round our camp, which he forbids
his tribe to cross ; this ceremony over, he tells us that
within the enclosure we are under his protection, and
safe against any attempt at robbery. It turns out as
he says ; the Ahouethats respect our limits, and though
they throng about the encampment, and exhibit many
forbidding faces, we soon get reconciled to their
tenacious curiosity.
Some minutes after Sellam re-appears, dragging in
two sheep, which he presents to me as a gift, and prepares
immediately to slaughter at my feet, to do me honour ; I
request him to exhibit his skill in butchery a little further
off. Three paces suffice, and there he sets roundly to
work, with the assistance of two or three confederates
of similar taste ; and in a few minutes the still panting
carcasses of the poor animals are handed over to Matteo,
to the infinite satisfaction of our Arabs, who catch at last
a glimpse of the long-promised festival, till now always
postponed to the next opportunity, that never came.
278
JOURNEY IN SYlilA
After his present of the sheep, Sellam, who per¬
fectly understands the duties of hospitality, visits us
once more, accompanied by his son, an urchin, three or
four years old, in scanty garments like his father, and
carrying between his hands a wooden porringer, intole¬
rably dirty, but filled with camel's milk. Not to taste
it would have been a mortal affront. I therefore shut
my eyes and drink, without wry faces, and pass the
porringer to my next hand neighbour. Each in his
turn quaffs the share he would too willingly relinquish
to his companions.
When we have at last got rid of Sellam, Hamdan, who
has his suspicions, advises us to be watchful and keep
strictly on our guard. Abou-Daouk repeats the same
caution, but his good-humoured fat face has not lost an
atom of its usual serenity. His ophthalmia is cured, so
for the present he is too happy to be afraid of anything.
He seems constitutionally unused to fear, and laughs
as heartily to-day as yesterday, exhibiting, as usual, his
two interminable teeth. " Thou art dwelling just now,"
says he, " with abominable villains ; all these Ahoue-
tliats are thieves of the first water, but we shall certainly
prevent them from robbing thee of anything ; only let
me warn thee against rambling away from the camp,
lest some misfortune might befall thee." Hamdan, whose
physiognomy is singularly pale and anxious, has thought
proper to lay aside his turban, and to give himself as
complete a Bedouin look as possible, by mounting a
kafieh, after the fashion of our hosts, covering his head
and binding it around his tarbouch with a cord of
camels' hair.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
279
Whilst our people are pitching the tents, the escort
cut down copse-wood sufficient for the fires of our kitchen
and the bivouacs. Our two sheep are roasting in grand
style, and Edward, Philippe, and I take advantage of
this moment of liberty to gather a rich botanical harvest
in the surrounding thicket. Here the Asclepias procera
re-appears in immense quantities, mixed with the Neubq
and the Areq, &c., shrubs almost unknown in Europe.
Amongst the bushes I find also a pretty little gourd or
pumpkin ; the fruit long, the leaves and stalk as rough
to the touch as a grater, running from branch to branch,
and clinging so tenaciously, that it is very difficult to
gather it; lastly, the indigo plant in great abundance.
Our botanising is soon over; for every time we happen
to stray ten yards from the tents, one of our Thaameras
or Djahalins runs to entreat us to turn back and avoid
exposing ourselves to accident. We feel much inclined
to neglect these warnings, which we consider super¬
fluous, so ready are we always to disbelieve a danger
until we actually encounter it; but luckily daylight
declines rapidly, and we determine then to follow their
advice for good and all.
No sooner are we back again than we begin, stupidly
enough, to expatiate on the hospitality of the Ahouethats.
" After all, they are a good sort of people," we say to
each other, '■ and what primitive manners. How
identical with all we have read in the Bible : the life
of the patriarchs restored ; 'tis admirable." I abstain
from tiring the reader with a long story of our absurd
enthusiasm, for we ought to have been better advised,
and less ready with our admiration.
280
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
Putting all things together, another day has passed
with only an imaginary alarm ; and we expect a
constant repetition of the same—an honourable con¬
fidence, no doubt, but which soon subsides as we
become more intimate with the parties with whom Ave
have to deal.
After our dinner, which passes over merrily, we set
to work, as usual, arranging our notes and acquisitions
of the day ; then we compose ourselves to sleep without
uneasiness. I only remark that our little army, which
at Sebbeh sang and danced for joy at the mere promise
of a sheep which never came, neither sings nor dances
this evening, though the sheep has been devoured.
Nobody sleeps around the watch-fires; it seems
decidedly that our position is less pleasant here than
011 the opposite side of the Dead Sea.
January ] '6ih.
We were all 011 foot by earliest dawn, resuming, with
the return of day, our bright fancies of the preceding
evening. Unfortunately Ave were not long in reversing
the medal, and finding the unpleasant side of patriarchal
manners.
I had, as usual, left my tent to take the bearings of the
principal mountains and valleys lying before us. Ahouad
and some of the Ahouethats Avere giving me the names
1 wanted. I was busy with my notes and angles, and
deploring the necessity of passing 011, without having
leisure to visit the ruin of Safieli (which ruin, situated
011 a small low hill south-east of our camp, strongly
resembled the Qalaat-Embarrheg), Avhen I am joined
by Ilamdan, who, with a most dejected look, entreats
AND HOUND THE DEAD SEA. :>Sl
me to return to my tent and listen to what lie lias to
say to me.
The patriarchs have sent in their bill of charges.
This means that, before we are allowed to depart, we
shall have to repay, in good Stirling piastres, the
pastoral hospitality of our knavish friends. Hamdan
and Abou-Daouk have been already discussing, for the
last hour, our endangered interests, and our amiable
hosts insist that we must give them all the cash we can
spare. Every soul, from the highest to the lowest
personage in the tribe, claims his share of our entrance
money, and every one very naturally expects that his
share shall be as large as possible ; otherwise, these
gentlemen, who feel infinitely honoured by our society,
are disposed to enjoy it for some time longer, which
means that they will not permit us to leave the place
except on their own terms. The affair becomes serious.
We are strong enough, it is true, to force our way
through the rabble forming the encampment in which
we have taken a temporary dwelling, but who knows
if other encampments of the same tribe, dispersed in
the llhor, have not been warned already to come to their
assistance ? In that case, could we ever come back by
the Sabkhah, without being shot down to the last man
by the Ahouethats 1 Evidently we could not. It is
wiser, therefore, to submit with a good grace and dis¬
burse, while we dispute obstinately the rate at which
our generosity is to be taxed. The countenances of
our robbers have assumed an insolent expression, which
is by no means encouraging. Like true Bedouins, they
scream and howl all together as if they were at the stake.
282
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
The barrier is no longer respected. The noisy crew
invade our camp, armed with guns, yataghans, and
clubs. They dare not, as yet, make a rush into our
tents, but it is plain they will do so before long if we
are not expeditious in our arrangements.
Sellam makes his entrance. He kisses my beard
ten times in succession, and calls me, more affec¬
tionately than ever, his father. He then proceeds to
business. " My people are very poor," says he, " thou
art powerful and rich; give them all thou hast to
give." I dare not dismiss him abruptly, and I try
to cajole him with small presents which, they say,
promotes friendship. He wants a keepsake—nothing
more ! He is so devoted to me ! He loves me so
dearly ! And thereupon he kisses my beard over and
over again.
I send for the bag containing our stock of trinkets
and intended presents, and open the question. " Since
thou art the father of a little boy who yesterday offered
me some milk, thou must have a wife."
" I have three ! "
Alas ! thought I, without venturing to express my
thoughts. " Three wives, Sellam! they are too
numerous !"
" Oh, no ! I shall soon have four !"
I shorten our colloquy, lest he should demand
marriage presents for five or six prospective nuptials,
and produce my proposed donations : cornelian rings
set in silver; seals of the same value, which I recom¬
mended as eligible for a splendid pair of ear-rings; a
silver watch, worth about six francs ; and lastly, an
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
283
elastic silver bracelet, of very light weight. He balances
the whole, and is by no means satisfied. " Is it silver \ "
says he. " Certainly." " How light it is !" " Because
the silver is very pure."
Sellam looks at me as much as to say, Do you take
me for a fool % I certainly had no idea of giving him
all I had exhibited, but he had not the most remote
idea of relinquishing an item ; he crams the sum total
into his shirt, affects to be pleased, and, kissing my beard
again, retires from the tent.
I fancy I am now rid of him ; rid of a Bedouin who
intends to grind you : the idea is chimerical. In five
minutes after he returns and shows the bracelet, but,
of course, holding it resolutely in his clutch. " Where
is his brother % " says he. " If thou hast but one, my
wife declines the gift, she wants one for each arm." It
appears that bracelets in this country are called
brothers. With a very ill grace I resign the brother
he demands, and he disappears again.
Have I done with him this time 1 Less than ever.
The pertinacious rogue re-appears, and says with con¬
summate assurance—" And for my two sheep and my
milk, what art thou going to give me now % " I confess
we are all strongly tempted to kick him out of the tent,
but this summary proceeding would at once bring down
upon us his attendant brigands. The proverb says, you
must howl when others yell; we therefore declare unani¬
mously, and with loud voices, that 011 that point we
decline treating with him. The price of the pretended
gift is to be discussed with Hamdan and Matteo. The
Scheikh, 011 this, leaves us hastily to go in search of them.
281.
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
Time wears on, and we are chafing under the delay.
We feel, too, a little ashamed of our premature
eulogiums on Bedouin hospitality. At last, by nine
o'clock, and after ten solemn negotiations held in ten
different places—for it appears that in Arab councils
they shift their locality every time they alter a pro¬
position—Hamdan and our maitre d'hotel present them¬
selves, rather crest-fallen, to announce that five hundred
piastres will probably satisfy the Ahouethats. " Five
hundred piastres for two sheep and a bowl of milk! "
The price is a little higher than we had expected.
Francis, Rothschild's dragoman, is furious; for the last
few days he has been contemplating with silent despair
our obstinacy in running into adventures ; now that we
are in a scrape, through our own imprudence, according
to him, we ought to refuse everything, shoot every soul
of them, and force our way through. Fortunately, we
are not excited by his heroic suggestions, and since we
can get out of trouble for five hundred piastres, let us
pay them at once and be off. I ratify the bargain
without a moment's hesitation, and our luggage is finally
loaded on the backs of our mules.
Heaven be praised ! By twenty minutes past nine
we leave the place, and should feel quite at ease did we
not perceive Sellam and his band preparing to accom¬
pany us. What does this mean % we cannot guess, but
it disconcerts us exceedingly.
Our course is north-west, through the Rhor ; I mean
through those strange thickets of prickly trees, which I
have described before. By twenty-eight minutes past
nine we cross a pretty rivulet of running water, flowing
ANI) ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
285
from south-south-east to north-west, and called the
Nalir-Safieh. At half-past nine we turn clue north, and,
for the first time, I have the pleasure of taking my
notes without being blinded by the sun.
At this point a huge mass of reddish rocks rises in
view, distant about three thousand five hundred yards.
This red mountain is soon masqued by a lower one,
rent and rugged, and of the deepest black tint; this
last is only three thousand yards from us. Between
these two heights, the dark colours of which are
strongly contrasted, a narrow valley opens, called the
Ouad-el-Abiadh. We are still in the forest, but we can
already distinguish its boundary, between us and the
mountains of Moab. By thirty-seven minutes past nine
we reach a very wide bed of a torrent, with a fine
stream running through it, in the direction where we
cross from south-west to north-east. This is the
Nahr-el-Karaki. We then wind along the black
mountain I have just mentioned, the axis of which
sensibly approaches to our road.
The limit of the Rhor (I give this name more
exclusively to the forest) is scarcely two hundred yards
distant, 011 our right; then follows a rocky plain,
ascending gently up towards the foot of the mountain.
Our next course is north-east. By forty-six minutes
past nine we have left the forest, and are moving
across a plain strewed with large boulders of red sand¬
stone. Our route then turns north-north-east, following
this direction until ten o'clock, then turning east again.
By seven minutes past ten we are opposite the northern
point of the black mountain. Here a vast amphi-
280
JOUllNEY IN SYRIA
theatre, or, to speak more properly, a crater, opens on
the side of a second red mountain, joining the former
one and with a corresponding axis. Behind this rises
a still higher mountain, called the Djebel-el-A'aza. The
ouad leading to the crater is called the Ouad-el-Zend-
jbil. We then resume a north-east direction. The
ouad is commanded to the north by another black
mountain, called the Cho-eub-es-Samour.
By a quarter-past ten we turn our backs upon the
mountains, and march nearly due west. Lastly, by
twenty-three minutes past ten, we arrive at an encamp¬
ment much more important than that of the Ahouethats,
We are now in the district of the Beni-Sakhar, a rich
and powerful tribe.—-" El-Beni-Sakhar koull-houm nas
melahh !'; " All the Beni-Sakhar are honest people,'
exclaims Hamdan, who seems to be relieved from a
heavy burthen, and, whilst speaking, signs to our moukris
to unload the mules.
Why ! we have been only one hour in motion, and
must we halt already 1 Remonstrances are useless—it
is impossible to proceed a step farther without the consent
of our new hosts ; we must, therefore, first of all
propitiate their friendship. But let us be cautious.
The Beni-Sakhars being richer than the Ahouethats,
now that we are familiar with the local manners of the
people, we need no one to tell us that their friendship
will cost us a much larger sum. In this country, you
travel as you can, never as you please. We make up
our minds accordingly to take things as they happen,
and proceed to pitch our camp.
Still, there is the difference of night and day between
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
287
the miserable beggars with whom we were staying last
night, and the Bedouins in whose hands we find ourselves
this morning. The men have a superior air, and some¬
thing like honest countenances. They are better
dressed and better armed. Innumerable droves of
camels surround the encampment; magnificent horses
are picketed before some of the tents, and long lances,
testifying the warlike character of their owners, are
planted in the ground.
The Ahouethats appear not to feel themselves quite
at ease in the midst of this tribe, who would only have
to give the signal, and they would be annihilated.
They appear as humble now, as they were rude and
arrogant two hours ago.
Hamdan and Abou-Daouk have proceeded at once to
parley with the Scheikhs, who are conducted to our
presence ; at last, we are introduced to something like
gentlemen. Their dress is composed of a long scarlet
robe, confined round the loins by a girdle, in which is
placed a curved sabre ; their abayas or cloaks are black,
or striped white and brown; like Hamdan and Abou-Daouk,
they wear red boots, and their heads are covered with a
kafieh, fastened by a cord of camels' hair. The Scheikhs
are three in number ; none but these enter our tent, and
I offer them pipes and coffee. The tribe remain at a
respectful distance, and restrain their curiosity, however
natural. Amongst the hundreds, of which they are
composed, probably not one has ever before seen
an European. They gaze on us with bewildered looks.
Everything in our apparel strikes them with surprise ;
the buttons of our coats especially excite their wonder;
288
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
they touch them with a certain respect, and positively
take them for so many talismans.
The one among the Scheikhs who appears the most
courteous, is called Samet-Aly : a little man, thirty or
thirty-two years old, with a handsome face and gentle
voice ; the second, who seems to be of equal rank, is
named Selameh : he is about five and thirty, but
he squints, which gives him an unpleasant look ; the
third, whose name is not mentioned, is an elderly
Bedouin, of about fifty. As he preserves uniform silence,
and leaves the other two to conduct the conversation, I
conclude he is of inferior station. After half an hour's
parley, the three Scheikhs leave us and return to
their encampment, accompanied by Abou-Daouk and
Hamdan.
We thought we were rid of the Ahouethats, but we
were mistaken. The five hundred piastres agreed upon,
had been paid by us into the hands of Hamdan, and we
naturally concluded that he had delivered the money to
those for whom it was intended. Either he had not
done so, or our new friends—the Scheikhs of the
western shore—had thought proper to levy a toll upon
the sum total. A t any rate, the demands are renewed
as noisily as ever. Sellam is not the least clamorous ;
I reply, in a still louder tone, that I have given five
hundred piastres to Hamdan for him and his people,
and that he may go to the devil, if he is not yet satisfied.
It appears plain, the worthy individual was not previously
aware that five hundred piastres had been credited to
him and his band ; for, on receiving this joyful infor¬
mation, he kissed my beard once more, and bolted
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
289
immediately from the tent, to carry liis demands to
some other quarter.
At length we have the good fortune to be allowed to
breakfast. Immediately afterwards, Samet-Aly comes
in again and invites me to visit the encampment of his
tribe. Edward and Philippe accompany me ; Roths¬
child and Francis amuse themselves with shooting in
the immediate vicinity ; Belly, Loysel, and Louis take
the first Bedouin they meet, and look for game in
another direction; Ilamdan and Samet-Aly assure us
there is nothing to fear, so we all pursue our different
courses in complete security. We first make the circuit
of the encampment, in the centre of which there is a
considerable clearing, entirely free from tents, and
forming a kind of public square. From this open space
all the tents diverge. They are constructed of black, or
white and black striped stuff. Samet-Aly leads us, with
a certain self-conceit, into his own tent, of tolerable size,
where several women, old and young, uniformly clothed
in a single blue shift, their heads, legs, and arms bare,
are cooking upon an iron plate some of the thin cakes
which constitute the bread of the wandering Arabs.
These women have their hair greased with butter and oil,
until it looks nearly red, and are anything but attractive.
Some of the youngest amongst them are well made, and
have good features ; but their abominable hair and the
blue tattooing on their faces destroy all pretensions to
beauty. They have in general fine teeth ; this is their
chief recommendation. All are enamoured of smoking,
and besiege us for tobacco, which we part with sparingly,
as we anticipate a probable exhaustion of our supply.
VOL. I. U
290
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
Samet-Aly, after having forced upon our acceptance
some warm cakes, just fried by his women, demands our
admiration of his charger ; a fine black mare, to whom
the sight of Europeans is an alarming prodigy, for she
springs back and appears terrified at our costume, and
her master has much difficulty in soothing her with
caresses. As we are anxious to make the most of our
forced day's rest, we ask the Scheikh to give us a guide
to the beach, in the hope of discovering some new
objects of natural history. The guide is procured, and
we start immediately.
Our walk has been a very uninteresting one : no
insects, no shells, except some dead Melanias washed
down by the mountain torrents. A few fine samples of
rock comprise all we have been able to collect. Having
cleared the thickets, where countless droves of camels
are grazing, we found a sandy plain, bounded by an
unfordable water-course, covered with small reeds,
which barred our further progress. We then turned
again towards our camp, filling our pockets and loading
our Bedouin with pebbles.
On our arrival we encounter the unwelcome surprise
of finding things looking worse than ever. Scarcely
have we gained our tent, when Sellam enters in a
passion. He throws down a handful of piastres upon
the table, exclaiming, " I am no beggar ! I have in my
tent as much money as I want, I need no alms !" and
thereupon he exits theatrically, leaving eighty piastres
which he had received for his share of the five hundred
we had paid. We thought we had closed accounts
with him, and were sorry for this new rupture, which
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
291
proves that we were not yet sufficiently acquainted
with the tricks of Bedouins. In less than half an
hour the worthy Scheikh felt such regret for his eighty
piastres, that he came back to recover them. By per¬
severance he contrived to extort from us twenty more,
and then an additional ten, to pay, as he said, for the
shoeing of his horse. This little supplement obtained,
Sellam appeared in ecstasies, embraced us all, shook us
affectionately by the hand, and once more departed.
This time it was a final leave-taking. We saw him
no more.
Belly, Loysel, and Louis had gone to seek for game,
under the conduct of one of the Bedouins of the encamp¬
ment. They came back in an hour, somewhat faster
than they went. I must explain the reason. On
reaching the limit of the Rlior, just beyond the thickets,
their guide began suddenly to run, and then with a
loud cry threw himself flat on the ground. At this
cry a dozen Bedouins rushed from the bushes and
approached our friends, who felt a little surprised at
this strange manoeuvre. The new comers, as they
advanced, repeated their eternal Saoua ! Saoua !
(together! together!), a word which means generally
that they are coming with friendly intentions. Loysel,
with his habitual confidence, went forward to meet
them; when Louis (having had the advantage of
studying the Arab character in Algeria), stopped him
short. " Sir, sir," said he, " you do not know these
rascals. Take care ; they will try to surround us,
make a dash at our arms, and settle our account, if we
allow them to come too near. Keep them at a
u 2
292
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
distance." Immediately the three guns were brought
to the level, and the Arabs stopped at once. Our
incautious ramblers then retired in order, and retraced
their steps to the camp, ready to fire if pressed upon.
The strangers, whose intentions were more than
doubtful, dared not follow them, and dispersed. Their
plan had evidently failed.
Until dinner-time we were quietly occupied in our
tent, but after our repast new troubles came upon us.
The Beni-Sakhars express their wish to become our sole
protectors. " On their own territory," they say, " they pos¬
sess the exclusive right of escorting strangers." Besides,
they are strong enough to enable us to dispense with
every other guard. They require us to dismiss together
Thaameras and Djahalins, and to select from among their
own people whatever escort we require. Hamdan, who
announced this new imbroglio, has again turned a little
pale; his appetite has left him, and he is tormented
by a thousand fears. If our expedition were now to
re-commence, he would offer less confidently his protec¬
tion, which has proved so ineffectual. Let us hope,
however, that to-morrow everything will be settled
amicably. I encourage poor Hamdan as well as I can,
though I must say his followers, and especially Ahouad,
show much more resolution than their Scheikh. As
to Abou-Daouk, he has not been visible throughout the
evening.
As soon as night has closed in, a little guttural cry
is heard on all sides at once ; it is the camels' retreat
call. Hundreds of these animals come in, in files, to be
parked in the open glade, which we had taken for a
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
293
public square, but which proves to be the night cattle -
fold of the tribe. Scarcely are the cattle all in, when a
loud, irregular, and discordant chant resounds through
the Klior ; it proceeds from a horseman, riding at a
good pace, whose voice, beginning near us, recedes
gradually until entirely lost in the distance. On hearing
this strange proclamation, we sally from our tent to
inquire the cause, and are told that it is the announce¬
ment of a treaty of peace just concluded between the
Djahalins and the Beni-Sakhars.
A few months since a dozen camels had been stolen
from the Beni-Sakhars, according to the usual practice
of the desert; and this had been contrived by the
respectable Abou-Daouk, or some of his people. Since
that time, Djahalins and Beni-Sakhars had confined
their intercourse to musket-shots ; and the Djahalin
Scheikh, tired of the continual skirmishes, in which he
was losing both men and beasts, conceived the fortunate
idea of profiting by our visit to offer peace to the
powerful tribe he had offended. Now that I have some
knowledge of the Bedouins, I ask myself how Abou-
Daouk has dared to venture upon the territory of the
Beni-Sakhars, when such a cause of enmity ought to
have kept him away for ever. How did this cunning
diplomatist contrive to appease all rancour, and even
engage to restore the stolen camels % I am at a loss to
divine. Probably by greasing the palms of our friends
Samet-Aly and Selameh, who have declared that the
honour of the tribe has received full satisfaction.
This fact is certain, that the legitimate owner of the
stolen camels was the identical horseman whom we
294
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
heard bawling, as he cantered from one encampment to
the other (for there are several encampments of the same
tribe in the vicinity), and these are the words he shouted
at the full extent of his lungs : " Peace, peace ! friend¬
ship ! friendship between the Djahalins and ourselves !
Dhaif-Oullah Abou-Daouk has sworn to restore to us
the camels he has taken. Peace, peace! friendship!
friendship !" The true meaning of this, properly trans¬
lated, might [ be, I suppose, " 0 Beni-Sakhars! if
to-morrow morning you should happen to meet Abou-
Daouk and his people intruding on our territory, don't
break their heads with a musket-shot or a club ; don't
run them through with your lances or yataghans.
Between Bedouins every quarrel can be made up with a
shake of the hand, and we have become again the best
friends in the world ; they have brought us some honest
people, from whom we shall extort bakhshish and contri¬
butions at our own discretion. So let it be well known
to every one, Abou-Daouk is our most excellent friend!"
By degrees, all noises become hushed around us.
Except the low cry of the camels, the barking of the
dogs, and the crackling of the bivouac fires, everything
has settled into silence. Finally, after a short chat,
each seeks his camp-bed, and, notwithstanding the
vermin that never desert us, all enjoy an excellent
night.
January 14 th.
We had hoped that all treaties would have been
finally settled this morning, and that we should be able
to start at an early hour. Another vain illusion! As
usual, we were ready with the first dawn ; but animated
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
295
discussions are in progress between the Scheikhs of the
Beni-Sakhars on the one side, and Abou-Daouk and
Hamdan, acting in our behalf, on the other. We are not
now dealing with paltry robbers like the Ahouethats ;
the parties we are treating with to-day are bandits on a
superior scale. With gentlemen, such as these, we must
count piastres by thousands, rather than by hundreds.
The delay is enough to drive us mad. From time to
time Hamdan or Matteo bring in a verbal bulletin of the
progress of the debate; and we begin to fear that matters,
getting from bad to worse, will end by exhausting our
purses altogether, a condition with which we may think
ourselves tolerably well satisfied.
For more than two hours the high contracting parties
have been changing their ground every five minutes, with
the view of elucidating their ideas. During that time
we smoke our chibouks in silence, invoking patience to
our aid, and affecting outwardly the most supreme
indifference for the issue of the debate. We are besides
surrounded by a bevy of Bedouins of both sexes, who
observe us with the most impertinent curiosity, and
pester us for tobacco and pipe-bowls.
At last, near ten o'clock, Hamdan announces that the
Scheikhs of the Beni-Sakhars demand two thousand five
hundred piastres for giving us safe conduct during the
remainder of our journey on the eastern shore of the
Dead Sea. The price is exorbitant; we are ill-advised
enough to hesitate, and moreover to listen to our drago¬
man Francis, who, from sheer ill-humour, incites us to
refuse. By the time we decide upon accepting the
conditions offered, it is too late. We send Hamdan and
296
JOUKNEY IN SYRIA
Matteo to say that we agree to pay the stipulated sum ;
they return with ghastly looks to inform us that now, in
consequence of the delay, the demand has risen to three
thousand piastres ! At length my patience is exhausted.
I fling away my pipe, and hasten to the seat of council.
Taking the Scheikh Selameh by the arm, I tell him in an
angry tone that we Frenchmen have but one word, and
that what we have once said remains in the memory of
Allah. " It is so with us also," answers the Scheikh.
" Well, then, prove it better than thou hast just done.
Thou hast asked me two thousand five hundred piastres ;
I have granted them, and now thou dost ask three
thousand. Is that having but one word 1" Selameh
and his friends look rather ashamed ! the more so that I
have summoned to my aid my utmost knowledge of
Arabic, and have pronounced these words so vehemently
that all the curious lookers-on around us have perfectly
understood them. I begin to hope that my remonstrance
has produced the desired effect. Taking then the hand
of the Scheikh, I say to him, with the most serious air I
can assume, " In the name of the clement and merciful
Deity, I swear! that when my companions and I shall
have come back safe and sound to this place, close to thy
tents, after that thou and thy two friends shall have
accompanied and faithfully protected us, I will give thee
the three thousand piastres thou hast asked. I have
sworn by Allah ! Now, Scheikh, in thy turn, swear also
by Allah !" Selameh takes the oath I demand, his two
companions repeat it after him, and I am perfectly at
ease. The ceremony has cost us three thousand piastres,
but I can now depend on the fidelity of these men, who
AND ROUND TIIE DEAD SEA.
297
would die a thousand deaths rather than break their
word so solemnly pledged.
In other respects, this scene has produced a good
effect on the tribe, and I find that I have done wisely in
introducing the name of Allah into our treaty. From
this moment we are no longer infidels in the eyes of our
confederates, and they are henceforward disposed to
respect as well as to defend us.
In the meantime our tents and luggage have been
struck and loaded. The three Scheikhs have seized
their lances, jumped on horseback, and by half-past nine
o'clock we are on the march, happy at having surmounted
another difficulty, which threatened to be serious.
Leaving the encampment of the Beni-Sakhars, at half-
past nine we proceed obliquely towards the mountain
in an easterly direction. We are still in the Rhor-
Safieh ; but in a few minutes we have cleared the forest,
and enter on the sandy plain we visited the day before.
By a quarter-past ten, after a few moments' halt, we
march north-east. A plain, two thousand yards in
extent, divides us from the mountain, which is formed
of black rocks, rent and calcined by fire. Behind this
mountain is another, of inferior height, of reddish rocks,
and called the Djebel-A'acy. By twenty-two minutes
past ten we are opposite the highest summit of the
Djebel-A'acy. To our left, the horizon is limited by
the Djcbel-es-Sofa and the Djebel-ez-Zouera, in the
foreground of which stands out the distinct mass of the
Djebel-el-Melehh.
By half-past ten we are opposite the southern point
of the Dead Sea, with the black mountain fifteen
298
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
hundred yards to our right. Our course is still north¬
east, whilst the axis of the mountain converges towards
our direction, so that in five minutes more we have
reduced our distance from the foot of the rocks to four
or five hundred yards. We are treading a sandy soil
without stones or pebbles. Suddenly, as the wind
conveys to our nostrils the stench of a dead camel's
carcass lying on the sand a few hundred yards before
us, several vultures fly off, abandoning their festival,
whilst a magnificent panther, who had been breakfasting
in company with them, passes before our eyes without
the least alarm or hurry.
" Nemr! Nemr ! " (a tiger ! a tiger !) shout all our
Arabs, whilst two or three dart off in pursuit of the
animal, who appears to take things very coolly. The
panther looks as if she was creeping rather than
running, and, when the horsemen are close upon her,
evades them with an enormous spring, and then creeps
on again as quietly as before. She repeats this cat-like
practice several times ; our horsemen find it prudent to
turn back, and give up tiring themselves for nothing.
The panther quietly disappears in the thicket, and we
see no more of her.
By thirty-five minutes past ten we ford a river called
El-Merouah, running from south-east to north-west.
This is the same water-course that stopped our progress
yesterday. By thirty-nine minutes past ten the sea
shore lies about three thousand yards to our left; the
black mountain, which we follow nearly in a parallel
line, is four hundred yards off to our right, and behind
it still rises majestically the Djebel-A'acy. By forty-
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
299
two minutes past ten the black mountain opens, and
forms the Ouad-ez-Zaher, in front of which there is a
small elevation composed of grey hillocks. "We are
still on the sand; and, by forty-six minutes past ten,
the ground is strewed with huge masses of pudding-
stone, formed of that beautiful compound known to
mineralogists under the name of universal breccia. It
consists of a fine conglomerate of green porphyry, in
which are embedded innumerable crystals of granite of
all colours. Nobody could tell the original locality of
this splendid marble, employed by the ancients in some
of their most sumptuous monuments. It is now proved,
for the first time, that it came from the mountains of
Moab and from the Djebel-A'acy. There are also here
other rolled fragments of the celebrated rose-antique
porphyry, spotted with white. The Djebel-A'acy con¬
tains therefore veins or layers of this rare mineral.
By fifty minutes past ten the pudding-stones have
disappeared ; we march again over sandy ground, and
an enormous crater opens on the side of the Djebel-
A'acy. The sea, which by forty-six minutes past ten
was two thousand yards distant to our left, is by eleven
only seven hundred yards from us. At three minutes
past eleven the soil is still sandy, though strewed with
large blocks of rolled sandstone grit, veined with
variegated tints. By fourteen minutes past eleven we
cross a large ravine, the Ouad-Khaderah, with its bed
full of boulders of the same stone I have just mentioned.
We still march north-east, but the black mountain has
retreated ; it is now about eight hundred yards off,
whilst the sea is only six hundred yards distant to our
300
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
left. On the opposite shore we descry, immediately
facing us, the northern point of the Djebel-el-Melehh.
It is now eighteen minutes past eleven, and we are
again in a sandy plain.
As soon as the ground before us becomes open, our
Arab horsemen are seized, like children, with the mania
of executing a fandango in front of the caravan. They
gallop about in all directions, chasing each other at full
speed—the pursuer's lance being close to his adversary's
back ; you would swear that the last will certainly be
run through, when lo ! just at the critical moment, he
turns suddenly round and the chase is reversed. This
kind of mock fight, silly enough in reality, excites the
Bedouins to enthusiasm, and forms altogether a singular
and amusing spectacle.
This time, however, a serious accident interrupts the
sport. Mohammed, the wildest of the party, has darted
at full speed in pursuit of one of the Scheikhs of the
Beni-Sakhar, flourishing his gun, which he handles as if
it were a javelin. Suddenly the Scheikh's horse
stumbles, and, recovering himself, clears in a bound a
cavity where the sand has given way under his feet.
But Mohammed is too late to avoid the danger. The
hind legs of his charger sink at once. Horse and
rider are beginning to disappear. The rider, without
quitting his bridle, tries to disengage his feet from the
stirrups, but sinks deeper in the attempt. The
unfortunate horse, whilst struggling convulsively to
disengage himself from the quicksand, plunges lower
and lower. Our infantry hasten to the relief of
Mohammed. With daring pertinacity they cling to the
AND BOUND THE DEAD SEA.
301
liead-liarness and to the horse's e&rs, at the risk of
being swallowed up with him in the gaping abyss ;
and, by an effort almost superhuman, drag him from
his tomb of sand, when he has already sunk up to the
nostrils. By the interference of Providence, all are
saved.
Mohammed caresses his charger, who in a moment is
covered with foam and perspiration, so great has been
his terror. Then he leaps into the saddle again, but
henceforth picks his steps more carefully, and seeks the
firmest ground. For several minutes we gazed on this
horrid spectacle, which recalled to us the pit in the
plain of Sodom, and then resume our march, leaving
joyfully behind us the dangerous spot. We have now
reached twenty-seven minutes past eleven o'clock.
What would have been the consequence if one of our
panther-hunters had met with the same accident which
befel Mohammed 1 Horse and rider would have
unavoidably perished in the sand before we could have
arrived to render timely assistance.
We enter next on a series of grey hillocks bordering
the foot of the mountain with the dark dislocated rocks,
the axis of which draws rapidly towards the beach.
From thirty-five to forty-two minutes past eleven we
march nearly due east. By thirty-eight minutes past
eleven we are only twenty yards from the foot of the
mountain, and two hundred from the shore ; the grey
sandy hillocks continue along the beach. By forty
minutes past eleven we enter another sandy plain,
strewed with large blocks of sandstone grit; and, two
minutes later, Ave halt for breakfast under an acacia.
30:2
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
By a quarter-past twelve we mount our horses again,
and march in a north-north-east direction. By twenty-
five minutes past twelve we are on a muddy beach,
distant only twenty yards from the foot of the black
rocks. To our left begins a deep selvage of reeds,
extending down to the sea-shore, which is not more than
two hundred yards from the track. The black rocks
extend further than this spot, and behind them appears
a high mountain, formed, like the Djebel-A'acy, of red
sandstone, torn and dislocated. This mountain now
opens to make room for the Ouad-el-Qena'ieh (valley of
the reeds). The mountain itself bears the name of
Dj ebel-el-Qena'ieh.
In front of the spot where the ouad opens, we find on
the ground, some fifty yards to the right of our road,
a very large round stone, which we take from a distance
for the brim of a well; we find this to be in reality an
immense quoit, or discus, hewn and ornamented, three
yards in diameter and one yard in thickness. This
strange stone is broken. What can have been its desti¬
nation % It resembles nothing fashioned by the Romans,
and still less by the Arabs. As far as I can judge, it
is a remnant of the condemned Pentapolis.
On leaving the muddy defile we have just crossed, we
enter the Rhor-en-Nemaireh (morass of the little tiger).
A small gulf, three hundred yards wide, borders the
southern point of this Rhor. Close to the gulf the
beach is bare of vegetation, but a few yards from the
shore the selvage of reeds I have already named begins
again. The Djebel-el-Qenaieh, which we are leaving
behind us, is then separated from our road by a plain
AND ROUND TIIB DEAD SEA.
303
about five hundred yards in extent, planted with, acacias,
and bordered, at the foot of the mountain, by hillocks
formed of heaped-up fragments of fallen rocks.
By thirty-six minutes past twelve we march northward
through the mimosas, five hundred yards distant from
the shore, and six hundred from the foot of the moun¬
tain. On our right appear the red cliffs of a lofty
eminence, called the Djebel-Arraq, the base of which is
concealed from us by another mountain, also formed of
red rocks. By forty-six minutes past twelve the plain,
covered with mimosas, through which we are proceed¬
ing, elevates itself a little ; and, once on the eminence,
we find ourselves surrounded by immense heaps of
rubbish, bearing the name of En-Nema'ireh.
Twenty yards distant to our right there appears, first,
a mound covered with ruins ; then, fifty yards to the
left, a square structure measuring six yards on each side,
built of large stones, and divided into two rooms. By
forty-eight minutes past twelve we are in front of, and
four hundred yards distant from, a considerable eleva¬
tion, covered also with crumbling remnants of buildings.
The sea-shore is here a thousand yards to our left.
We keep moving through these ruins until fifty-three
minutes past twelve, from which it appears they occupy
an extent of considerably more than half a mile in
length.
By fifty-five minutes past twelve, proceeding north¬
west, we cross a rivulet of running water, the bed and
approaches of which are filled with large rolled boulders.
This water-course runs by four different ravines;
beyond it begins the Sahel-en-Nemaireh, limited east-
304
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
ward by a mountain, the rocks of which are grey at the
base and red at the summit. The foot of this mountain
is six hundred yards distant from our track, which has
turned north again. By three minutes past one we
reach another rivulet, beyond which are other ruins,
including a structure situated fifty yards from our road.
This is a square building, flanked at the four angles by
towers, forming now four distinct heaps of ruins. The
Arabs call this structure Bordj-en-Nemaireh. A little
further on we perceive, about four hundred yards distant
from the road, another ruined building, square in shape,
but smaller than the preceding one.
By ten minutes past one we cross a plain covered
with mimosas, and strewed with large rolled pebbles.
From where we pass, the sea is distant nine hundred
yards, and the foot of the mountain only four hundred.
We had now reached the northern extremity of the
Rhor-en-Nemai'reh. The mountain we are coasting is
furrowed by a ravine, probably that by which the pebbles
we see strewing the ground have been carried down.
Towards this point, the side of the mountain presents
a large stain of green and violet, one above the other ;
from a distance this stain has the appearance, on a very
large scale, of certain beds or layers of rainbow-coloured
marls, such as are common in the east of France.
Here the beach narrows very rapidly, so that by twenty-
one minutes past one we are only one hundred and
fifty yards distant from the foot of the mountain, and
four hundred from the sea-shore. At this point a
frowning ravine presents itself, called the Ouad-es-
Soueeb (the rocky valley). Soon after this we cross
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
305
the bed of the torrent coming out of the ouad. It is
full of rolled blocks of sandstone grit.
From the Bordj-en-Memaireh our route has been
north-north-east, and we keep marching in this direction
until thirty-one minutes past one. Here the mountain
is only one hundred and fifty yards distant ; the sea
one hundred yards from us, when we enter the thicket of
reeds bordering the shore. The beach keeps narrow¬
ing still, and by thirty-nine minutes past one we are
only ten yards distant from the water, and close to the
very foot of a hill covered with large boulders, a kind
of spur projecting from a high range of mountains.
The ground of the defile we arc passing through is
strewed with blocks of greyish stone, rendering the
progress of our horses difficult and dangerous. The
defile itself is known by the Arabs by the name of
El-Mera'iced (which means the Cut-throat). Numerous
other ravines are seen furrowing the side of the hill
round which we are winding.
By fifty minutes past one we march north-north¬
east, and three minutes later, north-north-west. Here
the beach is about eighty yards wide, and the mountain
one hundred and twenty yards distant from our road.
All this ground is planted with mimosas, and the shore
is everywhere fringed with its large selvage of reeds
following the windings of the beach. Wo next arrive
in face of another ouad, going up towards the Land of
Moab, and called Talaa-Semaan or Sebaan; with the
Djebel-es-Salth forming its northern flank. We then
re-enter the thicket, whilst we proceed north-west.
This thicket is composed of thorny trees and bushes,
VOL. I. X
306
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
■which have procured for it its name of Esal (the
Thorny Trees).
By fifteen minutes past two we are 111 front of the
Ouad-el-Esal, which terminates twelve hundred yards
to our right. One hundred yards to our left begins the
reedy border, of nearly the same breadth at this place.
We halt here a few minutes, and a little before half-past
two start again towards the north-north-east, through
the acacias. The foot of the mountain, flanking to
the north the Ouad-el-Esal, is now at the distance
of a thousand yards, whilst the border of reeds has
retreated to about two hundred and fifty yards from
our road.
By thirty-seven minutes past two, wTe cross a pretty
rivulet of running water. By forty minutes past twTo,
we pass between the tents of an encampment of the
Beni-Sakhar; and seven minutes later, Ave finally
arrive at a second encampment, established at the
place more especially called El-Esal, and in front of
the opening of another valley called by some Ouad-
Katzrabba, and by others Ouad-Katzroubba. We are
amongst friends, and therefore determine to halt here
for the remainder of the day and the night.
On our arrival, we feel at once, from the respectful
manner of all who surround us, that the protection, of
the three Beni-Sakhar Sclieikhs, if it does not entirely
rid us of the annoyance of Bedouin curiosity, is still
a great advantage. We have never before been treated
with such deference in the desert. The heat is
excessive, much more so than on the western shore.
We feel as if we were in a furnace ; though the
? O
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
307
seimoum lias nothing to do with the temperature from,
which we are suffering.
We take advantage of the remaining daylight, to
hunt sedulously for insects, which abound under the
stones, in company with the finest black scorpions I
have ever seen. Some of them are nearly as large as
crawfish ; but, notwithstanding their personal preten¬
sions, we invariably make them pay for the alarm they
cause us, every time Ave come upon them unawares.
The roses of Jericho (Anastatica hicrichuntica) are
found here in great plenty ; they are deeply rooted in
the soil oil which they live their short existence. All,
owing to the dry season, are crisped and shrivelled
up ; and their colour, resembling that of the ground,
makes it rather difficult to discover them. We proceed
to collect an ample provision of these flowers.
At dark we return to camp, where we enjoy the
most complete repose and security. After dinner,
when our day's work is over, and while quietly
smoking our tchibouks, we try to ascertain what city
it may have been, the vast ruins of which we have
passed through. Their Arab name of Kharbct-cn-
Nemai'reli, makes us at first think of Gomorrah, the
A'amoura of the Scriptures and of the Arabs ; but
the significative term of En-Nemaireh compels us soon
to alter our opinion. I cannot discover anything more
than a delusive analogy between the two denominations.
We must then look for something else. Has there
existed in this place a city of any size at a period
more recent than the destruction of the Pentapolis \
This is possible.
x 2
308
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
In the Onomasticon of Eusebius, we read at the
word Nefirjpifi (instead of Ne^pf/*), that Bewapapnn was
a town of the Moabites, situated northward of Zoar.
Saint Jerome transcribes the name Benamerium. The
sound of Bennamarim is so very like tliat of En-
Nemaireh, that I have no doubt the Moabitic station,
mentioned in that passage, was really a village of no
great importance, built on the site of the ruins of
Zeboiim. At any rate, the town mentioned by
Eusebius cannot be the Nimrim, situated twenty
leagues from that place on the eastern bank of the
Jordan. That town is to the north of Jericho, and
Eusebius would certainly not have made use of the indi¬
cation northward of Zouera, to determine its position.
There is another village named AoveCO, which Eusebius
places juera£v ApoTroXecos Kal Soopoov, between Areopolis
(Rabbath-Moab, er-Rabbah) and Zouera. The site of
En-Nemaireh would suit perfectly with the situation
of Luhith ; for the ancient road from er-Rabbah to
Zouera passes by the Ouad-ebni-Hammid. But there
are other ruins to be mentioned shortly, which may
claim the honour of having belonged to the Luhith
of Eusebius.
After this first inquiry, we remained completely in
doubt as to the proper identification of these extensive
ruins ; it was only on our return, and after having
traversed the frowning crater which commands this
district, and passing other ruins which strew the
ground from the Talaa-Semaan to Sebaan, I was com¬
pelled naturally to suppose that we were treading the
site of the Zeboiim of the Scriptures.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
309
I will add but one word more: these ruins, previously
noted by Irby and Mangles, and since visited by
Lynch, have been erroneously taken by these travellers
for the ruins of Zoar. We need only read in Genesis
the narrative concerning the destruction of Sodom and
the flight of Lot, to remain perfectly satisfied that
Zoar—where Lot, who had left Sodom by break of day,
arrived at sunrise—cannot possibly be looked for on
the opposite shore of the Dead Sea, and still less at
the Kharbet-en-Nemai'reh. For, were we to agree
with the indefensible hypothesis of the sudden forma¬
tion and rise of the Dead Sea, there would still remain,
as the crow flies, several leagues between Sodom and
the pretended Zoar. However rapid might have been
the flight of Lot with his daughters, it would have
been impossible for them to accomplish one-tenth part
of the distance between these two points, in the
short interval that takes place in this country between
dawn and sunrise. This question appears to me to
be settled beyond dispute or mistake, except on the
part of those who have not visited the localities', and
wish to remain in error. For myself, being now as
well acquainted as any one with the shores of the
Dead Sea and the adjacent countries, I am convinced
that it is Zeboiim we are to look for in the ruins of
Talaa-Sebaan, and Bennamarim at the Kharbct-en-
Nemaireh, which is evidently an appendage of the
ruins of Zeboiim. And lastly, if we are to judge by
the vast extent of these ruins, Zeboiim was at least
as large a city as Sodom. At a later period of this
journey I discovered the exact site of Gomorrah, a site
810
JOURNEY IN SYEIA
visited by many pilgrims, but always mistaken until
this day. But let me not anticipate.
Our night has been excellent; and a sound sleep
has restored our ardour and our cheerfulness. Up to
this moment, everything has succeeded to our wishes,
and we must be thankful to Divine Providence for the
manifest protection which has smoothed the difficulties
of so hazardous a journey.
January loth.
This morning by dawn I have taken ample obser¬
vations of all the important points on both shores of
the Dead Sea; and, while noting down many names,
I have extracted as much information as possible
from the tribe of the Beni-Sakhar with whom we
arc dwelling.
We arc here 011 the peninsula called from earliest
antiquity, as at the present day, el-Lisan (the Tongue).
We find it mentioned in the Bible at verse 2 of the
15th chapter of Joshua, when treating of the terri¬
torial limits of the tribe of Judali : " And their south
border was from the shore of the Salt Sea, from the
Tongue" that looketh southward." It appears very
unlikely that the sacred writer should have designated
by the word Tongue (p^n), the shallow bay or
gulf forming the southern extremity of the Dead Sea;
for then that limit would necessarily have crossed or
coasted the Salt Mountain, which is nowhere asserted.
I prefer reading in that expression the modern Lison
of the Arabs, meaning the southern point of the
* In the English version, the word tongue is rendered lay; but the Hebrew
is more literally translated, according to M. do Saulcy, by the former term.—-
Translator.
AND ROUND TUB DEAD SEA.
311
peninsula. Supposing the contrary, why give two
designations to the same terminations of the sea % In
so concise a narrative, one was enough. I therefore
conclude that the inspired writer meant that the
southern limit of the territory of Judali began towards
the extremity of the Salt Sea, from the tongue of land
looking southward ; that is to say, from a point situated
opposite the peninsula. What further proves this is,
that the following verse mentions that from this point
the limit proceeds southward, towards the mountain
of Akrabim. The pass of Akrabim (or of the
Scorpions) may very well bo taken for the Ouad-ez-
Zouera, according to the opinion already expressed by
Mr. De Berton. To return from the extremity of the
Dead Sea to the Ouad-ez-Zouera, it would have been
necessary to coast the Salt Mountain going northward,
which is not mentioned. Besides, when in the fifth verse
of the same chapter the writer treats of the northern
limit of the same tribe, we read: " And the east
border was the Salt Sea even unto the end of Jordan,
and their border in the north quarter was from the
bay (tongue) of the sea at the uttermost part of Jordan."
Since, in this passage, the northern gulf is explicitly
named the tongue of the sea, I conclude that in the
former passage, where we only find the word tongue,
without the specific and precise addition of the sea, it
really meant a tongue of land;' and consequently that
the point designated is the one still called Lisan at
the present day. In verse 19 of chapter xviii., we read
* Colien, in liis commentary on the 2nd verse, chap, xv., writes : " A tongue
of land; in Chaldean, a rock." So we both agree as to the precise meaning
which should he given here to the isolated word, "tongue."
312
JOUENEY IN SYRIA
again of the same gulf under this form, the bay (tongue)
of the Salt Sea.
There was anciently a road going across the penin¬
sula; this road, the memory of which has been
handed down by tradition, was called Dharb-el-Lisan,
but it exists no more. The Bedouins who accom¬
pany us are unanimous in asserting that no ruins are
to be found in the centre of the peninsula.
Whilst I am busy taking notes and collecting
information, a tumult arises behind me in the camp ;
I run to inquire what it is, and find one of our moukris
quarrelling with one of Abou-Daoulv s Djahalins. The
Bedouin, who has been trying to pilfer something, finding
himself rudely grappled by our muleteer, has seized his
khandjar and prepares to stab him. Mohammed springs
up, interposes, and is pushed back ; he then draws his
pistol coolly and is going to shoot the Bedouin. I arrive
just in time to stop him. But all the Djahalins have
been attracted by the noise ; I apprehended they wrould
side with their compatriot, and am rather surprised, I
confess, to see them without hesitation loading him
with maledictions for having attempted to rob the
people who had taken them into pay. Not content
with that, they expel him disgracefully, pelting him
with stones. I shall never forget this scene ; stones as
large as a man's fist were hurled at the head and
shoulders of this unfortunate wretch, who, without
uttering a complaint, slowly retired and disappeared in
the thicket. To have asked pardon for him might have
been a bad example ; I therefore allowed the justice of
the Djahalins to take its course, though shuddering
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
313
with horror at the sight of such an immediate and severe
chastisement.
I saw this man 110 more ; and trust he has not perished
miserably in the Rlior! Wounded, without food, driven
from the tents of his tribe, to which he was perhaps forbid
to return, I much fear his wanderings were soon ended.
I was still under the strong emotion produced by this
sample of Arab manners, when Samet Aly and Selameh
came up, with the brother of the latter, a fine handsome
man, about thirty-five years old, and Schiekh of the
encampment where we have just passed the night, to
invite me to take coffee in the tent of the last-named
gentleman. I went with them at once, and found in a
spacious tent, furnished with mats and carpets, but
quite open to the east, a numerous company of dis¬
tinguished members of the tribe of the Beni-Sakhar.
The Scliiekhs all wore under their abayas the long-
scarlet robe, which seems a mark of supremacy. Our
cavaliers, Ilamdan and Abou-Daouk at their head, were
already collected in the tent, and I was welcomed with
every mark of politeness and civility.
After the pipes, coffee was introduced ; but what
coffee ! The liquor I was compelled to swallow under
this false name was an absolute decoction of cloves.
Of course I looked as if I thought it delicious, and the
conversation turned upon France. I was asked hundreds
of questions on the power and resources of the country,
the number of our armies, guns, cavalry, and ships.
Every moment came in the magical name of Bounabarteh,
and I had much difficulty in explaining to my hearers
the meaning of a republic ! " Why ! how ! you have
314
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
no sultan!" exclaimed they, with one voice. "Impossible!
But you cannot go 011 so ! you must have a sultan!
A country without a sultan is like a horse without a
rider, or a tribe without a scliiekh." I did not try
to persuade them that a different system might succeed
with us ; for I should have infallibly wasted, if not my
Latin, the little Arabic of which I am master.
The proverb says, " the best friends must part/' so I
took leave of my kind hosts and turned back to our
own encampment, carrying away with me numerous
living tokens of the hospitality I had been honoured
with. I verily believe that every one of the gentlemen
present at the interview, had liberally presented me with
some of the inmates of his inner dress,—acquisitions
not easily got rid of, and increasing in number as often
as we repeated our visits.
At a few minutes before nine we resumed our march,
proceeding nearly due north, but inclining a little to the
west. The entrance of the Ouad-Katzrabba is about
eight hundred yards distant, to the right of the encamp¬
ment we are just leaving. On the left begins immediately
a low jungle, extending about two hundred yards deep.
Beyond that appears the usual border of reeds lining
the shore. We are now facing the bottom of the gulf,
formed by the southern point of the peninsula of
El-Lisan or El-Mazraah, for both names are given
to it indifferently. Numerous acacias are scattered
here and there in the sandy soil of the plain, which
divides us from the foot of the mountains of Moab.
Two ravines furrow the side of the mountain nearest
to us. The first supplies issue to the Ouad-Katz-
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
815
rabba; the other lias 110 particular name tliat I can
ascertain.
A high mountain rises in the distance. By five
minutes past nine, we are opposite the highest point of
the eminence limiting the plain eastward ; and almost
immediately opens, to our right, the Ouad-el-Esal.
Beyond the bed of the torrent proceeding from this
ouad, which in the rainy season sweeps along masses of
rolled pebbles, strewing the plain, furrowed by numerous
ravines, we march over ground covered with small
jungle. This ground is bounded eastward, and at the
distance of only a few hundred yards, by low eminences
of grey sand, and westward by mounds of a whitish
colour, similar to those at Sebbeh, their chain beginning
something less than two miles to our left.
By sixteen minutes past nine we are nearly at the
foot of the sandy eminences 011 our right. These seem
to have had their sides cleft perpendicularly, and conceal
from us, at intervals, the high mountains of Moab.
By half-past nine we cross a considerable ravine, the
bed of which issues out of the eminences 011 the right,
and enter a small plain strewed with rolled pebbles and
planted with mimosas. Its level is higher than that of
the peninsula. The range of white sandy mounds
covering the peninsula draws rapidly near us, and in
ten minutes our road takes us through them, whilst we
keep 011 still marching due north.
By thirty-two minutes past nine we pass close to a
large antique cistern, square in shape, and twenty-eight
yards long on either side. The eastern face is con¬
nected with a conduit or canal, built of large stones,
316
JOURNEY IN" SYRIA
which turns off suddenly at right angles towards the
north, and is traceable to a considerable distance.
By forty-one minutes past nine the mounds divide
before us, and form a small oblong plain, three hundred
yards long by one hundred and fifty yards wide. By
forty-three minutes past nine we fall in again with the
crumbling hillocks, so frequently encountered since our
leaving Sebbeh, along both sides of the Dead Sea.
We then proceed for about three minutes north-north¬
east, and at forty-six minutes past nine we incline to
north-nortli-west, and keep this course for a consider¬
able time. Nearly five miles distant to our right is a
cluster of high mountains, forming the group of the
Djebel-Kharadjeh, or Kharazeh, according to the
different pronunciations of our Bedouins.
By forty-eight minutes past nine we cross a small
valley about sixty yards in width, filled with brambles
and mimosas. This valley is bounded towards the
north by a small water-course, fringed with many trees.
Beyond we meet again the white mounds, but now
observe on every one of them the red stains of volcanic
ejections, which we had remarked on the opposite shore,
as establishing the existence of craters.
The country through which we are now passing is
called Ardh-el-Esal (the Land of Prickly Shrubs). By
fifty-five minutes past nine we cross another ravine.
Beyond commences a plain besprinkled with pebbles
and brambles, lying between the grey mounds at the
foot of the high mountains, and those covering nearly
the whole of the peninsula. The first commence at one
hundred and fifty yards to our right, the others are
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
317
distant nearly a mile and a half. The seyals, or
mimosas, continue to display themselves in great
numbers.
By nine minutes past ten we reach the bed of a
rivulet lined with thick brambles. The mounds are
then distant two hundred yards to the right, and a
thousand yards to the left. We have altered our direc¬
tion once more, bearing now north-north-east. The
vast level we are entering is called the plain of
El-Mezraah. Ruins similar to those of En-Nemaireh
appear to our right; they are called Emthail. By
twenty minutes past ten we pass three rivulets close to
each other, running between mimosas, through grounds
which have been well cultivated. We then fall in with
other ruins on the left ; these are known to the Arabs
by the name of Kharbet-es-Saietbeli.
By twenty-six minutes past ten we are only two
hundred and fifty yards distant from the foot of an
immense perpendicular rock, commanding, on its
northern bank, a large valley that winds westward
through the high mountains. This valley is the Ouad-
el-Karak, called also the Ouad-ed-Draa, from the name
of the beautiful water-course flowing from it and ferti¬
lising the plain of El-Mezraah. Along the foot of the
cliffs are scattered other ruins named by the Arabs
Taouahin-es-Soukkar (the Sugar Mills). At this point
a large well-watered plain opens in our front, bounded
on the west by the grey mounds, and distant five or six
thousand yards : this is the Rhor-el-Mezraah.
We lose several minutes examining the ground and
crossing several rivulets, and stop at last for breakfast,
318
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
by thirty-two minutes past ten, on the banks of the
stream called Nahr-ed-Draa (the River of the Arm),
precisely opposite the spot where the Ouad-el-
Ivarak opens.
Whilst we are breakfasting, some of our Arabs
take advantage of the opportunity to indulge in a bath.
The}'- strip and plunge into the stream; but, as the
stream is our only decanter, we request our friends to
have the goodness to perform their ablutions a little
lower down,—a request that seems greatly to surprise
them. They think us absurdly fastidious and delicate ;
but they comply, and we require no more.
After our temperate repast we explore the ground
we have halted on, and obtain an ample collection of
insects, and some pretty little flowering plants. We
would willingly remain much longer, but our Scheikhs,
who have no great taste for botany, urge us so anxiously
to resume our march, that we mount again by thirty-
nine minutes past eleven.
Yesterday's heat was nothing compared with that of
to-day, and the July sun in France is seldom as fierce
as that, the rays of which are scorching us here on
the fifteenth of January. We march north-north-west
through continued ruins. Twelve hundred yards distant
to our right the white hillocks appear again, com¬
manded by the summits of the I)jebel-Adjerrah ; these
last appear to be nearly nine miles distant from our road.
At forty-eight minutes past eleven we are proceeding
exactly north-west, and still through ruins. By fifty-six
minutes past eleven, after having resumed our former
course, and gone through cultivated grounds with
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
319
stubbles of Doura still standing in them, we cross a
running stream, similar to the one near which we halted
this morning, and bearing the same name, Ed-Draa.
This appears to be a second branch of the stream flowing
from the Ouad-el-Karak, and carrying fertility through¬
out the llhor-el-Mezaah. This stream, before we cross
it, runs for some time parallel to our route, viz., in a
north-north-westerly direction ; then, beyond the ford,
it turns westward to reach the sea. On the opposite
bank a plain opens, strewed with rolled pebbles, and
tolerably well planted with trees. The mimosas and
Areqs show themselves again amongst thickets and dense
brambles : this kind of woody region extends about
two thousand yards to our right.
During the next quarter of an hour we fall in with
other rivulets running from east to west. Since mid¬
day we are marching in a close jungle, like that of the
Rhor-Safieh, and in which the Asclepia procera appears
again in great profusion. Another wooded plain is
pointed out to the north, nearly two miles distant, and
called El-IIadits. Our Arabs, who hold the llliaouarnas
of El-Mezraali in great contempt, tell me that we arc
in the Iili or of the Beni-Oqba,—in their opinion a much
nobler tribe than that of the miserable Bedouins, half
fellahs, who dwell in this place, Heaven only can tell
how! In their eyes, all who do not live a wandering
life arc low and miserable wretches.
By a quarter-past twelve, after having crossed the
last-mentioned rivulet, be}Tond which the ground is
riddled with holes and gaps, such as arc usually found
where temporary fortifications have been erected, we
320
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
come up to a kind of village, composed of tents and
huts of mud and boughs : this is the permanent station
El~Mezraah, where dwell, throughout the year, the
Arabs of the poor tribe of Rhaouarna. Here we alight,
and our tents are hastily pitched ; the sun is insuf¬
ferably oppressive, and we hope for shelter under
our ordinary canvass roof. But we are scarcely able
to remain within. We gasp for breath, and, to exercise
our usual avocations, are obliged to throw aside our
clothes. In a few minutes we are invaded by our new
hosts. These are accomplished thieves, and their con¬
stant attempts at larceny produce continual quarrels
and misunderstandings. I feel little inclined to leave
the tent, but our companions proceed to shoot some
turtle-doves in the immediate neighbourhood. I have
advised them not to venture far, for fear of accidents,
as I have 110 great confidence in our position.
A sort of Scheikh in rags proves a convenient ally,
by driving away from time to time, with a stout cudgel,
the rascals who keep perpetually gliding in amongst us
in search of any plunder they can lay their hands 011.
Violent and continued disputes ensue. First, leathern
girths and holsters are carried off from our saddles ;
then poultry, bread, tobacco, and even the provision of dry
wood which our Arabs have brought for the kitchen and
bivouac fires. All this bodes some gathering mischief,
and I look with anxiety on the probable consequences.
My companions soon return, dissatisfied and dis¬
appointed. I mention my apprehensions, and warn
them to see that their arms are in good order, and to
be on the alert in case of any nocturnal alarm.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
Night has closed in, and all remains perfectly calm.
The intruders have retired to their huts, and some who
had obstinately installed themselves in our kitchen are
expelled without ceremony. Dinner is at last an¬
nounced, and all do honour to the meal with their
accustomed appetite.
Towards eight o'clock we are all at work, dreaming
of no interruption, when suddenly a tremendous noise
bursts out in all directions. Each of us lays down his
pen to listen. At that moment Ahouad rushes in
with flashing eyes, crying loudly, "Ya sidy, khod el
baroudy!" (" My lord, take your gun.") I needed no
second warning. All our friends understand him, and
scarcely require the word " to arms ! " which I repeat
whilst snatching up my own weapon. In less time
than I take to relate it, we are all in front of the tent.
At this moment the tumult would have drowned the
noise of thunder. Amidst clouds of dust, under the
finest moonlight in the world, the men are shouting,
the dogs yelling louder than the men, and the women
screaming their horrid howl, still louder than the dogs,
lou-lou-lou-lou, which they send forth when they are
either sad or joyful, and also as a war-cry to stimulate
the martial ardour of their husbands. It is plain we
are attacked : by whom, and with what object 1 We
know not exactly, but we may guess. The Rhaouarnas
are tired of robbing us in detail, and have made up
their minds to summary proceedings and a general
massacre.
Our position is critical. If vanquished, wre are lost;
at any hazard wre must struggle for a decisive victory.
VOL. I. Y
3:22
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
Mohammed and some of our Thaameras are near us ;
Mohammed remains calm and collected ; the Arabs are
in a fever of excitement; matchlocks, yataghans, and
khandjars are handled convulsively, waiting for the
moment to strike through thick and thin. Our moukris
themselves feel there is 110 hope but in the defeat of
our enemies, and each has grasped at anything within
reach, in the shape of a weapon. One of them, named
Beitouny, an honest fellow who does nothing but sleep
and laugh, and who up to this moment has evinced no
capabilities for anything else, brandishes something-
like the trunk of a tree, with which he is ready to
knock down at a blow ten of these rascally Khaouarnas.
The Nubian, Selim, of whom I have already spoken
more than once, does not at all approve of the decided
attitude of our moukris. He thinks it may inflame,
even more highly, the anger of the assailants, and tries
to persuade Beitouny to keep quiet. He even endeavours
to disarm him of his club ; but Scliariar having elected
himself commander-in-chief of the moukris, is standing
bravely at their head with a drawn sword in his hand,
and with a hearty cuff sends poor Selim staggering off
to the distance of at least ten paces.
The noise increases; from time to time we descry,
through the dust, a horseman gesticulating like a
demon. Our friends are in the saddle, and have
commenced operations.
Whilst they are tilting vigorously against the Rhaou-
arnas, I draw up our forces on a single line, a few paces
distant from each other, so as to allow perfect freedom
to all their motions, and I recommend, more strenuously
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA. 323
than ever, prudence and self-possession. I forbid them
to fire a single shot until I set the example; and we wait
our turn to join in the dance. Edward is my left-hand
man. We shake hands as I whisper to him that our
position seems desperate, and we must be prepared to
sell our lives as dearly as we can. "Be content," is the
answer of the brave lad, " I shall die as I ought."
In a few minutes, however, the yells decrease, then
cease suddenly ; the dust evaporates, and all our Arabs,
one after the other, range themselves round us. None
are missing, but their swords are red with blood, and
it is pretty clear they have not been in idle hands.
The brother of Selameh, the same who had offered me
coffee in the morning, is the most excited of the party.
He takes me by the hand and says, smiling—" All is
over, now ; a few good sabre cuts have settled the
business. Fear nothing, thou art our friend, and we
are here to defend thee." Abou-Daouk comes in last :
he laughs louder than ever as he returns his sword to the
scabbard. Hamdan, if possible, laughs less than usual.
" What is all this about \ " I inquire. " What has
happened ? " Abou-Daouk explains. Two emissaries
from the tribe of Beni-Oqba have come to claim, with
offensive hauteur, the right to protect us, which means,
of course, to give another squeeze to our money bags.
They have had the impudence to announce that, if their
demands are not complied with, they will prevent
us from passing through their territory. Our friends
answered that we would ride over them, sword in hand ;
and thereupon, kicked out the ambassadors, with a few
supplementary cuts across the face.
T 2
324
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
We thought it rather odd that a battle where the
hostile army numbered only two men, should have occa¬
sioned such a dreadful clatter, and that Aliouad 011 so
paltry an alarm should have shouted to us all to prepare
for action. We had good reason to be astonished, for the
whole story told by Abou-Daouk proved to be a fable,
and nothing else. It was not until some time after that
we learned the truth. The fact was, the entire tribe of
the Iihaouarnas had conspired to plunder our camp ; but
our friends were vigilant, and the few hundreds of badly
armed banditti, who had hoped to meet with little or no
resistance from a handful of wearied travellers, had
been so rudely received with sword and lance, that they
had deemed it more prudent to give way and abandon
their benevolent design. Besides, they knew that by
persevering, they would ultimately bring down upon
them the whole tribe of the Beni-Sakhars, which would
surely end in the extermination of their miserable
village. Accordingly, as soon as the most daring had
been disposed of, the remainder fled in all directions ;
the wounded to bathe and bind up their cuts and bruises,
the others to lie down in their tents and look as inno¬
cent and unconcerned as if they had in 110 manner been
mixed up with the skirmish.
As soon as quiet is restored again, our friends are
laughing and chatting merrily round the fires, whilst
not a sound is heard in the direction of the village. We
visit the bivouacs, thanking our Arabs, who look quite
delighted at the opportunity of proving their fidelity.
As we think, however, that it is wiser still to depend
upon ourselves, we decide to mount guard by turns.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
325
Soon the sentry on duty is tlie only man awake; the
others sleep within reach of their weapons, as calmly as
if nothing extraordinary had happened. Our vigilance
proved superfluous, for the night, enlivened by a brilliant
moon, was disturbed no more by any untoward incident.
January 16th.
When we rise this morning, the skirmish of last night
appears to be forgotten ; the Rhaouarnas are much less
numerous round our camp, and those who venture in,
have become polite and obliging. They contrive to
extort from us now, by dint of beggary, some tobacco,
but nothing more. The ragged Scheikh, who thrashed
his subjects yesterday with such good-will, is the only
one who comes to chat with us, and as every labourer
deserves his reward, we present him with twenty piastres.
The rate is less than a halfpenny a blow, and this is the
first time that we have traded in Bedouin merchandise
on such fair conditions.
We are anxious to get off, but as we still give credit
to Abou-Daouk's invention concerning the Beni-Oqbas,
we suspect an ambuscade from the tribe whose pre¬
tensions have been, so haughtily rejected, and we
prepare accordingly. Papigny especially excites our
mirth, as he arranges as many cartridges as he can,
within reach of his hand. " Laugh, laugh," says he,
" but you don't know these rascals ; there's always a
nest of them in every bush, and you'll hear the balls
whistle sooner than you may like."
Luckily the Beni-Oqbas thought lightly of the blows
they had received, and Papigny's prophecy, though a
wise one, was not realised.
326
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
By six minutes past eiglit we were all in tlie saddle,
taking short leave of the hosts who had received us
with such hospitality. We marched at first through
the copse of Asclepias and Areqs in a north-north-
easterly direction. The sea-sliore is there four hundred
yards to our left, where it forms a small gulf. From ten
to twenty-five minutes past eight we turn east-north¬
east ; from sixteen to twenty-three minutes past eight
the thicket becomes very dense ; we then emerge from
it upon a beach covered with brambles, only two hundred
yards wide between us and the shore. By twenty-five
minutes past eight we cross a muddy ravine, beyond
which is a small sandy plain saturated with water.
Shortly afterwards we enter again the thicket of
Areq trees.
By thirty-three minutes past eight the road begins to
ascend ; and by forty-three minutes past eight we wind
along a ravine bounded by a wall, which turns off at
right angles to our left, winding by the right around a
hillock, the summit of which, two hundred yards distant
from us, is surmounted by the ruins of a tower. On
this side of the wall are heaps of rubbish similar to
those of En-Nemaireh. By forty-five minutes past
eight we cross another wall, and have 011 our right
another hillock, upon which appear the ruins of two
square buildings. These ruins are named Kharbet-abd-
er-Hahim. The heaps of rubbish are numerous through¬
out the whole extent of ground over which we are
marching, and also upon the eminence around the two
square enclosures.
By forty-six minutes past eight, we enter a large
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
327
ravine abundantly grown over with reeds and willows
(,Salici' Babylonicd), through which runs a river, named
»Seil-Ouad-ebni-Hammid (the Torrent of the Ouad-ebni-
Iiammid). Ten minutes are required to ford this
stream, after having followed its bed for some time ;
and by fifty-eight minutes past eight we reach the
other bank. We then enter a valley shut in between
perpendicular rocks. This is the Ouad-el-Djerrah or
Adjerrah. I was unable to make out the exact ortho¬
graphy of this word, though from what I recollect of
the sound, I prefer the last form.
Before starting, we had held a council with the
Scheikhs of our escort, for the purpose of selecting the
route we were to follow throughout the day. They
told us that it was practicable enough to push 011 as
far as the bank of the Ouad-el-Moudjeb, meaning the
Arnon; but that we should not be able to ford that
river ; and besides, were we to succeed, we should find
beyond it a beach so narrow as to be impassable ; and
finally, the Jordan, too much swollen to cross at this
season of the year. These sound reasons concurring
with our desire to visit the Land of Moab, determined
us to proceed to the high country, and to enter the
Moabitic mountains by the Ouad-Adjerrah.
I know not whether the assertion of our Scheikhs can
be thoroughly depended on ; all that I can affirm is,
that looking from a distance towards the points where
the Ouad-el-Moudjeb and the Ouad-Zerka-Mayn termi¬
nate, the mountains seem to dip into the Dead Sea,
without any intermediate beach ; all green vegetation
ceasing beyond the wooded plain which I have already
328
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
spoken of, and which is named El-Hadits. In other
respects there would have been 110 difficulty in reaching
the southern bank of the Ouad-el-Moudjeb ; and from
El-Mezraah, a march of two hours at the utmost would
have been enough to take us there.
The Ouad-Adjerrah, at the place where we have
entered it, opens directly eastward, and we begin our
ascent immediately, following all its windings. Our
road is merely a ravine, choked with gravel ; that is
to say, the bed of an actual torrent, on the right and
left of which appear rather high eminences. By five
minutes past nine we march east-south-east, to resume,
a few minutes later, our course due east.
We keep advancing across lofty eminences, reaching
their crest by nine minutes past nine. We are then
between four and five miles distant from a high
mountain, the brown rocks of which are split as if
they had been rent by fire. To our left is an elevated
plain overspread with white mounds, and inclining
towards the Dead Sea, Before us is an abrupt valley,
one hundred yards deep, at the least, and two hundred
yards wide, turning towards the east-north-east. This
is called the Ouad-ebni-Hammid.
By sixteen minutes past nine, we find on our road a
ruined tower, at the precise spot where the road makes
a sudden elbow towards the south to wind round the
basis of a pointed cliff of brown, rent rock. By twenty-
two minutes past nine we cross the ruins of an ancient
wall, beyond which begin to appear the continued
vestiges of a paved road, flanked right and left upon
all the neighbouring eminences with ruins of towers
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
329
and structures, intended, evidently as defensive fortifica¬
tions to protect the country to which this road gave
access. I have no doubt that the Roman way leading
from Jerusalem to Areopolis passed by the Ouad-ebni-
Hammid, which was occupied by military stations
throughout its whole extent.
At half-past nine we are still marching eastward, and
we wind along, at the distance of only fifteen yards,
the needle-shaped, rent sides of a dark-coloured rock.
Right and left appear incessantly the ruins of defen¬
sive posts or towers, which formerly intercepted the
passage, connected frequently by walls. By thirty-seven
minutes past nine we come to a small eminence, two
hundred yards in extent, at the entrance of which, to
the left of the road, appears the foundation of a large
round tower, called El-Bordj. On the eminence and
behind a wall that borders the road, are the ruins of
six towers, four of which are disposed in a straight line
parallel to the wall, and the two others at about eighty
yards behind.
Beyond this eminence, upon which we halt a quarter
of an hour to allow the entire caravan to come up, there
commences a descent which is again a fragment of an
ancient road. At fifty-six minutes past eight we leave
the eminence to descend into the bed of a torrent, ten
yards wide at the utmost, along the bottom of which
we proceed, at first east-north-east, then east. After a
defile between perpendicular rocks, which we have gone
through by three minutes past ten, we enter upon
another flat eminence dotted with mounds, and
commanded right and left by large hillocks, strewed, as
330
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
well as the eminence itself, with numerous heaps of
rubbish.
By seven minutes past ten we are in front of a ruined
tower, situated on our left. By a quarter-past ten, pro¬
ceeding north-east, we cross a stony eminence extend¬
ing to the right up to the foot of a low hill. To our
left is a hillock covered with rubbish, after which
rises the Djebel-Adjerrah, a high mountain with its
sides sprinkled over with those volcanic ejections we
have already so often mentioned. By seventeen
minutes past ten we descend into another ravine, the
entrance of which is flanked right and left by two
round towers in ruins, and we keep following from this
moment the bed of the torrent.
By nineteen minutes past ten we march north-north-
west; and five minutes later, almost due north. We
have then, to the right, high stony hillocks, and a large
round tower in ruins interrupts the course of the ravine.
By twenty-nine minutes past ten our course is again
eastward, and we keep moving in this direction until
thirty-five minutes past ten, when we turn to the left
with the ravine, which along this elbow is bounded
by perpendicular rocks ; and then again we almost
immediately resume our easterly direction. By forty
minutes past ten we are in front of another military
post, consisting of a square tower in ruins.
We now leave the bed of the torrent, to wind along
its bank. High, rounded hills appear to our right. By
forty-four minutes past ten we fall in again with the
traces of the ancient road ; they are commanded by
the ruins of a tower on the right. We then cross the
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
331
ravine we have just left, and which inclines eastward
towards a high mountain, the base of which is only
three hundred yards distant from our route. Once
over the ravine, the road ascends by a few zig-zags up
an eminence, the crest of which we gain by forty-nine
minutes past ten. Here are some Arab tombs, formed
simply of piles of stones. We coast along the flank
of a deep ouad sixty yards wide, our direction being-
then easterly.
By fifty-one minutes past ten we find fresh vestiges
of the ancient road. We are then marching north¬
east, and still on the left bank of the ouad, into which
another water-course precipitates itself from the west.
A range of high hills, connected with the mountain I
have just mentioned, ends here in high rounded cliffs.
The ouad has become the bed of a formidable torrent,
and the old road appears again. We then descend into
the bed of the torrent, which inclines eastward, and is
bounded on the left by perpendicular rocks. At eleven
o'clock we halt under the rocks to take our morning's
meal.
As we are anxious now to get over the ground as fast
as possible, we resume our march by twenty-five
minutes past eleven. The direction of the torrent we
are following is at first south-east, but it soon turns due
east again. By thirty-one minutes past eleven Ave
ascend the left bank, where we once more meet the
ancient road. The other bank is formed of high ridges.
Four minutes later we are down again into the ouad,
where we cross the opening of another ravine running
into it, exactly from north to south. We then pass
332
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
along a small green plain commanded by high ridges.
The valley along which we are marching is not deep,
but covered with stones. To our left, at a distance of
forty yards at the utmost, commences a series of hillocks
and grey mounds.
By fifty-two minutes past eleven the hills open to the
right, forming in the interval a moderate-sized valley,
at the further end of which we descry a steep high
cliff commanding the hills on either side. By fifty-
seven minutes past eleven, our route, which had been
until then due east, inclines by almost insensible degrees
to the north. Just then we are passing to the left
some calcined rocks, which are succeeded almost
immediately by a small eminence covered with large
stones. To the right, and about one hundred yards off,
is a range of high hills, through which we are to pass
by a stony ravine, running east-north-east. By nine
minutes past twelve the remains of the old road appear
again, passing between two square structures completely
in ruins.
By fifteen minutes past twelvre we are at the lowest
point of the ravine, and the paved road still continues
in broken fragments. We march then north-east, in a
narrow pass, bounded on the left by calcined rocks, and
full of stones. By twenty-one minutes past twelve we
ascend a hill immediately before us, with abrupt ravines
on each side. The old road, the traces of which it is
impossible to mistake, accompanies us still.
We encounter now a drove of camels, attended by
Bedouins, who are riding very comfortably, whilst their
wives follow on foot. The new comers are perfectly
ANI) ROUND THE DEAD SEA. .°>33
inoffensive, and exchange the salam-alcilmnn, the usual
greeting of the desert.
By twenty-eight minutes past twelve we have to our
right the ruin of a square tower, close to which is a
deep well, shaped like a funnel pipe, called Bir-el-
Hafayeh. We reach this well by thirty-two minutes
past twelve. Two hundred yards further on is another
well of the same shape, and bearing the same name.
Before us, and at something less than two miles distance,
is a range of high mountains, called the Djebel-en-
Nouehin (or Nouehid), forming the upper ridge of the
eastern shore of the Dead Sea, and from the level of
which commences the vast plain of Moab. As we are
told that in this elevated region we shall find neither
springs nor wells, we are obliged to take in a supply
of water at the Bir-el-Hafayeh, with which our moukris
proceed to fill our barrels and goat-skins. This
operation, on account of the depth of the well, occupies
more time than we could desire.
We have clambered up a small eminence situated
just above the two wells; and there, to divert our
patience while waiting for the start of the caravan,
we look for insects under the stones lying amongst
the mallows that cover the ground. At thirty-eight
minutes past one, we are allowed to resume our march.
During this halt, Hamdan, Abou-Daouk, and the other
Scheikhs, with the exception of Samet-Aly, have left
us to feast in a neighbouring encampment of the Beni-
Hammids. When we resume our march, we feel
rather angry at this desertion, not being acquainted
with the dispositions of the country we are in. The
334
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
scene of last night is still fresh in our memories, and
Ave expect every moment to find ourselves opposed by
the Beni-Oqba, so rudely treated and expelled from
our encampment. From this it will appear that we
are not incorrectly informed as to the Rhaouarnas, to
whom we were in fact indebted for the honour of
the nocturnal attack.
But we cannot stop where we are ; we therefore
slowly ascend the side of a steep hill, following still
the windings of the old road, which is here in such
good preservation that it may be used for travelling
without any inconvenience. At forty-seven minutes
past one we reach a ruined tower and a level eminence,
commanded to our right by a lofty mountain. Our
direction is again eastward. After having crossed this
platform, we commence another ascent at fifty-five
minutes past one. We now turn our backs upon the
direction we have hitherto been following, and at two
precisely reach a second eminence, 011 which we still
find the traces of the ancient road we have been
following all day.
We now march due south through heaps of rubbish,
strewing the ground before us, as also the side of the
hill on our left. Fifteen yards to our right is a large
hillock covered with ruins, called the Kharbet-el-
Hafayeh. Evidently, a town has once existed here.
Passing the source of a ravine which widens and sinks
rapidly towards the west, we proceed along a fine
green level covered with ruins. At first, an Arab
burying-ground marked by heaps of stones; then,
along the base of the perpendicular mountain 011 our
AND BOUND THE DEAD SEA.
335
left, many buttresses built of large unhewn stones ; to
our right, the open area is not more than one hundred
and fifty yards wide, and eighty long ; to our left,
the ruins appear everywhere.
Finally, by twenty-six minutes past two, we halt at
the base of a chalky hillock, against which our tents
are pitched. A strong sharp wind is blowing, and the
contrast between the temperature of yesterday and
to-day is anything but pleasant. Fortunately, the
hillock, at the foot of which we have established our¬
selves, affords some shelter against the piercing blasts
by which we arc chilled.
Once fixed in our new halting-place, we begin our
usual hunt for plants and insects. We are, however,
still uneasy at the absence of our Scheikhs and escort,
an absence we are at a loss to explain. Our inquietude
increases painfully, when we observe several Bedouins,
with faces perfectly unknown to us, approach and
station themselves without ceremony at our tent door.
Whence come these polite visitants ? And is the
ground we are encamped upon likely to favour us
with more of the same quality \ Here are two very
natural questions, to which we would gladly obtain
satisfactory answers. The first question is answered
almost immediately. Loysel—who has clambered, gun
in hand, to the top of the chalky mound forming the
back of our encampment, with the hope of finding the
imaginary game he is so constantly dreaming of—
encounters unexpectedly more game than he expected.
He has discovered, a few hundred yards southward
of us, in a hollow of the Ouad-ebni-Hammid, a con-
journey in syrta
siderable nest of small black tents, occupied by the
population, of which we have already seen some
samples. How are we to deal with them 1 Were
we to anathematize our false Scheikhs who have
deserted us, we should gain no end. Besides, Scheikh
Samet-Aly looks so confident, that evidently he has
not the slightest fear of a collision with our neighbours.
Such being the case, we follow his example, appear
equally unconcerned, and acknowledge cheerfully the
visit with which these gentlemen have been pleased
to favour us.
Better still! We begin trading with them, and
purchase sheep for our dinner, which at once establishes
the most cordial understanding. We now resume our
business as naturalists and antiquaries, and discover,
in all directions round our tent, remains of levelled
walls constructed from blocks of lava.
As night approaches, the stranger Bedouins, observing
me and my companions arranging our plants and
insects, put many questions to us with eager curiosity,
touching these strange operations. I answer them
rather audaciously that I am a hakim (a physician) in
quest of new remedies, and that I am studying all the
marvels of the creations of Allah. I thus astound their
ears with the exact title of an Arabian manuscript
which I had formerly in my possession (Adjaib-
Makhloukat-Allah), and produce the expected effect.
We are now looked upon as learned sages, and we
may make our minds quite easy; but let us beware
of cabinet councils, which are sure to follow.
The ruins amongst which we arc encamped had
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
337
been previously pointed out to me under the name of
Kharbet-el-Hafayeh; but I must observe that our
new acquaintances call them indifferently by this
appellation or by that of Kharbet-Adjerrah, or el-
Djerrah, which we have also found assigned to the
other ruins encountered by us throughout the day.
Beyond all doubt we are 011 the flank of the Djebel-
Adjerrah; as all the Bedouins are agreed 011 that
point. Is it possible to ascertain what ancient locality
is concealed under this name of Adjerrah 1 I know
not that I have succeeded; but yet I venture to
state the hypothesis suggested to me by a peculiar
resemblance as to names.
We read in Josephus,* that amongst the twelve towns
taken from the Arabs by Alexander Janmeus, father
of Ilyrcanus, were Agalla, Medeba, and Horonaim.
Now Medeba and Horonaim f were positively towns
of the Moabites, according to the testimony of Isaiah
and Jeremiah ; Agalla would then, or rather must
then, have been also a Moabitic station. But between
Agalla and Adjerrah the difference is so small, that
I think it very allowable to identify the ruins of the
Agalla of Joseplius with the Adjerrah of the Arabs
of the present day. Let us observe besides that the
prophet Isaiah, when speaking of the ruin of Moab, J
says : " For the cry is gone round about the borders
of Moab ; the howling thereof unto Eglaim," &c. We
must therefore consider that Eglaim was towards the
frontiers of Moab. Iceland has already expressed the
* Ant. JuJ. xiv. 1—4.
vol. 1.
f Isaiah, xv. 2—5; Jeremiah, xlviii. 2, 3, 5.
X Isaiah, xv. 8.
z
338
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
opinion that this Eglaim (Adjelim) must have been the
Agalla of Josephus, and I have 110 hesitation in
adopting his conclusion. It is true that Eusebius places
Agallim (AyaAAei/x), which is evidently the same place,
to the southward, and at a distance of eight Roman
miles from Areopolis (Rabbath-Moab) ; and this double
indication applies to the ruins of Adjerrah only as
regards the distance ; for the ruins of Adjerrah, whether
you take them at the bottom or at the top of the Ouad-
Adjerrah, are nearly due west of Areopolis. But I
nevertheless persist in looking for the Eglaim of
Scripture and the AyaXXa of Josephus, in the Adjerrah
of the Arabs, because the AyaAAe/^ of Eusebius, placed
by him southward of Areopolis, could not have been
on the frontier of the Moabitic country, as it ought
to be according to the text of Isaiah.
Night has almost closed in, when Samet-Aly announces
the approach of Hamdan, whom he descries through the
darkness from a prodigious distance. The two senses
of hearing and seeing are sharpened amongst Bedouins,
in a manner passing the belief of Europeans, who
generally require glasses to distinguish objects even
within a few paces.
Hamdan is accompanied, on his return, by all our
little army, whose desertion had caused us so much
uneasiness. The explanation of the riddle is speedily
given by the Scheikh of the Thaameras. The Beni-
Hammids, on whose territory we are now arrived, a
few years since were saved from total ruin by the
generosity of Ilamdan and his tribe. They are, in
consequence, devoted to him body and soul; and we
AND BOUND THE DEAD SEA.
339
are as safe with them as if we were in the territory of
our own faithful Scheikh. The benefactors had gone to
feast with those tliey had delivered, in the encampments
of the Beni-Hammids ; and thus the allurement of an
accidental dinner had caused the temporary desertion
of our entire escort. The Arabs of the neighbouring
village bestow on Ilamdan a thousand caresses ; they
also are Beni-Hammids, and we may rest satisfied that
at present we are quite free from danger or alarm.
The wind rises and becomes still sharper. We hasten
to finish our day's work, and seek shelter under our
Turkish blankets, from the bitter cold that chills us to
the very bones. Everything is still and quiet around
us, and we enjoy our sleep in perfect peace.
January 17 th.
By a few minutes past eight we are on horseback,
our tents packed up, our mules loaded, and we are
impatient to resume our march. Though the sun is clear
and dazzling, a chilling wind blows with great violence,
and, as it increases every moment, we feel benumbed
whilst sitting inactive on our chargers. At last, by a
quarter-past eight, we leave the spot where we have
passed the night.
This morning, before starting, I took another ramble
towards the summit of the chalky hillock against which
our camp was pitched ; and, lying against the northern
flank of this eminence, I recognised the foundations of
a small square structure, built with blocks of lava. Close
to it lies the broken fragment of a column, also of lava,
but of small dimensions.
To-day we expect to cross the last range of hills still
z 2
•310
JOURNEY IX SYEIA
dividing us from the high level of the land of Moab, and
hope to encamp at Schihan. At starting we march due
south ; to our left, not more than ten yards distant,
commences the steep we have to climb ; one hundred
and fifty yards to our right, begin the declivities of the
Ouad-ebni-Hammid, on which we discover, quite close
to us, the encampment of Bedouins, some of whose
inhabitants paid us yesterday the honour of a visit.
The mountain we have to climb is the Djebel-en-
Nouehin. At two hundred yards from our starting-
point we are on its flank, shaping our course due east.
This is literally an escalade ; the road, if such it can be
called, is scarcely fit for goats, and strewed at every
step with blocks of lava, roughly squared, remains of
ancient structures erected on the upper platform. Just as
we reach this eminence by half-past eight, we pass over
a ruined wall, built of blocks similar to those we find in
such abundance on the ascent. They have evidently
fallen off from the wall and rolled down 011 the path.
Beyond the wall our course at first lies nortli-north-east;
the declivity of the valley we have just passed is then
to our left, and the crest of this encampment is crowned
by the foundations of three towers, built also with
blocks of lava. Before us appears a mass of scattered
ruins, covering the remainder of the ascent. The
Bedouins call them Kharbat-Sarfah ; but, as I have said
already, the mountain is named Djebel-en-Noueliin.
By forty-two minutes past eight, after some windings
amongst the ruins, we reach the high level of the land of
Moab. We are marching due cast, in a line parallel to
the direction of Ouad-ebni-Hammid, which is scarcely
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
3U
one hundred and fifty yards distant to our right. The
upper ledge of this ouad is literally covered throughout
with ruined walls, undoubtedly the remains of a very
considerable town. The sombre hue of these construc¬
tions is most striking, the only materials being dark
blocks of lava, roughly squared, and bearing a marked
resemblance to cyclopean edifices.
From time to time our road passes over fallen walls ;
but what appears to us most astonishing is a long alley,
formed of two lines of blocks of lava, planted in the
earth, at a distance of about a yard from each other,
reminding us of the Celtic avenues of Carnac. Here
the width of the avenue does not exceed four yards.
Consequently this alley marks the track of an ancient
road ; and, accordingly, our present path follows the
same direction. Where their fathers travelled, the
Bedouins travel also, and will continue so to do for ever.
We are certainly moving on a road constructed by the
ancient Moabites.
By forty-seven minutes past eight we have entered
on the avenue ; by fifty-one minutes past eight, a long
wall intercepts perpendicularly the left-hand line.
A hundred yards further 011, a very large enclosure,
narrowing at one of its extremities, rests against the
same side of the road ; then follows a long wall ending
in a mass of ruins, indicating the former existence of a
structure of some kind. At the point where we have
arrived by fifty-five minutes past eight, Ave observe to
our left the opening of a large deep valley, called the
Ouad-es-Cheqiq (the Arabs here pronounce this name
Es-Cheguig). The crest of the Ouad-ebni-Hammid is
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
protected by a wall approaching to within twenty yards
of the path we are following.
Henceforward I give up particularising all the ruined
walls we constantly encounter in our journey ; the
repetition would be endless. For the future I shall
merely name collected heaps, describing more minutely
those which appear the most remarkable.
By nine o'clock we notice, about forty yards to our
left, a considerable ruin. Fifteen yards to our right
passes the wall crowning the ledge of the Ouad-ebni-
Hammid, and we now enter upon cultivated grounds.
On our right is a well called Bir-Sarfah, and a little
further 011 to the left a square cistern, excavated in the
rock. Lastly, a hundred paces further on, we halt
before a curious building, the structure of which we are
anxious to examine. This building is surrounded by
Avails about four feet and a half thick. It is easy to
discover that, at a comparatively recent period, additions
have been made to a much older edifice, strongly
contrasting in character with the original portions.
This building is open to the north, through a square
door, the uprights, lintel, and sill of which are made of
blocks of lava. You enter into what was formerly a
hall, fifteen yards long by twelve in width. This hall
is filled with ruined fragments. To the left, and seven
yards from the outward face, is a partition wall, forming
the entrance to a nave eighteen yards long, and present¬
ing, at regular intervals of three yards, pointed arches,
having only their mouldings left. The right-hand wall
of this nave rests upon an elbow of the original enclo¬
sure, which, at the same time it prolongs, jutting out
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
3 -43
ten yards in front of the southern face. And lastly, to
the left of the principal entrance, a small building, of
four square yards in extent, encumbered with stones,
rests upon the front wall. The entrance to this, adjacent
to that of the principal edifice, is also through a pointed
arch.
Only a few paces in front of this singular construction
are three or four Arab tombs, of a very peculiar style.
Instead of the usual simple heap of stones covering the
grave, we observe here oblong mounds, which seem to
have been lately thrown up, and upon which are laid
implements of husbandry, probably belonging to the
departed. On each side of these funereal mounds,
stakes are fixed, connected one with the other by a
string. To the strings were attached numerous tufts of
human hair, both male and female. These symbols of
regret deposited upon the tombs, excited within mo a
deep emotion ; are they Mahommedans who have thus
commemorated their departed friends \ I doubt it very
much. There are Christian Arabs in this country, and
perhaps to them we must attribute this touching custom
of offering to the dead the tokens of remembrance which
European civilisation confines to the living.
What has this building been, which I have just
described 1 Most probably a sacred enclosure. Upon
the site of some Moabitic temple, a Roman place of
worship may have risen from the same foundations ;
subsequently, a Christian church, the nave ornamented
with five Gothic arches ; and later still, a small Mussul¬
man oualy, resting against the exterior wall. These
speculations may be erroneous, but they are feasible and
344
JOUKNEY IN SYRIA
connected. I examined this strange ruin carefully, and
sketched an accurate plan.
By nineteen minutes past nine we leave this place
and resume our march, proceeding south-east. We pass
a wall built as usual with blocks of lava, stretching
perpendicularly across our road, and edging on our right
the brink of the ouad. Above five hundred yards from
the ruin I have just described, a circular elevation, of no
great height, presents itself before us. It seems
artificial, and entirely covered with the remains of half-
buried houses. A town has formerly stood here. These
ruins are called, by the Arabs, Kharbet-Sarfah.
By thirty-two minutes past nine we leave the mound
of Sarfah. At the spot where we clear the ruins, a wall,
still in tolerable preservation, and built with blocks of
lava, turns inwards to our left, most likely to connect
the other wall we have lately passed, forming the crown
work of the upper level of the Ouad-ebni-Hammid.
Here stood, in all probability, the gate of the ancient
city, for the track we are following passes between two
uninterrupted lines of lava blocks, forming one of those
strange avenues which bounded most unquestionably the
high roads leading through the plains of Moab. This
avenue, from the starting point at Kharbet-Sarfah, is in
a north-easterly direction, and we follow it until forty-
one minutes past nine, a distance of one thousand yards,
and all along through cultivated fields.
By thirty-five minutes past nine we have passed, to
our left, and about four hundred yards distant from the
avenue of stones along which we are marching, a rising
ground, some five or six yards high above the level of
AND ROUND TIIE DEAD SEA.
345
the plain, and covered with ruins. The Arabs call this
lledjom-el-Mahfour (the hollowed mound). I was
unable to examine it, as the strange features of our road
absorb my whole attention.
At forty-one minutes past nine the ground rises
insensibly, and we leave the avenue of stones to enter
again amongst the ruins. These consist now of founda¬
tions of walls of great length, crossing each other in
every direction, but some forming the exact continuation
of the avenue of stones. They are called Kharbet-Emraah,
are nearly one thousand yards in extent, and ten o'clock
has arrived before we clear them. Our route, since we
have left Sarfah, has been constantly in a north¬
easterly direction. The Ouad-ebni-Hammid is two miles
and a quarter to our right.
The ruins now commence again, and are marked by
the peculiar name of Itedjom-el-IIammah, (the mound
of the baths, or of the warm spring X) On our right,
more ruins of immense extent, and to our left, about
one hundred and fifty yards distant, another mass called
Hcdjom-en-Nousali (I am not quite sure of this last
name). Other remains of avenues of stones appear
again, and our course is now towards a ravine, sheltered
by a plateau two hundred yards in length, crowned by
stupendous ruins, bearing once more the name of
Kharbet-Emraah. We notice here portions of walls
built of fine hewn stone, and other buildings (most likely
Roman), lining the platform of Emraah above the ravine.
The direction of the ravine is, generally speaking,
from south to north. The depth seldom exceeds ten
yards at the utmost, but that suffices to screen us from
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
the wind, which has not ceased blowing with great
fury since yesterday, and adds materially to our fatigue.
We breakfast on this spot; and by exactly eleven
o'clock, after a halt of three-quarters of an hour,
resume our march. We now pass continued ruins of
immense extent, covering the eminence that forms the
right bank of the ouad in which we have breakfasted,
and leave them by nine minutes past eleven. We
have resumed our north-east course, and just as we
clear the ruins of Emraah, Ave find ourselves again in
an avenue of stones, leading through an open cultivated
country. This line of road flanks at no great distance
a large and deep valley, on the side of which the ruins
commence again. From this point the traces of walls,
built with irregular blocks of lava, are innumerable, and
the road by which we are marching is generally
bounded by these blocks planted in the ground, forming
two parallel lines, intercepted on the right by the
ruined walls I have just mentioned. On the left the
traces of walls appear more rarely, owing to the
contracted width of the passage. The avenue we are
following is now divided from the ouad by only a few
yards. The ouad itself seems to be about one hundred
and fifty yards wide; its direction is north-easterly,
and it is called the Ouad-ech-Cheqiq (the cleft valley).
By half-past eleven we march due north ; and five
minutes later reach a well, sunk in the middle of long
files of walls, placed on both sides of our road : because
the upper level of the Ouad-ech-Cheqiq being then
about fifty yards distant from this road, the intervening
ground 011 our left has afforded space enough for these
AND BOUND THE DEAD SEA.
317
constructions. From this spot Ave turn due west, and
arrive, by forty minutes past eleven, at the foot of a
circular mound, formed of squared blocks of lava, partly
covered over with earth, which seem to constitute the
base of a small round tower. This ruin is called the
lledjom-el-Aabed (the mound of the slave). When I
FIGl'RE OF A MO A BITE.
reach it, I find our Bedouins sitting near a large block
of lava, which they point out to me, saying, " Look,
there is a stone like those thou art in quest of!"
I look, and find myself in front of a magnificent
Stelon, in black compact lava, representing a bas-relief,
343
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
of an antiquity the date of which I shall not presume
to determine, even approximately. It consists of a
figure as large as life, with the whole of the lower part
wanting from the knees, but which, notwithstanding
this mutilation, exhibits a monument of art of immense
value. To a certainty, we have before us a Moabitic
sculpture. A personage, wearing a helmet of Assyrian
shape, holds with both hands a javelin with a large iron
head, with which he seems to strike a man supposed to
be in supplication at his knees. The upper part of the
body is naked, but from the hips down to the knees he
is clothed in a short close tunic, exactly similar to that
worn by the Egyptians. Over the right shoulder of
this personage, and behind his back, is hung a bended
bow, without any apparent string. Behind the warrior
is the figure of a lion, of small dimensions, which
appears to be merely the ornamented leg of a throne,
judging by its diminutive size. The relievo of this figure
is well defined, the expression of the face strongly
marked, and characterised with a savage energy.
A glance suffices to convince me that this is a hybrid
monument, in which the Egyptian and the Assyrian
styles are intermingled. My joy at the discovery of
this treasure may readily be conceived. This joy I am
silly enough to give way to, under the eyes of the
surrounding Bedouins ; I express my wish to acquire
possession of this piece of sculpture, for the removal of
which I still more unguardedly offer twelve hundred
piastres. I perceive too late that, notwithstanding
my intentional reserve, which I had so deliberately
resolved to maintain, I have completely defeated myself,
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
319
and sliall most certainly be compelled to leave behind
me this invaluable monument of antiquity.
No sooner have I named the twelve hundred piastres,
than the old talcs of treasure-diggings begin to be
whispered around me. The Beni-Hammids, who inhabit
this country, are the first to bring forward stories as
worthy of belief as the following :—-Every year, 011
the very same day of the year, some one of the tribe
finds a gold piece (a dynar) at the Redjom-el-Aabed,
and precisely under the stone that I had been admiring-
like a child, when I ought to have openly undervalued
it. It follows, then, that the interior of this block is
crammed with gold, and that if I have a longing desire
to carry it off, it is because I know its real value, and
the rich treasure it contains. I now, therefore, affect
indifference, but too late : I have destroyed my hopes,
and nipped my own project in the bud.
A hundred paces further 011, I order our tents to be
pitched in the midst of stupendous ruins, beside a large
cave, supported by a pillar, which will serve as a stable
for our baggage animals, and as an apartment for our
moukris.
The vast remains, amongst which we are encamped
for the day, are named by the Arabs of this district,
Kharbet-Fouqaua (the red ruins). Without any possible
doubt, we are here on the site of a Moabitic town of
the highest antiquity. The ground is strewed with
fragments of coarse-coloured pottery, exactly resembling
the primitive samples of earthenware found at Santorin
in places buried under volcanic beds, of an unknown
period. I pick up at every step large cubes of original
350
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
mosaic, white, black, and reel. We shall shortly inquire
what town this may have been, on whose ruins we are
treading at this moment.
Schihan lies directly eastward in front of us ; a ruin
crowning an isolated hillock, and commanding all the
extensive plain of Moab. Important discoveries may,
perhaps, await us in such a place ; we have still several
hours' daylight, which we can employ in this excursion.
Such being the case, we determine to proceed at once
to Schihan. We leave to our people the care of pitching
our tents, arranging our luggage in order, and preparing
our kitchen apparatus; and we are off again by
nineteen minutes past twelve, without any escort
beyond two Arabs of the Beni-IIammids, who follow
us on foot.
We soon pass on our right a cistern ; then, after
having traversed cultivated fields, entirely cleared
from rubbish, we come to other ruins covering both
sides of a narrow valley, which we cross at its neck,
where it is closed by four or five huge cyclopean walls,
placed alternately so as to support the earth, whilst
leaving a passage for the rain-waters to run down the
bottom of the ravine. This ouad, which is merely a
continuation of the one commanded right and left by
the ruins amidst which we had pitched our camp, is
called the Ouad-Emdebea.
Between our encampment and the Ouad-Emdebea,
we have again followed an avenue of stones. Beyond
the ouad, we cross another small cultivated plain, com¬
manded by a very low mound, 011 the top of which is a
cistern surrounded by walls built with blocks of lava.
AXD 110UKD THE DEAD SEA.
351
To our riglit, tlie plain presents traces of ancient walls,
extending out of sight. We then proceed north-east,
and by thirty-five minutes past twelve we have cleared
the ruins.
By forty-six minutes past twelve we fall in again
with other long piles of walls, which we climb over.
At forty-eight minutes past twelve the plain begins to
incline upwards. Three minutes later, the ground on
our left shows many ruins, whilst to our right they are
thinly scattered. At forty-five minutes past twelve we
turn eastward, and arrive at the base of a circular con¬
struction, probably a tower, beyond which appear once
more walls in considerable extent. Emerging again
from these, by fifty-seven minutes past twelve we ascend
the gentle acclivity of the eminence of Schihan. By
two minutes past one we reach a cistern hollowed in
the rock and surrounded by a wall. And, lastly, by
six minutes past one we alight at the entrance of the
singular ruins of Schihan.
During our progress a lapwing has been shot by
Rothschild. We hand over the game to our Beni-
Ilammids, who immediately pluck and roast it as well
as they can, by lighting a fire with some dry brambles.
We entrust them with the charge of our horses, and
begin at once to explore the ruins. What stood here
formerly—a palace, a temple, or a fortress—I shall not
presume to decide ; but merely to furnish a description
of what still remains of this ancient structure. A
square building, fifty yards in length on every side,
with an entrance on the western face. In this face
there is a large breach, and in front of the breach
352
JOURNEY IN SYEIA
a circular mound, concealing, perhaps, the base of a
tower ten yards in diameter ; an avenue of stones
terminates at this mound, which is removed twenty-
eight yards from the south-western angle of the enclo¬
sure, and eighteen from the north-western angle. On
the left front, that looks towards the north, a square
tower projects, measuring ten yards on each side, the
inner angles of which are twenty yards distant from
the north-eastern and north-western angles of the
enclosure. The eastern and southern faces are both
rectilinear.
It is very difficult to judge at present of the interior
arrangement, 011 account of the accumulated rubbish
and brambles which, during many centuries, have
concealed the walls under piles of vegetable matter.
The site of a large central hall may still be recognised,
in the centre of which a well opens into a deep cave or
cistern. Against the eastern face of this hall rest the
partition-walls of two square rooms ; and, lastly, in a
parallel line with the entrance face may be traced the
Avails of another hall, forming a parallelogram, situated
to the right. Thirty yards in front of the northern
face is a wall running parallel thereto, but of which
only the foundations are visible. Another similar wall
may be traced sixty yards in front of the eastern face.
Vestiges of other walls parallel to the building are con¬
spicuous, also, towards the north-western and south¬
eastern angles ; but it is most important to observe,
that on the northern and southern faces additional
walls intercepted at right angles the walls of the outer
enclosure, as well as those forming a continuation of
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
353
the side supports of the main building, so as to
constitute a series of enclosures within the outer walls.
In other respects, there is not the slightest analogy
as to construction between the walls of the central
edifice and those of the enclosure. To form the sides
of the building, the primitive rock has been cut and
faced with blocks of lava ; whilst the outer wTalls, now
reduced to their foundations, are built of rude masses
of unshaped stone, exactly resembling the long walls
we have passed and crossed so often, during several
hours.
I find here one of those uncouth cubes of mosaic, to
which I venture to ascribe a very remote antiquity ;
and its presence satisfies me that there have existed in
Schihan monuments anterior to the Greek and Roman
civilisation, and that the ruins we have just examined
are vestiges of these early constructions.
Some architectural remains, unfortunately few in
number, lie scattered amongst the rubbish, and I hasten
to sketch their outline. They consist chiefly of a
fragment, in lava, which formed, in all probability, the
base of the lateral pilaster of a gate ; the mouldings of
this base resemble closely those used in the classical
orders. The same observation applies to another frag¬
ment of a cornice in grey limestone.
The most interesting of the whole is the capital of
a pillar, also of grey limestone, a little more than a foot
in height, and twenty-eight inches across the upper
diameter ; whilst the shaft of the column has only a
diameter of seventeen inches and a half. It may cer¬
tainly be taken for an Ionic capital, but of an eccentric
vor . I. A A
354
JOURNEY m SYRIA
model; for instance, the volutes, of small proportions,
are separated by two large ovolos, and between the
volutes and the adjacent ovolos, palm-leaves are figured
on the shaft. Certainly, a capital like this has but a
very remote analogy with the Ionic capital, and those
who carved it must have been rude barbarians, be¬
longing to a period preceding rather than following the
age of the Grecian artists to whom we are indebted for
the fine proportions of the true Ionic style.
From the platform of the ruins of Schihan we com¬
mand the entire plain of Moab. Southward, this plain
extends beyond our view ; eastward, it seems bounded
by a range of blue mountains, but they are too far off
for us to ascertain the exact distance. Northward, half
a league from us, opens the Ouad-el-Moudjeb, cutting
abruptly across the plain, and looking like an immense
rent or fissure in the ground. This ouad appears to
wind directly from the westward, until nearly opposite
Schihan; but after that, it bends visibly towards the
south-east.
Whilst we were busily occupied examining the
ancient structures of Schihan, some in search of insects,
others of antique fragments, I hear an animated con¬
versation going on outside. I climb the outer wall,
and discover five Arabs on foot, armed with guns,
yataghans, and khandjars, discoursing from a distance
with our two guides, who are busily engaged in
devouring their half-roasted lapwing.
From whence have these new comers issued? We
had trusted to the very nature of the site of Schihan
to dismiss every apprehension of surprise. From the
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
355
top of such an eminence we commanded the plain as
far as the eye could reach, in all directions, and here
wo have suddenly five Bedouins' upon our hands—five
Bedouins, too, with anything but honest intentions, as
I gather from their conversation with our guides.
" What do you want % "
" To plunder the travellers you have conducted
her e."
" They are under our protection, and you shall
attempt nothing of the kind/'
" What nonsense ! Join us, and we will go shares."
" Stand off!" and a gun was pointed against the
brigands.
I then saw one of them advance, notwithstanding
this warning ; and our second guide, who had no other
weapon than a dabbous, or club of hard wood, struck
him such a vigorous blow upon the shoulder, that the
rascal grinned horribly, and stopped to rub his
disabled arm.
I had already seized the fowling-piece, which I
carried as usual slung across my shoulder; and, having
cocked both barrels, stood prepared to send a couple
of bullets against two of the rascals who were
advancing to assail us.
On the blow being struck with the club, they paused
a moment. I shouted to my companions, " Stand to
your arms, and look to your horses ! we are attacked !"
In a twinkling we are all together, and a line of five
good double-barrelled guns are suddenly exhibited to
the hostile strangers, who had imagined that they had
merely to deal with imprudent ramblers. The sight of
A A 2
356
JOURNEY m SYRIA
our arms produced its unfailing effect, and the five
brigands became at once submissive and polite.
We mounted our horses again, and, once in the saddle,
I ordered the intruders to the front, warning them to
take care of themselves, if they did not wish to digest
a meal of powder and lead. Such is the usual formula
in this country, exchanged between parties who under¬
stand each other. We had no occasion to repeat the
hint, and our brigands, looking as silly as foxes entrapped
by a hen, preceded us obsequiously in the direction
of our encampment.
They now tried to put as honest a face as they
could on the matter, and assumed the air of sportsmen
on a hunting party. To dispel from their minds any
sudden temptation with which they might be seized to
turn on us unexpectedly with a volley of musketry, we
march in open file and close behind them, ready to
give our fire at the slightest symptom of hostility. All
therefore goes as smoothly and as graciously as possible.
On our way we put up some partridges, and our new
friends invite us to have a shot at them. I forbid my
companions to comply, who readily understand, without
further explanation, that this is no time to waste powder
on inoffensive birds. I return the politeness of our
Bedouins, by begging them to fire themselves at the
game they have recommended to our notice. One of
them then crawled on all-fours, creeping like a snake
for more than a hundred paces, concealing himself, by
some inexplicable process, behind stones scarcely bigger
than a man's fist. In this manner he continued to
approach within reach of the covey ; then, throwing
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
357
himself flat on the ground, behind a block of stone, he
took a long aim before he fired from an interminable
carbine, and fairly cut in two the unlucky bird he had
covered.
Decidedly these gentlemen are good marksmen, but
they require a slow aim. His shot having taken effect,
the sportsman picked up his divided bird, and handed it
to me in triumph. I declined the offer, but gave him two
piastres as a bakhshish, and in token of our admiration
for the splendid shot with which he had astonished us.
These adventurers had discovered that there was
nothing to be done with us, and that they had impru¬
dently embarked in a failing enterprise. They were
now anxious to take their leave before we reached
our tents, where some of our friendly Scheikhs might
recognise and punish them severely. As we neared, on
our return, the Ouad-Emdebea, they vanished as sud¬
denly as they had made their appearance, and we found
ourselves amongst our own people, with no other escort
than the two Beni-Hammids who had accompanied us
at starting. This little adventure acted as a lesson, and
taught us, by experience, that prudence was not super¬
fluous whilst among the savages into whose dens we were
boldy venturing.
The remainder of the day was passed in making our
way back to the Rcdjom-el-Aabed, and in securing
ourselves against the piercing wind that whistled round
us. Belly has drawn with wonderful exactness a copy
of the Moabitic bas-relief. I strain my wits to hit upon
some plan of carrying off this prize ; but it appears
quite hopeless and impossible to transport a block of
358
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
compact lava, four feet long, two feet wide, and a foot
and a-half tliick. It weighs considerably more than
two thousand pounds, and no beast of burthen in the
world could carry such a load through the journey we
have before us. Then how are we to manage 1 Must
we resign the treasure 1 I have some idea of despatch¬
ing a Bedouin to Karak, to bring back a stonecutter,
who shall reduce the Stelon on the side at the back of
the figure, decreasing its weight in the same proportion.
An envoy volunteers immediately ; but he requires eight
hours to go and eight more to return ; and is he likely to
find a stonecutter willing to place me in a position to
carry off this bas-relief, in opposition to the wishes of a
whole tribe, who expect to extract therefrom an annual
tribute of a dynar each % The attempt may bring the
tribe unanimously upon our shoulders. All points
being duly balanced, I give up the attempt, dismiss
the messenger, and console myself with the sketch in
my portfolio, and the hope of taking an exact impression
to-morrow.
Our evening passes as usual, and we get through the
ordinary work as fast as possible, to escape from the
north wind which lashes us through the canvass walls
of our tent, and screen ourselves from its rough saluta¬
tion under our blankets.
Before retiring, we have had the pleasure of contem¬
plating a fine eclipse of the moon, which took us
completely unawares; but, as we are not astronomers,
we are content to bestow a moment's rapid admiration
on this grand phenomenon of nature, and creep to our
couches as fast as possible.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
359
January 18 th.
The cold has been so intense during the night that all
our bivouac fires have been deserted. Our faithful
Ahouad is the only one who has remained at his post;
and this morning he presents himself in our tent, quite
benumbed, but good-humoured still, to inquire if we
have suffered from the chill. A noble creature, proud
in conscious fidelity, and the absolute trust we repose
in him.
By degrees our Arabs emerge from the ruined caves,
the cisterns and holes of every kind in which they have
sought shelter from the piercing wind, and our little
army is mustered in full force; but, unaccustomed to
this chilling temperature, they shiver and look very
miserable.
At break of day I take bearings with the compass,
which enable me to mark correctly the positions
of the Ouad-ech-Cheqiq, of the Ouad-Emdebea, and of
Scliihan. Near the bottom of the Ouad-ech-Cheqiq,
and on the declivity opposite to that upon which we
have passed the night, we descry some black spots; these
are the tents of an encampment of the Beni-Hammid,
who have established themselves by a spring ; the same
whence our table was supplied for last night's meal.
Our horses have been watered from an ancient cistern,
amongst the ruins, beyond the Ouad-Emdebea.
The Bedouin encampment I have just mentioned,
affords us many visitors. I question them anxiously
concerning the ruins which surround us, and try to
ascertain if there are other sculptured stones, besides
the one at the Redjom-el-Aabed. One of them then
360
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
mentions to me a grotto excavated in the rock, lying
only a few hundred yards from our camp, towards
the eastern extremity of the Kharbet-Fouqoua. This
grotto is called Morharrat-ed-Darouich (the grotto of
the dervise.) I hasten thither, under the conduct of a
guide, hoping to be repaid for the trouble I am taking ;
but I find only a round cistern, eleven yards in diameter,
hewn from the rock, and the entrance difficult of access.
At the bottom of this cistern lie two fragments of
columns, in lava, one of them nine, the other fifteen
inches in diameter. At the extremities of these frag¬
ments are holes bored through the axis, and which
must have served as grooves for spindles. No doubt
they are stone rollers, such as the Arabs use to press
and level the terraces on their roofs, as soon as it
begins to rain, to prevent the water from penetrating
into their houses. The use of these rollers in Asia may
be traced back to the earliest periods ; for M. Botta
has found some in the ruins of the Ninevite palaces of
Khorsabad.
The Morharrat-ed-Darouich offers, however, some
interesting subjects for observation ; the walls, with the
exception of the ceilings, have been entirely coated with
a thick layer of stucco, and this stucco was impressed
with devices in a uniform pattern, as high as the natural
rock composing the roof. A treble line of arrows,
disposed obliquely, like the back-bone of a fish, encircles
the whole extent about two yards above the ground.
Over these three lines, the entire surface is ornamented
with small crooked arrows, their points turned upwards ;
whilst below the lines the same are repeated, with their
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
361
points reversed; and lastly, the interior coating of the
cement is mixed up with abundant fragments of flat
pottery, or rather cakes of burnt clay, disposed, no
doubt, for the purpose of giving greater consistency
to the stucco ; whilst the outer coating has been
kneaded with small fragments of flint.
Having finished my notes, I hasten to return to camp,
my mind still intent upon the bas-relief, an impression
of which I immediately commenced. For nearly an
hour, in the hope of achieving it, I struggled against a
most unfriendly easterly wind, which constantly blew off
the wet sheets of paper I was moulding against the figure,
whenever my hand was taken away. I had to begin
over and over again, though I tried to form a screen
with our kitchen table, but all in vain. I spoilt a vast
quantity of the paper intended for my herbal, in trying
to form a mould of sufficient consistency to cover and
retain all the relievos ; but whenever I imagined I was
making some progress, the wind defeated my exertions,
and compelled me to renounce an undertaking for which
my skill and materials were equally inadequate. I say
nothing of the ill-humour and vexation produced by
this unlucky failure.
When I had fairly renounced my attempt in despair,
I gave orders to strike our tents and commence our
march as soon as possible. I had lost quite enough time
to no purpose, and was obliged to console myself with
an excellent drawing in place of the model.
By seven minutes past nine our little force was in
motion, and we left Kharbet-Fouqoua, proceeding at first
eastward, and passing again within twenty yards of the
362
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
Redjom-el-Aabed, towards which I threw a last look of
covetous regret. When we had reached the cistern,
close by the monument, and only one hundred yards
distant from the brink of the Ouad-ech-Cheqiq, we
turned off at ten minutes past nine to the south-south¬
east, leaving to our right a vast number of ruins, whilst
those on our left had nearly disappeared. At this spot,
where the high table-land extends three hundred yards
to the east of the ouad, we are marching parallel to an
avenue of stones, with one branch shooting off through
the ruins, in the direction of the Ouad-ech-Cheqiq.
But soon this avenue, which was at first fifteen yards
distant on our right, draws closer to our route, and by
twenty minutes past nine we find ourselves again
between two lines of lava blocks. Here the Ouad-ech-
Cheqiq has increased its distance from us to about six
hundred yards, and keeps bearing away to the south¬
ward, whilst we continue our course south-south-east.
We now enter cultivated grounds, without any other
sign of ruins than the avenue of stones, through which
we keep marching without any deviation. By twenty-
four minutes past nine this avenue disappears, but is
immediately succeeded by a paved road made of blocks
of lava. To the right and left appear again some ruins
of no great extent. By thirty-three minutes past nine
we observe to our left, about one hundred yards off, a
double circular enclosure, built with blocks of lava, one
hundred yards in diameter, and with a mass of rubbish
in the centre. This enclosure is situated on the bank
of a muddy stream we are obliged to cross, and which
reduces the ground to a perfect swamp.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
363
No sooner have we crossed this stream, than the
avenue of stones shows itself again, ten yards off to
the left of our route ; and, crossing it by thirty-seven
minutes past nine, inclines off again to disappear in a
short time to the southward. To our left, ruins thinly
scattered are still observable. We are yet in sight of
Scliihan, this last-named place commanding the whole
of the plain through which we are travelling. By
forty minutes past nine we reach a mass of fragments,
the intersecting point of two walls at right angles with
each other, one of these walls pointing directly from
north to south. Immediately after, the perpetual
avenue of stones again borders our road.
Here we perceive more ruins, consisting of long walls
intersecting our avenue, and of some circular piles. The
name given to these ruins by the Arabs puzzles me ; the
first I question tells me they are called Kharbet-Bigdalen,
and this strange pronunciation prevents me from
understanding the word. As I doubt its being correct,
I repeat the question to others, and some pronounce
the name Kharbet-Medjele'in. I then recognise the
plural of the word Medjdel; the real name means,
therefore, the ruins of the two fortresses.
At forty-five minutes past nine we are still in our
avenue of stones, with another similar avenue branch¬
ing off to the right in a south-westerly direction. And
lastly, by fifty minutes past nine, we find ourselves
encircled by the vast ruins of a city, to which the
avenue we have been so long following, leads, and
crowning the northern bank of an ouad, of no great
depth at this point where it begins. The opposite
364.
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
bank of the ouad is composed of perpendicular rocks,
of moderate height; and on this bank -we observe,
immediately before us, an old square tower, of fine
workmanship, probably Roman, and in good preserva¬
tion.
The ruins by which we are surrounded consist of
houses, that look as if they had been suddenly crushed,
notwithstanding the solidity of their construction, and
three parts of which are buried under-ground. All
seem to be provided with large cellars, whilst these
apparent cellars are nothing more than the ground-
floors of the original dwelling-places. Some fragments
of sculpture present strange carvings, of which I hasten
to take a sketch. Near the upper ledge of the ravine,
the avenue of stones forms a cross-way with several
branches, one of which turns eastward, whilst another
follows a westerly direction, along the ouad, which
forms the commencement of the Ouad-beni-Hammid.
By five minutes past ten, after a quarter of an hour's
halt, we resume our march, turning at first eastward,
but to resume almost immediately our constant south¬
easterly direction. Here the road passes directly
through a square enclosure, of about a hundred yards
on each face, divided into five parallel compartments
by walls about twenty yards distant from each other.
Beyond this enclosure the ruins disappear. By a
quarter-past ten we have left two hundred and fifty
yards behind us the square tower just mentioned, and
discover, at one hundred and fifty yards in advance, to
our right, a vast rectangular mound, of no great height,
but covered with extensive ruins ; and to our left a flat
AND HOUND THE DEAD SEA.
365
crowned hillock, forty or fifty yards in diameter,
surmounted equally by ruins. By twenty-six minutes
past ten we are exactly between the two masses, which
bear in common the name of Kharbet-Tedoum.
We alight anxiously, in the hope of making some
interesting discovery, and this hope is not falsified.
A structure, built of fine hewn stone, stands on the
northern front of the large enclosure ; and to this we
immediately direct our steps.
The first object that strikes us is a huge block of
stone, in which have been excavated the mouth and
the trough of a well.
The building which we have come to examine is a
square edifice, of rather more than thirty feet on each
side ; its walls are two feet and a-half in thickness, and
still above six feet and a-half in height. Openings of
gates are visible on three of its faces—the northern, the
eastern, and the southern ; but one, the northern, is at
present blocked up. Judging from its dimensions, this
was originally the principal entrance. This gate is
more than seven feet wide, and has been very neatly
walled in with large blocks of stone. It is partly
buried, and the entablature is formed of a single block,
thirty inches long and fifty high. This entablature
exhibits an unusual system of mouldings, all originating
in straight lines. On one of the intermediate square
compartments, or plat-bands, has been traced, in
large Cufic or Arabic characters, coeval with the first
period of the Mussulman conquests, the formula
Bism-Illah (in the name of God). Perhaps this was
inscribed there when the edifice having been changed
366
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
into a Mahommedan temple, the original entrance was
walled in.
The gate opening into the eastern face is little more
than three feet wide ; it is set, as in a frame, between
the bases of two rectangular pillars. The outward face
of these pillars is sixteen inches broad, while the face
parallel to the axis of the gate scarcely exceeds thirty.
The gate in the south-eastern wall is without any
ornament, and not more than twenty-seven inches
wide. An avenue of stones, ten yards broad, leads up
to this face ; and, as the whole structure is built upon a
mound, it is still perceptible that the access from the
plain was by a flight of fourteen or fifteen steps, nearly
a yard in breadth, formed in the ground and edged
with masonry.
Inclining against the western wall of this building is
another enclosure, extending ten yards on each side,
divided by a wall parallel to the northern front, and
some distance in the rear : this second enclosure is
thrown back a little to the northward of the first.
Fifteen yards in front of the southern face there is a
small circular hillock, on the summit of which stands a
portion of a stone column, rounded on three sides
only, and surmounted by a plain parallelopiped, twenty
inches in length, eighteen in breadth, and ten in
thickness. A few yards from this mound is another
fragment of a column, rather more than twelve inches
in diameter.
I have here given an accurate description of this
ancient structure, apparently intended for religious
purposes. From a Pagan temple it had most likely
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
3G7
been converted into a Christian church; and again, at
the period of the Mussulman conquest, transformed into
a mosque for the followers of Mahommed. Why I
think a Christian church existed there, under the
Byzantine monarchy, is founded on the presence, at the
foot of the northern wall, of a square capital grooved or
fluted on all its faces, and twined with knots. At the
first glance this capital reminded me forcibly of the
capitals of the two fine marble pillars, taken from the
church of Saint Saba of Acre, by the Venetians, and
placed on the right of St. Mark's, at the entrance of
the Doge's palace. This capital is thirty inches broad,
twelve inches high, and sixteen long on the lower
surface.
I would have wished to have had more time at my
command to devote to the investigation of these inte¬
resting remains; but the morning was fast wearing
away ; we were still far from Karak, where we pur¬
posed to halt for the night, and it was already past
eleven o'clock. It was, therefore, impossible to tarry
longer without exposing ourselves to travel in darkness,
a proceeding as little agreeable to the taste of our
Arabs as to our own.
By a quarter-past eleven we leave Kharbet-Tedoum,
turning eastward in the direction of the mound strewed
with ruins, to which I have already alluded. This
mound is only two hundred yards distant from the
building just described; it is at least forty yards in
diameter, and, without doubt, some important structure
must have been erected there. What it was I am
unable to guess. As soon as we have passed this
368
JOUENEY IN SYEIA
mound we resume our march, at first in a south-south¬
eastern direction; but for the last hour we have
observed, far off to our left, a square building, which
seems of considerable importance. "What is that?"
I inquire of our Arabs. " Nothing worth looking at," is
the ready answer, " it is only the Beit-el-Kerm" (the
house of the vine). This is all the information I can
extract from them. In the middle of naked and level
plains a structure of such magnitude seems to me
rather extraordinary.
I hesitate, nevertheless, apprehensive of the night,
which may surprise us on the road. I am much
tempted to pass this ruin without notice; I com¬
promise with my conscience, and resist the instances
of Rothschild, who insists on seeing what it is. I tell
him we must halt at Er-Rabbah, where in all proba¬
bility we shall be obliged to encamp, and that from
thence we can return to visit Beit-el-Kerm. Rothschild
is obstinate, and at last we determine to allow our
luggage, already considerably in advance, to proceed
on the march, whilst we strike off the road, marching
directly towards the ruin in sight, to the utter discom¬
fiture of all our Scheikhs.
Twenty minutes past eleven have arrived when we
determine on this detour, and we push our horses to
their speed, that we may lose no time. We are now
proceeding due east, along an isolated ruin, or rather
by a heap of shapeless rubbish. When we have arrived
within a few hundred yards of the Beit-el-Kerm,
Rothschild darts forward, reaches the ruin, behind
which he disappears for a moment, and then, suddenly
AND EOUND THE DEAD SEA.
369
returning, shouts in admiration—Come along ! come
quick ! It is as fine as Baalbek!" This suffices to
excite the whole party to a rapid gallop.
By thirty-five minutes past eleven we have all
alighted, and participate most heartily in the admira¬
tion of our companion. We are standing in front of
the remains of a magnificent tetrastylic temple,
evidently of the same period as the temples of
Baalbek ; that is to say, coeval with the age of
Adrian and the Antonines.
The ground is strewed with tambours of the shafts
of pillars, with remains of capitals and fragments of
cornices. How lamentable that such a beautiful monu¬
ment should have been overthrown! Has its destruc¬
tion been produced by an earthquake, or by human
violence % I prefer believing in a catastrophe inde¬
pendent of the will of man. Be that as it may, let me
describe what is left of this marvellous structure, the
walls of which are still four or five yards high.
It is a perfect rectangle, set directly to the east.
The front and rear faces are nearly one hundred feet
in length ; the two lateral faces scarcely exceed ninety
feet. The Avails are six feet thick. At the four angles
they project slightly for a few inches, and these
projections extend nearly eighteen feet along the
lateral faces, and twenty feet along the front and back
walls. The interior measurement of the temple is
eighty-four feet by sixty-eight.
On the front face were placed four huge columns,
four feet in diameter ; the lower divisions of these
are still in their original position. The two central
VOL. I. B B
370
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
columns are distant from each other twenty feet, from
axis to axis. A distance of fifteen feet, from axis to
axis, divides these two columns from the columns at
each angle ; and all four are distant seven feet from
O "
the inner face of the vestibule. This vestibule is
twenty feet in depth. The gate of the temple is eleven
feet wide. To the rio'ht and left are two consoles
o
or brackets, jutting out from the wall, divided from the
side posts of the gate by a distance of nine feet. A
projecting panel, four feet and a-half broad, stands
between each console and the gate, and commences only
one foot and a-half from the edge of the gate on the
outside ; the angular projections of the walls are
united to each other by much smaller ones, forming
altogether a kind of general base, about three feet in
height above the present ground.
At the further end of the temple, two walls, each
five feet thick, standing perpendicular to the back, and
seven yards distant from each other, form a sacellum or
chapel, of twenty-one square feet, the front of which
bows out in a circle, with a radius of eleven feet.
The whole interior of the building is encumbered
with blocks of stone, fragments of columns and capitals,
heaped in a perfect chaos of ruins, through which it is
extremely difficult to effect a passage.
The place is often resorted to as a temporary abode
by the Bedouins, as we may judge from the furze, or
rather compost accumulated for litter. This, with the
dung of animals hardening in the sun, to serve as fuel,
indicates the frequent presence of man in this ruined
temple. Either the usual inhabitants have gone out
AND ROUND TUB DEAD SEA.
371
for a ramble, or they have concealed themselves in
some hole, through fear of being robbed by strangers.
One thing is certain, not a living soul is visible.
Amongst the fine fragments of sculpture, strewn
around in great abundance, and some of which have
been used to form enclosures rather too open for
shelter, we find a fine arch-stone, bearing a bust of
Apollo, with a radiated head; a magnificent lion's
mouth, formerly used as a gutter-spout; numerous
Corinthian capitals, more or less defaced by time ; and
fragments of cornices, embellished with very rich
foliage. All these were portions of the temple; but
there are others, also, which cannot have belonged to
it. Mouldings, and bases of columns, of a much more
simple style, are found here and there. These, with
blocks of lava, and sculptured fragments of the same
material, are evident signs of the pre-existence of
buildings 011 this spot, much more ancient, and most
probably of Moabitic origin.
We congratulate ourselves on having gone out of our
road to examine this fine ruin, which is certainly little
known to this day, though we are not the first who
have paid it a visit. O11 the wall of the vestibule we
read the name of "HYDE," accompanied by the
date, 1822 ; these characters having been carefully
engraved with the blade of a knife. Who is this
traveller 1 I have not the most remote idea. Our
friend Loysel, who deems his credit injured by finding
at Beit-el-Kerm this earlier visiting-card of Mr. Hyde,
inscribes his own name above the one already there,
with the following addition : Venn avant ! / / (arrived
I! 1; 2
373
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
first). I need scarcely say, that this piece of buffoonery
occasioned a general laugh.
Beit-el-Kerm is mentioned in Zimmerman's map ;
but in front of the locality thus designated, he has
placed a mountain, which I can positively assert does
not exist. The ground on which the ruins stand is a
perfect level. Towards the north, the hillock of
Schihan is the only eminence visible ; and behind us,
looking southward, we descry a trifling elevation,
serving as a base to the ruins of Er-Rabbah.
It is now fifty minutes past twelve, and we have
wasted an hour and a-half at Beit-el-Kerm. These
gratuitous halts are not at all to the taste of our
Schcikhs. Every moment they urge us to make haste,
and get 011 horseback again. At last we most
unwillingly consent to do so, and march across the
plain, in a direction nearly due south, inclining a few
degrees to the eastward. By fifty-eight minutes past
twelve we pass close to an enclosure, containing
enormous ruins, the name of which I cannot obtain from
any of our Arabs, who have never heard it mentioned.
We are now evidently 011 the remains of an ancient
road, taking us in a soutli-south-west direction. By a
quarter after one we pass, on our left, at the distance of
five hundred yards, a mound covered with rubbish ;
and, by twenty minutes past one, other and more
extensive ruins appear, seven hundred yards from us,
in the same direction. Neither of these appear to be
known by any specific name.
By twenty-seven minutes past one we are in front
of the ruins of a small square temple, most probably of
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
373
Roman construction. Three of its columns are still
standing ; and close by these, a capital is lying on
the ground. The area within this temple is paved.
At the spot where the road rises gently before
us, and about one hundred yards from the ruin I
have just mentioned, we re-enter an avenue of
stones, leading us through the ruins of Er-Rabbah,
which we enter by half-past one, and halt almost
immediately.
We had hoped to find our luggage-mules waiting for
us at Er-Pwabbah. Alas ! alas! they have gone on
further, and our cook accompanies them. We cannot
encamp here, and must push on to Karak. As our
Arabs had forewarned us, there is not a drop of
water to be found in Er-Rabbah,—-a privation equally
insupportable to man or beast. Fortunately, we
discover our Macedonian Nicholas, who has had the
good sense to wait for us ; or rather, Matteo has posted
him at Er-Rabbah, on the look-out, with a relay of
provisions. We profit by our halt, to take some slight
refreshment, of which we were greatly in need. A
few hard eggs, and fowls even harder than the eggs,
compose, as usual, our banquet.
As soon as we have acquitted ourselves, with the
voracity of hungry travellers, we hasten to throw a
glance over the surrounding ruins. Every one runs by
himself, and, scrambling over the heaps of rubbish, starts
off in quest of monuments. Eighty yards distant from
the spot where we have halted, is a fine Roman gate,
which has been split asunder by an earthquake. The
principal arcade has fallen in, but to the right and left
S7i<
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
of it are still existing, in perfect preservation, small
lateral arches, walled up, and -which probably have
never been anything more than imitation gates. Above
the small one on the right, the large hewn stones of the
coping, shaken from their places by the earthquake
that destroyed the building, have slipped over each other,
so that tlicy seem to be suspended in the air, and ready
to topple down at the slightest shock. Before reaching
this gate, we observe several shafts of columns still
standing in their original places; but, excepting these
fragments, and some fallen capitals lying here and there
on the ground, it seems as if this space had always
been unencumbered with buildings, and as if it was
intended as a kind of public square.
Rich fragments, of uniform style, form an edging
along the right-hand side of the road leading us to this
spot, and this edging begins from the very foot of the
eminence covered with the ruins of Er-Rabbah.
A short distance southward from the Roman gate,
and only fifty yards beyond the road, is a square
cistern of ordinary dimensions; but further on, a
hundred yards to the right, is a second square cistern,
three times larger than the former, and altogether of
enormous size. These two cisterns are surrounded by
extensive ruins to a considerable distance; a quarter
of the town has evidently existed on this side of the
road. On the left-hand side, the ground is a few
yards higher, and the ruins on all sides are more
densely heaped together.
Two hundred yards distant to the left, is a square
enclosure, the walls of which are still nearly six feet
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
375
high. This appears to have been formerly the espla¬
nade in front of a temple. The area open to the north
is paved with square blocks of black lava, and in the
centre is a hole leading into a cave, which we were not
tempted to examine. Amongst the heaps of rubbish
are often seen sculptured blocks of lava belonging to
a period of civilisation anterior to the Roman conquest.
One of these is a fragment of the jamb or mantel-
tree of a door or window-frame, ornamented with
mouldings and flower-work at the corner. A s the
weight of this relic is not excessive, we prevail on
Nicholas to carry it instead of the eggs, the fowls, and
the bread, of which we have lightened him. The
honest fellow takes up the huge stone without mur¬
muring, and resumes his journey, trotting after our
luggage, which he must overtake as he can. This
fragment of Moabitic sculpture has been since deposited
in the Louvre.
We have now reached twenty-seven minutes past
two o'clock, and our Scheikhs are more importunate in
their remonstrances than ever. Prudence, besides,
warns us that we have no time to lose. Once more
we regain our saddles, deploring the necessity which
compels us to pass so rapidly through these curious
ruins, and when we start we resume our journey
directly southward. The ground upon which Er-
Iiabbah stood, forms an eminence in the shape of a
half-moon, embracing, towards the south, a contracted
level space, being a kind of promontory between the
two divisions of the town. On this enclosed space,
which we cross according to its axis, that is, from
376
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
north to south, the naked rock is almost everywhere
close to the surface.'"
Before reaching the bottom of the eminence, we
descry to our left, about two hundred yards distant
from our road, a second square ruin, which seems
rather important ; then again, about seven hundred
yards off, and still to the left, a thick wall, being the
beginning of the left horn of the crescent upon which
the town was built. This horn extends a few hundred
yards southward, and bears a few more ruins, dispersed
at intervals.
All the rising ground, stretching like a curtain to
our right, continues to be covered with fragments of
buildings. Finally, to the left of our route, as soon as
we have reached the bottom of the eminence, or rather
the limit of the ancient town, an avenue of stones
commences, stretching out far in advance. We fall into
this avenue by thirty-eight minutes past two, at a spot
where two long level lines of these same walls, built
with blocks of lava, divided from each other by a
space of one hundred yards, intercept perpendicularly
the right-hand side of the avenue. From the extremity
of the lower wall, another of the same description, and
of equal length, branches off in a northerly direction.
Here also terminates the left horn of the crescent of
Er-Rabbah.
As soon as we have gained the plain once more, we
turn to the south-south-west, and lose, almost imme¬
diately, the avenue of stones, instead of which we
* Amongst the ruins of Er-Rabbah are found immense quantities of hewn
stones, cut from a very coarse calcareous rock, mixed with shells, which Las
evidently been taken from the spot.
AND BOUND THE DEAD SEA.
377
encounter evident signs of an ancient paved road. By
forty-one minutes past two we pass by a hillock,
eighty yards off, to our right, crowned with rubbish,
with an avenue of stones leading up to it, and branching
off evidently from the ancient road we are following.
By fifty-one minutes past two the plain inclines down¬
wards, and we pass ten yards to the right of a mound
strewed with ruins, to which the Arabs can assign no
individual name. There we fall again into the avenue
of stones, interrupted right and left by walls, forming
level enclosures. At exactly three o'clock the avenue
of stones we are following turns south-south-east, and a
branch shoots off, that loses itself in the distance in an
cast-south-east direction. Almost immediately after
that, the principal avenue disappears, and Ave march
due south, for some minutes, across a plain totally
devoid of ruins. By eight minutes past three the
avenue of stones appears again, and preserves a
southerly direction ; but at ten minutes past three we
turn south-west, directly across the avenue, which is
here furnished with a pavement still in tolerable repair.
We are now in sight, twelve hundred yards to our
left, of considerable ruins, the name of which I cannot
gather from our Arabs. By a quarter-past three we
perceive, about a thousand yards in advance, and to the
right, on the side of a hill, other ruins equally
extensive, and to which our guides are also unable
to assign a name. By twenty-two minutes past three
our road inclines to the south-south-west, nearing the
hill covered with ruins, which we have been gazing on
for several minutes.
378
JOUENEY IN SYEIA
Just then we discover issuing from the ruins five
Bedouins on horseback, armed with lances, and riding
towards us at full gallop. Our Scheikhs form them¬
selves immediately into a small advanced squadron ;
every man seizes his gun, and we march in compact
order towards the spot where we expect to meet our
approaching visitors. Hamdan, Abou-Daouk, and our
Beni-Sakhar Scheikhs halt to receive the five cavaliers
who are bearing down upon us like an avalanche,
although some are mounted on mares almost ready to
foal. Salutations are exchanged rather coldly and with
an ungracious air on either side, as we come up to join
in the interview. The chief of the advancing party is
Scheikh Selameh, the nephew of the Scheikh of Karak,
who has come forward with several of his friends to
meet and give us welcome. For the last three days
they have been lying in wait amongst the ruins, from
which they have just issued like a troop of jackals.
We feel deeply sensible of the honour these gentle¬
men are conferring upon us ; and I think it would be
difficult to select elsewhere a more choice detachment
of brigands, both in look and expression. The Scheikh
Selameh wears a scarlet robe and a black abaya, both
of them worse than threadbare. He has a long face,
thin lips, a sharp nose, and altogether a coarse, brutal
appearance. His features have been furrowed by the
small-pox, which has also encircled his eyes with red.
Take him altogether, he is an ugly animal, inspiring us
with very little confidence ; and his companions are
not much better favoured than himself.
I approach Selameh with a Salam-aleikoum, which
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
379
the impudent vagabond does not condescend to return,
though he seems to be muttering something ; but the
words are smothered between his lips, and scarcely
sound like benedictions. Beyond a doubt, we have
fallen into bad company ; and I confess, the fact of my
salam not being returned makes me rather uneasy ;
but we have drawn the cork, and must now drink the
wine without flinching. With a motion of the hand
Selameh signs to us to pursue our journey, and we
move 011 rather chop-fallen, behind him, whispering
to each other our apprehensions as to the adventures,
more or less agreeable, likely to be in store for us
at Karak.
Selameh and his four banditti are as dumb as so
many fish. Abou-Daouk maintains his everlasting
smile, and our Beni-Sakhars have assumed a proud
and haughty demeanour befitting chieftains of import¬
ance ; whilst Mohammed's black brow lowers, and he
begins caressing the but-end of his musket. As to
Ilamdan, he has turned very pale, and appears
oppressed by intense anxiety.
By twenty-two minutes past three we have resumed
our usual line of march ; but, scarcely are we on the
move again, when Scheikh Selameh, who sees Loysel
lighting a pipe for his own use, takes it out of his hands
without the least ceremony, and commences smoking
it himself! " The devil!" mutters each of us to him¬
self (I more profoundly than the rest) ; " this familiarity
is anything but agreeable !" We have thrust ourselves
head-foremost into a hornet's nest.
As there is 110 retreat, we put 011 a good countenance ;
3S0
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
while the thought of probable danger re-assures our
spirits, which had wavered for a moment. We are our¬
selves again, and enjoy our own humour, joking Loysel
on the unfortunate rape of his pipe. Come what may,
they shall not pick us off like partridges ; we therefore
summon up our courage and put our trust in Providence.
I resume my geographical labours with Edward, and
go on studying the country, which is as bare as ever.
From Schihan to the bank of the Ouad-el-Karak, there
is not a tree or bush to be seen. By twenty-two
minutes past three we march south-south-west, and
the hill which we had on the right is now only fifty
yards from our track. By thirty minutes past three
we perceive some ruins on the side of this hill. Soon
after that, several small mounds rise up to our left; and
by forty minutes past three we find ourselves on the
ridge of a descent leading us, in three minutes more,
to the bottom of a ravine traversed by the ancient
road, which we still continue following. As we go
down, we observe on our right some old walls levelled
with the ground. Having reached the bottom of the
ouad, we march due west. This ouad, which we have
just crossed at its commencement, runs in a north-
north-west direction; we reach the opposite bank by
still following the ancient road, which, bearing at first
due west, inclines afterwards a little to the west-south¬
west. The ascent is difficult; flat and slippery rocks
form the steps of a kind of giant's staircase, the summit
of which we attain by fifty minutes past three. To our
right we are bounded by the edge of a small low plain,
which looks as if it were overhanging a deep and abrupt
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
381
valley. To our left is a hillock, on the side of which
we march, until we arrive at a small flat eminence
ending in a frightful ravine, opening like an abyss before
us. This ravine is called the Ouad-el-Karak.
The view is not calculated to cheer our spirits;
a more convenient haunt for brigands could nowhere
be selected; such at least is our first impression, which
gathers new strength from the lowering aspect of the
sky, overspread with grey, melancholy-looking clouds.
We have to descend three hundred yards of almost
perpendicular rock, and somewhat more to mount again
on the other side, before we reach the horrible vulture's
nest which is called Karak.
At this moment Hamdan, looking quite scared, draws
near, and whispers in my ear : " Do not take thy
dwelling in the town ; remain at the bottom of the
valley, near the fountain we are about to pass, and say
that thou prcferrest encamping in this spot, on account
of the vicinity of the water. The inhabitants of Karak
are abominable robbers. Allah only knows what will
happen to us all, if once thou dost consent to enter
into their town."
Assuredly there was nothing very encouraging in this
warning; but still, how7 could we avoid taking a tem¬
porary dwelling in the town without letting these people
suppose that we were afraid of them 1 At any risk we
must avoid showing the slightest symptom of uneasiness,
if we wish to make them respect or fear us ; and
besides, how could we defend or extricate ourselves,
supposing we were attacked at the bottom of such an
abyss ? Ten pieces of rock hurled down upon us from
382
JOUKNEY IN SYRIA
the top, during the night, would suffice to annihilate
and pound us as in a mortar. I therefore answered
Hamdan briefly, that we had come to visit Karak ; that
we intended to stay there for at least one day; and that
we should assuredly fix. our lodging in the town itself,
to show that we were above all fear or apprehension.
" Ala khatrak" (" Do as thou pleasest "), answered
Hamdan, mildly, with a sigh, and turned away from me.
I have just stated that by fifty-six minutes past
three we had reached a spot from whence we had
merely to descend to reach the bottom of the Ouad-el-
Karak. To our left opens a hollow valley, looking
southward, and towards the bottom of which, about
fifteen hundred yards distant, our Arabs point out a
ruin called El-Boueireh (the small cistern). A kind
of narrow cape, down which we are passing, juts out
into the Ouad-el-Karak, and borders the entrance of
the ouad where El-Boueireh stands; this is the first
break-neck precipice by which we accomplish our
descent to the bottom of the valley.
We reach it, safe and sound, at twenty-three minutes
past four o'clock. Here, as Hamdan had informed me,
we find a fountain, and two grottoes hewn out of the
rock ; most likely two ancient burial caves. As night
is coming 011, it is too late to examine them beyond a
passing glance, as we ride along. We have now before
us the goat track that is to take us to the level of the
isolated cliff, rising from the bottom of the valley, and
on the summit of which is built the town of Karak.
The Scheikh Selameh does not afford us time enough
to compliment him on the choice roads of his country.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
383
He urges his horse up the steep, and we follow his
example, taking good care to avoid false steps, a single
one of which would be a death-warrant. This perilous
ascent lasts twelve minutes, during which we clamber
up a long series of zig-zags, so close to each other, that
every horseman has constantly above him the belly of
the horse lie follows, whilst he is himself equally raised
above the heads of those who are following him. Nothing
but a miracle saves the whole party from vertigo. If
we add to the pleasures of this path, the necessity of
forcing your charger to clear repeated masses of slip¬
pery rock, half a yard high, we perfectly understand how,
on reaching the summit of this infernal cliff, we breathe
more freely, and feel as if delivered from a hideous
nightmare.
By thirty-five minutes past four a final turning
brings us to the foot of a square tower, twenty yards
high, defending the approaches of the road we have just
ascended. This tower occupies one of the salient angles
of the town of Karak ; from its side branches off a
wretched enclosure wall turning towards the south, but we
proceed along another branch inclining to the westward.
The whole population seem in a fever of enthusiasm
at our visit, and anxious to receive us with all honour;
for we find collected, at the foot of the enclosure wall,
a mob of hideous faces, and a cordon of the same
description lining the parapet wall above us.
Darkness is coming on apace, and after a few minutes
we enter the town through a breach in the wall. We
proceed through heaps of infected rubbish, and alight
in a kind of enclosure, attached to a small stone house,
384
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
divided from another stone building bj a narrow court¬
yard only a few yards wide. The first structure is the
Christian convent of Karak ; the second, the church
belonging to the convent. Two Greek clergymen
reside in this dismal abode, and we have come to throw
ourselves on their hospitality.
The Scheikh Selameh has disappeared, without our
taking any notice of him. lie carries our charitable
wishes wherever he may have gone to, and none of us
desire to see him again.
There are in Karak several hundreds of Christian
Arabs; their chiefs—and, amongst others, a fine brave
old man, called Abd-Allah-Senna, who is their principal
Scheikh—have gathered around us, armed and equipped.
These worthy people give us as kind a reception as
they can; they take our offered hands, and kiss them,
repeating over, again and again, that we are welcome.
We shall find amongst them our natural defenders, in
the very probable circumstance of an attack from the
Mussulman population.
As soon as we have alighted, we climb up a narrow
staircase without rails, resting against the wall opposite
the church, which leads us to the level of the first-floor.
This is the usual dwelling-place of the two Greek
monks, who remove their trifling effects as rapidly as
they can, from a square room, into which daylight can
only enter by two windows without panes of glass,
closed by wooden shutters badly jointed ; so that, in
bad weather, by broad daylight, the in-dwellers are
obliged to use candles. Our kitchen is disposed in a
lower apartment, open to every comer; whilst our
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
385
camp-cots are set out in the square room offered to us
by the good monks, and there we are in the trap.
Shall we escape from it with all our feathers ? The
chances are heavily against us.
No sooner are we in possession of our bed-room,
than it is instantly converted into a reception hall.
Some twenty inhabitants of the place, Christians and
Mohammedans, force their way in, whether we will or
no, and squat down in every corner without the cere¬
mony of asking leave. As their number increases every
instant, they stow themselves in as closely as they can,
leaving us barely sufficient space for ourselves. No
doubt this officious attention is highly flattering, but
we could readily dispense with it, as we are exhibiting
the parts of wild-beasts in a show. The monks, to
offer us a cup of coffee, are obliged to call us one at a
time, and in succession, out of the room, and take us
into a small nook containing their bedding, which they
have removed from the place they have given up to us,
and piled up all the beds one above the other.
Matteo, on his part, serves up coffee to the people of
distinction amongst our visitors ; the lower gentry must
do without it. After the coffee comes the pipe; and the
Karakee grandees show themselves exceedingly fond of
our tobacco. What they usually smoke, in the absence
of the real tootun, is a coarse compound of the leaves
and stalk of I know not wThat stuff; perhaps the
Datura stramonium. We try some to oblige them ;
and I declare to the company very politely on the part
of my friends, that it is excellent, whilst we unanimously
vote it execrable.
VOL. 1.
386
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
Still we cannot entertain our guests for ever: hunger
and fatigue make us anxious to obtain a little less
honour and a little more solitude, and we succeed at
last in remaining the exclusive possessors of our own
apartment. We immediately lock ourselves in, and
while dinner is preparing, communicate to each other
our mutual impressions. As there is no one watching
us at this moment, we express our opinions freely
concerning our present position. Touching unanimity !
We are all satisfied that we shall be very fortunate if
we escape with our lives and a whole skin from the
renowned city of Karak.
As soon as we have finished our dinner, we throw
ourselves, without undressing, upon our camp-beds, with
our complete arsenal, loaded, primed, and ready for
action at a moment's notice.
January 19th.
As regards this night, all our apprehensions proved
unfounded. We have slept as quietly as possible, not¬
withstanding the war of extermination waged against
us by the insatiable vermin. The weather, which has
been very severe, has cleared up a little. The wind
is still blowing with violence, but the rainy squalls have
discontinued for the moment, and we suff er intensely
from the cold. Having just left the shores of the Dead
Sea, we are not inured to the rude temperature of the
high plains, and we pass our time in shivering and
complaining.
This morning, I have deemed it prudent to open
negotiations with the Scheikh of Karak, and to beat
the ground so as to ascertain what treatment we are to
AND BOUND THE DEAD SEA.
387
expect. Hamdan and Matteo, especially the latter, are
our plenipotentiaries. I had brought a letter from the
Pacha of Jerusalem, for the Scheikh Mohammed-
el-Midjielly, and I entrust Matteo with the care of
delivering it to him, and demanding his protection.
Matteo meets with a very rude reception. Midjielly
is furious because we have taken up our quarters in the
Greek convent ; and still more so, that we have been
well received by the Christians of Karak. As to the
Pacha's letter, he has no leisure for reading messages
of that kind. " Carry it to Abd-Allah/' says he, to
Matteo, "since I am no longer Scheikh in my own
government, and since he is the man to whom strangers
apply in the first instance, when they come to visit the
country wherein I command." Matteo employs all
the diplomatic skill he can master, to appease this
ferocious little autocrat. Very probably he hints some¬
thing about presents in perspective! for Midjielly
replies that he wants nothing from us ; that he does
not sell his protection ; and that if I give him a louleh
(a pipe-bowl), as a keepsake and remembrance of my
passing visit, he will ask no more ; that I may remain in
Karak ten days, a fortnight, a month, if I choose; inspect
at my leisure all the remnants of antiquity scattered
through the country, and that I have nothing to fear.
Matteo hastens back to us, bursting with intelligence,
to report this magnanimous answer ; 011 which, I confess,
I place very little reliance. Hamdan, who is present,
is equally suspicious of the good faith of Midjielly;
evidently he considers him, for choice, the sample knave
of the country.
c c 2
388
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
At this moment we receive news which is not likely
to increase our confidence. Our Beni-Sakhars are
enraged, because the people of the bazaar, by order of
the Scheikh, refuse to sell them meal for themselves and
barley for their horses. At the same time the Scheikh
Mohammed requests me to send them away, saying that
it would be injurious to his honour were I to remain in
his town, under any other protection than his own, At
first, I am simple enough to find this sensitiveness rather
natural, and am almost inclined to comply with his
request, when Matteo tells me, in Italian, to beware of
doing so, and to refuse most positively, though I may
qualify my refusal as politely as I please. Instinctively
Edward adopts the same opinion ; therefore, I return for
answer to Midjielly that I have sworn before Allah not
to pay the Beni-Sakhar Scheikhs until I return to their
encampment; that I have had every reason to be
satisfied with their services and their fidelity, and that
since they have religiously kept their word, I cannot
without proving myself a recreant, fail to keep mine ;
that I repose the most complete reliance on the word
of the Scheikh Mohammed ; that I am completely under
his exclusive protection, since I have placed myself
within the walls of his town, and that consequently he
has no cause to be incensed at such a trifle. I request
at the same time that he will be pleased to give the
necessary orders to enable all my people to purchase
such provisions as they may require for themselves and
their beasts.
All this is said in presence of a band of armed
banditti, who have invaded our premises ever since the
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
389
morning, and who are making themselves at home, with
the careless familiarity of gaolers who are keeping guard
over their prisoners. As soon as I have despatched my
refusal, Matteo tells me, still in Italian, as a matter of
course, that the presence of the Beni-Sakhar Scheikhs
is exceedingly irksome to Midjielly, as checking the
schemes he is contriving against us. The brigand
knows full well, that if he was to do us any mischief, he
would bring down upon himself the whole tribe, and
that he would then assuredly be starved to death
in his den, he and his band of robbers, without the
slightest hope of escape. His asking us to dismiss our
friends was a skilful move, as, if we had complied, we
should have given such offence to the Beni-Sakhars, that
they would have left us to shift for ourselves, and get
out of the scrape as well as we might.
Fortunately, Hamdan and Matteo are as cunning as
Midjielly, and, with tlieir Arab instinct, have penetrated
and baffled his design. All this has an unfavour¬
able aspect, and we are beginning to get tired of the
inconvenient, impertinent surveillance to which we have
been subjected since daybreak. By dint of loud and
angry expostulations we succeed once more in obtain¬
ing exclusive possession of our own room, for time
sufficient to take our breakfast. We have just drank our
coffee, and are smoking our tchibouks in tolerable quiet,
when a tremendous noise is suddenly heard at the door,
at which people are striking with the tone of authority.
We open, and in rushes a host of the most ill-looking
varlets that can be imagined, led by Mohammed-el-
Midjielly in person, liis worthy nephew, the Scheikh
890
.TOURNEY IN SYRIA
Selameh, and another shabby-looking fellow, Scheikh
Khali], Midjielly's own brother. These are the three
living representatives of the illustrious family of the
Scheikhs of Karak, a family which has supplied in its
different branches a rich harvest for the gallows and the
scaffold, under the Turkish and Egyptian sovereignties.
Midjielly is a very little man, wearing with the dignity
of a sovereign prince, the tattered garb of a Bedouin
Scheikh, the scarlet robe, the black abaya, and the
variegated kafieh. He carries, in addition, a Turkish
sabre by his side. His features are perfectly regular,
his eyes quick and piercing, but their expression is
treacherous, distrustful, and malicious beyond measure ;
the nose is straight and well formed, the lips thin, and
singularly white. A short black beard, sprucely
trimmed, is set as a frame around the handsome face of
this individual, in whose presence you feel uneasy, be¬
cause you can trace in his features no aspect of sincerity,
but rather that of systematic duplicity, under every
word and movement. The hands and feet of Midjielly
are of the most exquisite delicacy, and as his limbs are
in constant motion whilst speaking, we have full leisure
and opportunity to admire the elegant proportions of
this ragged specimen of majesty.
Scheikh Selameh, with whom we have had the honour
of becoming acquainted since yesterday, is, as I have
said already, a complete model of sensual brutality. He
has the look and demeanour of a galley slave. Scheikh
Klialil, on the contrary, is a fine handsome fellow, taller
and more elegantly made than Mohammed. He seems,
however, to be thrust completely into the background,
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
391
probably because he cannot equal in rascality, his illus¬
trious brother, and no less distinguished nephew Selameh.
The three Scheikhs seat themselves without ceremony
upon our camp-beds ; all the gentlemen of their suite
following the example. Some of the beds break down
under the unusual weight, and all receive liberal contribu¬
tions of the domestic intimates by whom these gentlemen
are invariably attended.
Mixed with the crowd, I see the Scheikh Abd-Allah,
his son, and the other Christians who, the evening before,
have welcomed and visited us at the convent. Their
presence gives me confidence. Supposing that our con¬
versation should take a serious turn, no very unlikely
event, we have here friends on the spot, who would
assist us, and enable us at least to sell our lives dearly.
Mohammed scarcely speaks, and only utters now and
then a few words with a haughty and disdainful air.
Coffee and pipes are brought in; but every one looks
mistrustfully on his neighbour, as if doubtful and anxious
as to what will follow next.
After a quarter of an hour, which seems a century,
Midjielly rises, and invites us to accompany him. He
proposes to do the honours of his town, and exhibit to
us its monuments. In a twinkling we are 011 our legs,
cramming our waistbands and pockets with pistols,
under the very beards of the convocation. We then
start on our exploring tour, leaving Philippe and Louis
to guard the camp, with orders to keep a strict watch,
and to drive back, at any hazard, the intruders, who,
tempted by the desire of stealing our arms, might wander
in that direction during our absence.
392
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
I forgot to say that during the conversation Midjielly
inquired if I had a telescope. I answered him that I
had. Immediately he asked me to let him see it;
and, after having tried it, he made a polite grimace,
saying : " I have a better one than that." We were
next obliged to show him all our arms, guns and
pistols, single and double. This time he could not
boast of having something better, and he looked, with
an air of desperate covetousness, at our double-
barrelled rifles, and at our four and eight-barrelled
pistols. These last inspired him with intense admira¬
tion. We took the hint, and forthwith ornamented our
waistbands with an additional brace before commencing
the ramble so politely suggested to us.
We have issued from our prison, threading muddy
lanes filled with every possible description of filth,
scrambling incessantly over heaps of rubbish, remains
of buildings crushed down by Ibrahim Pacha's artillery,
and followed by a host of armed men who accompany
us, as if we were captives in close custody. At every
step, words of abuse strike upon our ears ; we adopt the
wiser plan, and pretend not to understand them.
Having traversed the whole extent of the town, we
reach the western point of the rock, on the summit of
which Karak is built, and find ourselves in front of an
immense tower, forming a demi-parallelogram, and
commanding the only road by which it is practicable to
descend from Karak to the Rhor-Safieh ; that is to say,
to the southern point of the Dead Sea. An interior
gallery, with five ogival openings, encircles the tower
at the level of the first floor. The entrance is by a
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
303
gate in the posterior face of the smaller side on the
right of the building. A long and very fine Arabic
inscription, flanked by two rampant lions, similar to those
that are seen on the Egyptian coins of the Mameluke
Sultan, El-Malek-ed-Dhaher-Be'ibars (who reigned from
1260 to 1277), appears below the gallery. I read a
part of it in presence of Midjielly and his courtiers, who,
to a certainty, are quite incapable of understanding a
single word. I know not if they are astonished at my
learning ; but be that as it may, they give no external
expression to their astonishment, beyond smiles and the
attention with which they listen to my expounding.
I have a great desire to copy this monumental
inscription, but I am not master of my actions at
present, and am soon told to leave the place. Never¬
theless I have obtained the information I most desired,
namely, that this military structure was built by Be'ibars,
between 1260 and 1277, and this approximate date
must satisfy me, since I cannot get the precise one,
which a copy of the inscription itself would have most
certainly given me ; that copy, however, would have
been difficult, owing to the height at which the tablet
is placed.
From thence Midjielly takes us to a small cistern,
hewn out of the rock, close to the tower which we have
just visited ; then to a tunnel, which serves as entrance
to the town, and makes an angle within the rock, so as to
issue upon the road that leads down to the Dead Sea,
and which road is commanded by the tower of Be'ibars.
The rock is a very compact calcareous chalk, intersected
by well defined layers of dark brown flint. At the spot
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
where the tunnel makes the angle, the vaulted roof is
pierced by a shaft, intended to give light ; but this
passage is not kept in better order than all the other
lanes, being equally encumbered with stones and filth.
Above the exterior gate, formed of solid masonry,
another Arabic inscription, almost unintelligible, and
much defaced by having been pelted with stones, is let
into the wall. Whilst I am blundering in my attempt
to decipher the half-erased characters, Midjielly, who
has paused to give my science a second trial, finds,
probably, that I do not read fast enough, for he compels
me once more to quit the premises, and conducts me
back into Karak by the same tunnel.
He then leads the way to a very large ruined cistern,
encumbered with hewn stones ; this seems to me much
more ancient than anything I have seen as yet in the
relics of this town. Here, again, in the midst of the
rubbish, is an Arabic inscription, quite as illegible as
that over the gate, and which it would require much
leisure and perseverance to decipher. But how is
it possible to give attention to these matters, when
you are jostled, pestered, and insulted \ I use this
last word in its full meaning; for, as I am stooping
to examine this inscription, one of the vile brigands
escorting us, having got on the top of the cistern wall,
spits down upon me. My friends have seen the out¬
rage, and give me instant warning. I am sorely
tempted to pay him with a bullet, but just as I am
yielding to my indignation, I reflect that such is
precisely the object these people are aiming at; and
that I shall bring down immediate and certain death
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
395
upon my brave companions, who, through their con¬
fidence in me, have ventured into this den of cut¬
throats. I feel that the greatest proof of courage I can
exhibit is to pass by the insult with contempt, and only
express my resentment by saying to Midjielly that the
protection which he has promised me is not worth
much, since it cannot even prevent the men under his
command from spitting upon his guests. Midjielly
replies, chuckling with a malicious and treacherous air,
" Oh ! it is nothing ; we must not mind the follies of
children !"
It may easily be supposed that from this moment I
am sick of the ramble. I announce to the Scheikh
that I wish to return to the convent, and he accordingly
leads me back. On our way he brings me round by
the walls of a ruined mosque, the door of which is
surmounted by an Arabic inscription, well preserved ;
but I am no longer scientifically disposed. Besides, it
begins to rain smartly at this moment, which drives us
under cover as fast as possible.
During this agreeable promenade I have picked up
here and there geological specimens—some fragments
of ancient pottery, similar to those I found near the
Redjom-el-Aabed, and a small cube of glass, which
has certainly formed a portion of a Roman mosaic.
The Scheikh Khalil has left us on the way ; but
Mohammed and Selameh are not inclined so soon to
lose sight of their prey. They return with us to the
convent, and once more our apartment is invaded by
the friendly visitors into whose clutches we have thrown
ourselves so imprudently. The two Scheikhs sit down
396
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
carelessly upon Philippe's bed, which immediately gives
way under them. As these gentlemen have sharpened
their appetites by their airing, they order in something
to eat, as familiarly as if they were at home, and a
large omelet is immediately set before them. They
divide it with their fingers, adding the accompaniment
of a huge lump of bread. After having taken coffee,
and a pipe, they leave us, and allow us a little
breathing time, to prepare ourselves for the vexations
of the evening, for they promise to repeat their visit an
hour after our dinner.
Scarcely have they left the room, when Matteo
introduces to our presence a tall strapping fellow,
dressed in a scarlet robe of distinction, who has a
particular wish to speak with us. As soon as he has
entered, and the door is closed behind him, he tells us
that Midjielly is an impudent puppy, that he has used
us shabbily, and that if wre choose to be revenged, he
(the new comer himself) is ready to assist us with all his
people. Is this man really an enemy of Midjielly,
or is it a decoy of the latter gentleman, to lead us into
a new trap \ As I am very much inclined to suspect
this, I diplomatise in my turn, and tell the intruder that
if Midjielly has given himself airs at first, he has since
appeared to assume in reality the character of our
protector in Karak; that consequently I have no hostile
feelings towards him, and that I intend starting as soon
as possible on my return to Jerusalem, without inter¬
meddling with anybody's quarrels. Upon that our
visitor left us. As there were crowds of Arabs
squatting round our door, within hearing of every
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
397
word that was said in the room, if the Scheikh just
mentioned was not an emissary of that crafty knave,
Midjielly, he profited little by his interference ; at any
rate, we saw no more of him.
The remainder of the day wears away slowly enough,
whilst we employ ourselves in philosophizing on our
present position. How to get out of the scrape without
damage, becomes hourly a more intricate problem, which
we endeavour to solve without success. We keep up our
spirits, notwithstanding ; laugh, jest, and amuse our¬
selves as usual, whenever we are left alone.
Before dinner, the Scheikh Abd-Allah, came to pay
us a short visit, and as Ave were just then in high good
humour, we entertained him with the performance of a
musical-box, which he listened to with profound admira¬
tion. I told him there was a little animal shut up in
the box, and that it was this creature who produced the
music. Abd-Allah swallowed the information eagerly,
and, no doubt, on leaving us, hurried to display his
superior knowledge to all his friends and acquaintances,
telling them how the Feringhees confine little insects in
boxes to make them sing, with no more trouble than
tickling their tails with a small piece of iron. Such
was indeed the only explanation I had been able to give
him ; any other would have been quite incomprehensible.
Besides, as he wras naturally intelligent, he had arrived
of his own accord, at something like the same conclusion.
The reader will see, by and by, that Providence had
again inspired us, and that the little concert to which we
had treated Abd-Allah, assisted in the end in extricating
us from a troublesome dilemma.
398
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
Dinner being over, we wait in expectation of the
promised visit; I may even say, we are impatient for it,
since our fate evidently depends on tlie result. Either
we shall be at liberty to depart to-morrow, or we must
remain in Midjielly's clutches, and then Heaven only
knows what will become of us.
The honest Scheikh of Karak, exhibits, in this
instance, the punctilious ceremony of a king, unless we
may prefer calling it the vigilance of a bailiff. Tlie hour
of payment has duly struck, we must be ready with our
contributions, and Midjielly is too polite to keep us
waiting. He enters accordingly, looking colder and more
important than ever, attended by his honourable nephew
Selameh. Hamdan and Matteo are the only others pre¬
sent, all the Bedouins having received from the Scheikh,
his gracious permission to go about their business.
Coffee and pipes being dispatched, we proceed to
business, which I open with a display of all the Arabic
I can muster, in the hope of producing an effect.
I fancy I am making a masterly move, by treating
seriousty, the magnanimous answer of the morning
with regard to the presents hinted at by Matteo, and I
take advantage of the louleh (souvenir) that has been
asked for, to extol the generosity of the powerful
Scheikh who has so kindly received us into his town.
Of course, I omit all allusion to the practical joke passed
upon me, in his noble company. After having said all
this, I add that people like us, Frenchmen, cannot
allow anybody to take the lead, or set them examples in
magnanimity or liberality ; that such a thing would make
us all seriously ill, &c., &c.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
399
In short, after much preliminary eloquence, I come to
the point. I take my double-barrelled gun, a splendid
one of the Corsican Yoltigeurs ; I cock and uncock it,
and announce to the Scheikh, that it is unquestionably
the first weapon of the kind in the world. In this
assertion I scarcely exceeded the truth ; although, I did
in the exorbitant price at which I rated it, to increase the
value in the eyes of Midjielly. After the gun, I exhibit
a pair of good cavalry pistols, upon which I lavish the
same encomiums as to cost and quality. This done, " to
thee," I say, " Scheikh Mohammed-el-Midjielly, I give
this magnificent fusil, as a remembrance of my visit to
thy country, and as a token of my tender friendship.
To thee, Scheikh Selameh, this no less magnificent
pair of pistols."
I had thus, without intending it, plunged into a
worse dilemma than ever. My speech ended, I examine
the countenances of my hearers, and, first of all, those
of Hamdan and Matteo. Hamdan, in particular, looks
the picture of discontent and despair. Midjielly and
his nephew express their high sense of my generosity,
by increased coldness and insolence of deportment.
I feel somewhat confounded, waiting for what is to
come next, when Matteo whispers me in Italian: " You
have made a pretty piece of work of it ; you have now
got into the mire too deeply to extricate yourself!"
This ill-timed remark, and perhaps also a little of the ill-
temper of an author whose piece has been hissed, drives
me beyond all patience; I change my tone, talk louder,
and am not quite sure that I do not even swear a little,
telling Matteo to demand at once, and without circum-
400
JOUBNEY IN S VIM A
locution, what more these thieves pretend to exact
from us.
Thereupon, a cabinet council, in a suppressed tone, is
held between the two brigands and our plenipotentiaries,
which ends by the demand in hard cash, of the price
of the weapons I had offered to the uncle and nephew,
and which they suspect to be even of higher value than
I chose to acknowledge. As the request seems to me
of equivocal delicacy, I try to follow the maxim, "if
you have to deal with a pirate, be a pirate and a half!"
and therefore depreciate as much as I can the standard
of my rejected presents, offering in exchange fifteen
hundred piastres ; upon which Midjielly laughs in my
face, and gives a point blank refusal.
A second council then takes place, in a lower whisper
than the first, and lasting much longer. At length
the ultimatum is delivered ; they must have two
thousand piastres, besides three abayas, three kafiehs,
and three pairs of boots. As I knew by expe¬
rience, that not to take Arabs at their word, in
negotiations of this kind, is to expose ourselves to
perpetually increasing exactions, I hasten to comply at
once. I think I have reached the end of my troubles,
when Midjielly suddenly remembers that he has a
dearly beloved brother to whom he wishes to make a
small present at our expense. He has the impudence to
exact, in addition, ten rhazis (or two hundred piastres)
to be given to Khalil as a bakhshish. I grant them at
once; but now his wolfish voracity increases as he
devours ; he must have besides for this same Khalil,
another abaya, another kafieh, and another pair of boots.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
401
Though I had made up my mind to give them, I perceive
that I must resist this overwhelming tide of exactions,
or it will flow 011 for ever. I give vent to my displeasure
in an angry tone, and declare that I will treat no longer
with Midjielly; that he may go and settle with Matteo,
and that we desire to be left alone.
The anxiety to finger our gold pieces induces the two
honourable Scheikhs to close the sitting at once. They
leave us without our exchanging the slightest expres¬
sion of politeness ; but I must not forget to mention
here that I have insisted upon the condition of the
Scheikh Mohammed-el-Midjielly accompanying us in
person, as far as the first encampment of the Beni-
Sakhars, in the Rhor-Safieh. He has bound himself
to comply.
Scarcely are we rid of our two rapacious blood¬
suckers, when the Beni-Sakhar Scheikhs enter to ask
for their salary. Either the people of Karak have been
selling them their spices at an exorbitant rate, or else
these gentlemen are anxious to profit by their sojourn
in this elegant metropolis to lay in a stock of those
luxurious trifles, which are essential to their pretensions
as fashionable Bedouins.
This fresh inroad on our finances occasions general
discontent. Who knows if, when they are paid, the
Scheikhs will serve us with the same fidelity % I refuse
resolutely to comply with their request, and signify-
that, since I have engaged upon oath to pay them on
the day when we return to their tents, I need not and
will not disburse until that day arrives. They con¬
tinue importunate, stating that they are distressed by
VOL. I. I) D
402
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
absolute want—the necessity of meeting their own
expenses and the expenses of their people. I give in
at last, and consent to pay them two-thirds of the sum
contracted for. I send them to the treasury—that is,
to Philippe, who is our purse-bearer, and to Matteo,
who serves out the cash to the Bedouins.
Speaking of our treasury, it has fallen to an ebb
that causes us much uneasiness, and has been so often
drawn upon since our departure from Jerusalem, that
the balance is almost a cipher. A rencontre with
another tribe or two, and we shall have nothing but
our good looks to offer in payment for Bedouin
hospitality. This is as much as to say that we run a
considerable risk of returning to Jerusalem without
our clothes, even if we are fortunate enough to return
at all.
We have, however, succeeded in contracting a loan
in the desert, and the affair is so incredible, that I
cannot help detailing it. On the day when we left the
encampment of Kharbet-Fouqoua, near Schihan, a
brilliant idea suggested itself, which I immediately
carried into execution. We had still attached to our
caravan the cattle-dealer, Mohammed-el-Qodsy, who
was on his way to Karak, with the intention of
purchasing some sheep. Most probably he was
furnished with a certain sum in gold, which if we
could contrive to borrow from him, our exhausted
money-bags might swell again to their ordinary bulk.
I desired Matteo to sound him ; he made no objection
to accommodate us, and the conditions were soon
arranged. Matteo had asked him, in my name, what
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
403
profit he expected to make by his intended speculation
in Ivarak % Mohammed answered, eight hundred
piastres. Now, he carried with him two thousand
piastres in gold. I offered to borrow his two thousand
piastres, and to give him in exchange two thousand
eight hundred on the day when we should arrive at
Jerusalem. He agreed most willingly to our proposal;
but a good Mussulman cannot lend money on interest,
the Koran positively forbids it. It was, therefore,
necessary to hit on some contrivance to baffle the
prophet, and thus we settle it : Mohammed sold his
horse to Matteo for a thousand piastres, and Matteo re¬
sold it back to him immediately for two hundred, which
established a balance of eight hundred piastres in favour
of Mohammed. This sum Matteo bound himself to pay
at Jerusalem, in the manner and at the date prescribed.
The double bargain was concluded with many graspings
of the hands, solemnly delivered in token of mutual
good faith. I then deliver to Mohammed- el-Qodsy a
bill for two thousand piastres, to be paid in gold at our
banker's, and we forthwith pocketed his money. At
the rate we were spending, these piastres were not
likely to remain long in our possession, and indeed
they very soon changed owners.
Having dismissed our Beni-Sakhars, we looked for no
more dunning visits ; but we deceived ourselves again.
It is now Scheikh Khalil's turn, who enters in a state
of high excitement, and insists upon receiving two
thousand piastres instead of the two hundred that his
brother had asked for him. "I am as much of a
Scheikh as Mohammed," says he, "and have equal
dd2
404
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
pretensions to the same treatment; it is an insult to
give me ten miserable rhazis; a sliameful degradation ;
I demand one hundred." On this new stone falling
upon our heads, we get into a passion, and angry words
are likely to ensue.
But Scheikh Abd-Allah has told Khalil of the
musical-box; and curious, like a true Bedouin, in the
midst of his anger he asks us to let him see the box,
and hear a song from the little animal enclosed in it.
I see here a reed to cling to, and I catch at it like a
drowning man. I take out the box with much parade
from the paltry jewel-casket we have brought with us;
I wind it up and place it upon the table. Khalil is lost
in wonder; and ten times running we are compelled
to wind up the box, and listen to the monotonous tunes
of this wearisome piece of mechanism.
Our Bedouin, his eyes sparkling like carbuncles, at
last exclaims involuntarily, "Give it me as a bakhshish!"
a proposal I reject with indignation, to increase his
anxiety for possession. I tell him that this box, which
has cost exactly seven francs and a-half, is worth many
thousands of piastres, that it is our sweetest conso¬
lation in all difficulties, and that I cannot consent to
part with it on any terms. But Khalil is a ladies'
man, and keeps a harem ; getting the little creature to
sing for his mistresses will make him an object of their
general admiration. So he perseveres in his entreaties,
and lays his hand upon the - box. As I am quite
satisfied he will break the spring the first time he
attempts to wind it up, I tell him that the little creature
gets tired of singing, and that after some tickling it
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
405
falls asleep. " Let us see," say I to him, " if it is still
awake;" and I wind the box up again, producing another
serenade.
When the music is over, Khalil insists absolutely
upon my giving him a lesson in the art of tickling. I
hold his hand to make him leave off at the proper
time, and the jingling is renewed ; then he wants to
do it by himself. I hear a little cracking noise of bad
omen, and tell our man that the creature has just gone
to sleep, and will repose for four-and-twenty hours,
as the day has been a very fatiguing one. In four-
and-twenty hours we hope to be a good way off;
and then we shall care little for what may happen.
At last, the Scheikh can contain himself no longer.
" Leave me thy box," says he, " and I will be content with
the ten rhazis thou hast already given me." I cry
" done" at once, and, pretending great fatigue, turn out
my visitor. Khalil deposits the precious little box in
his bosom with anxious solicitude. He has obtained
an amusing trinket, for which by his own estimate
he has paid eighteen hundred piastres. The price
may be considered dear.
At last, thank Heaven! we are alone, and we throw
ourselves upon our cots. But now comes Francis,
Rothschild's dragoman, to tell us that it is impossible
we can start to-morrow, because our horses want
shoeing. I am near deciding to remain another day in
Ivarak, when Edward offers this objection : " The
thought is absurd," says he ; " here we have a chance
of getting out of this horrible den of cut-throats, and we
choose, of our own free will, to remain in it twenty-four
406
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
hours longer! The thing is impossible. Let our horses
be with or without shoes, we must get on. So much
the worse for the moukris if they have neglected to
have them shod. Besides, it has been raining for the
last two days ; and, above all, remember the Sabkhah ;
do you think it will be easy to cross if?" At this
mention of the Sabkhah, my hesitation ceases; in
my turn I am impatient to find myself on the western
shore of the Dead Sea ; it seems to me that, if once
there, we should feel at home. We send Francis to the
right-about, and decide that our departure shall take
place irrevocably to-morrow morning. Francis retires
sulkily and grumbling. We pay him no attention, and
hasten to get to sleep, anticipating the enjoyment of
to-morrow's liberty.
Jaimary 10 th.
By dawn we are all up and packing as fast as pos¬
sible. The moukris have been ordered to be expeditious
in loading their animals, for it is our wish and hope to
be off without the loss of a minute. Alas ! once more
we have reckoned without our hosts. When all is
ready for a start, in comes Midjielly and all his gang.
He will not suffer us to take leave of him without
having seen the ruins of the castle, to which he is come
to conduct us in person. One hour is sufficient for this
reconnoissance.
It is scarcely possible to refuse, and, who knows 1
Perhaps in this hour, divided between curiosity and
prudence, we may make some interesting discovery.
We prepare to accompany the Scheikh without delay,
when Francis Dzaloglou rushes in, in a frenzy : he has
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
407
been robbed of his sabre, which cost him four hundred
piastres at Damascus — a splendid weapon, according
to his statement. He roars like a madman, and, to
appease him a little, I bring his complaint immediately
before the Scheikh. " One of thy followers has just
stolen a sword from us," say I; " and it depends upon
thee that it shall be recovered ; give thy orders in
consequence, since we are under thy protection."
This request seems to annoy Midjielly considerably;
but, as he cannot pass it by, he orders that it shall be
cried publicly in the streets of Karak that a sword has
been stolen from the strangers, and that it must be
brought back immediately. The haughty reproaches
of our Beni-Sakhar chieftains have contributed not
a little to persuade Mohammed to a course evidently
most unpalatable.
After this little episode, we proceed towards the
castle ; the crowd of curious idlers has not decreased,
and they look even more insolent than on the day before.
Arrived within the enclosure of the old castle of Renaud
de Chatillon, we are first led to the church, which is
now a kind of large market-place, with nothing but the
four walls left, but still retaining, here and there, traces
of Christian pictures, effaced and unintelligible. Blended
in with the masonry are various fragments, which have
been taken from ancient monuments ; such, for instance,
as ornamental leaves in bas-relief, and some strange
mouldings. To the right of the gate by which you
enter the church, a block of lava is fixed into the wall,
at about eight or ten feet from the ground. Upon this
block are carved, and still distinguishable, the principal
408
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
features of a well-known Egyptian symbol, the mystical
eye of Horus (the Apollo of the Egyptians). Not to lose
time, I request Belly to sketch it correctly, whilst I am
following Midjielly through the still stupendous ruins of
the buildings, formerly appropriated as dwelling-places.
To reach the upper story, we are obliged to scramble
over the rubbish, and through holes scarcely large
enough to allow a man's body to pass. Clamber¬
ing up in this manner, at the risk of breaking our
necks, we reach the battlements crowning the top of
the walls. From this point the view is magnificent,
and the eye at once perceives the extent and import¬
ance of this remarkable military structure. Nothing-
would have been easier than taking from this eminence
a plan of all the works comprised within the fortress;
but I confess freely I could not set my mind to the
work : every moment I dreaded treachery—at every
step I looked for a snare, and I had no thought but that
of seeing our whole party safe and sound out of Karak.
We hastened again down, using the same ruined and
encumbered staircase by which we had ascended, and
found ourselves, to our no small satisfaction, on the
level platform of the castle. Proceeding then south¬
ward, to a spot where the enclosure wall rises perpen¬
dicularly above the valley that winds round the basis
of the mountain upon which Karak is perched, we dis¬
covered, for the first time, a glacis made of huge blocks
of well-squared stones, forming an inclined plane, which
no besiegers in the world could have got over.
We were also led into a vast hall, having another
subterranean chamber below it. The existence of this
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
409
last, we ascertained from the circumstance that the
vault forming the floor of the upper hall had been
pierced through.
Whilst Belly was busied sketching, he had been
savagely insulted by an Arab. As soon as I was
informed of this, I complained to the Scheikh Midjielly,
who gave me no redress beyond a silent sneer. In all
probability this time again a trap had been laid for
us; and, if Belly had allowed himself to be carried away
by his strong inclination to revenge, with a pistol-shot, the
insult he had suffered, it would have been all up with
us, and we should have perished to a man in five
minutes. This was the very point to which they wanted
to provoke us, and I am thankful to Providence that in
these dangerous moments we had enough of cool self-
command to reject the easier courage of immediate
retaliation. Certainly we have shown more head and
judgment, in avoiding the snares to which we were
exposed, than if we had given way to passion, and paid
off" these premeditated insults with summary chastise¬
ment. What could five men achieve, however deter¬
mined, against a thousand assassins panting for a
pretence to cut our throats \ We might sell our lives
bravely and dearly, it is true ; but what then % What
would have become of the interesting discoveries we
have made with so much labour and expense 1 They
would have been lost for ever! We were wise and
patient enough to listen to the dictates of philosophy,
to endure our insults, and to smother up our rage in
perfect silence.
The reader will easily understand that we were not
410
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
particularly desirous to prolong our visit to the castle
of Karak; I therefore signified to Midjielly that we
wished to return to the con vent to breakfast, and then
immediately to mount our horses and proceed to theRhor.
We retraced our steps to the convent, and on our way
there I procured from the son of the Christian Scheikh
Abd-Allah a gold bead, some cornelian beads, and a
cylinder of enamelled earth, being the fragments of a
Moabitic collar which had been found some time pre¬
viously in a small vase dug up at the bottom of the
valley. In exchange for these curious specimens of
jewellery, I slipped a rhazi, worth twenty piastres, into
the hand of the vendor, who seemed quite pleased with
his bargain.
On our return to the convent, we find Philippe still
under the strong emotion of a recent alarm. We had
left him singly to guard our arms, and, whilst we were
in the castle, some Arabs attempted to enter our room
by force, no doubt to make a general pillage of every¬
thing they could lay their hands upon. At first, a
single thief had presented himself, and had. been
roughly ejected by Philippe, who then locked himself
into the room ; but, almost immediately, the intruder
returned with three more birds of the same feather, and
began assaulting the door with such noise and violence,
that Philippe, losing all patience, threw it open, and,
presenting an eight-barrelled pistol right in their teeth,
scattered the enemy in a twinkling.
This scene had just terminated as we came in. Each
of us immediately assumed all his weapons, and from
that moment the chances of our being murdered in cold
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
411
blood became considerably diminished, as we were now
well prepared for defence, and able to oppose a stout
resistance.
Of course, we can procure no information respect¬
ing the sword of our man Francis, whose ill-humour
increases in consequence. At last, our breakfast is
announced; we swallow it hastily, that we may
depart at once; but the endless delays of our
moukris detain us more than an additional hour, and
the reader may imagine the feverish impatience under
which we suffer. All the men composing our escort are
forthcoming, and once more mustered around us. The
storm that threatened so boisterously, has blown over
without much damage. Our spirits rise in proportion,
although we are still within the walls of Karak. At
last we are in the saddle, but we are yet condemned to
waste nearly half an hour more, which seems at least a
century, until the whole caravan is reported ready. But,
even during this half-hour, we have added something
to our travelling education in Arabia. Scarcely am
I mounted, when Mohammed-el-Midjielly draws near,
and says to me, with the most consummate effrontery
in the world: "Yesterday thou hast offered me
thy double-barrelled gun. Well! give it me now \"
Need I say that this modest request enrages me \
" I have given thee," replied I, " all that thou shalt
have from me ; thou hast preferred money to the
gun. I have paid the money ; thou shalt have nothing
more. But still, I have been robbed of a splendid
sword ; one of thy men is the thief; if thou canst
recover it, I give thee that also." " Khatrak-el-khair!"
412 JOURNEY IN SYRIA
("I thank thee!") rejoins the miserable varlet. Evidently
either himself or his brother Khalil have procured the
abduction of the sword.
One of our Beni-Sakhar Scheikhs overhears this short
conversation ; and, taking it up with an animated voice,
reproaches Midjielly bitterly for his infamous behaviour
towards us :—" These strangers were thy guests," says
he ; " they have all paid liberally for their welcome,
and thou allowest one of thy followers to steal a sword
from them ! Amongst the Beni-Sakhars, if such a thing
was to happen, dost thou hear, Scheikli Mohammed, the
tribe would give the Frenchman ten swords, handsomer
than the one he had lost, and the robber would be
punished, even so as to cure him of his tricks. But here
you are all thieves, and you don't know how a guest is to
be protected." The lesson, though severe, was digested
without a word in reply by the Scheikh of Karak,
who has sense enough not to take umbrage at such
reproaches as may be addressed to him by a brother
Scheikh, of the powerful tribe of Beni-Sakhar.
After Midjielly, his nephew Selameh has the
impudence to approach, and demand the pistols I
had offered him yesterday, before our negotiations
merged into a financial compromise. I tell him,
unceremoniously, he may go to the devil; asking him,
at the same time, if he takes me for a fool. These were
the last words I exchanged with the respectable Scheikh
Selameh of Karak.
At length the word is given that everything is ready.
I direct our beasts of burden to be led off in front, and
we follow in good order. Mohammed-el-Midjielly, who
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
413
lias been the last to vault into the saddle, is, I must
confess, one of the most accomplished cavaliers you can
desire to look on. He makes his horse prance and
caper gracefully, as he rides by the side of our friends
the Scheikhs. We remark that he is not armed, as
people of his race generally are when about to under¬
take an excursion of several leagues. But we think
little of this circumstance, so accustomed are we to
find the Arabs religious observers of plighted faitli.
Mohammed carries at present no weapon but his
chibouk. He is the only one of his family accom¬
panying us ; all his intimates have disappeared ; but,
in their stead, Scheikh Abd-Allah, with his son,
and four or five other Christians, well armed with
muskets and khandjars, have joined our escort, without
any previous understanding. Their company is far
from being disagreeable to us, but I am quite sure
Midjielly could dispense with it very willingly.
We have passed safely through the vile accumulation
of rubbish which is called Karak, and are approaching
the tunnel-gate which we had visited yesterday, when
one of the exquisites of the place—a young man, of
about five-and-twenty years old, his eyes painted round
with a circle of cohol, and his long hair braided over
his temples—a vagabond, who had dogged our heels
during our two rambles through the town, uttering abuses
—at the same time takes it into his head to give us a
parting farewell after a fashion of his own. This time
we are in a position to punish his impertinence smartly.
Midjielly is fully aware that it is so, and consequently
he prefers doing it himself with a good grace. Ho
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
pushes his horse straight up to the man with the
painted eyes, and breaks against the fellow's head the
pipe of his chibouk, hurled with all his might. Every¬
body laughs, except the delinquent, who was unpre¬
pared for this salute, and retires, repeatedly rubbing
his head with both hands, and howling piteously.
While we are passing through the tunnel, stones are
hurled down upon us through the hole in the vaulted
roof, as a preliminary to the farewell salute prepared
a little further on. As we clear the gate and enter
upon the road, we receive from our kind friends in
Karak, ranged on the top of the wall, a regular volley of
stones, which luckily does no harm, and merely induces
us to quicken our pace.
It is nearly half-past eleven when we issue from the
town, and follow the descent leading to the foot of
the tower of Be'ibars. In less than five minutes we
wind along the outward face of this tower, through the
ditch running before it, and forming the continuation of
the high road we are now following. Before coming
to this ditch, the Scheikh Mohammed-el-Midjielly
draws near, stammers out some phrase of doubtful
politeness, after which, without waiting for my answrer,
he immediately turns his horse round, and rides off
at a gallop towards his robbers' nest. " Go thy ways,
wretch ! and may Heaven confound thee!" is the unani¬
mous blessing which we send after him at parting ; we
then spur our horses, and amble away with light hearts
from this city of disaster.
The ditch of Be'ibars being passed, twro windings of
the road take us up to a flat eminence, not more than
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
415
ten yards wide, and rising perpendicularly above the
Ouad-el-Karak. We march then in a north-westerly
direction. By forty-two minutes past eleven we reach
a steep ridge, where the road turns and goes down
abruptly, and with short zig-zags, to another inclined
plane bearing more to the west than the first. Soon after
this we enter on a series of very short, narrow, and
abrupt windings, taking us again, by fifty-two minutes
past eleven, in front of the tower of Be'ibars, scarcely a
hundred yards from the left extremity of its anterior
face, but two hundred yards lower down in perpendicular
height. Here the road makes another turn, and the
tower, which was on our left, shifts immediately to our
right. "We then march again north-west, to proceed
soon due north. We are on the declivity of the
mountain of Ivarak ; and wre wind, to our left, along a
deep ravine called the Ouad-el-Medabeh, with a rivulet
running at the bottom. Our descent is rapid. By
twelve exactly we are opposite some projecting rocks on
the mountain side ; under these is concealed a spring,
called Ayn-Teheddah. By three minutes past twelve
we descend to within six yards of the bottom
of the ouad, which now takes the name of Ouad-el-
Goulleh.
The bed of the rivulet is full of rose-laurel bushes,
and by five minutes past twelve we cross it, in the
middle of small cultivated plains, planted with olive-
trees. By nine minutes past twelve the ouad narrows
again, so as to become only twenty yards wide, and we
are opposite to some masses of rock 011 our left, which
liave fallen down from the mountain. To our right, on
416
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
the opposite flank—and on the other side of the rivulet,
the bed of which is very deep and narrow at this spot,
with a fine rich vegetation along its banks—we descry a
small ruined Mussulman building, close to a fountian
called Ayn-Sara. This fountain is sufficiently abundant
to turn a small mill, situated some yards lower down.
It is true, a second spring, called Ayn-Obech, or
Aqbech (the Arabs of Karak pronounce this name both
ways), also contributes its waters to the mill. Beyond,
a valley opens, fifty yards distant to our right. This is
the Ouad-Belastamah, on the western flank of which,
a village is pointed out, called Daouarat-el-Habs.
Our road is still through the Ouad-el-Karak, running
here in a north-westerly direction, and we pass on the
left a hillock, having its declivity planted with olive-
trees. As soon as we have passed the head of the Ouad-
Belastamah, the Ouad-el-Karak turns with our road
due west, widening to a breadth of two hundred yards,
so as to form a small plain, with a mill at the bottom.
By sixteen minutes past twelve we are opposite this
mill; we then leave the bottom of the ouad, to ascend
a small cultivated eminence, bounded by rocks, com¬
manding the bed of the ravine. We are now marching
west-south-west. By twenty-one minutes past twelve we
are at a considerable distance from the Ouad-el-Karak,
and in front of a small, low plain, in the centre of which
is a fountain, called Ayn-el-Bessas, situated about forty
yards to the right of our road. From this spot the
road inclines slightly upwards, and in a west-north-west
direction. By twenty-six minutes past twelve the bottom
of the Ouad-el-Karak, running due west, is two hundred
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
417
yards distant to our right, whilst the cliffs bordering
the valley on our side begin only one hundred yards off
to our left.
We have then distinctly in sight, beyond the Ouad-
el-Karak, a high mountain, on the summit of which is
the tomb, called Qoubbet-Habisieh, of a Mussulman
saint; and also the ruins of a Christian monastery,
named, at the present day, Deir-el-Mokharib. By thirty-
eight minutes past twelve our road, after having made
an elbow to the south, resumes a westerly direction, and
we are opposite some perpendicular rocks bordering the
opposite side of the Ouad-el-Karak. These rocks have
received from the Arabs the name of El-Khaouadjat (the
merchants), but none of our Bedouins can furnish me
with the reason of this extraordinary designation.
By forty-three minutes past twelve we arrive at
the bed of a rivulet, planted with rose-laurel bushes.
This rivulet is formed by a spring called Ayn-Sahour.
The Ouad-el-Karak here takes a westerly direction, as
does our road, and four hundred yards distant to the
right. By fifty-one minutes past twelve we turn off a
little, marching west-north-west. We are then on the
side of a hill, forming, in some sort, the foot of a high
mountain, the summit of which, distant about four
thousand yards 011 our left, is named Ras-el-Emguer.
By fifty-five minutes past twelve we have reached
the bottom of a small ravine, covered with another fine
thicket of rose-laurel bushes. By fifty-eight minutes
past twelve, at the very spot where we fall in with a
fountain called the Ayn-el-Thabib, our road takes a
slight turn, inclining exactly north-west. At one o'clock
VOL. 1. E E
418
JOURNEY IX SYRIA
we reach another spring, the Ayn-el-Sekkeh, situated
at the foot of a rising ground, on an agreeable grass-
plot. We halt here for a few minutes, to water our
horses. The bed of the Ouad-el-Karak is then eight
hundred or a thousand yards distant to our right. We
march north-north-west until nearly half-past one, when
we perceive, at a distance of twenty-five yards to our
left, a second spring, also called Ayn-el-Sekkeh.
On the flank of the mountain, opposite the declivity
along which we are marching, we descry a verdant
ravine, with a spring named the Ayn-Zeboub. By
twenty-six minutes past one the valley inclines a little
to the south, and our course lies west by north. We
are then 011 a small eminence, on which a single tree is
planted. By half-past one we pass in front of, and at
the distance of thirty yards from, a ruin called Omm-
Sedereh. We now discover, for the first time in this
direction, well-marked vestiges of an ancient paved
road. To our left, on the height, at the distance of
half an hour's march, according to the statement of
some Karak Arabs who have joined our caravan, is the
Belad-el-Ahzar. At forty minutes past one we are
marching north-west, and are exactly in front of the
Ayn-Zeboub, already mentioned, from which we are
divided by an interval of nearly three thousand yards.
We keep advancing along the side of the mountain
forming the southern border of the Ouad-el-Karak, and
proceed by a ridge commanding a level eminence,
situated about fifty yards below our path. On this
lower ledge, and at about fifty yards' distance, as the
crow flies, are springs situated amongst rocks, and called
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
419
Ayoun-el-Rhezal. Immediately after, we begin the
descent towards this ledge, marching west by north.
The bed of the Ouad-el-Karak has now drawn closer to
ns, and we are only four hundred yards distant from it.
Until two o'clock we follow a path cut perpendicularly
upon rocks, commanding, from a height of ten yards,
the lower ledge, upon which are found the Ayoun-el-
Rhezal (the Springs of the Antelopes).
By eight minutes past two we are on the crest of a
small deeply-hollowed valley, coming from the south,
and at the bottom of which is a spring called Ayn-er-
Reces. Some winding paths, difficult to follow, take
us, by a quarter-past two, to the bottom of this valley,
close to the fountain. The Ouad-el-Karak is then six
hundred yards distant to our right. On our arrival
here, our el-Karak Christians propose to us to halt and
pitch our tents for the night. But this advice is very
roughly received ; we have retained too keen a remem¬
brance of the inhabitants of the inhospitable town we
have just left, not to deem it the highest degree of
folly to encamp so close to its walls. We are still far
from the tents of the Beni-Sakhars; Mohammed-el-
Midjielly might very easily change his mind, and fall
upon us during the night with his banditti. I therefore
negative this proposition in the most decided terms
greatly to the disgust of our moukris, and issue positive
orders to continue the march, signifying that I am deter¬
mined to sleep to-night beyond the mountains and within
the Rhor. Nobody dares to offer remonstrances which
evidently would be ill-received, and we push on.
After winding through the bottom of the valley
F, E 2
420
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
along the foot of the height, we resume, by twenty-one
minutes past two, our north-westerly direction. The
Ouad-el-Karak is still drawing closer to us, and is now
only four hundred yards distant to our right. We then
proceed along a cornice, not more than ten yards wide,
commanding the inferior ledge. At this spot we have,
nine hundred yards off, to our left, the summit of the
Djebel-el-Hadits ; and at nearly twelve miles to our
right that of the Djebel-Dzafel. We soon descend
between the rocks to the lower platform, and find
ourselves, by thirty-five minutes past two, in the midst
of a vast agglomeration of huge blocks that have been
rent from the mountain by an earthquake, and rolled
down into the valley. From thirty-five to forty-two
minutes past two we are moving through this chaos;
and the bed of the ouad has drawn a hundred yards
closer to us.
By forty-four minutes past two we enter, through the
fallen rocks, another steep and winding descent, called
the Naqb-el-Mouchinaneh. At forty-seven minutes past
two we cross a ravine encumbered with enormous rocks,
beyond which this strange chaos still extends,—the
actual fragments of a mountain shattered into pieces by
a terrible convulsion of nature. At fifty-nine minutes
past two we arrive at a small circular plain, not more
than one hundred yards in diameter, and pass close by
the left flank of a rocky conical hill of considerable
elevation. The termination of the Ouad-el-Karak is three
hundred yards distant to our right. By five minutes
past three we descend again between the rocks. We
have now gained the bottom of a steep ravine, which
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
421
we reach by twenty minutes past tliree, and take our
course along it west-south-west. The right bank of
this ravine is formed by a projecting hillock of con¬
siderable size, on the western point of which are the
ruins of an ancient tower, called lledjom-Talaa. At
the end of the ravine, opposite this tower, we find,
by twenty-four minutes past three, a small spring.
This is the Ayn-Talaa. (Talaa means any place by
which the waters are carried down from the heights
into the plain.)
By half-past three we are on the flank of another
conical hill, situated to our left, and reach the foot of it
by two or three very steep winding paths. This conical
hill commands a ravine containing another spring,
called the Ayn-el-Mantarah. At length, by thirty-five
minutes past three, we are before the entrance of a
fearful chasm, being in reality an enormous crater.
This is called the Ouad-el-Kharazeh, or rather el-Kharad-
jeli (the valley of the issue). On the upper ledge is a
square ruin, called Kabou-el-Kharazeh. By forty-two
minutes past three we proceed, by short turns, through
this repulsive defile, commanded on the left by a long-
black mountain, and on the right by immense cal¬
careous cliffs. At the foot of these we descry many level
protrusions of lava, near enough (about fifty yards
distant from us) to enable us to ascertain that they are
not large black spots of vegetable earth.
By fifty-five minutes past three we are 011 a rocky
neck of land, commanding the bottom of the valley,
and scarcely forty yards broad. Its extremity bears
the ruins of three towers, two of them round and the
42 2
JOURNEY IN SYKIA
third square, only ten yards distant from each other,
with the road passing between them. A number of
dwarf palm-trees cover the right flank of this species
of promontory, which we leave, to descend to the
bottom of the ouad, by passing over the side of the
black mountain.
As our progress is extremely difficult, we halt for
five minutes, at four o'clock, to give a little breathing
time both to ourselves and to our horses. By eleven
minutes past four we are marching due west, after
having at first inclined a little southward. We then
leave the flank of the black mountain, and find ourselves
again amongst the white hillocks, after having passed
other levelled heaps of lava, the surface of which seems
to have gone through the same process of decompo¬
sition as the Vesuvian lavas at Torre-del-Greco. We
follow a ravine running west-south-west between the
white hills, and ending in a small flat ledge, upon which
we halt by twenty minutes past four. Since fourteen
minutes past four the sandy hillocks have assumed
a red tint, and their sides are strewed with rolled
pebbles. To our left, following a direction parallel to
that of our road, is another ravine full of dwarf palm-
trees and rose-laurels, with a pleasant rivulet bubbling
along the bottom. This is the Nahr-ed-Draa, which we
encountered some days since in the Rhor.
It would be difficult to find a more eligible spot for a
resting-place than that at which we have just arrived.
Besides, it is getting late, and night advances rapidly.
We have close by an abundant supply of delicious
water. Our camp is soon pitched, and now we feel
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
quite sure that the brigands of Karak cannot attack us
during the darkness. We are beyond their reach, and too
close to the encampment of our friends, the Beni-Sakhars,
for the Karakese to attempt anything of the kind.
The weather has become misty, and threatens rain.
I am anxious, whilst our tents are being pitched, to make
some researches in natural history round the camp ;
but darkness is coming 011 apace, and I am obliged to
postpone my scientific labours until to-morrow morning.
We soon discover that, in our march from Karak to this
place, we have reached a much lower level. Instead of
the frozen temperature of that inhospitable town, we
find the genial heat of the shores of the Dead 8ea. We
mark with regret that heavy clouds are rolling above our
heads, as it is evident they are charged with mischief.
We reflect with some anxiety upon the Sabkhah, which
we shall have to cross in two days hence, and which
might cause us much misfortune were the sudden rains
to overflow the fords. But, 110 matter, here we are,
safe and sound, out of the clutches of Mohammed-el-
Midjielly ; and, for the moment, let us be happy in
that reflection—there will be time enough to disturb
our thoughts with the dangers and difficulties of the
Sabkhah.
Whilst our moukris are pitching the tents, the ►Scheikh
Abd-Allah informs me that the Ouad-el-Kharadjeh.
through which we have just been marching, was the
scene of a terrible disaster to the army of Ibrahim
Pacha, at the time of his first attempt against Karak.
According to the narrator, the whole of the expeditionary
corps perished in this cut-throat pass ; but I make.
JOURNEY IN SYKIA
in petto, the necessary allowance for Arabian exaggera¬
tion ; and conclude that the battle that took place in
the Ouad-el-Kharadjeh was much less important than
the inhabitants of Karak choose to assert. One thing
is certain, that Ibrahim Pacha was completely foiled in
his first attempt to get possession of that place ; and
that the Egyptians, crushed in the Ouad-el-Kharadjeh,
were obliged to retreat. But they obtained their
revenge shortly after. The pass was forced, and the
town, carried by storm, completely ruined. It is easy
still to judge of the devastation inflicted on this haunt
of robbers by the victorious soldiers of Ibrahim.
After dinner, the evening's work was got through as
speedily as possible, and we all retired to rest in high
spirits, reflecting with gratitude on the danger from
which we had just escaped. Scheikh Hamdan's face
has also, since we have reached the banks of the ISJahr-
ed-Draa, resumed something of its usual serenity. The
faithful protector finds his responsibility already growing
lighter.
January 21s<.
We have not been deceived in our expectations;
towards nine o'clock in the evening the rain began to fall,
and continued during a considerable portion of the
night. This morning the weather is still dark and
misty ; but above the Rhor the clouds are divided, and
not very threatening. We hope to leave the rain
behind us as soon as we shall have arrived on the shore
of the Dead Sea.
Whilst they are striking our tents, I go down to the
bank of the rivulet, and pick up some rocks, plants, and
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
425
molluscas which the damp weather has enticed from
their hiding-places. A helix of a whitish colour, with a
puckered mouth (Helix Boissicri), is found very abund¬
antly. The animal is of a greenish yellow, and has a
strong smell of garlic, owing perhaps to its feeding
exclusively upon some vegetable of the alliaceous family.
When I ascend again, with the produce of my excur¬
sion, to the ledge where we have passed the night, I
find that one of our moukris has just been stung in the
left hand by a large yellow scorpion, which had been
driven out by the rain from its usual hiding-place, and
had taken refuge under the canvass of our tent, at the
place where the awning hangs over the walls. The
poor fellow is sadly frightened ; and I confess that I
do not feel very confident as to the consequences of
this unfortunate occurrence. Not a minute is to be
lost, and we must try something to cure the sufferer,
or he will encounter the risk of dying from the effects of
the sting. I tell him to divide the flesh with his own
khandjar, at the exact place where lie has been stung.
I then take from our little travelling medicine-chest a
bottle of spirits of hartshorn. As the wounded man is
rather awkward in operating upon himself, one of his
comrades acts as a surgeon, and with great composure
makes a splendid cut into the wound. I then saturate
it with the hartshorn, which sets the patient grinning
as if he were going mad ; and, to restore his courage, I
give him a few drops to drink in half a glass of water.
I knew that such was the remedy against the bite of a
viper, and I thought I could do no better than apply
the same to the sting of a scorpion. The supposition
426
JOUKNEY IN SYRIA
proved correct, for the wounded man was relieved from
pain in a moment, and escaped the threatened danger,
with no other mischief than a slight incision, which will
very soon be healed.
After the usual delay, our luggage is ready and
loaded, and the moment of departure has arrived, to our
unanimous satisfaction. We are also now to take
leave of the Christian Arabs of Karak. I present
a bakhshish of five hundred piastres to Scheikh
Abd-Allah, twenty piastres and a kafieh to each of
his men; we exchange embraces most affectionately,
and part. Whilst they are tracing back their way up
the Ouad-el-Kharadjeh, we proceed exactly in the
opposite direction.
This morning I had a long conversation with the
Scheikh Abd-Allah as to the possibility of carrying off
the Moabitic bas-relief of the Redjom-el-Aabed. He
undertakes, being himself a stonecutter by trade, to
reduce the stelon, by removing from the back, the
thickness that merely adds a useless weight ; and
when he has done this, he proposes to load it 011
a camel, and carry it himself to the French consulate
at Jerusalem ; there he will immediately receive a sum
of twelve hundred piastres, for which amount I hand
him a bill upon our consul. Unfortunately, I have
been stupid enough to write it only in French, and this
is probably the sole reason why this precious monu¬
ment has not yet been forwarded to me. More than
eighteen months have now elapsed since this agreement
was made between Abd-Allah and myself, and lie
certainly would have already remitted the stone to
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
•127
Jerusalem, had he been more certain of the payment
of the promised sum. However, it is also possible that
unexpected obstacles may have prevented him from
fulfilling his contract. Who knows if the Bedouins,
precisely 011 account of the value which I was silly
enough to attach, in their presence, to this unrivalled
monument, have not been seized with the frenzy of
pounding it into dust, to extract therefrom the
imaginary gold which my joy 011 discovering the stone
may have naturally led them to suppose was concealed
within it % This would be a real loss to arclueology. I
consider myself very fortunate now in having the faithful
sketch we have brought off, and which I thought nothing
of as long as the bas-relief itself was under my eyes.
It is fully thirty-three minutes past eight o'clock
when we commence our march, the direction of our
route being west-south-west. The whole caravan
descends with great difficulty into the bed of the
Nahr-ed-Draa, which is only fifty yards distant from
the spot where we have encamped. The direction of
the Ouad-ed-Draa is at first east-north-east; but it
soon makes an abrupt elbow, and turns westward, as
also does the road we now intend to follow.
Here an obstinate mule, determined to have its own
way, receives a terrible fall, and rolls down to the bottom
of the rivulet, getting entangled amongst the dwarf
palm-trees and rose-laurels. We find it no easy job to
haul her up again, and this untoward accident makes us
lose ten good minutes. At forty-four minutes past
eight 1 was apprised of the necessity of waiting until
this disaster is repaired, and it is only by fifty-five
428
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
minutes past eight that we can resume our march. We
have halted upon a ledge tolerably well planted with
gum-trees, by the side of a small eminence only a few
yards high, above which another platform extends
in the direction of the black mountain, which is here
distant about eight hundred yards.
The bottom of the northern gulf, formed by the
peninsula, shows itself to us again, and somewhat more
to the south than the spot where we have stopped.
By fifty-seven minutes past eight we are scarcely
twenty yards distant from the summit of the little
eminence we have just been rounding ; and the two
ledges which it divided, both planted with acacias,
unite immediately to form a small plain, covered with
ruins, and called Talaa-Seimaan or Sebaan. This plain
soon sinks to a lower level, and forms a second shelf,
likewise covered with ruins and planted with gum-trees ;
our course through it lies south-west. The ruins speedily
disappear. By nine minutes past nine we turn our backs
upon the Ouad-el-Kharadjeh, and wind along a hillock
situated on our right.
By eleven minutes past nine we have rounded the
western spur of the hillock, and march directly south¬
west, through a plain covered with gum-trees, and
inclining downwards towards the Dead Sea. Here
some very considerable ruins begin again to show
themselves. By fourteen minutes past nine we cross a
ravine, the southern bank of which is edged by an
ancient wall; beyond the ravine, to the right and left,
extensive ruins are spreading, as far as the eye can
reach, and named by the Arabs Kharbet-ed-Draa. The
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
1:20
foundation of a wall, built of large hewn stones, crosses
the roacl we are following ; and, a little further on, we
come up to a rivulet, running directly from east to west.
This rivulet seems to issue from a cleft in the mountain,
called the Ouad-es-Seibaa (the valley of the lions),
which, from this distance, closely resembles a crater.
It lies about fifteen hundred yards off to our left.
As soon as we have crossed the rivulet, by twenty
minutes past nine, we march directly west along its
bank, and take our course almost immediately south¬
west Some minutes after, the ledge descends again
abruptly to another shelf; and by five-and-twenty
minutes past nine we cross a dry water-course. To
our left is a round hillock, upon which more ruins
appear. By twenty-six minutes past nine we pass
another ravine, with a rocky bottom, beyond which a
plain opens, covered with rubbish. Amongst the heaps
we descry, first, a large circular ruin, situated to the left
of the road. An interval of fifty yards divides it from
another ruin, looking southward, and which is itself
separated, by a distance of about a hundred yards, from
a third ruin of the same description. A fourth ruin is
situated one hundred yards westward of the first.
The mountains are at least two thousand yards
distant 011 our left, and their foot is strewed with sandy
hillocks, beginning at about fifteen hundred yards from
our road. By thirty-six minutes past nine we have
turned south-west, moving along sandy hillocks, situated
some hundred yards off to our right. To our left is a
hill with ruins, and a ravine at its foot. This ravine
intersects our road. By forty minutes past nine it
430
.JOURNEY IN SYRIA
forms the limit of the extensive ruins we have for
some time been passing through. Beyond appears
the range of sandy hillocks, which may almost be
mistaken for heaps of ashes. We keep on advancing
through this, and soon after the road sweeps round
a neck of land between two defiles. By forty-five
minutes past nine this neck is forty yards broad,
but it narrows rapidly ; and by forty-nine minutes past
nine it is only eight or ten yards broad at the utmost.
By a quarter to ten we are in front of the northern
extremity of a dark-coloured mountain, much dislocated,
behind which is another extensive crater, which it
conceals. Our road then lies westward by south.
Here again appear numerous streaks of small brown
calcined stones, forming oblong spots turned towards
the crater of the Ouad-es-Seibaa. By fifty minutes past
nine we find, twenty yards off to our right, a hillock,
beyond which we discover, at a further distance of about
a hundred yards, another crater, with its sides deeply
rent and furrowed, and the strata of which it is com¬
posed visibly uplifted and thrown promiscuously in all
directions.
By exactly ten o'clock we halt on this side of the
ravine, which we have been flanking on our left for the
last quarter of an hour, and which crosses our road at
this point. We hasten to despatch our abstemious
breakfast, and mount our horses again. By twenty-two
minutes past ten we resume our march, crossing the
ravine before us. Beyond it, the whole ground is
covered with grey sandy hillocks, through which we
thread our way. On the largest of these hillocks,
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA. 131
being the first we* cross on our left, immediately after
having passed the ravine, is a very distinguishable ruin.
We thence march south-south-west. By thirty-five
minutes past ten we cross the bed of another ravine,
which forms the continuation of our road. By thirty-
nine minutes past ten we incline a little westward ; and
at length, at forty minutes past ten, emerge from the
sandy hillocks, issuing upon a plain, covered with
acacias, which we immediately recognise. We are here
precisely opposite the southern flank of the peninsula.
By forty-seven minutes past ten we march due south
through thickets, until we reach a small sandy plain ;
and by exactly eleven o'clock we find ourselves once
more on the site where, on the 14th instant (January),
the second encampment of the Beni-Sakhars was
established, and in the midst of which we had pitched
our own tents. It is now a naked spot ; everything
in the Rhor—reeds and bushes included—has been
devoured by the cattle; and the Beni-Sakhars have
sought another dwelling-place. We follow their
example, and continue marching on by the same
road on which we travelled before, and in the
direction of the first encampment of January 13th.
As soon as we have reached the Rhor-Safieh, we
keep closer inland, towards the mountain, than we
did on our first passage through the country ; and,
instead of proceeding to halt at the same spot
where we had pitched our tents before, we establish
ourselves close to a Bedouin encampment, which we
had then only observed from a distance. This
encampment lies seven hundred yards east-north-east
432
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
from the first. On reaching the place, I discover, six
hundred yards off, to the north-east from the spot
where we halt, additional and considerable ruins ; I
immediately inquire their name, but they have none.
The Bedouins only recognise them as the ruins of
habitations of the olden time. Their knowledge
»
extends to no particulars.
At last we have arrived in a friendly country.
Nothing now remains but to clear the Sabkhah, and,
that done, we shall have bravely accomplished the
important task we had undertaken.
To-day, for the first time, Papigny has brought down
one of the beautiful little humming-birds, fluttering
amongst the acacias. I consider this an acquisition
too valuable not to take possession of it. I make the
claim unhesitatingly in the name of science, and the
prize is given up by general consent. Papigny, despoiled
of his conquest, is now intent 011 procuring another, to
replace the treasure I have taken from him ; the con¬
sequence is, that, during the whole march, he has been
running on the flanks of the caravan, pursuing these
little birds from tree to tree, without obtaining a
successful shot. Ilis sporting frenzy seems to annoy
our worthy Scheikhs, who have cautioned me several
times that it is exceedingly imprudent to stray in
this manner from the main body of the caravan.
Although I am sufficiently inclined to believe in real
dangers, still, I have some doubts that the objections
of our Arabs may also be partly produced by the
forced delays which these irregular excursions entail on
our general progress. When on the march, the sole
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
object of an Arab is to reach the encamping ground as
soon as possible, and he cannot understand why any
one should lose a minute in running after a little bird,
gathering a flower, and picking up an insect or a
pebble. In his opinion, the man who squanders his
time after this fashion, is either a hakim or a
meidjnoun, a sage (meaning a physician) or a fool.
It appears that the rain by which we were caught
last night at the encampment of the Nahr-ed-Dr&a, has
proved exceedingly disagreeable to the scorpions,—
turning them out of their usual hiding-places ; the poor
creatures are driven to seek for refuge anywhere ; and
on unpacking our camp cots, to arrange them in our
tents, our people find a number of them, most likely
much annoyed at being disturbed again. To-night we
purpose a narrow inspection of our beds, before we
venture to lay down.
Throughout the day we have passed considerable
ruins, situated within a short distance of enormous
craters. To what ancient town do they belong ?
At present I find it very difficult to guess. As I
am always looking for Gomorrah, I imagine at first
that the ruins we have just visited are those of that
city, and the significant name of Sebaan scarcely
suffices to open my eyes. I have already said, when
speaking of En-Nemaireh, that it was only at a later
period that I recognised in this place Zeboiim, when,
without any possible doubt, I had found Gomorrah
towards the northern point of the Dead Sea,
Our evening has been occupied in naming and
arranging plants, insects, and pebbles, picked up in
VOL. L. p F
4 ?A
JOURNEY IX SYRIA
great quantities in the Rhor-Safieh, and in laying down
my map with Indian ink. We have paid our Beni-
Sakhar Sclieiklis the balance Ave owed them ; but we
by no means deceive ourselves, and are quite sure
that to-morrow morning they will ask us for an
additional bakhshish.
Now that their purses are well replenished, the
Sclieiklis have but one thought, that of purchasing
arms. Matteo carries a wide-moutlied pistol, of an
extraordinary shape, and Samet-Aly is longing to
become the happy possessor of this weapon. He
plagues Matteo throughout the whole of the evening
to induce him to part with it. As soon as I hear of
this negotiation, I warn Matteo that I will myself
purchase his pistol, but that the Scheikh must not be
told of it. The pistol is downright lumber, and I pay
a hundred piastres for it; but, no matter, to-morrow
I shall make my man the happiest and proudest of
Sclieiklis.
This evening the weather lias become particularly
cloud}r, and the rain begins to fall almost immediately
after sunset. During the first hours, and until the
canvass of our tents had become sufficiently saturated
to swell, and throw the water off on the exterior
surface, we were drenched in the most disagreeable
manner. But we wrapped ourselves closely under our
blankets, and fell fast asleep, leaving the storm to take
its natural course.
January 22nd.
The night has been a dreadful one : squalls of rain
have followed each other in constant succession, often
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
435
disturbing our repose, and keeping us awake with
anxious anticipations of the Sabkhah, which we must
cross as soon as possible, unless we choose to be
detained, during perhaps a whole month, in the Rhor-
Safieh.
Now that we have traversed the land of Moab in its
full extent, let us pause a moment to identify, if
possible, the modern names of the ruins, the position
of which we have determined on our route, with the
names transmitted to us by the sacred and profane
writers of antiquity ; but, in the first place, let us
recapitulate, in the shortest possible summary, the
history of the original inhabitants.
We learn from Genesis (xix. 37) that Moab was born
of the incest that took place between Lot and his eldest
daughter. After the catastrophe of the Pentapolis, the
Moabites, his descendants, obtained possession of the
eastern shore of the Dead Sea, and the vast extent of
elevated country by which it is commanded, expelling
from thence the Emims ; for we read in the Bible : *—
9. " And the Lord said unto me : Distress not the
Moabites, neither contend with them in battle, for I
will not give thee of their land for a possession,
because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for
a possession." 10. " The Emims dwelt therein in
times past, a people great and many, and tall as the
Anakims." 11. "Which also were accounted giants,
as the Anakims, but the Moabites call them Emims."
It may be conjectured that these two verses, 10 and
11, as well as the 12th, are but a marginal comment
* Deuteronomy, xi.
v f 2
436
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
(posterior to the Book of Moses itself), which has
become interpolated with the sacred text; for these
three verses, mentioning the Judaic conquest as if it
were already achieved, contravene the command given
by the Almighty to Moses. At all events, it appears
certain that the Emims, original inhabitants of the
country, were expelled, and succeeded by the race
descended from Lot and his son Moab.
The Ammonites, brothers of the Moabites through
Amnion, son of Lot and his younger daughter,
established themselves likewise on the eastern shore
of the Dead Sea and of the Jordan, but more to the
eastward than the Moabites. These last, after having
spread their dominion as far as the banks of the
Yabbok, opposite Jericho, were driven back by the
Ammonites beyond the Arnon (Ouad-el-Moudjeb),
which became the northern limit of the Moabitic
country. Such it was already, when the Israelites,
coming from Egypt, arrived on its frontiers. We read
accordingly in Numbers (xxi.) : 13. "From thence
they (the Israelites) removed, and pitched on the other
side of Arnon, which is in the wilderness that cometh
out of the coasts of the Amorites, for Arnon is the
border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites."
14. "Wherefore it is said, in the book of the wars of
the Lord, what he did in the Red Sea and in the
brooks of Arnon."
This second verse, as translated, is unintelligible.
What does the Hebrew word ouahab mean 1 No one
can tell. In Arabic, ,(ouahab) means to give, to
grant, to concede. Perhaps this verse ought to be
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
437
rendered thus :—" Wherefore it is said, in the book of
the wars of the Lord, what he granted in the Red Sea
and in the brooks of the Arnon." The object of the
verse being then to determine the limits of the land
given to the children of Moab, which land began at a
place called Sou/ah (the Red Sea), and ended at the
Arnon. Of course, I do not mean to assume that this
explanation is incontrovertible ; I shall only observe
that if, in the name Soufah, we were to recognise a place
in the neighbourhood of the Djehel-es-Sovfah, which
mountain is actually lying to the south of the Ouad-ez-
Zouera, and to the south-west of the Dj ebel-el-Melehh,
the verse just quoted would then give correctly the
southern and northern limits of the country, properly
called the land of the Moabites ; for Zouera, or Zoar,
was positively within that boundary. This is clearly
demonstrated by the commentary of St. Jerome,* in
which we read this passage: Segor infinibus Moabitarum
sita est, dividens ab Us terrain Philistiim.
But let us leave as quickly as we can this dangerous
ground of surmises and hypotheses, merely observing,
however, that the tenor of the following verse, 15th,
" And at the stream of the brooks that goeth down to the
dwelling of Ar, and lieth upon the border of Moab"
seems to complete the entire boundary of the land of
Moab, by defining its eastern frontier.
The progress of the Israelites towards the confines
of Moab, is perfectly laid down and described in the
Book of Judges (xi. 17, 18) : " And in like manner
they (Israel) sent unto the King of Moab, but he would
* Ad. Jes. xv.
438
JOUKNKY IN SYRIA
not consent, and Israel abode in Kadesli (to the south
of the country of Canaan)." 18. "And they went
along through the wilderness, and compassed the land
of Edom and the land of Moab, and came by the east
side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other
side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab,
for Arnon was the border of Moab." From this verse,
compared with those I have just quoted, it appears
that the valley of the Arnon, after having covered the
northern boundary of the Moabitic country, inclined
in to the southward, so as to cover likewise its eastern
frontier. This is precisely the case with the Ouad-el-
Moudjeb, the identity of which with the valley of the
Arnon is universally admitted.
I have stated that, according to the Book of Num¬
bers, when the Israelites first made their appearance,
the Arnon divided the country of the Moabites from
that of the Amorites. This was owing to the circum¬
stance, that all the country to the northward, between
the Arnon and the Yabbok, had been taken by the
Amorites from the Moabites, previously to the arrival
of Moses on the banks of the Arnon. This conquest was
of very recent occurrence, for we read in Numbers
(xxi. 26): " For Heshbon was the city of Sihon, the
King of the Amorites, who had fought against the
former King of Moab, and taken all his land out of his
hand, even unto Arnon."
According to the Hebraic text, this expedition of
Sihon extended to Ar, the capital of the Moabites ; *
but the Samaritan text, and the Greek version of the
* Numbers, xxi. 28.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
-J39
Septuagint, both alike read Anion instead of Ar, and
so it becomes probable that the Amorite conquest
stopped at the banks of the Arnon. Be that as it
may, Sihon, King of Heshbon, having refused the
Israelites a passage through the country situated
between the Arnon and the Yabbok, was fiercely
attacked, and beaten by them at Jahaz ; after which
his towns were sacked, and all their inhabitants, men,
women, and children, put to the sword, f
The King of Moab was then Balak, the son of Zippor;
he it was who, not daring to oppose in arms the passage
of the Israelites, sent for Balaam to curse them—a
proceeding which turned out to his own confusion.
In this miraculous recital,J a town is mentioned by
the name of lvirjath-huzoth (xxii. 39), as being the
place from which the first blessing of Balaam was sent
forth. Was it a town of Moab, properly so called 1
This appears doubtful; for the second and third spots
to which Balak led Balaam, in the hope that from
thence he might send forth against Israel imprecations
instead of blessings, are, in the first instance, the
summit of Mount Fesgah (the Pisgah of the trans¬
lators ;§) and next, the summit of Mount Faour (the
Poor or Pliegor of the translators)—mountains that are
positively situated beyond the true limits of the
Moabitic country.
We then lose sight of the Moabites up to the period
when, a little more than half a century after the death
of Joshua, this people, with the assistance of the
* Deuteronomy, ii. 32. + Deuteronomy, ii. 3-4. J Numbers, xxi. xxiii.
§ Numbers, xxiii. 14.
440
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
Ammonites and of the Amalekites, succeeded in sub¬
duing the Israelites, who remained eighteen years
under the dominion of Adjloun (the Eglon of the
translators), King of Moab. At the end of these
eighteen years, Aliouad-ben-Djera* (the Ehud, son of
Gera, of the translators), murdered King Adjloun in
the town of the Palm-trees (Jericho X), having come
from the stone-quarries in the neighbourhood of
Hedjeljal (Gilgal), to solicit a private audience from
the prince.f
Ahouad, having succeeded in murdering the king,
contrived to escape by the stone-quarries in the
direction of Seirath, assembled the Hebrews on the
mountains of Ephraim, rushed down into the plain,
where he obtained possession of the fords of the
Jordan, and, the retreat of the Moabites being thus
cut off, he slaughtered ten thousand of them.
In the days of Saul, the Moabites appear again
amongst the nations at war with the Hebrews,—for
we read : | " Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and
fought against all his enemies, 011 every side, against
Moab, and against the children of Amnion, and against
Edom, and against the Kings of Zobah, and against the
Philistines : and whithersoever he turned himself, he
vexed them."
At a still later period, David subdued and compelled
them to pay him tribute : § " And he smote Moab, and
measured them with a line, casting them down to the
* This name, Aliouad, is still very common among the Arabs. We may
mention, as an instance, the nephew of Hamdan, Scheikh of the Thaameras.
t Judges, iii. 19, and following. J I. Samuel, xiv. 47.
§ II. Samuel, viii. 2.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
441
ground; even with two lines measured lie to put to
death, and with one full line to keep alive. And so
the Moabites became David's servants, and brought
gifts," This verse means probably that, amongst the
Moabitic prisoners, all those whose size exceeded the
interval between two ropes stretched along the ground,
and between which they were compelled to lay down
at their length, were put to death ; whilst all those
whose size was found below the mark were spared, and
allowed to live.
After the death of Solomon, and when the revolt
of the ten tribes had taken place, the Moabites became
tributaries to the Kings of Israel; for we read :—
" Moab * rebelled against Israel after the death of
Ahab." The King of Moab's name was then Mesha,
and the annual tribute which he had to pay was
" one hundred thousand lambs and one hundred
thousand rams with the wool."
Jehoram,f having succeeded his father Ahab on
the throne of Samaria, hastened to invite Jehoshaphat,
King of Judah, to assist him in an expedition against
the Moabites. The two monarchs planned together to
attack their common enemy by passing through the
Desert of Edom,J the king of that country having also
formed an alliance with them. The scarcity of water,
after seven days' march, was near causing the destruc¬
tion of the allied armies; but the prophet Elisha
came to their assistance ; the valleys were filled with
water from Heaven ; and the Moabites, having
imprudently exposed themselves to an attack, were
* II. Kings, i. 1. f 11. Kings, iii. 1. J II. Kings, iii. 8.
442
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
overthrown, and mercilessly slaughtered ; their cities
were destroyed, the cultivated lands covered with
stones, the cisterns choked up, the trees cut down ;
and the siege of Kir-Kerasat (Kir-haraseth) com¬
menced with slings.
The King of Moab, at the head of seven hundred
men, made a sortie in the direction of the camp of the
Edomites, but was repulsed. In this extremity, he
conceived the horrible idea of offering his eldest son
as a sacrifice on the wall of the town. The Moabites
then, seized with horror, redoubled their exertions
against the assailants, and compelled them to retire."
This interpretation of the two verses just quoted, is
not the only apparent one, or rather I should say, not
the one most likely to be correct. The text will permit
us to suppose that the King of Moab, having foiled in
his sally to seize the person of the King of Edom,
succeeded in capturing his eldest son, whom he offered
as a burnt-offering to his gods, 011 the walls of Kir-
haraseth. This version, which is not new, has the
additional advantage of explaining a remarkable
passage of the prophet Amos (ii. 1): "Thus saith
the Lord ; for three transgressions of Moab, and for
four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof:
because he burned the bones of the King of Edom into
lime." 2. " But I will send a fire upon Moab, and it
shall devour the palaces of Kirioth : and Moab shall
die with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of
the trumpet." 3. " And I will cut off the judge from
the midst thereof, and will slay all the princes thereof
* II. Kings, iii. 26, 27.
AND HOUND THE DEAD SEA.
443
with him, saith the Lord." It would be difficult not to
recognise the same fact in the verse of the Book of
Kings, and in that of Amos.
The Book of Chronicles * gives us a detailed narra¬
tive of an expedition of the Moabites against Jelio-
shaphat, King of Judah. The Ammonites were then
marching with the Moabites : * * * 2. " Then there
came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying: There
cometh a great multitude against thee, from beyond
the sea (evidently the Dead Sea), on this side Syria,
from Aram (most likely the text is not properly spelt,
and it ought to be read Edom instead of Aram) ; and
behold, they be in at Hazazon-tamar, which is En-gedi."
3. "And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek
the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah."
His prayer was heard. Jaliaziel, seized with the pro¬
phetic spirit, predicted that Judah would not have to
struggle with the approaching foe, and that God himself
would fight the battle: 1G. "To-morrow, go ye down
against them ; behold, they are come up by the cliff of
Ziz ; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook,
before the wilderness of Jeruel." As the prophet had
foretold, a spirit of madness came upon the invading
army ; the Moabites and Ammonites fell upon the
Idumeans of the mountain of Seir, and destroyed them ;
then they turned their arms against themselves, and
destroyed each other. During three days the subjects
of Jehoshaphat were occupied in despoiling the dead.
On the fourth day they assembled in a chosen valley, to
return thanks to the Lord ; and this valley was called
* II. Chronicles, xx. 2, 3, 16.
JOURNEY IN SYllIA
ever after the valley of the blessing. This event resulted
from the expedition of the Kings of Israel and Judah
against the Moabites. When these princes were
compelled to retreat, it seems more than probable that
King Meslia, after having been the assailed, became the
assailant.
"We read again, in the Book of Kings:" And
Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of
the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the
year." Joash was then King of Israel, and the country
mentioned in the verse just quoted was the kingdom
over which he reigned.
When the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the lialf-
tribe of Manasseh, had been driven away into captivity
by Pul and Tilgath-Pilneser, f Kings of Assyria, the
country lying between the Arnon and the Yabbok was,
it seems, again taken possession of by the Moabites ; for
Isaiah and Jeremiah, prophecying against the race of
Moab, mention, as towns belonging to this people, some
that were most certainly situated within the country
conquered from the Ammonites by the Hebrews.
A very long time after, the Moabites appear again in
the army of Nebuchadnezzar, as the allies of the
Chaldeans. So we read in II. Kings (xxiv. 2): " And
the Lord sent against him (that is to say, against
Jehoiakim, King of Judah) bands of the Chaldees, and
bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and
bands of the children of Amnion, and sent them against
Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord,
which he spake by his servants the prophets."
* II. Kings, xiii. 20. + I. Chronicles, v. 26.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
445
Josephus informs us;: that this alliance of the
Chaldeans with the Moabites was of no long duration ;
for, in the fifth year after the sack of Jerusalem, being
the twenty-third year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar,
this monarch invaded Syria ; after having conquered it,
he assailed the Ammonites and the Moabites, whom he
also subdued, and then marched against Egypt. This
is most likely the expedition which had been announced
by the terrible prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and
Zeplianiah. The Moabites were then driven off into
captivity, as had been foretold by these same prophecies.
In the Book of Daniel (xi. 41) we read : "He (the
King of the North, Alexander the Great) shall enter
also into the glorious land, and many countries shall
be overthrown, but these shall escape out of his hand,
even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children
of Ammon." Profane history corroborates the fact,
that the Macedonian conqueror did not disturb the
Moabites.
Alexander Janna3us, if we follow Josephus (xiii.
3, 5), subdued the Moabites and the Galaadites, who
are Arabs (according to the Jewish historian), and
imposed tribute upon them ; notwithstanding which, a
short time after he suffered at their hands a signal
defeat, from which he barely escaped with life. His
adversaries were then the Arabs, who, under the
guidance of their King Obeda, struggled during six
years against the Jewish monarch, and occasioned him
a loss of fifty thousand men. This war, nevertheless,
placed in the hands of Alexander Jannams twelve
* Ant. ,Jud., x. 3, 7.
446
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
towns, which he succeeded in conquering from these
same Arabs. Josephus gives us the names of the
towns : * Medaba, Naballo, Livias, Tharabasa, Agalla,
Athone, Zoara, Oronoe, Marissa, Rydda, Lausa, and
Oryba. We shall have occasion presently to refer to this
important evidence. It seems most probable that these
are the events referred to in the prophecy of Zephaniah
(ii. 9) : " Surely, Moab shall be as Sodom, and the
children of Amnion as Gomorrah : even the breeding of
nettles, and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation ; the
residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant
of my people shall possess them."
From thenceforth the name of the Moabites as an
independent people disappears, and is lost in that of the
Arab race, with whom the posterity of Moab becomes
completely mixed up. The Roman conquests spread
over the land of Moab during the perpetual struggles
between the Arabs and the empire, and the Romans
established themselves as victors at Rabbath-Moab, the
capital, which became under their rule Areopolis. Kir-
Kerasat received the name of Karak-Moba. When we
notice especially the last-named city, we shall examine
the leading events of which it was the theatre.
It remains only to extract certain passages from the
prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah, and we shall have
collected together all the biblical documents bearing-
reference to the country of the Moabites. Let us begin
with Isaiah : —
" Chapter xv. 1. The burden of Moab. Because in
the night Ar of Moab is laid waste, and brought to
* Ant. Jud. xiv. 2, 4.
AND ROUND TIIE DEAD SEA.
447
silence ; because in the night Kir of Moab is laid waste
and brought to silence.
"2. He is gone up to Bajith, and to Dibon, the high
places, to weep : Moab shall howl over Nebo, and over
Medeba : on all their heads shall be baldness, and every
beard cut off."
" 4. And Heslibon shall cry, and Elealeh : their voices
shall be heard even unto Jahaz.
" 5. My heart shall cry out for Moab ; his fugitives
shall flee unto Zoar, an heifer of three years old : for by
the mounting up of Luhith with weeping shall they go
it up : for in the way of Iloronai'm (the two caverns),
they shall raise up a cry of destruction.
" 6. For the waters of Nimrim shall be desolate : for
the hay is withered away, the grass faileth, there is no
green thing.
" 7. Therefore the abundance they have gotten, and
that which they have laid up, shall they carry away to
the brook of the willows.
" 8. For the cry is gone round about the borders of
Moab : the howling thereof unto Eglaim, and the
howling thereof unto Beer-elim.
" 9. For the wTaters of Dimon shall be full of blood :
for I will bring more upon Dimon : lions upon him that
escapeth of Moab, and upon the remnant of the land."
" Chapter xvi. 7. Therefore shall Moab howl for
Moab, every one shall howl : for the foundations of
Kir-haraseth shall ye mourn : surely they are stricken.
" 8. For the fields of Heslibon languish, and the
vine of Sibmah : the lords of the heathen have broken
down the principal plants thereof: they are come even
448
JOURNEY IX SYRIA
unto Jazer : tliey wandered through the wilderness : her
branches are stretched forth, they are gone over the sea.
"9. Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of
Jazer the vine of Sibmah : I will water thee with my
tears, 0 Heshbon and Elealeh : for the shouting for thy
summer fruits and for thy harvest is fallen."
"11. Wherefore my bowels shall sound like an harp
for Moab, and mine inward parts for Kir-haraseth.
" 12. And it shall come to pass, when it is seen that
Moab is weary on the high place, that he shall come to
his sanctuary to pray ; but he shall not prevail."
" 14. But now the Lord hath spoken, saying : Within
three years, as the years of an hireling, and the glory
of Moab shall be contemned, with all that great multi¬
tude ; and the remnant shall be very small and feeble."
Jeremiah is still more precise when he prophesies the
catastrophe impending over Moab; but his words are
often almost identical with those of Isaiah. Let us
select the passages that appear most applicable :—
" Chapter xlviii. 1. Against Moab thus saith the
Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel : Woe unto Nebo !
for it is spoiled : Kiriathaim is confounded and taken :
Misgab is confounded and dismayed.
" 2. There shall be no more praise of Moab : in
Heshbon they have devised evil against it; come, and
let us cut it off from being a nation. Also thou shalt
be cut down, 0 madmen ; the sword shall pursue thee."
" 3. A voice of crying shall be from Horonaim,
spoiling, and great destruction.
" 4. Moab is destroyed ; her little ones have caused
a cry to be heard.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
419
" 5. For in the going up of Luhith continual weeping
shall go up ; for in the going down of Horonaim the
enemies have heard a cry of destruction/'
" 8. And the spoiler shall come upon every city,
and no city shall escape : the valley also shall perish,
and the plain shall be destroyed, as the Lord liath
spoken.
" 9. Grive wings unto Moab, that it may flee and get
away : for the cities thereof shall be desolate, without
any to dwell therein."
" 18. Thou daughter that dost inhabit Dibon, come
down from thy glory, and sit in thirst; for the spoiler
of Moab shall come upon thee, and he shall destroy thy
strongholds.
"19. 0 inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way, and
espy ; ask him that fleeth, and her that escapeth, and
say, "What is done %
" 20. Moab is confounded ; for it is broken down :
howl and cry ; tell ye it in Arnon, that Moab is spoiled,
"21. And judgment is come upon the plain country ;
upon Holon, and upon Jahazah, and upon Mephaath,
" 22. And upon Dibon, and upon Nebo, and upon
Beth-diblathaim,
" 23. And upon Kiriathaim, and upon Beth-gamul,
and upon Beth-meon,
" 24. And upon Kerioth, and upon Bozrali, and upon
all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near."
"31. Therefore will I howl for Moab, and I will cry
out for all Moab ; mine heart shall mourn for the men
of Kir-heres.
" 32. 0 vine of Sibmah, I will weep for thee with the
VoL. I. G G
450
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
weeping of Jazer : tliy plants are gone over the sea,
they reach even to the sea of Jazer/'
"34. From the cry of Heshbon even unto Elealeh,
and even unto Jahaz, have they uttered their voice,
from Zoar even unto Horona'im, as an heifer of three
years old : for the waters also of Nimrim shall be
desolate."
"38. There shall be lamentation generally upon all
the housetops of Moab, and in the streets thereof: for
I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein is no pleasure,
saitli the Lord/'
"41. Kerioth is taken, and the strongholds are
surprised.
" 42. And Moab shall be destroyed from being a
people."
"45. They that fled stood under the shadow of
Heshbon because of the force : but a fire shall come
forth out of Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of
Sihon, and shall devour the corner of Moab, and the
crown of the head of the tumultuous ones.
"46. Woe be unto thee, 0 Moab! the people of
Chemosh perisheth : for thy sons are taken captives,
and thy daughters captives.
"47. Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab
in the latter days, saith the Lord. Thus far is the
judgment of Moab."
From the tenour of verses 45 and 47, it is plain
that the Moabites were really led off into captivity, as
I have previously stated.
Let us now turn from the inspired to the profane
writers : Eusebius, on the word Aapvapd (Damnaba),
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
451
mentions a village of tliis name, situated eight miles
from Areopolis; and another of the same designation
as being seven miles from Ileshbon, on mount Phegor.
This word Damnaba is most likely incorrectly written,
and ought to be altered to Medeba. A town of the
name of Medeba is mentioned as having fallen to the
share of the tribe of Reuben, and must have been
situated at its southern extremity, for Joshua (xiii. 16)
places there the limit of the tribe. The passage is as
follows : " And their coast was from Aroer, that is on
the bank of the river Anion, and the city that is in the
midst of the river, and all the plain by Medeba." We
have already read at verse 9 : " From Aroer, that is
upon the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that is in
the midst of the river, and all the plain of Medeba
unto D'ibon." These two passages sufficiently prove
that the Medeba therein mentioned was situated north
of the Arnon, and in the territory of the Amorites;
that is to say, between the Arnon and the Yabbok.
In Stephens's Ethnicals we read : " Medeba, a town
of the Nabatheans. The inhabitants of this town call
themselves Medebenians, according to Uranius in his
second book of Arabicals." But whether this is the
Medeba of the Moabites or the Amorites, I cannot take
upon myself to decide. In cither case, the text of Euse-
bius informs us that eight miles distant from Er-Rabba
should be found the ruins of a Moabitic city, bearing
exactly the same name as the city of Medeba, situated
in the vicinity of Ileshbon. Besides, Reland, among
the twelve cities conquered by Alexander Jannaeus
from the Arabs, mentions Medeba, Zoar, and Coronaim,
G o 2
452
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
as belonging to the (properly so called) land of Moab,
and from thence he concludes that Agalla (the Agallaim
of Eusebius) was situated likewise, with these three
towns, south of the Arnon.
We have seen that Josephus enumerates Agalla*
amongst the twelve cities conquered from the Arabs by
Alexander Jannaeus; Reland does not hesitate to
identify this AyaAAa with the Moabitic town named
Eglaim by Isaiah (xv. 8). He is the more likely to
be right in his opinion, as Eusebius asserts that in his
own time there did exist a station called AyaAAei//,
distant eight miles from Areopolis in a southerly
direction.
Eusebius, at the word Aoveld (Luhith), informs us
that this locality, also mentioned in the Bible, was
situated between Areopolis and Zoar. This means
evidently that Luhith was on the high road, lying
between these two extreme points; and since the
sacred writings mention the ascent to Luhith, it is not
possible to look for Luhith in any other than the moun¬
tainous portion of the road; that is to say, in the
mountains that divide the high lands of Moab from
the shores of the Dead Sea, or the Moabitic Rhor.
And, lastly, St. Jerome, in his Commentary on
Isaiah (xv.), informs us that Zoar belonged to the land
of Moab : " Segor in finibus Moabitarum sita est,
dividens ab eis terrain Philistiim." The Bible accords
with this statement of St. Jerome, for the people of
Moab, deserting the banks of the Arnon, are described
as flying as far as Zoar.
* Ant. Jud. xiv. 2—4.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
453
From the texts just quoted and examined, taking
them altogether, it results that the Moabitic country
was limited—to the northward by the Arnon; east¬
ward, again, in all probability, by the valley of the
Arnon, making an elbow towards the south ; and
southward by a line passing through Zoar, and dividing
the land of Moab from the country of the Philistines.
Towards this southern frontier must have existed a
station called Soufah. And, lastly, a road starting
from Areopolis towards the southern limit of the
country, and more especially with the object of reaching
the town of Zoar, passed by another station called
Luhith.
I am ready to admit that the boundary of this
southern frontier is not clearly defined, and that it is
even vague and unfixed; but where neither the sacred
nor profane authorities are fully explicit, we must con¬
sider ourselves fortunate when we can fix, with anything
like certainty, a few simple landmarks, even though
inconsiderable in number.
Ptolemy, if the longitudes and latitudes he has laid
down had been transmitted to us with any degree of
accuracy, might greatly assist this inquiry ; but, unfor¬
tunately, the geographical calculations attributed to
him are so often mixed up with palpable mistakes, that
we must be exceedingly cautious in making use of
them. If we follow him in the respective bearings of
the following towns: — Jerusalem, 66° and 31-3—°;
Engaddi, 66^° and 31^°; Thamara, 66^° and 30^°;
Zoara, 67^° and 30^°; Charakmoba, 66j° and 30°;
Callirhoe, 67iV and 31^°; we shall find that the
454
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
positions of Jerusalem, Engacldi, Thamara, and Callirhoe
are nearly correct; whilst the figures assigned to
Charakmoba and Zoara are quite inadmissible. For
instance, Charakmoba should have been 67°, and Zoara
66° (leaving out the fractions, which I have no
intention to correct), for otherwise Zoar would be laid
down more to the eastward than Karak, a position
which cannot be maintained.
The southern frontier, which I have assigned to the
Moabitic country, was not always permanent, and the
limitation of that region has been liable to change to
the southward as well as to the northward. For
instance, the Scriptures assign the Arnon as the northern
limit of the land of Moab at the period of the first
arrival of the Israelites ; and from the Prophecies of
Isaiah and Jeremiah, it clearly appears that the Moabitcs
recovered possession of the country between the Arnon
and Yabbok, after the captivity of the ten tribes. As
to the southern frontier, in the days of St. Jerome,
Zoar was on the border between the Moabitic country
and the Holy Land (Palestine). Josephus considered
it as an Arabian town ; and in the sacred volume, this
same Zoar, after having been named in Genesis amongst
the towns of the condemned Pentapolis, became, in all
probability, a city of Idumea, in the book of Joshua;
that is to say at the period of the division of the
promised land : and lastly, Zoar was again included
amongst the towns of Moab at the later period of the
prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah.
I have mentioned that, at the period of the division
of the territories assigned to the several tribes, Zoar
and round tub dead sea.
455
was most likely an Idumean town. We read accord¬
ingly in Josliua (xv) :—" 1. This tlien was the lot of
the tribe of the children of Judah, by their families ;
even to the border of Edom, the wilderness of Zin,
southward, was the uttermost part of the south coast.
2. And their south border was from the shore of the
Salt Sea, from the bay (tongue) that looketh southward.
3. And it went out to the south side, to Maaleh-
acrabbim, (the Ascent of the Scorpions), and passed
along to Zin, and ascended up on the south side unto
Kadesh-barnea, and passed along to Hezron, and went
up to Adar, and fetched a compass to Karkaa," &c., &c.
There is not a word relative to Zoar in this passage,
nor in the enumeration of the towns of the tribe of
Judah. Besides which, it must be observed that
amongst the towns of Judrca, situated on the frontier
of Edom, we find mentioned Adadah,* which I was
the first to discover, still bearing the same name, on
the high ground reached through the Ouad-ez-Zouera,
after having crossed the Ouad-et-Thaemah. The limit
of the tribe of Judah must then necessarily have
passed very near Zoar, and Saint Jerome was quite
correct in placing this town on the extreme frontier
between Palestine and the land of Moab.
I must here refer to two very important passages
taken from Ezekiel, which fix the southern limit of the
promised land (Chap, xlvii. v. 19): "And the south
side southward, from Tamar even to the waters of
strife in Kadesh, the river to the Great Sea. And this
is the south side southward." And further on (Chap.
* Josli, xv. 22.
456 JOURNEY IN SYRIA
xlviii. v. 28) : " And by the border of Gad, at the south
side southward, the border shall be even from Tamar
unto the waters of strife in Kadesh, and to the river
toward the Great Sea." The commentators have
given Jericho for the Tamar mentioned in these two
verses. But this identification, already proposed by
the Chaldean text, is not admissible, for Jericho was
never on the southern limit of Judaea. It seems quite
evident that the place here mentioned is the Tamara
or Tamaro which I discovered at Ma'iet-Embarrheg;
such being the case, the position of the Ascent of the
Scorpions (Maaleh-acrabbim), might be identified with
one of the two ouads of Zouera or Ma'iet-Embarrheg.
I now proceed to lay down a comparative table of the
localities and ruins which I have visited, in the land of
Moab, according to the ancient places with which they
may be identified :—
Kharbet-Zouera-et-Tahtah . . . Zoar, Segor.
Kliarbet-Esdoum . . . » . . Sodom.
Djebel-Esdoum or Djebel-el-Melebli The Mountain of Sodom (Salt Mountain).
Djebel-es-Soufah Soufah.
Kharbet-Safieh
Rhor-Safieb .......
Rhor-en-N emaireh
Kharbet, and Bordj-en-Nemaireh . . Nimrim, Bennemarim, Benamerium.
Talaa, and Kharbet-Sebaan . . Zeboiim.
Birket-el-Esal „
Kliarbet-Emtha'il . „
Kharbet-es-Safetbeh . . . . „
Taouahin-es-Soukkar „
El-Megraab
El-Lisan He-Lisoun.
Kharbet-abd-er-Rabim . . . . „
Kbarbet-Adjerrah .... Agalla, Adjelim, Eglaim.
Bir-el-Hafa'ieli „ „ „
Kharbet-Nouebin .... Lub'ith, Maalah, He-Loueitb.
Kbarbet-Sarfab „ „
Redjom-Mabfour „ „ „
Kharbet-Emraah. „ „
Redjom-ei-Hammah . „ „ „
AND HOUND THE DEAD SEA.
457
Redjom-el-Aabed .
Kharbet-fouqoua
Ouad-Emdebea
Schihan
Kharbet-Medj ele'in
Kharbet-Tedoum
Beit-el-Kerm .
Er-Rabba .
Nameless ruins
El-Karak .
J- Medeba, Damnaba.
. Shihon.
. Luh'ith, Maalah, He-Loue'itk.
Kir-haraseth, Kir-Moab, Charak-Moba.
Ar, Rabbath-Moab, Areopolis.
Ayn-Sara
Ayn-Aqbecb
Ayn-el-B5as ^
Qoubbet-Habisieh . ... t) It M )y
Deir-el-Mekliarib M ;
Ayn-et-Thabib „ „ „ „
Ayn-es-Sekkeh „ })
Ayn-el-Guemayn .
Omm-Sedry
Ayn-Zeboub „ „ „ „
Ayn-Ersds
Djebel-el-Hadits „ >} )f
Djebel-Dzafel „ „ ,,
Redjom and Ayn-Talaa „ „ „ „
Ouad-el-Kharadjek „ „ „ „
Ayn-ed-Draa „ „ „ „
Kharbet-ed-Draa „ „ „
Nameless ruins „ „ „
It remains now to discuss the correctness of the
identifications I propose.
Those of Zoar, Sodom, and the Salt Mountain are so
closely connected, that if one of the three is clearly
established, the two others must immediately and
necessarily follow. Let us then take Sodom, which is
undoubtedly the most important of the three localities,
and let us prove, in the first place, by the concordance
of all the texts, sacred and profane, in which it is
mentioned, that Sodom, the town fallen under the curse
of the Almighty, did actually exist at the northern
point of the Bjebel-Esdoum, or Djebel-el-Melehh, on
the spot where huge masses of disconnected ruins, still
458
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
visible, and perfectly distinguishable, exhibit themselves
as a perpetual warning to human wickedness.
The name of Sodom is written in the Bible, dud ;
—in Arabic (Isdoum), ; and in Greek, So'Sojua
(Sodoma). This city was situated on the shore of
Lake Asphaltites; for it was in the vicinity of Zoar,
which also stood at the southern point of the Dead
Sea, on its western coast. In fact, when Lot separated
from Abraham, he chose for his residence the plain
of Jordan (the p^n idd of Holy Writ, the jueya
7Ttbiov of the Greeks), as far as Sodom. *
" 10. And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the
plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where,
before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even
as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as
thou contest unto Zoar.
"11. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan ;
and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves
the one from the other.
" 12. Abraham dwelled in the land of Canaan, and
Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his
tent towards Sodom."
From the tenor of these verses it clearly results that
Lot, intending to remove his encampment to the end of
the plain, carried it as far as Sodom. To reach that
place, he had to cross neither the Jordan nor the Lake
Asphaltites ; and as it appears certain that Zoar was at
the extremity of this fertile land, so fertile that it is
compared to the land of Egypt, and even to the garden
of Eden, it seems equally evident that Sodom, in the
* Genesis, xiii.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
459
immediate neighbourhood of Zoar, must have been
situated likewise at the farthest end of the plain taken
possession of by Lot.
Strabo (Book xvi.) writes as follows :—" It is said that
this country is burnt up by fire ; evidences of this fire
are traceable in certain baked and calcined moun¬
tains, in the direction of Masada ; in deep rents and
clefts, in a soil like ashes; in rocks distilling pitch,
and in rivers of boiling water, emitting from afar off
a loathsome odour. Here and there, places formerly
inhabited by man are now confused masses of ruins.
It is thus easy to put faith in the tradition universally
believed throughout the country, that thirteen cities
formerly existed there. We are even told that ruins
still exist of the metropolis, Sodom, the circumference
of which extends to about sixty stadia. Earthquakes,
eruptions of subterraneous fires, warm, bituminous, and
sulphureous waters are said to have caused this lake to
overflow its original borders ; rocks have been set on
fire; and at the same time these cities were either
swallowed up or deserted by as many of the inhabitants
as were able to escape." (Letronne's translation.)
From this passage it clearly results that Sodom, and the
appertaining land, were in the same region as Moasada
(Masada). Now, beyond all contradiction, Masada was
on the western shore of the Dead Sea, therefore Sodom
and Zoar were likewise on the same side.
Let us also remember that Josephus* mentions the
length of Lake Asphaltites as being five hundred
and eighty stadia; that it extends as far as Zoccra in
* Bel. Jud. iv. 4. 8.
460
JOURNEY m SYRIA
Arabia, whilst its breadth is only one hundred and
fifty stadia ; that in its vicinity is the land of Sodom,
&c. We must, then, conclude again, that since Zoar
was at the southern extremity of the lake, Sodom was
likewise at the southern extremity ; and as nobody can
suppose that in measuring the length of the lake,
Josephus should have passed from one shore to the
other; necessarily, both Zoar and Sodom were on the
south-western extremity of Lake Asphaltites.
Galen,* when speaking of the mineral salt found
on the shores of the Dead Sea, makes use of the
following expression : ■— irpoaayoptvovm. 8' avrovs (aktis)
^obo/ievovs ano tcov TiepmyovTOiV r?/v Xlp.vrjv opoov, a KaXdraL
2,obona. This salt is called salt of Sodom, from the
name of the mountains in the neighbourhood of the
lake, which mountains bear also that appellation. Thus,
the Salt Mountain, the Djebel-Esdoum of the Arabs,
was, in the opinion of Galen, correctly called Sodom.
It seems unnecessary to argue any longer on a fact
which nobody will be inclined to question ; all scholars
agree in opinion that Sodom was on the western shore
of the Lake Asphaltites. The site of this town has
never been sought for on the eastern shore, which
became afterwards an integral part of the Land of
Moab, properly so called. We may therefore boldly
establish this first point, that Sodom was at the
southern end of the Dead Sea, on its western shore.
Let us now remember that Genesis (xix. 15 and
23) expressly tells us that Lot departed from Sodom
"when the morning arose" and entered Zoar when
* Lib. IV., Do Simplicium Medicamentorum Facultatibus, cap. xix.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
461
" the sun was risen upon the earth " It results incon-
testably upon this fact, that from Sodom to Zoar the
distance could not exceed a league (three English
miles), at the very utmost. Any locality placed on the
eastern shore of Lake Asphaltites, is then necessarily
excluded from any pretension to represent the site of
the Biblical Zoar.
And now, if on the very spot where (from Scriptural
and historical information) Sodom ought to exist, Zoar
and the Salt Mountain mentioned by Galen, under the
name of Sodom (and not under that of the Mountain
of Sodom), a circumstance sufficiently remarkable—I
say, if on this very spot we find a huge mountain of
mineral salt, the only one of the kind in the country,
called Djebel-Esdoum, bearing on all the declivities
flanking its northern point, the extensive ruins of a
town : ruins amongst which you can distinguish, on a
careful examination, many foundations of walls ; ruins,
again, which the inhabitants of the country are in the
habit of calling Kharbet-Esdoum (Ruins of Sodom),
and of applying to them the tradition concerning
Sodom ; if, besides, within somewhat more than half
a league from this place (a mile and a half English
measurement), towards the mountain range, we fall in
with other ruins of a town called Zouera-et-Tahtah,
the lower town of Zoar, is it even possible to question
the identity of Kharbet-Esdoum with Sodom, and of
Zouera-et-Tahtah with Zoar or Segor % I certainly
think not.
But it has been often urged that the towns that fell
under the Divine wrath were destroyed by fire from
4G2
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
heaven in the first instance ; then submerged under the
Dead Sea, which was formed suddenly, so as to drown
the Valley of Siddim, and the vestiges of the cities
formerly standing in that valley. Such is in substance
what has been objected to the position I maintain,
of having discovered on the spot the still perfectly dis¬
tinguishable remains of the cities of the Pentapolis.
Upon what basis rests the interpretation produced
against my opinion % In what book, in what narra¬
tive, has the catastrophe of the Pentapolis been so
described as to allow for a moment the supposition
that the condemned cities were overwhelmed under
the lake \ Is it in the Holy Bible 1 Is it in the
works of the ancient writers X Neither in the one
nor the other. I cannot guess what dreaming com¬
mentator has originated the fable I have analysed in
a short inquiry ; and this fable, precisely because it
is the more preternatural and inexplicable, has been
hitherto received and adopted without examination.
From the date of this invention many travellers in
Palestine have eagerly repeated the same imaginary
legends, without choosing (no easy undertaking) to
ascertain by personal examination the truth of the facts
the narrative of which they were perpetuating on the
faith of those writers who had preceded them. Thus
statements, utterly at variance with the truth, by a long
chain of hereditary assertion, equally valueless, become
at last so firmly established, and so generally received
as authorities, that my travelling companions and myself
have, on our return, been set down as impostors, or, at
the best, as incompetent observers, unable to examine
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
463
correctly the nature and peculiar features of any given
ground.
I ventured to assert that it is not possible to find, in
the sacred or profane writings of antiquity, a single
passage from which it might be inferred that the Dead
Sea arose suddenly at the time of the catastrophe of the
Pentapolis. I go still further, and repeat even more
positively, that all these early authorities unanimously
establish that the towns fallen under the curse of the
Almighty were never overwhelmed under the waters of
the lake. But mere assertions are nothing ; let the
question rest upon a comparison of evidences.
We read in Genesis (xix. 24) : " Then the Lord
rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and
fire from the Lord, out of heaven ;
" 25 : And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain,
and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew
upon the ground."
It clearly appears that in this succinct explanation
of the catastrophe which destroyed the condemned cities,
not a word is mentioned of the intervention of the
waters of the Dead Sea.
We read again, further on (verse 28) : "And he
(Abraham) looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and
toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo,
the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a
furnace."
The smoke that went up from the earth was that of
the fire consuming the towns; but this cannot mean that
the towns were overwhelmed under the waters of the
lake, for in that case there could have been no smoke.
464
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
In Deuteronomy (xxix. 23) we read also : " The
whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and burning,
that it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass groweth
therein, like the overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah,
Admah, and Zeboim, which the Lord overthrew in his
anger and in liis wrath."
A country overwhelmed under the bitter and salt
floods of the Asplialtic Lake, would certainly not have
been described in this manner. Thus, in the days of
Moses, the idea of the submersion of the Pentapolis was
neither asserted nor admitted by anybody.
Amos prophesied in the days of Uzziah, King of
Judah, and of Jeroboam, son of Joash, King of Israel.'""
We read in his book (iv. 11): " I have overthrown some
of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye
were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning : yet
have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord."
According to Amos, also, the sites of Sodom and of
Gomorrah were like " firebrands plucked out of the
burning." Certainly, nothing like submersion is either
expressed or intended in this verse.
Zephaniah prophesied under Josiah, son of Amon,
King of Judah. We read in his book (ii. 9) : " There¬
fore as I live, saith the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel,
surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of
Amon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and
salt-pits, and a perpetual desolation : the residue of my
people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people
shall possess them."
According to Zephaniah, again, the sites of Sodom and
* Amos, cli. i.; v. 1.
AND HOUND THE DEAD SEA.
465
of Gomorrah were not buried under the waters of the
Dead Sea.
We read in Jeremiah (xlix. 17) : "Also Edom shall
be a desolation ; every one that goeth by it shall be
astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof."
18: "As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah,
and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the Lord, no
man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell
in it."
A little further on, the prophet repeats the same idea
in the following expressions (1. 40) : " As God over¬
threw Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities
thereof, saith the Lord ; so shall no man abide there,
neither shall any son of man abide therein."
What is much more positive still, is the tenor of the
38th verse of the 50th chapter—a verse referring to the
same country threatened with the divine wrath (38) :
" A drought is upon her waters, and they shall be dried
up ; for it is the land of graven images, and they are
mad upon their idols." This passage cannot mean that
the country so threatened is on the eve of perishing by
submersion, but by the very contrary evil.
On the authority, then, of Jeremiah also, who wrote in
the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, it is quite clear
that the Pentapolis was not overwhelmed under the
waters of the Dead Sea.
Lastly, what do we find in the New Testament 1 In
the second Epistle General of St. Peter we read (ii. 6) :
''ttoaeissoso^coz' koa. tofj-oppas Tecjipdxras KaracrTpux^y KareKpivtv:"
" And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into
ashes, condemned them with an overthrow."
VOL. 1. II H
466
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
And in the Gospel of St. Luke our Saviour says
(xvii. 29) I — II ijfiipa Awr airo oov e/3oe£e
7Tvp kcu Oelov air ovpavov kciI a~(L\€(tev a7ravtas: " But tlie
same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and
brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all."
This shows that St. Peter, and, what is far more
conclusive still, our Saviour himself, ascribed the catas¬
trophe of the cities condemned under the curse, to the
fire showered upon them by the hand of God. Neither
the one nor the other ever alluded to the waters of the
Dead Sea.
I have thus quoted, from the Holy Scriptures, many
passages showing incontrovertibly that the waters
had no share in this awful catastrophe ; let my
opponents now produce a single line upon which the
contrary argument may be defended, even as a sup¬
position.
These sacred testimonials might no doubt be consi¬
dered sufficient, but there can be no harm in multiplying
proofs. Let us, then, pass on to the profane writers,
beginning with Josephus, the illustrious historian of the
Jews. We read in his book : * " In the vicinity of the
Lake Asphaltites is the country of Sodom, formerly a
flourishing region, for it was exceedingly fertile and
covered with cities, but now entirely destroyed and
burnt up. Tradition says that it was consumed by fire
from heaven, on account of the wickedness of the
inhabitants. Traces of the heavenly fire and vestiges
of five cities are still to be seen there ; and all that I
have related respecting the land of Sodom is entitled to
* Bel. Jud., iv. viii. 4.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
4G7
the full credibility due to things we have witnessed with
our own eyes."
In another passage, Josephus says again, when
speaking of the inhabitants of Jerusalem: "I think if
the Romans had delayed punishing this wicked people,
the town would have been either swallowed up in the
abyss, or overwhelmed under the waters, or else that
it would have been destroyed by the fire of Heaven like
the land of Sodom." *
And lastly, we read again : f " God resolved to
inflict upon them (the inhabitants of Sodom) the
chastisement of their crimes, and not only to overthrow
their city, but so to devastate their country that it
should never again produce either plant or fruit;
then God launched forth his thunderbolts upon the
city, and burnt it with its inhabitants, causing the
very soil to perish in the same conflagration."
It is unnecessary, I suppose, to waste time in showing
that according to the opinion of Josephus, the Pentapolis
was not destroyed by submersion under the waters of
the Dead Sea.
I have already quoted an entire passage from Strabo
(lib. xvi.), of which I shall merely repeat here the
following sentence : "We are even told that the ruins
of their metropolis, Sodom, still exist, the circumference
of which is said to measure about sixty stadia," &c. &c.
Thus, again, Strabo has no idea that the Pentapolis
was destroyed by water.
Let us now turn to Tacitus, who tells us, J when
* Bel. Jud., v. xiii. t>. + Ant. Jud., i. xi. 1.
X Hist., lib. v. vii.
h h 2
468
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
treating of the Dead Sea Lake : " Hand procul inde
campi, quos ferunt olira uberes, magnisque urbibus
liabitatos, fulrainum jactu arsisse ; et manere vestigia ;
terramque ipsam, specie torridam, vim frugiferam
perdidisse." " Not far from this place are fields, that
we are told, were formerly fertile and occupied by large
cities, but they were burnt up by thunder and lightning,
and the ruins still remain upon them. It is also related
that the very earth, scorched by heat, has lost all
productive power." Thus it appears that Tacitus and
Strabo agree in the same conclusion.
Amongst the Arabian authors there are some who
believe in the ruins of Sodom and the other cities,
destroyed by the hand of the Almighty ; for example,
a passage of Masoudy, quoted by M. Stephen
Quatremere, in a memoir published in the Journal des
Savants (September, 1852), and extracted from the
Arabian manuscript at Constantinople (T. 1st., f. 102),
says, in speaking of the towns of the Pentapolis : ILij
sJs[) {Juji J>- \ss> : " And they have
remained even up to our own time. These towns are
in ruins, and do not contain any inhabitants."
Abulfeda, though not quite so explicit, is of the same
opinion. It is true that Edrisy says, Sodom and the
neighbouring cities were buried under the waters of the
Dead Sea. This proves that there was already a
difference of opinion amongst the most distinguished
Mohammedan writers. But it by no means contro¬
verts the fact, that all the ancient authors, sacred and
profane, were unanimous in rejecting the fable, accord¬
ing to which, the cities of the Pentapolis were stated
AND ROUND THE DEAJ) SEA.
469
to have been overwhelmed under the waters of the
Dead Sea.
We may now consider an important point as perfectly
established and incontrovertible ; namely, that the
towns of the Pentapolis were not submersed after their
destruction by fire. They therefore could never have
been built on the ground which has hitherto been
supposed, erroneously, to have been suddenly inundated
by the waves of the Lake Asphaltites, produced for that
especial purpose. Beyond this, the sacred text itself
tends to prove, that supposing even that the plain of
Siddim should have been partly or entirely flooded over
by the waters of the Lake, those waters could not have
affected the cities of the Pentapolis. For according to
the highly judicious observation of Reland, whose
admirable criticism nobody, I presume, will suspect of
error, these cities could not have been situated in the
valley of Siddim. What do we read in the Bible*
concerning the kings of the Pentapolis 1 " Hi omnes
congregati sunt in valle Siddim, qua3 est mare Salsum."
" All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim,
which is the Salt Sea."
Reland f expresses himself as follows concerning this
verse : " There is but one thing stated here, that the
valley which was formerly called valley of Siddim,
became afterwards the Dead Sea, a fact which I do not
mean to controvert. Indeed, this valley may have been
flooded by the waters forming this sea, either in conse¬
quence of an increase of the Jordan, or of the gushing
out of subterranean or other springs ; but as no one
t Pal. lib. i. p. 254.
470
journey in syria
knows how or when this has happened, nothing is
gained by dwelling on the point. The inspired writer
does not say that the five cities, Sodom and the rest,
were situated in the valley of Siddim ; on the contrary,
the text quoted leads to an opposite conclusion ; that
since the kings of these five cities, after having collected
their armies, joined together ; " versus vallem Siddim,"
towards the valley of Siddim. Supposing the translation
to be in the valley, the meaning is still the same.
The probability is, then, that the valley of Siddim was
quite distinct from the country in which their five
cities were situated. For instance, is there any man
who would think of saying : The inhabitants of Amster¬
dam, of Haarlem, and of Leyden have marched against
the enemy and have joined together in Holland 1 No ;
precisely for this reason, that the towns here mentioned
are all in Holland ; but we might very properly say ;
The inhabitants of these towns have joined together on
the spot where the Lake of Haarlem is now placed ; and
the reasonable conclusion to be drawn from that
expression would be, that the Lake of Haarlem is
perfectly distinct from the country in which those towns
are situated.
It would be difficult, I should think, to refute this
chain of reasoning of Reland, and I must therefore be
permitted to consider it conclusive. Besides, Reland
rests upon another very just and striking observation.
He remarks, that in the verse of the xixth chapter of
Genesis, where it is stated that God rained down brim¬
stone and fire upon the condemned cities and upon the
whole plain, the expression made use of by the sacred
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
471
writer to express this last idea, is meaning the
circuit, the plain, and not the valley of Siddim.
Not to dwell too long upon this subject, I will
merely add, that Reland, with his usual tact, had very
correctly guessed that the towns of the Pentapolis
must have been situated on the shores of the Dead Sea,
and that their ruins might and even ought to be still
found there. What the judicious critic surmised from
the corner of his study, observations made on the very
spot, nearly a century and a half after the publication
of his admirable work, have proved to be completely
true.
Now, the logical conclusion to be deduced from what
I have stated above, amounts to this. As it is
unquestionable that, with the exception of Ayn-Djedy
(Engedi), Masada, Thamara, and Zoar, there has not
been since the catastrophe of the Pentapolis, any other
town built on the western shores of the Dead Sea; it
then necessarily follows, that we cannot help recognising
Sodom in the Kharbet-Esdoum (ruins of Sodom) of
the Arabs, and at the foot of the salt mountain, which
Galen expressly names Sodoma; and as a like conse¬
quence we are compelled also to recognise the other
condemned cities in such ruins as we may happen to
meet 011 the same shore.
I cannot suppose that additional proof will be required
of the fact—which may be questioned, but not inva¬
lidated—that the ruins which are known to the Arabs
under the name of the Kharbet-Esdoum, are actually
and really the ruins of the biblical Sodom. To contest
this positive discovery, there will be but one course
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
left; that of boldly denying the very existence of these
ruins, which my companions and myself have twice
visited and examined, especially the second time, with
the greatest care. I expect to encounter this denial ;
but, undue modesty apart, I declare that I rest greater
confidence in an examination made by myself, minutely
and at full leisure, in company with four Frenchmen
sufficiently intelligent to discern ruins (where ruins
actually exist; and which the Arabs who accompanied
us—and with whom, from my knowledge of their
language, I was enabled to keep up constant conversa¬
tion—pointed out to me under the very significant
name of Kharbet-Esdoum), than in any contradictory
observation, perhaps rather hastily made and with
preconceived convictions ; such for instance as the im¬
possibility of finding Zoar 011 the western shore of the
Dead Sea. I have superabundantly demonstrated that
this last opinion is in flagrant opposition to the text of
the Holy Scriptures ; it is therefore quite clear that
any conclusion resting more or less upon so mistaken a
conception must be steadily rejected, and cast aside as
a dangerous fallacy.
Let us now return to the subject. Sodom was
situated at the south-western point of the Dead Sea :
the salt mountain is called Sodom by Galen. Sodom
was therefore on the very same spot with the salt
mountain. This mountain is called by the Arabs,
indifferently, Djebel-el-Melehh or Djebel-Esdoum, the
latter expression being also that of Galen. Thus, then,
if on the very situation of the salt mountain we fall in
with the ruins of a town, there is every probability that
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
473
these are the ruins of Sodom ; and this probability
becomes an undeniable evidence, if the inhabitants of
the country unanimously agree in giving to these ruins
the name of Kharbet-Esdoum (ruins of Sodom), and
in attaching to them the traditional history of the town,
destroyed under the curse. All these conditions being
strictly fulfilled, it is not possible to refuse credence to
the fact that these ruins of a town, called Sodom, are
really the ruins of the Sodom mentioned in the Bible.
Amongst the signatures to the Acts of the first Council
of Niccea, is attached the name of Severus, Bishop of
Sodom, included in the number of the bishops of Arabia.
Reland, who was not likely to overlook this remarkable
fact, has discussed it carefully." "It would be nonsense,"
says he, " to conclude that in this passage is designated
the Sodom overthrown by divine wrath, and which was
never to be inhabited again. What is the place which
we are to suppose concealed under this denomination ?
It cannot be Zoar ; for Zoar was a town of Palestine,
and not of Arabia : neither can it be Sycamazona,
which was likewise a town of Palestine, and not an
Arabian town." Consequently, Reland surmises that the
place mentioned under this name must be some epis¬
copal city of Arabia, a dependency of the metropolitan
Bishopric of Bostra, the name of which might have been
Zozoyma, or Zoraima. What induces him to adopt
this hypothesis, is a word he finds mentioned in the
Arabic index of the names of the bishops who
subscribed to the Council of Nica)a. He reads there :
^13 yo and this he transcribes, Severus
* Pal., Jib. iv. p. 1120. Ad no men Sodonia.
471
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
Zozamaon. But let us observe that the sad is never
pronounced and that the sound *0, sad, if we restore
a point which appears to have been forgotten, would
make this passage appear thus ^13 yo .^\ This is
clearly a correct Arabic transcription of the Greek
genitive ^086[icov. Besides, at the present day, it is
mere loss of time to call in question the existence of a
Bishop of Sodom called Severus, who took a part in the
Acts of the Council of Mecca ; since the Coptic version of
these Acts, published and commented on by my learned
fellow-citizen and friend, M. Charles Lenormant, men¬
tions this holy personage in a very precise manner.
Are we to conclude from this that Sodom has risen
again from her ruins, and that a modern Sodom,
contemporaneous with the Council of Nicsea, was the
seat of a Christian bishopric % Not in the least. Many
bishops have borne, and still bear, the titles of cities
that only exist in historical memory. At the very
same Council there was a Bishop of Ilion ! Are we to
conclude from this that Ilion had been rebuilt % I
should suppose, not. In the time of Josephus the land
of Sodom was still the name of the country where
Sodom had existed ; and this name may very well have
given birth to the episcopal title which Roland had
conceived to have been incorrectly written. As to the
argument drawn by Reland from the fact of Zoar being
situated in Palestine, and not in Arabia, this argument
falls to the ground ; for in Josephus,'" Zoar is called the
Zoar of Arabia, za>apa rrjs 'Apa/3ta?, and then in another
passage f he tells us that Zoar, Zuapa, was one of the
* Bel. Jud., iv. viii. 4.
t Ant. Jud., xiv. ii. 4.
AND K01TND THE DEAD SEA.
475
twelve towns conquered from the Arabs by Alexander
Janmeus.*
In the Acts of the Council of Chalcedon, Musonius,
Bishop of Zoar, is classed once amongst the bishops of
the second Palestine, and another time amongst the
bishops of the third Palestine, this being the more cor¬
rect classification. Areopolis, Characmoba (Er-Rabbah
and Karak), as also Petra, were certainly cities of
Arabia, and yet they are enrolled amongst the episcopal
cities of the third Palestine ; we have no occasion then
to wonder that Zoar, an Arabian city, should have been
included amongst the bishoprics of the third Palestine.
Let us now consider more especially Zoar itself. In
Stephens's " Ethnicals " we read at the word Zoar,—
"Zoar is a large borough or fortress of Palestine,
situated on the shores of the lake Asphaltites (em rfj
'Ao-^dAnSt). It was here that Lot took refuge, and
contrived to escape from the catastrophe of Sodom."
According to this description Zoar was situated on the
shore of the Dead Sea. Eusebius (ad vocem b^aa)
speaks of the site of this same town, and places it on
the eastern limit of Idumea (Edom). St. Jerome has at
once discovered that this statement involved a serious
error, and therefore he corrects it thus: " On the
eastern frontier ofJudcea" But then this frontier could
only be 011 the western shore of the Dead Sea. f A
passage from Anastasius the Sinaite, quoted by Reland, J
is worth mentioning here. He states that, having
* I11 the narrative of the flight of Lot, at the time of the ruin of Sodom,
Josephus calls Zoar " Zowp;" and he adds, that the locality thereby indicated
still bears the same name at the period when he is himself writing : Zoup Ztl
KaL VVV \t~ytT<XL.
t Reland, p. 622, ad vocem Bela. $ Pal., p. 10(56, ad voccm Zoara.
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
made a journey in the direction of Zoar and
Tetrapyrgia,* he was surprised to find that all the
slaves employed in cultivating the public lands were
natives of the island of Cyprus, because they were the
only people who could endure the deadly influence of
the climate; he adds, that this was a fact positively
established by numerous experiments.
Eusebius, in his " Onomasticon" [ad vocem, 6a\dacra v
"A/u)KTj), tells us that the Dead Sea extended all the way
between Jericho and Zoar. It is plain that this is a
mere repetition of the assertion of Josephus, that the
Asphaltitic Lake reached as far as Zoara in Arabia.
St. Jerome, in a passage already quoted above, tells
us that Zoar was on the confines of the Moabitic land,
dividing it from Palestine. The same Saint Jerome,
at the word Bala (Ba\a is the correct reading, and
not Ba/3Aa), informs us that Zoar was the station of a
Roman garrison ; and in the Notitia Dignitatum Imperii,
Ave find mentioned: " Equites sagittarii indigence,
Zoara)the native mounted archers, at Zoar. This
was then the troop garrisoned at Zoar.
We have already examined the tendency of the
passages from Josephus concerning Zoar ; it remains
now to enumerate the Biblical texts in which there
* What can this place be, called Tetrapyrgia (Terpa-Kvpyia) 'I Nobody knows.
Might not this name happen to be a Greek translation of the word Kirjath-arba,
(the city of the four), the primitive name of which is Hebron (according to
Genesis, xxiii. 2—Joshua, xx. 7—and Nehemiah, xi. 25). The Jews, as an
explanation of this name, say that it refers to the tombs of the four patriarchs
buried in Hebron—Adam, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This explanation of
the Jews is most likely the correct one; and it is admitted by Dutripon as the
most natural. Tetrapyrgia might also mean the town with the four towers.
Of course, I give this hypothetical identification for what it may be worth,
without insisting upon it.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
477
occur mention of this important locality. In Genesis
we read (chap, xix.) : " 19. I cannot escape to the moun¬
tain (says Lot, speaking to the angels who have come
to Sodom for the purpose of cautioning him to leave
the doomed city), lest some evil take me and I die."
" 20. Behold now this city is near to flee unto, and it
is a little one: oh, let me escape thither (is it not a
little one 1), and my soul shall live." " 22. Therefore
the name of the city was called Zoar." " 23. The sun
was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into
Zoar."
We have already deduced, from this important text,
the close neighbourhood that must necessarily have
existed between Zoar and Sodom. We see besides that
Zoar was not in the mountain, since Lot says, " I cannot
escape to the mountain." Another sacred text gives
additional strength to this observation. We read (same
chapter, xix. 30) : " And Lot went up out of Zoar and
dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him,
for he feared to dwell in Zoar; and he dwelt in a cave,
he and his two daughters." It is perfectly clear from
this, that to enter the mountain he had to go up as he
went out from Zoar. The conclusion then is, that Zoar
was not on the mountain, but precisely at the foot of
the mountain, since the angels commanded Lot (v. 17)
not to tarry in any part of the plain, but to fly towards
the mountain. I believe it would be difficult to select a
place answering better than Zouera-et-Tahtah (the lower
Zoar, or Zoar at the foot of the hills) all the conditions
expressed in these different passages of the Bible : and
if, besides these physical conditions, which it is scarcely
478
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
possible to mistake, we find still attached to the ruins
in question the identical name of Zoar, are we not
invincibly led to this conclusion that Kharbet-Zouera-
et-Tahtah and the Zoar of the Bible are one and the
same place % And yet, such is the strength of precon¬
ceived opinions, there are travellers who have visited
these places, and who still believe, with Irby, Mangles,
and Robinson, that Zoar was on the eastern shore of the
Dead Sea.
Let us now proceed with our examination of the
Scriptural texts bearing reference to Zoar.
The primitive name of Zoar was Bela—so the Bible
testifies in the following passages : *—" These made war
with Bera, king of Sodom, and with Birsha, king of
Gomorrah ; Shinab, king of Admah, and Shemeber,
king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar."
" Verse 8. And there went out the king of Sodom
and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah,
the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is
Zoar), and they joined battle with them in the vale of
Siddim." (Textually, in the valley of the fields; the
plural, Siddim, being here preceded by the article ; this
means that it retains its general signification, and that
it is not to be taken for a proper name).
The origin of the two names, Bela and Zoar, is well
worth our dwelling upon for a moment. St. Jerome,
in his commentary on Isaiah xv., says, when speaking
of Bela, f " Appellatur Bela, id est absorpta, tradentibus
* Genesis, xiv. 2.
+ It is called Bela, or the lost city, according to the Hebraic translation;
that name is owing to its having been destroyed by three successive earth¬
quakes. It is the same place which is now called in Syrian " Zoara."—
Translator.
AND ROUND TTIE DEAD SEA.
470
Ilebracis quod tertio terra) motu prostrata sit; ipsa est
qua) hodie Syro sermone vocatur Zoara." In fact,
means devoravit, absorpsit, perdidit. This explanation
St. Jerome repeats again in another passage. Also,
in his " Question. Hebr. in Genesin," cap. xiy. 3, he says :
" Tradunt Hebraei hanc eamdem in alio Scripturarum
loco * Salisa nominari, dicique rursum oo-yov TpuTi(ovvav, f
id est vitulam conternantem, quod scilicit tertio terra)
motu absorpta sit." J. Lastly, in his commentary on
Genesis (xix. 30), he repeats again: "De Segor, quod
frequenter terra; motu subruta, Bela primum, &c."
This alleged origin of the name Bela may, in Reland's
opinion (not mine), have been completely derived from
the orthography of the word, which happens to have a
close analogy with the radical Reland also
observes that the Hebraic tradition mentioned by St.
Jerome cannot be admitted, because Zoar is not the
only town which is called in the Bible a heifer three
years old; for instance, in Jeremiah (xlviii. 34) we read:
" From the cry of Hesbon even unto Elealeh, and even
unto Jahaz, have they uttered their voice, from Zoar
even unto Horonaim, as an heifer of three years old."
Here it is, then, Horonaim that goes by the metaphorical
expression in question, and this epithet merely means,
if I am not mistaken, that the localities so qualified are
fertile and flourishing, as a heifer three years old is in
the prime of flesh and strength, § As to the verse of
* 1 Samuel, ix. 4. + Isaiah, xv. 5.
J "According to the Hebraic tradition, this place was also called in some
other passage of the Scriptures, ' Shalisha;' and it went also by the metaphorical
expression of the heifer three years old,—meaning that it had been destroyed by
three earthquakes."
§ All readers may not agree with either Reland or M. do Saulcy; and the
480 JOURNEY IN SYRIA
Samuel, where mention is made of the land of Shalisha,
there is absolutely nothing to prove that Zoar is the
place so designated; and Cohen has not even taken
any notice of this rabbinical identification.
Whatever may have been the real origin of this name,
whether it had a significative meaning or not, it remains
at all events certain, that the primitive name of Zoar
was Bela. On what occasion, and for what reason,
this name has been altered and changed for that of
Zoar, the Holy Scriptures will tell us.
We read in Genesis (xix.) : " 20. Behold now, this
city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one (says
Lot, speaking to the angels who are commanding
him to leave the doomed city of Sodom). Oh, let me
escape thither (is it not a little one ?) and my soul
shall live.
"21. And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee
concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this
city, for the which thou hast spoken.
" 22. Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do
anything till thou be come thither. Therefore the
name of the city was called Zoar."
Is it not palpably evident that this last phrase,
which from its tenor is completely misplaced, is nothing
more than a marginal comment, interpolated at a later
commentary of St. Jerome may bo considered quite correct. It has been
generally understood that the expression vitula conternans means "restless,
bounding, and agitated as a heifer three years old." The verse just quoted
from Jeremiah ought then to be thus understood : "From Zoar to Horonaim
the country is restless and agitated like a heifer three years old and this
expression, instead of applying only to the last place, applies to both. Then,
again, St. Jerome's explanation would be perfectly natural: Bela was com.
pared to a heifer three years old, on account of its being kept in constant
agitation by earthquakes.— Translator.
AND ROUND TILE DEAD SEA.
181
period by the error of some copyist, and also in an
inappropriate part of the text ?
It was evidently at the 20tli verse, after the words,
" Is it not a little one," that the comment should have
been introduced. Therefore, the name of the city was
called Zoar. But this does not affect the general argu¬
ment. The name of Zoar, written in Hebrew
in Arabic orthography is spelt ^ (Za-ar). It is quite
true that in Hebrew means to be small, from
whence the derivative ijw, small; but in Arabic
(Za-ar) has not at all that signification—meaning, 011
the contrary, multitude, abundance. It is the word*
from the radical ^ f, that means small, and is equiva¬
lent to the Hebrew expression.
Judging from the true Arabic orthography of the
word Zoar, and also from the constant pronunciation,
from the biblical times down to the present period, of
the name of this identical spot, the natives having
always called it Zouar or Zouera, wo may be led to
suppose that the origin of this name (most probably
introduced into the sacred texts by interpolation) is
not entitled to absolute credit. J However, I must
hasten to add that this etymology is likewise given by
JosepllUS : Zocop In Ka\ rvv AeyfcTCH, KaXovm yap qvtcos
* Soueir. f Sou-ar.
+ Here, again, we venture to differ with M. tie Saulcy. If we are to judge ex¬
actly by the Arabic radicals above mentioned, (Sonar) and (Soueir)
come certainly nearer, as to pronunciation, to Zouar and Zouera tlian^£j
(Za-ar). The only conclusion we can arrive at from his argument is, that the
name Zoar is now incorrectly spelt in Arabic jS-j (Za-ar). Evidently,
M. de Saulcy is still labouring here under the impression of the epithet vitula
contcrnans, applied to the neighbourhood of Zoar, being meant as expressing
fertility, abundance.—Translator,
vol. i. i r
482
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
Efipatot. to okiyov: " It is named even up to this day Zoor,
because the Hebrews give this name to anything that is
small*
We have collected together all the passages of the
sacred and profane texts that could assist us in
determining the position of Zoar, and we have
already concluded from them the necessary and
undeniable identity of the biblical Zoar with the Zouera-
et-Tahtah, the ruins of which are to be seen to the
right and left of the opening of the Ouad-ez-Zouera.
We need not, then, insist any longer upon the legitimacy
of this identification.
According to St. Jerome, Zoar divided Palestine from
the land of Moab ; the consequence is, that a portion of
the country lying south of Zoar must have belonged to
the Moabites. I have quoted above the scriptural verses
mentioning, in reference to the frontiers of Moab, a
place called Soufali, brought forward (in a phrase rather
ambiguously expressed) in ojDposition to the torrents of
the valley of the Arnon. I have concluded from that
passage that, if Soufah was a locality, it must have been
situated south of the Moabitic country. More than ever
I am confirmed in my opinion on this point, precisely
because the mountain which is in immediate contact
southward with the Djebel-ez-Zouera is, even up to this
day, called Djebel-ez-Soufah. I most firmly believe
that, in this instance again, a scriptural name, mis¬
understood until now, has been preserved unaltered;
and that a place called from the highest antiquity Ouahab
has existed towards the foot of the Djebel-ez-Soufah,
* Bel. Jud. 1, xi. 4.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
I So
which was then at the extreme frontier of the land of the
Moabites.
I have already discussed the propriety of identifying
with the Kharbet and the Bordj-en-Nemaireh the ruins
of Mmrim, which became afterwards Bennemarim and
Bennamerium. It is therefore needless to go over the
same ground again. The like observation applies to
Adjerrah, which I positively identify with the Eglai'm
of the Scriptures and the Agalla of Josephus.
I have mentioned in my itinerary the ruins, beginning
at the Talaa-Sebaan, and extending over several conse¬
cutive ranges of high flat country, situated at the foot
of the mountains of Moab, and from the mouth of the
Ouad-ed-Draa as far as the shore of the Dead Sea : 1
distinctly recognise in these stupendous ruins the
remains of the Zeboiim that perished in the common
catastrophe of the Pentapolis. A town so considerable,
and the existence of which is attested by the ruins
in question, cannot possibly have existed unobserved
through the centuries whose detailed history has been
handed down to us. Several terrific craters—-three at
least—surround the site which I lay down for Zeboiim,
and they must have accomplished instantaneously the
destruction of this guilty city ; the explosions pro¬
ceeding from three directions at the same time must
have reduced it to atoms at once. There is nothing,
absolutely nothing, to prove that all the doomed cities
were situated 011 the same western shore of the Dead
Sea. There is, 011 the contrary, strong presumptive
evidence in favour of the opinion which I think myself
bound to set forth, that one at least of the cities of the
1 1 2
484
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
Pentapolis must have been on the eastern shore. After
the catastrophe was once accomplished, why should Lot
have gone up into the mountain above Zoar, instead of
taking refuge on the eastern shore, which ought to have
appeared to him a much safer retreat, if the terrible
chastisement had not spread over that shore likewise 1 *
Can it be argued that it was not inhabited 1 This
seems very unlikely, for there was no reason why the
shore, afterwards inhabited by the Moabitic people,
should not have been quite as fertile as the remainder
of the plain. We also know positively that the Emims
inhabited that country, and it is very probable that
Zeboiim was a city of the Emims.
Neither Lot nor his daughters, who had long dwelt
in Sodom, could be ignorant of the existence of a
numerous population on the opposite shore ; and the
daughters of the patriarch would not have believed in
the total destruction of the human species, if the scourge
which had driven them from Sodom had not likewise
fallen, under their own eyes, upon the shore opposite to
that where they had sought a refuge. Besides, the
injunction of the angels who summoned the patriarch
to fly from Sodom was most formal : " Look not behind
thee, neither stay thou in all the plain ; escape to the
mountain, lest thou be consumed." Such is their
expression ; consequently, the whole plain was threat¬
ened and was about to be ruined. Nobody can possibly
imagine that the eastern part of the plain should have
escaped the general catastrophe.
* Tt may he replied to this, that Lot was ordered by Divine command to
seek refuge in the mountains.— Translator.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
485
Everything duly considered, cities could and must
have existed at the foot of the mountains of Moab ; and
there is nothing to hinder us from believing that one of
the cities of the Pentapolis did exist in this place.
Consequently, since I find in this very region a
stupendous town crushed into ruins by the craters of
volcanic eruptions surrounding it, and part of which is
still, to this very day, called Sebaan, I cannot hesitate
to recognise in it the Zeboiim of the Scriptures; and I
do so with still greater conviction from this circum¬
stance—-that these ruins, besides being similar to those
of Sodom, cannot possibly be identified with any other
city of ancient times. Besides, were objections to be
made as to admitting the existence of any one of the
cities of the Pentapolis 011 the eastern shore of the Dead
Sea, it would be giving at once a death-blow to the
presumptions upon which Irby and Mangles in the first
instance, then Robinson and other travellers after them,
have tried to establish that the ruins situated in the
proximity of the peninsula of El-Mezraah are those of
Zoar. Let us repeat again : Sodom could not be much
more than half a league distant from Zoar, and in that
case Sodom, according to these learned travellers, should
have been necessarily, as a forced consequence, situated
likewise 011 the eastern shore of the Dead Sea, whether
this sea existed before or not—a circumstance which
cannot alter the case, as at all events the horizontal
distances must have remained the same.
I11 conclusion, I hope I may be allowed to make use
of the same privilege as that exercised by these
gentlemen in fixing Zeboiim 011 the site of the Kharbet-
486
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
Sebaan, with a safer foundation than they had when
they arbitrarily laid down Zoar at this point, without
being able to produce a single text or a single
traditional report to sanction their hypothesis.
As in the cases of Nimrim and Adjelim, I have
already pointed out the permanency of the scriptural
appellation in respect to the peninsula of the Dead Sea.
In the days of Moses it was called Titian (the tongue) ;
at the present time it is still called El-Lisan (the
tongue).
Luhitli is another place, the correct site of which it
is most important to determine. When Eusebius lived
and wrote, it was situated on the road from Areopolis
to Zoar. Holy writ places it on the acclivity of a
mountain ; such being the case, Luhitli—situated on
the beaten track leading from Areopolis to Zoar, which
road, without any doubt, passed through the Ouad-ebni-
Hammid—must necessarily have been situated in the
ouad leading up from the coast of Moab to the plain of
Areopolis. Now it so happens that the last ascent
leading up to this elevated plain, reaches, through
stupendous ruins, a mountain called Djebel-Nouehin or
Nouehid : these ruins bearing likewise the same name
of Noueliin or Nouehid. But the letters L and N in
the mouth of the Arabs of this country, interchange
pronunciation with great facility ; and, consequently, I
have not the slightest hesitation in finding in the ruins,
and the mountain of Nouehid, the ruins and the ascent
of Luhitli.
Eusebius has made known to us the existence of a
Moabitic town called Medaba, eight miles distant from
AND HOUND THE DEAD SEA.
4 is 7
Areopolis, on tlie elevated plain extending south of the
Anion, just as another Medaba, situated nearly opposite,
was placed on the elevated plain extending north of
the Arnon. If the reader happens to remember that
the valley dividing the immense ruins of the Kharbet-
Fouqoua, with its two flanks covered with the remains
of a considerable city, is called Ouad-Emdebea, I
suppose lie will not be astonished if I formally propose
to identify the Medaba of Eusebius with the ruined
town that covers both flanks of the Ouad-Emdebea.
It is true, there exists at the very foot of the hill upon
which Karak is built an Ouad-el-Medabeh ; but this
ouad immediately takes another name, and can have
nothing in common with the Medaba of Eusebius.
It has been shown that Schilian is a very remarkable
locality ; and I have had no hesitation in recognising in
the ruin crowning the hill of Schilian, one of those
temples which were built on the high places. If we recall
to our minds the words of Jeremiah (xlviii. 45)—"A
fire shall come forth out of Heshbon, and a flame from
the midst of Sihon, and shall devour the corner of Moab"
—no one, I suppose, will be surprised if I discover
the biblical Sihon in the Schilian of our own days, and
if I propose this identification with perfect confidence.
We have seen that a verse of Isaiah (xv. 7) mentions
a " brook of the willows :" Therefore/' says the
prophet, " the abundance they have gotten, and that
which they have laid up, shall they carry away to the
brook of the willows."
A little before, at verse 5, it is said, " His fugitives
shall flee unto Zoar." Evidently these fugitives were
488
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
flying before the enemy ; and the torrent of the willows
must have been on the road from the elevated plain of
Moab to Zoar. Besides, the especial distinctive denomi¬
nation of the brook of the willows proves clearly that
there were not several water-courses entitled to that
name. I therefore presume to recognise the " brook of
the willows " of the Bible, in the water-course having its
bed filled with the Sa/Lv Babylonica, and coming down
under the name of Seil-Ouad-ebni-Hammid, from the
identical valley through which the ancient road passes.
With respect to the towns of Er-llabbah and
Karak, general record identifies them, the first with
Habbath-Moab, the second with Kir-Moab. It is there¬
fore needless to discuss at any great length the
soundness of this double identification : I shall merely
sum up, in the shortest possible notice, the principal
historical facts concerning these two places.
The original name of Areopolis was Ar ; this name
meaning literally toum. According to the testimony
of Theodoret,* this town has been also called Ariel.
The same indication is given a second time by the
same author, in his commentary on the twenty-ninth
chapter of Isaiah. This is very possible ; but it is by
no means certain that the place so named might not
have been another locality. Sozomen mentions Areo¬
polis as being an Arabian town, when in fact it was
situated in the third Palestine. He mentions also
(1. viii. 15), that in Arabia, the Petrseans and the
Arcopolitans fought with great fury to defend the
temples of their gods. Stephens, in his Ethnicals, tells
* Comm. nil Isaiah, xv
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
489
us that Arcopolis is identical with Rabath-Moba, which
is evidently the same as Rabbath-Moab. St. Jerome*
gives us the real origin of the name of Arcopolis, and
has warned us against the temptation of translating
this name by the city of Mars.
In the Notitia dignitatum imperii, we read—
Cohors tertia alpinorum apud Arnona
Cohors tertia felix Arabum in ripa vadi Apliaris lluvii, in castrirf
Arnoncnsibus.
Equites Mauri Illyriciani Areopoli.
And lastly—
Equites promoti indigenao Speluncis.
We are thus fully informed as to the nature of the
garrison in Areopolis and 011 the banks of the Anion
at the period when the Notitia was published. Eusebius
and St. Jerome, in the Onomasticon (ad vocem
'Apvcov), mention that to the northward there is a place
of that name, Arnon, containing a garrison. The
expressions made use of by St. Jerome arc exactly
these : " In satis horribili loco vallis in pnerupta
demerscC." This abrupt valley is, 110 doubt, that of
the Arnon. Reland has already proposed to identif}'
this same place with that mentioned in the passage of
the Notitia, in which it is said that the "Equites promoti
indigena)" arc located at the Spehuica). If now we
choose to remember that cmn (Horonaim), the name
of a Moabitic locality often mentioned in the
Scriptures, means the two caverns, we shall be naturally
led to identify the Spcluncce of the Notitia with the
Horonaim of the Bible.
Two Greek notices of the patriarchates, the second of
* Comm. on Joshua, xv.
490
journey in syria
which is referred to the period of the Emperor Leo
Augustus, are inserted in the vast collection of the
Byzantine writers. The first gives us : Uapo^ovxov
(read Xapaiqio^/Sa) 'A/kottoAis ('ApeoiroXis), Maxfnjs, 'EAovcra,
Zavpa, Jicporrafilov (read Btpocrafioiv}.
The second : Xapay[xov\a-, 'ApeoiroXis, Ma\]/is, 'EAoCcra,
Zwopa, Bcpocraf3cov.
When these two lists were compiled, most unquestion¬
ably Areopolis was an ecclesiastical seat. Let us
observe casually that Zoar is placed in this list between
Elousa and Birseba. This last city is at the southern
extremity of the territory of Judah. Elousa is placed
by Ptolemy amongst the cities of Idumea, situated west¬
ward of the Jordan. But then, since Zoar is mentioned
as being between these two localities, Zoar was neces¬
sarily 011 the western shore of the Dead Sea, in a
prolongation of the valley of the Jordan."
Areopolis was an episcopal city, and we know the
following names of the prelates who were seated there :
1. Anastasius, who is mentioned in the Acts of Epliesus,
inserted in the Council of Chalcedon.f 2. Polychronius,
who is named in the letter of John of Jerusalem,
inserted in the Acts of the Council of Constantinople, J
and written in the name of the bishops of the three
Palestines. 3. Helius, who subscribed to the Acts of
the Council of Jerusalem held a.d. 536. §
The last mention of Areopolis which I find made in
the ancient writers is from the pen of St. Jerome. [|
It runs as follows : " Audivi quemdam Areopoliten,
* Roland, Pal. p. 462. i* General Councils, tome iv. p. 118.
X General Councils, tome v. p. 192. § General Councils, tome v. p. 281.
|| Comm. on Isaiah, xv.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
491
sed et omnis civitas testis est, motu terra? magno in mea
infantia, quanclo totius orbis littus transgressa sunt
maria, eadem nocte muros urbis istius corruisse/'From
the writings of Ammianus Marcellinus it lias been ascer¬
tained tliat this event took place in the year of our Lord
315, under the consulate of Valentinian and Valens. This
date is of very great importance, since it determines the
period of the destruction of the monuments of Areopolis,
and amongst them that of the Roman gate, the state of
which at the present day exhibits the most decisive
evidence of the severity of the earthquake by which it
was partially overthrown.
The original name of Areopolis, Rabbath-Moab, the
capital of Moab, has remained nearly unaltered up to
this day, for the ruins of this town are still called
Er-Rabba, whilst not a trace subsists in the memory of
the inhabitants of the country, of the comparatively
modern appellation of Areopolis.
Let us now pass to Karak. Not the slightest doubt
can arise as to the identity of Karak with Xapa^co/Sa
(Karak of Moab). Ptolemy mentions this place among
the cities of Arabia Petrsea, and assigns to it the
following longitude and latitude, 66'^° and 30°. In the
ancient ecclesiastical notices it bears the name of
Xapayi^ovxa, or the still more corrupt one, owing to the
carelessness of copyists, of Uapo^ov^ov, and it has been
classed amongst the cities of the third Palestine.
* " I have heard of this Areopolis (when it still existed), but the whole city
can vouch for the truth of my assertion, that in the time of my childhood,
from the effects of a tremendous earthquake, when the sea broke over the
shores of the whole earth, the walls of this town were overthrown in a single
night."
492
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
Stephens, in the Etlinicals, says, that in his day this
town was considered a part of the third Palestine, but
that Ptolemy, who might be relied upon, had classed it
amongst the Arabian cities. He adds, that it went
also by the name of Mco[3ovxapa£.
This city was the scat of a bishopric, for we find
amongst the prelates who subscribed to the Council of
Jerusalem in 53G, Demetrius XapaKfxal3(»v.
At the period of the crusades, Karak became a most
important place, as the advanced post of the Christians
in Arabia. Yvre find the following notice in the narrative
of Foucher de Chartres (cli. xliii.) : "In 1115, the
king went to Arabia, and built there a castle on a
certain mountain which lie recognised as having been
situated, from the remotest period of antiquity, in a
commanding situation, not far from the Red Sea;
distant about three days' march from that sea, and
four days' march from Jerusalem. Baldwin placed a
strong garrison in this castle, with the object of com¬
manding all the surrounding country, for the advantage
of the Christians, and he ordered that it should be
called Mont-Real, in honour of himself, who had
constructed this fort in a very short time, with few
people to assist him, and with remarkable boldness."
A little further on (cli. xliv.) we read again: " In 1116,
the king went to visit the castle, and proceeded on as far
as the Red Sea, to reconnoitre a country that he had not
yet seen, and to examine if, by chance, he should not
find there some of the things that we were in want of."
William of Tyre relates the same facts as occurring
in the year 1115 (lib. xi. ch. xxvi.). This historian
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
493
informs us that in 1172 Salaclin besieged Mont-Real,
but without success (lib. xx. ch. xxvii.). Some years
afterwards (in 1183) the same Emir undertook a second
time the siege of Karak, and succeeded in getting
possession of it (lib. xxii. ch. xxviii.). " It showed
great talent on his part," says the historian, " to have
taken by siege a city anciently called the Stone of the
Desert, mes Ten la desine ore le Crete—but now they call
it the Krac." Renaud de Chastillon was then lord of
(Sire clu) the Krak of Mont-Real, if estait sire de eele
terre de par Ventage se fame. Every body knows that
Renaud de Chastillon, having fallen into the power of
Saladin, was put to death in presence of this prince,
who refused to exercise his usual generosity in his behalf,
being determined to revenge, by the death of the lord of
Karak, the pillage of a Mahommedan caravan which this
chieftain had intercepted and plundered some time before.
Such an important military position as that of Karak
must have been turned to advantage and occupied from
the remotest antiquity ; and it is exceedingly probable
that the modern Karak is built on the site of the strong
place of Moab, which is called in the Holy Scriptures
by the names of Kir-Moab, Kir-IIarcseth, Kir-haresh,
Kir-heres, and even Kir-Kheraseth.*
We have seen that the valley of the Anion is now
called by the name of Ouad-el-Moudjeb. Has this name
a signification % I cannot say ;f and am inclined to
* Isaiali, xvi. 7 and 11; Jeremiah, xlviii. 31 ; Kings, ii. 13, 26.
t In the Ivamous the plural t \ jJ means wrestling places, where men
throw each other down for exercise. In that ca.se, the valley of the Arnon
would mean the valley of the wrestling-place. But this seems to me more
than doubtful.
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
think not. Or, rather, does it not contain the indirect
tradition of a city of the land of Moab % What might
lead us to suppose so is the first verse of chapter xlviii.
of Jeremiah, in which we read : " mtiran Hemesjeb is con¬
founded and dismayed." This Hebraic word Hemesjeb,
means any high and fortified ground ; but several com¬
mentators, such as Itasclii and Kimhi, declare that it is
the name of a particular place. If so, its pronunciation
is likely to be very uncertain. This name has been
transcribed Misgab ; but nothing proves that it ought
not to have been transcribed Mousdjeb, and in that
case would be almost identical with the modern
name El-Moudjeb retained by the Anion. This
hypothesis may be a sound one, but I by no means
insist upon it.
To wind up geographical references regarding the
land of Moab, I turn to another verse of the first book
of Samuel (xxii. 3), where it is written : " And David
went thence (from the cave of Adullam) to Mizpeh of
Moab : and he said unto the King of Moab, Let my
father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be
with you, till I know what God will do for me." I am
completely ignorant as to whether any traces exist of
this Mizpeh of Moab.
It remains only to speak of the singular roads, with
fixed stones, which we have found in great numbers in
the plain of Moab. I consider them as no other than
those ancient roads mentioned in the Book of Numbers
(xxi.) : "21. And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon,
King of the Amorites, saying (22), Let me pass through
thy land : we will not turn into the fields, or into the
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA. 495
vineyards; we will not drink the waters of the well:
but we will go along by the king's highway, until we
be past thy borders."
It seems to me very probable that the beaten tracks
then called -pi, as they are designated at present
(Zarab-el-Sultan—the king's roads), were
bordered, right and left, by long piles of large stones,
so that there might be no possibility of turning out of
them, to enter the cultivated lands, under the pretext
that they were not clearly defined. Besides, this mode
of marking out the roads was not peculiar to theMoabites,
since the American officers sent by Captain Lynch to
Masada, on the eastern shore of the Dead Sea, fell in,
beyond the Ouad-es-Seyal, with a road of exactly the
same description; and I myself have since found another
at Djembch, a locality presenting very evident signs
of a town contemporaneous with the remotest biblical
periods, and situated between Zoar and Hebron ; that
is to say, in the land of Canaan. There is then strong
reason to suppose that the roads on which we travelled
in the land of Moab were " the king's highways," of the
same description as those which the Israelites engaged
to follow, without any deviation, through the territory
of Sihon, King of the Amorites.
The information that had reached us up to the present
day concerning the modern state of the land of Moab
was very inconsiderable, although the district properly
so called had been already twice explored, without
taking into account the excursion made, in 1822, by
a Mr. Hyde, whose name we found inscribed on the
walls of the temple of Beit-el-Kerm. First of all, the
490
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
celebrated Burckliardt visited this strange country in
1811 : he began by travelling through the country of
Amori, situated north of the Arnon, where he discovered
the sites of several biblical localities; for instance, those of
Medeba and El-Aaleh. Having next crossed the Arnon,
which he lays down as a boundary between the provinces
of Belka and Karak, he crossed the plain which I travelled
over myself, but more to the eastward than I did.
Accordingly he passed within sight of the hill of Schihan,
which lie left at a distance of three-quarters of an hour's
walk to his right, without visiting it. From the place
called Mehalet-el-Hadj, he found a paved road leading
towards Rabija ; that is to say, in a south-westerly
direction. lie passed through Beit-el-Kcrai, and stopped
at the ruins of the temple, to which he attributes, without
sufficient cause, a very remote antiquity. He falls into
another error when he says that the facade of that
temple was an octostyle (a front of eight pillars), and
that those pillars were only three feet in diameter. We
ourselves saw that the facade is a tctrastyle (a front of
four pillars), and that these columns are of much
larger dimensions. He discovered, as we did, amongst
the mass of ruins, fragments of columns of smaller
proportions, but evidently belonging to other buildings.
At a distance of an hour and three-quarters' ride from
Beit-el-Kerm CL+x>), Burckliardt fell in with the
ruined village of Hameimat (o U>.^); from thence he
visited the remains of Er-Rabba, Three-quarters of an
hour after leaving the ruins of the last-named place,
proceeding south-east, he reached two abundant springs,
called El-Djebeibah and El-Yaroud. He then passed
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
407
through the ruins of Qaritslah («)& y), and arrived at
last at Karak ; the Scheikh of this town was then called
Youssef-Medjaby; but Burckhardt is here certainly
mistaken, and has written Medjaby for Midjielly.
At Karak our traveller, who did not succeed in finding
either the opportunity or means of descending to the Rhor,
tried to procure all the information he could concerning
the topography of the eastern shore of the Dead Sea.
He mentions the river Djerra (^2- which most
certainly is not the Nahr-ed-Draa, but evidently the
Seil-Ouad-ebni-Hammid, that runs out of the Ouad-
Adjerrah ; for he adds, that in the valley through which
this river passes, which he identifies very cautiously
with the Zared of Scripture, there are ruins of walls and
buildings, situated at a distance of five hours' march
north of Karak.
He mentions likewise the Rhor-Safieh yo), which
he lays down towards the mouth of the Ouad-el-Ahhsa,
as being in the winter season the rendezvous of several
powerful wandering tribes. The river that runs down
from the Ouad-el-Ahhsa divides, as he says, the country
of Karak from the southern district called Djebal. He
surmises that the situation of the Zoar of Scripture
must be looked for in the Rhor-Safieh. He mentions
also the Seil-Assal, writing this name JJls-, without
being positive that the orthography of the word is not
more properly Assan. This river runs, according to his
account, near Katherabba (we must observe here, that
Burckhardt makes use of the English th, which is nearly
identical, in regard to pronunciation, with the Arabic
, expressed by tz). After Katzerabba, he mentions
VOL. I. K K
49 S
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
El-Nemeirah—tlie same En-Nema'ireli through which
we subsequently passed. And lastly, he speaks of
El-Mezraah as being situated opposite the middle of
the Dead Sea; and close to this last place he mentions
the Taouahin-es-Sakkar jb), as being the
ruins of an ancient city.
Burckhardt had procured, as may be seen from the
above statement, very correct information, and he had
also taken notes 011 the vegetation of the Rhor ; for
instance, he mentions the Asclepias Procerci as being-
found there in abundance. This shrub is called by the
Arabs, Ocher Such is in substance the amount
of Burckhardt's bold investigation.
He was succeeded (in 1818) by Messrs. Irby and
Mangles, of whose narrative I shall give a corresponding
summary. Having left Hebron 011 the ISth of May,
they took two days to reach the Ouad-ez-Zouera, by
which route they descended to the Rhor, intending to
proceed to Petra after calling at Karak. These gentle¬
men first mention the ruin of the small Arab fort called
Zouera-el-Fouqah, which they call El-Zowar. On the
20th they crossed the Sabkhah, after having encamped
at the foot of the Salt Mountain, or Mountain of Sodom.
As they proceeded, they observed very correctly, that
the mountains 011 the western shore of the Dead Sea
diminish in height as they extend southward, whilst the
mountains on the eastern shore maintain constantly the
same elevation. In the Sabkhah they crossed six
water-courses more or less rapid. They next reached
a wooded country of a very pleasing aspect, the Rhor-
Safieli. They found here a small river which the Arabs
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
490
told tliera was called the Nahr-el-Hesan (the River of
tlie Horse ; but they wrote it down, El-Nahr-Houssan).
The glades were well cultivated, and sown with barley.
At that season of the year, Irby and Mangles suf¬
fered much in the Rhor from the annoyance of gigantic
horse-flies (most likely the gad-fly or ox-fly), the
visitation of which, they were told, was an incidental
plague that contributed much to the destruction of
Sodom and Gomorrah. The Arabs they met with were
Ghorneys (evidently the same name as the Rhaouarnas),
and, more fortunate than we were, these earlier tra¬
vellers had only reason to remember with gratitude the
hospitable welcome they received from them. The
Ghorneys differed a good deal (the observation is just)
in their habits and customs from the more nomadic
tribes, for they dwell in huts made of mud, branches,
and reeds, and cultivate the neighbouring lands. After
having crossed the Houssan, they proceeded along the
foot of the mountains, and over a plain encumbered
with huge boulders of red and green granite, of green,
black, and red porphyry, of serpentine, of black basalt
and breccia, and many other species of costly rocks.
It may be surmised, they said, that from this country
the ancients procured the precious materials from which
they constructed the innumerable columns adorning to
the present day the baths and mosques of the East.
The mountains they passed by seemed to them
generally formed of grey limestone or marble. They
reached the peninsula, and encamped on the side of a
delightful ravine watered by a river called El-Dara
(Nahr-ed-Draa), the banks of which were covered with
K K 2
500
JOURNEY I N' SYKTA
a dense thicket of dwarf palm-trees, acacias, thorns, and
oleanders. The itinerary of our travellers in the Rhor
may be summed up thus : In two hours and a half
they went from the western bank of the Rhor—that is
to say, from the foot of the Salt Mountain—as far as the
Rakh, the first stream of brackish water. This name is
quite unknown to me. From thence, in half an hour,
they reached Szafije (Safieh) or Ahsa, and the Nahr-
el-Houssan (this without an}r doubt is the Nahr-Safieh) ;
from Safieh they marched towards the Xahr-el-Assel
(Nahr-el-Esal) ; and from thence, in two hours, they
reached the sea ; and in two hours more El-Dara
(Ed-Dnia), where they passed the night.
The next morning, by dawn, Messrs. Irby and
Mangles proceeded to climb the mountain to the
summit. They fell in, on the way, with the chaos
through which we ourselves afterwards passed. Accord¬
ing to their account, this mass of destruction "consisted of
huge fragments, each as large as a house, which, having
rolled down from the heights, had fallen in horrible con¬
fusion into the precipice below, one over the other." A
quarter of an hour afterwards they arrived at a small
tank, situated beneath a single olive-tree ; (this is, no
doubt, the Ayn-es-Sekkeh which we saw at the point
called Omm-Sedereh). They next observed fields of
barley in the valley on their left, and winding through
these fields a watercourse called Souf-Saffa, running
into the Dead Sea ; (the name of this river has never
been given to me by any of our attendant Arabs).
They noticed on the way the remains of ancient aque¬
ducts which had conveyed water to some mills ; (these
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
501
are evidently at the places called Ayn-es-Sara and Ayn-
Aqbeck or Qobeck). They had then precisely in front
of them the castle of Karak, but could not perceive any
portion of the city. This castle presented two separate
masses—the one at the southern angle of the town, the
other more to the northward, and consisting; of a large
7 O O
building named by them the Seraglio of Melah-a-Daher;
(there can be no doubt this is the tower built by Malek-
ed-Dhaher-Beibars). Between these two masses of
fortifications they noticed the only gate giving access
into Karak—a gate with an orgival arch, surmounted
by an Arabic inscription, and placed at the entrance of
a natural cavern, This is the tunnel by which we left
Karak, and where we were saluted by a volley of stones.
Messrs. Irby and Mangles, who were not subjected to
any annoyance while in Karak, had ample leisure to
examine the antiquities contained in this extraordinary
specimen of a town. The castle and its church, the
tower of Be'ibars, the mosque and the cisterns, were
carefully inspected by turns. These enterprising tra¬
vellers, however, have fallen into an historical error as
regards the Castle of Mont Ileal, which it is necessary
to rectify. They attribute the siege and capture of
Karak to Godfrey of Bouillon, who, according to them,
gave it the name of Mons Regalis. We have already
proved, beyond further question, that the conquest and
subsequent denomination are both to be attributed
to King Baldwin, who took possession of Karak at a
much later period, in 1115.
They encountered some fragments of ancient columns,
and also a bas-relief fixed into a wall, representing an
502
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
expanded wing, seven feet long and four feet broad, and
bearing a striking analogy to the wing of the winged
globe so often represented 011 Egyptian monuments.
I have 110 doubt that what they saw was in reality the
fragment of a winged globe, to which was joined the
two mystical eyes of Horus ; one of these I afterwards
discovered myself. Lastly, they found amongst the
ruins two Greek inscriptions, which they considered as
of no interest. They visited likewise the same fountain
and sepulchral grottoes at the bottom of the valley
of Karak, in front of which I subsequently passed. It
is abundantly evident that Karak contains many unex¬
plored early antiquities, dating back even to the time of
the Moabitic dominion; but I confess, in all humility, that
I am not disposed to seek them there a second time.
After a tolerably long excursion to Petra, Messrs.
Irby and Mangles returned to Karak. They call the
Scheikh of this place Joussouf Magella. From thence
they passed on to the Rhor, to examine the ruins
situated on the banks of the Dara (Ed-I)raa) ; ruins
which they expected would prove identical with those
of Zoar. They returned a second time to Karak, and
thence proceeded towards the Ilaouran, through the
plain of Moab. Their first encampment was at the
ruins of Er-Rabba. On the 6th of June they visited
Beit-Kerm (Beit-el-Kerm), distant from Er-Rabba a
mile and a half, in a northerly direction. They decided
correctly that the ruined temple is of the Roman
period, and they surmise that this temple might pro¬
bably have taken the place of that of Atargatis,* which
* An Assyrian Divinity considered by Strabo and others as identical with Venus,
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
503
was in Carnai'm."* At a distance of two hours and a
a half's journey, north of Beit-Kerm, they descried a
small eminence commanding all the country round,
which they call Scheik-IIarn (meaning Schihan).
On the 8th of June they proceeded to cross the Wady-
Modjeb (Ouad-el-Moudjeb), by following the remains of
the paved Roman road. As they were descending the
pass, they saw distinct ruins of military buildings of the
Roman period, most likely those of the forts I have
mentioned above as having contained the garrisons ad
Speluncas. After that they passed several milestones, all
of which (those at least that were legible) bore the date
of the reign of Trajan. At the bottom of the Ouad,
which they reached after an extremely fatiguing and
difficult descent of an hour and a half, they found the
ruins of a Roman bridge. On the opposite bank of the
Ouad they fell in again with the remains of the ancient
road, and also several more milestones, bearing the name
of Marcus Aurelius.
It is foreign to my subject to speak of the itinerary
they followed through the land of Amori; that is to say,
through the country situated north of the Ouad-el-
Moudjeb, or Anion. I shall only add, that I congratulate
most sincerely Messrs. Irby and Mangles 011 the accuracy
of their observations.
A few words now with reference to Captain Lyiich's
excursion 011 the eastern shore of the Dead Sea, as far
as Karak, and I shall have collected together under
one view all that is known up to the present period
respecting the land oi the Moabites.
* I. -Vimiciibccs. v.
504?
JOURNEY IN 8YHIA
On the 30th of April, 1848, Captain Lynch, in one
of his two boats, anchored towards the bottom of the
gulf formed by the northern point of the peninsula,
called by him point Costigan, in memory of the unfor¬
tunate traveller who had been his predecessor on this
inhospitable shore. He then proceeded to the miserable
village of El-Mezraah. distant about half a league (a
mile and a half) from the anchorage. He there made
the same observation which occurred to ourselves at a
later period concerning the strange physiognomy of the
Rhaouarnas who inhabit the place : the st}de of their
features and general physiognomy is more decidedly
African than Asiatic.
Here he received a visit from Suleiman, son of Abd-
Allali, the Christian Schiekh of Karak, who was sent by
his brother Christians for the express purpose of inviting
the American officers to visit their melancholy town.
The whole expedition was suffering from fatigue and
illness, and even in danger of death, unless the com¬
mander could remove his party into a more salubrious
air than that of the furnace in which they had long-
been broiled. Captain Lynch, principally urged by
this motive, determined upon undertaking the excursion
to Karak. He was also a little instigated by the natural
pride of not liking to shun an apparent danger, when
any change of climate had become so necessary to his
exhausted companions.
The next day he visited the ruins situated in the
vicinity of El-Mezraah, and which he concluded to
be those of Zoar. Amongst these he made out the
enclosure of a square building, and many foundations
AND KuUNl) THE DEAD SEA.
505
of structures, strewed with fragments of pottery ; lie
also picked up a small millstone. These vestiges of
foundations presented all the marks of remote antiquity;
and Captain Lynch does not hesitate in recognising in
these ruins the same that Irby and Mangles had visited
a considerable time before, and in applying to them,
without sound reason, the name of the Zoar of the
Scriptures.
On his return from this excursion, Captain Lynch
found that Mohammed, the Mussulman Scheikh of
Karak, had just arrived with the Christian Scheikh
Abd-Allah himself. Mohammed, who was 110 other
than our friend Mohammed-el-Midjielly, at once struck
the American officer as being the most impudent, the
most insufferable, and the most cowardly animal he had
ever encountered. O11 the 2nd of May, notwithstanding
he would most willingly have givenup his intended journey
to Karak, Captain Lynch, thinking he might compro¬
mise the dignity of his country were he to refrain from
visiting that town, started for it early in the morning.
He crossed the rivulet that descends from the Ouad-
ebiii-IIammid, and next the level eminence commanding
the plain, which he designates as the plain of Zoar. On
this ridge he found the remains of a fort, which he
considered as contemporaneous with the crusades.
Reaching from thence a point distant about two miles
more to the southward, he entered the Ouad-el-Karak,
and judging by the description he gives, we clearly
recognise the frightful abyss called the Ouad-el-
Kharadjeh.
On his journey he encountered the delightful rivulet
506
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
of Ed-Draa, but without recording its name ; in short,
he followed, as he must have done, but from the opposite
direction, the same road we ourselves travelled on in
returning from Karak to the Rlior. The gigantic chaos
which I have described could not fail to excite Captain
Lynch's curiosity ; accordingly he mentions it as one
of the most surprising phenomena of Nature he had
ever seen.
Before long the valley up which Captain Lynch was
ascending became well planted with olive-trees ; the
ruined fortress of Karak and the majestic quadrangular
tower of the north-western point of the platform pre¬
sented themselves to the travellers, who arrived at last
at the tunnel already named by me, which they neces¬
sarily passed through, as it forms the only entrance to
Karak on that side. Captain Lynch took up his quarters
at the Christian convent, as Irby and Mangles had done
before ; the only Franks who, since the time of the
Crusades, had ventured into this miserable town without
disguise and in their avowed characters. The little
church, which I found completely finished, was then
building. The American officers proceeded at all risks
to explore the town and the ruins of the castle. The
extent and importance of the last greatly excited their
admiration. They next examined the large tower, which
appeared to them of Saracenic construction. In the
afternoon Captain Lynch endeavoured to ascertain if lie
might be allowed to proceed in the direction of the
Rhor-JSafieh, but he was told it was quite impracticable,
and therefore gave up, much against his will, the intention
of visiting this splendid delta, as he lias designated it.
AND HOUND THE DEAD HE A.
507
On the 31st of May, at half-past six in the morning,
Captain Lynch, who had met with nothing but oppo¬
sition and annoyance from the insolent Scheikh of
Karak, succeeded in effecting his escape from this den
of cut-throats ; but in order of battle, and carbine in
hand. iMohammed, enraged because he had not been
able to extort anything from the Americans, followed
them, and most likely with evil intentions. Captain
Lynch ordered Lieutenant Dale and one of his most
determined men to place themselves suddenly on each
side of Mohammed's horse, and force the scoundrel to
march on, watching him closely like a prisoner, with
orders to blow his brains out at the first movement
that might indicate flight or treachery on his part.
Mohammed, finding himself caught, became as humble
and as mean as he had been until then haughty and
impertinent. He was led in this manner all the way
down to the anchorage where the boat was waiting for
the officers and crew. The old Scheikh, Abd-Allah,
received a present from Captain Lynch ; whilst Moham¬
med obtained no other bakhshish than permission to
return to his den, which was freely accorded. He
entreated Captain Lynch most urgently to give him
at least some gun caps, that he might not be exposed
to the shame of returning home empty-handed ; his
supplications were totally unheeded and procured him
absolutely nothing. The boat was immediately set
afloat again ; every body went on board, and Captain
Lynch left the shores of Moab in all probability never
to visit them again. His observations are brief and
condensed, but correct in many particulars. Perhaps
5 0 8
JOURNEY IN SYlilA
the remembrance of the agreeable visit of the American
gentlemen may have sharpened the feelings of
Mohammed-el-Midjielly towards us when we presented
ourselves in his distinguished capital two years after¬
wards. This digression lias been rather long, and
reminds me that it is high time to resume the diary of
our journey.
It would be difficult to express the high spirits with
which we rose this morning. In a few hours we shall
be at the entrance of the Ouad-ez-Zourea ; we shall
have left, never again to return to them, the condemned
shores upon which we have encountered so many
dangers in so short a space of time. We are bringing
home with us geographical and archaeological docu¬
ments of inestimable value. This journey, in which we
were told we should infallibly perish, we have accom¬
plished without a scratch. We are all safe and sound
in heart and limb. Our purse only has suffered, and
become lank and consumptive. It must be confessed
we have distributed liberally ; but have we paid too
dearly for the credit of being the first to visit many
localities, the knowledge of which cannot fail to throw
a new light upon the holy Scriptures % No, certainly
not. Let us thank Providence for the assistance
granted to us ; and since it has been written " Help
thyself and Heaven will help thee," let us not linger in
our Arabian Capua, but proceed on our journey witli
renewed vigour and perseverance.
This time we have no occasion to stimulate our
moukris to exertion. Their natural laziness and apathy
are conquered by the apprehension of many dangers,
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
509
from which they hope to be soon delivered. They are
packing the mules rapidly of their own accord.
Whilst our preparations for marching are in progress
I receive the visit of our Beni-Sakhar Scheikhs : a
friendly visit, no doubt, but with an eye to their
own interests. These worthy people would not be
thorougli-bred Arabs had they failed to ask with eager
emulation for bakhshish upon bakhshish : I present
each of them with a hundred piastres beyond his
engagement, and with a grand flourish bestow the little
trumpet-mouthed pistol 011 the Scheikh who was so
desperately enamoured of it yesterday.
All the inhabitants of the encampment surround us
with unaffected marks of regard, of which we are the
more sensible as we have not until now been much
accustomed to this sort of demonstration. Samet-Aly,
in a. moment of excited tenderness, makes a most
unexpected proposal, by which I feel exceedingly
touched, although a little startled at the same time.
" We are all fond of thee," said lie, " become our
brother, and remain with us. Thou wilt be a Scheikh
like ourselves ; and thou wilt have the choice of three
wives amongst the daughters of our tribe, for we shall
forthwith adopt thee." I repty, without hesitation, that
the honour proposed by the tribe is too great ; that I
feel T am not sufficiently worthy of it ; and that,
besides, imperious duties recall me to my own country.
The brave Bedouins are not in the least offended at
my refusal, and shake me kindly by the hand, while
they assure me again and again that they are very
sorry indeed to part with me without a hope of ever
510
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
seeing me again. "Allah, aalem!" ("Allah only knows,") ,
is my answer.
Before parting with the Beni-Sakhars, I recollect that
I have a store of sewing needles intended as presents
for Mesdames the Bedouines, not one of which has
been yet distributed. If I wish to get rid of my needles
here is an opportunity to dispose of them gracefully.
I announce with a loud voice this act of intended
generosity : in a twinkling I am surrounded by a host
of females, of all ages and complexions,—a choice
collection for the study of a physiognomist,—which
leads me to congratulate myself internally that I was
allowed a negative voice in the proposal of the three
wives. The pillage of the needles—for a pillage it was in
reality—takes less time than I require for narrating it.
It behoves us now to look to our clothes, for we have
not even retained the means of mending a button.
Whilst I was engaged in this largess, a Bedouin, who
was 011 an occasional visit with the tribe, had contrived
to get himself severely bitten by a large dog in the ten¬
don-Achilles. The poor fellow smiling, and uttering 110
expressions of pain, is stretched 011 his back, being
unable to stand upon one leg. They entreat me to go
to his assistance ; but not being a surgeon I am at a
loss what to do. I tell the friends of the sufferer to
bathe the wound from time to time with salt and water,
and drawing the lips together as well as I can,
I try to keep them closed with large patches of
sticking plaster. I am then most anxious to get on
horseback and take my departure as fast as possible ;
but my evil destiny is in the ascendant; for scarcely
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
51 1
am I rid of my man with the wounded leg when I
stumble upon another afflicted by a more serious
disease. This is an epileptic patient, who is writhing
under the convulsions produced by his infirmity. It is
true they do not ask me to cure him, but merely to
state what T think of his disease. " Houa miedjnoun ! "
("He is possessed by a devil!") I reply, and all present
repeat in loud chorus " Thaieb ! " ("It is so/') For this
lucky answer I am immediately set down as a most
orthodox believer. As every one is of opinion that
this man must be left in communication with his
genie (djin), without further interference I completely
approve of this determination, which I put in practice
myself without further delay. It seems inhuman to
leave a fellow-creature in pain without trying to relieve
him ; but let the reader place himself in our situation,
and he may perhaps excuse my apparent want of
feeling at such a moment. The dreaded Sabkhah is a
few thousand yards before us : it must be crossed at all
hazards ; and the thought, I frankly confess, operated
as a check on our natural sympathy. Shall we be able
to get through without being swallowed up, every man
of us ? A nervous question, which I hasten to solve
with as little delay as possible.
Everything is ready ; it is scarcely eight o'clock ; we
are all mounted ; and now let us commence our march,
with Heaven to speed us.
We first skirt the foot of the mountains, keeping at
a distance from the thicket, which we intend crossing
by as short a cut as possible. Our course is first due
south, until we are in a line with the encampment of
512
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
the Ahouethats, with whom we passed one night on our
preceding journey. Then we turn suddenly westward,
and proceed at a good pace through the forest. We
have soon reached the tents of these people whose
hospitality we distrust, from recent experience ; but
nearly all the banditti are out foraging for the last few
days. They have gone to plunder the encampment of
a hostile tribe at a considerable distance. We find
only the women, children, and a few men left with the
abandoned tents. Nobody accosts us, and we pass on
rapidly, struggling through a road little better than a
swamp. What will it change to a little farther on ?
The consideration is enough to make us seriously
uneasy.
We have arrived without accident at the large border
of reeds which still conceals the Sabkhah from our
anxious view, and here our difficulties will evidently
commence. We send our luggage in advance, and look
011 whilst our beasts of burthen disappear one after the
other, followed by the moukris, whose habitual pru¬
dence is on this occasion more than usually conspicuous.
Each man urges his beast in a separate direction,
instead of following the track left by the preceding one.
In consequence of this, several mules choose a road for
themselves ; and in less than ten minutes some have
sunk in the mud, others have fallen over on their sides,
owing to the loads having been badly fastened, and to
the intervening reeds having dragged them round.
The shouting and screaming, from ten different points
at the same time, is enough to drive us mad ; and
we lose nearly half an hour waiting for the whole
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA,
513
caravan to retrace its steps, and take footing on firmer
ground.
At last, the entire band, men and beasts, has got
back again without other damage. But we cannot
repeat this perilous game, and must find another
more practicable passage. We return a few hundred
yards southward, in the hope that, by retreating from
the shore, we may fall in with a less marshy soil. In
a few minutes, the Scheikh Abou-Daouk announces that
the spot we have come to is favourable ; he, therefore
leads the way into the reeds, and everybody follows
him. Here the thicket is not so dense, and the reedy
border is not so wide ; a few minutes suffice to bring
us in front of the formidable Sabkhah.
Let the reader figure to himself a plain covered with
melted snow, mixed up with mud, over which the glim¬
mering rays of a pale-looking sun are dismally reflected.
Such is the scene before us, extending nearly three
leagues (nine miles) in every direction. Not a pebble,
not a blade of grass, nothing but mud—uninterrupted
mud. What has become of the rivers that we know
we have to cross 1 We shall soon find them, but we
shudder as we anticipate the experiment.
The Beni-Sakhar Scheikhs, like true Arabs, have
accompanied us thus far ; it is evident that they have
still one more crowning bakhshish in view. We have
made up our minds to disappoint them, and take our
leave with a farewell shake of the hand. As I am the
leader of the caravan, the demand will be addressed
to me ; and Mohammed, who understands what they
meditate, suggests to me, by a simple wink of his eye,
vor,. l. I*
514
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
to push my horse into the Sabkliah ; being perfectly
assured that not even the ardent longing for a bakhshish
will induce our insatiable friends to risk their chargers
and persons on this treacherous ground. I understand
the hint, and adopt it immediately, to the great disap¬
pointment of the Scheikhs, who, expecting a halt on this
spot, had already alighted to be in readiness. As soon
as I have penetrated a few yards into this horrid jungle,
the Scheikhs resign the hopes they had fondly enter¬
tained, remount their horses, shout to us a last farewell,
and then disappear in the reedy thicket.
We are now fairly quit of all our bloodsuckers, and
commence marching in Indian file, adopting all the
precautions so powerfully suggested by the aspect of
the ground. These precautions are by no means
superfluous, and we are obliged to be constantly on the
look-out at every step in advance, if we have any hope,
however slightly founded, of escaping with our lives
from this treacherous " Slough of Despond." Abou-
Daouk and his brother lead the way ; and, to our great
consolation, less with the air of a reconnoitring party
than with the full confidence of guides thoroughly
acquainted with the only practicable road.
In a few minutes we reach the first torrent—swollen,
impetuous, and menacing. Having gained the bank,
our infantry strip off their clothes, and plunge boldly
into the water : the instinct of wandering savages
has discovered to them a ford which they cross at a
spot where the water reaches only to their arm-pits.
They are followed by the horsemen ; and at this critical
moment every one of us is intent on his own safety,
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
515
without bestowing much attention on the passage of
the mules and moukris. All arrive safely on the oppo¬
site bank, delighted to have passed the first important
difficulty ; but our beasts of burden are still in the rear,
and we feel somewhat anxious when thinking of the
probable effect of so violent a current on the heavy
masses of our luggage.
Whilst the more intelligent of our animals keep
following the same track, and crossing the torrent at
exactly the same spot, a miserable donkey, loaded with
a sack of barley, laid in as provision for our horses,
finds it more in accordance with his own judgment to
take a short cut at the nearest point. He misses the
ford by doggedly turning his back upon it; the con¬
sequence is, he slips in, and immediately loses his
footing, plunging and struggling desperately against
the current which carries him down. Our first con¬
viction is, that he is inevitably lost. But in coming to
this conclusion, if we had correctly estimated the stupid
apathy of our moukris, we had forgotten to take into
account the devoted energy of our Bedouins. In a
moment, these men of iron muscles, holding each other
•by the hand, form a kind of arched buttress, with their
feet planted deep in the muddy bank, into which they
sink above the knees ; those who constitute the other
extremity of this human chain descend into the torrent,
and catch at the miserable donkey by the ears, the tail,
and the sack fixed upon his back. The creature has
not strength enough left to assist the endeavours of
those who try to rescue it, by the slighest movement.
It is evidently paralysed by terror; and yet, in a few
L L 2
510
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
minutes, notwithstanding the looseness of the bank,
which gives way several times, throwing back men
and beast into the water, the animal is at last hauled
up, half dead, upon the dry land. They set it on its
legs again with much difficulty, after having taken
off the load, rendered three times heavier by the water
with which it is saturated, and which the unlucky
donkey is 110 longer able to carry. Immediately after
this feat, our friends of the desert, still holding each
other by the hand, and in token of their joy at having
succeeded, commence dancing in a circle, singing at the
same time a strange chorus. I shall not readily forget
this characteristic and exciting exhibition.
After this short delay, we resume our march ; but
Abou-Daouk has gained ground during the few minutes
that we have been involuntarily compelled to lose. We
observe that he shifts and turns at almost every step,
no doubt to avoid dangerous bogs ; but how are we to
hit his track 1 Scarcely have his horse's hoofs emerged
from this glutinous soil, when the impression they have
left is closed again, and choked up with water. We
must trust entirely to the help of Providence as we
venture after him.
In a few moments every one is taking care of him¬
self, seeking a separate path, and trying to discover
spots upon which he may venture, calculating, at the
same time, how many chances are in favour of his
being swallowed up in some quagmire, from which
there will be no deliverance. Edward and Philippe
remain close behind me ; determined to share the same
fate with myself, and sink or escape together.
AND ROUND TI1E DEAD SEA.
517
At this moment I hear distant cries ; they proceed
from our ill-fated donkey, who has fallen again, quite
exhausted, in the mud, and is suffocated there in a
moment. We proceed on our march, abandoning the
carcass. A quarter of an hour after, one of our
luggage horses disappears in the mire, and perishes
also beyond all power of extrication. We lose
much valuable time in unloading the dead body, for
we cannot afford to abandon moveables of much
importance.
We have now half crossed the Sabkhah, and begin
to feel a little more confidence, notwithstanding our
apprehensions of the remaining water-courses, more
dangerous than that we have already crossed, and
which we speedily expect to find intercepting our road.
Every moment, mules or horses are slipping and falling
down, and we become perfectly furious at the
apathy displayed by our moukris at the dangers to
which the beasts of their companions are exposed.
Once even, one of these, a man called Aly, whom we
have brought from Beyrout, obstinately refuses to go to
the assistance of one of his comrades; it is only
by exhibiting the muzzle of a pistol that I induce
him to do what he most certainly would have wished
to have had done for himself, had he been similarly
situated.
For a moment I thought myself lost, and my blood
ran cold in my veins. I felt my horse's hind legs
suddenly sinking under me ; he went down about two
feet, and it was only by a desperate effort, by dint of
holding him up with all my strength, and striking him
518
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
furiously with the whip, that I contrived to make him
leap beyond this hole. Edward and Philippe had seen
my distress, and were running up to my assistance ; but
fortunately by the time they arrived, the danger was
already passed.
The reader will easily conceive that from this
moment my apprehensions, which had nearly vanished,
returned with greater strength than ever.
Fortunately, by the time we reach the bank of the
nearest of the rivers that still remain to be crossed, we
discover, to our unutterable joy, that the rain which has
so cruelly annoyed us for the last two days, has not
spread beyond the eastern shore of the Dead Sea; and
that the torrents coming down from the mountains of
the western coast, as well as from those that form
to the southward the limit of the Sabkhah, are not
swollen in the least; far from that, it seems as if these
torrents had become considerably smaller than when we
crossed them on our first passage. At present it is mere
child's play, and we reach without difficulty the broken
shore that forms the foot of the mountain of Sodom.
Here we breathe freely ; and here, from the bottom of
our hearts, thank Providence for the evident protection
that has been accorded to us. We were exposed to
perish in this horrid quagmire, and we have escaped
with the loss of a single horse and a miserable donkey
drowned : a reasonable tribute to the dominion of the
Sabkhah.
After what we have gone through for the last few
hours, the reader will understand that we greatly
needed, all of us, men and beasts, a halt to recover
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
519
strength, and calm down our excitement. Every one
jumps from his horse, and stretches himself on the
salt gravel composing the light, moveable soil which
by good fortune we have reached at last. We take
advantage of this halt to breakfast, and I need scarcely
say with what childish joy we quaff a bumper of
arrack and cold water to our beloved native country,
which we now confidently hope to see again, and to
the success of our adventurous journey.
Our poor friends, the Bedouins of our escort, are as
merry as ourselves. They have resumed their light
undress, and have bathed in the last river we crossed,
to get rid of the innumerable contributions of slimy
mud adhering to their bodies, acquired by running
right and left to the assistance of every body; and
more especially when falling at almost every step 011
this glutinous mire, upon which you can only obtain a
firm footing by sinking deeply into it. One of our
Thaameras, a fine noble specimen of the wild Arab, as
faithful as our trusty Ahouad, and who might stand as
a model before any sculptor for the statue of a hero, is
suddenly seized with violent cramps in the stomach,
which, in a moment, so distort his features, that he
looks like a dying man. A brother of the tribe rubs
him with all his might on the back and chest, but with
110 effect. This poor fellow is broken down with fatigue
and suffering. I am immediately summoned to his
assistance, and find him writhing on the shore in an
agony of pain. Being at a loss how to proceed, I think,
as a preliminary, of making him swallow half a glass of
arrack. He has never tasted this fermented liquor in
520
JOUKNEY IN SYRIA
his life, and I expect the novelty will so astonish the
stomach of my Bedouin that the cramps will be
removed at once. I produce the arrack I propose
to give him; but his scruples as a true Mussulman
believer interfere, and he pushes back the glass. 1
have then but one recourse, namely, to send for the
khatib and tell him to persuade our friend that what I
want him to take is a medicinal potion and nothing else.
The khatib insists upon this argument; our Bedouin
then makes up his mind to act accordingly, and
swallows the brandy, making something of a wry mouth
at first ; but after a few seconds he is quite surprised to
find himself completely cured. He stands up smiling,
and begins to walk about with the same honest and
laughing countenance he had before. Thank Heaven,
we are thus delivered from a serious anxiety.
Next appears, introduced by Matteo, one of our
moukris, all sobs and tears ; he is the owner of the horse
that has just been drowned in the mud. I present him,
011 the public account, with an indemnity of a hundred
piastres ; and the poor devil looks up also, in his turn,
with a merry face—a cheap rate at which to dispense
happiness. We add a general gratuity of two hundred
piastres, to be equally divided amongst our attendants,
thus imparting additional cheerfulness to the hearts of
all, and causing a speedy oblivion of the fatigues and
terrors of the Sabkhah.
Soon after mid-day, we remount our horses, and
proceed, coasting again the foot of the salt mountain,
or Djebel-Esdoum. We retrace our steps in front of the
cave where we halted a few days before, to breakfast.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
52 I
and we find the entrance nearly blocked up by huge
masses of salt that have rolled down to the foot of the
mountain, having been detached by the late rains.
Similar masses present themselves to us throughout
nearly the whole extent of the mountain, and these
new crumblings give a strange appearance to the
steep rocks. When looking at.some of these needles
of salt, recently insulated, I am not surprised that
Captain Lynch should have taken one of them for
what he has called the salt-pillar into which Lot's wife
was transformed. I regret much that this intelligent
American officer did not happen to examine the salt
mountain on two different occasions, and in the rainy
season ; he would then have found a hundred Lot's
wives instead of one.
The level of the sea seems to have risen a little
during the time that has passed since we were here
before ; for the water's edge, properly speaking, has
visibly drawn nearer the foot of the mountain. It is
true the coast is so flat at this point that an increase
of half a yard in the height of the water must carry
the margin of the shore more than a hundred yards
beyond its original limit. The consequence of this
increase is, that the ground we march upon is much
more difficult of passage than at the period of our former
visit.
Forty-six minutes past two have arrived, when we
find ourselves again precisely in front (and ten yards
distant on the left), of the collection of ruins bearing
the name of Redjom-el-Mezorrhel. The water's edge
is scarcely forty or fifty yards to our right, whilst
522
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
the foot of the mountain is only thirty yards from
the road we are following. When we reach the
Redjom-el-Mezorrhel we are marching north by west.
By fifty-two minutes past two we turn west-north-west.
The sea is then eighty yards off, and the foot of the
mountain distant one hundred and fifty yards. The
shore, having thus become wider, exposes to our view
large blocks of stone, worn by time, and in the midst of
them we soon distinguish regular rows, being the founda¬
tions of ancient walls. We are now unquestionably in the
midst of ruins, apparent and distinguishable, covering a
space of nearly four hundred yards in extent. Our course
at this time is north-north-west. To our right is a sandy
beach, and before us the thicket of bushes or dwarf
trees, into which our companions had incautiously
ventured, in search of game, on our former journey.
To our left the Djebel-Esdoum has ceased to form
a single mass, and we have arrived in front of the
vast excrescences, or projecting hillocks, bordering the
northern point of this mountain. On these hillocks,
which present an extensive surface, disjointed accumu¬
lations appear, exhibiting positive and infallible evidence
of the existence, on this point, of a very considerable
town. We wind closely round the foot of these ruins,
so that it is impossible to mistake their origin. By
three o'clock the thicket of trees concealing the view
of the sea, is eighty yards off, to our right. Our course
is now north-north-west.
By seven minutes past three we cross the dry bed
of a torrent, fifteen yards wide. Here the hillocks
covered with ruins are divided by a ravine, and form
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
523
two distinct masses, bearing on their surface the immense
fragments which the Arabs accompanying us are unani¬
mous in calling Esdoum (Sodom). In the plain itself,
beyond the bed of the torrent I have just mentioned,
appear numerous lines of stone blocks, remains of the
primaeval habitations. By eleven minutes past three
we march west-north-west, starting from the spot where
the ruins heaped upon the plain cease to appear. We
then keep constantly following the same direction,
whilst the delta upon which our road is traced has
become a vast plain, intersected by many ravines,
strewed with large rolled blocks, and planted with a
vast number of mimosas, or acacias.
By a quarter-past three, we are opposite the extreme
point of the Djebel-Esdoum, which ends in a perpen¬
dicular steep, commanding a large and beautiful plain,
planted with mimosas, and spreading to a considerable
distance in a south-south-west direction.
By half-past three we reach the foot of the first
hillocks, about thirty yards in height, flanking the
mouth of the Ouad-ez-Zouera, and begin the ascent of
this ouad immediately after, directing our course at
first due west. Upon the level crests of the two
hillocks I have just mentioned, are very numerous
ruins, of the same description as those of Ayn-Djedy,
Esdoum, En-Nemaireh, and Sebaan. Amongst the
Arabs, these ruins are called Zouera-et-Tahtah. They
are therefore the ruins of the Zoar that succeeded the
Zoar of the Scriptures, and on the same site.
It has been stated that we passed the limits of the
ruins of Sodom by eleven minutes past three ; we reach
524
JOURNEY IN SYlilA
the ruins of Zoar, or Segor, by thirty minutes past
three. It has thus taken us nineteen minutes to pass
from the one place to the other, which implies that the
distance between them is somewhat less than two
thousand yards, or a mile and a quarter according to
English measurement. I was then perfectly justified
in affirming at an earlier page, that the relative
situation of the ruins of Sodom and Zoar exactly
corresponded with, and confirmed all the circumstances
of the narrative transmitted to us by the Bible, of the
flight of Lot ; this flight having been accomplished
within the interval of time between the first break of
day and the full rise of the sun.
By thirty-four minutes past three we are marching
due west, and passing along the foot of the hills forming
the right bank of the deeply-ravined bed of the
torrent which has hollowed out the Ouad-ez-Zouera.
This bed has in some places a breadth of about a
hundred yards, but in others it becomes exceedingly
narrow. Beyond and above the hills on the left, we
descry the summit of the Djebel-Esdoum, which seems
to be at the distance of about four thousand yards.
We keep marching 011 at a distance of some fifteen
yards from the steep acclivities forming the bed of the
ouad. Just then we perceive, on our right, a huge
subverted cone, exactly resembling the crater of an
extinct volcano.
No description can adequately express the desolate
aspect of the Ouad-ez-Zouera. On all sides nothing-
is to be seen but immense chasms, rocks violently
torn from their original masses, and hurled down into
AND ROUND THE DEAD SKA.
the bottom of the ouad; perpendicular cliffs, of a
soft crumbling stone which looks like volcanic aslies,
but which is in reality nothing but a kind of sand
of the same description as that of the hillocks of
Sebbeh and of the peninsula of El-Lisan. After having
followed, for a long time, the bank of the bed of the ouad,
which is about thirty yards below our road, and planted,
here and there, with large acacias, thinly scattered,
we descend into the bed itself, and proceed along it
for a considerable distance further. By forty-nine
minutes past three we pass on our left a dark-coloured
mountain, that looks as if it had been calcined by
intense fire, and which commands, from a lofty eleva¬
tion, the deeply-liollowed ouad through which we are
proceeding. To our right we observe masses of the
same broken rocks, similar in height and appearance.
We seem, as it were, to be enclosed within two lofty
walls, higher than the eye can reach, and separated
by a defile scarcely exceeding one hundred yards in
width. Our course for some minutes has scarcely
deviated from west-north-west. By fifty-five minutes
past three we find ourselves in front of an enormous
bifurcation of the ouad. The right branch has no
outlet, and penetrates two or three hundred yards,
westward, into the bosom of the calcareous rocks ; the
left branch is the actual continuation of the Ouad-ez-
Zouera, and turns to the south-south-west. This is
the track by which we shall proceed to-morrow to the
upper country. To-day we have determined to encamp
in the recess on the right, which is called En-Nedjd
(the high cliff). There, on a small rocky ledge, appear
526
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
the ruins of a very ancient structure. At the foot of
this ledge our tents are pitched. A little nearer to the
entrance of the Nedjd, is hollowed out, on the side
of the mountain, a very elevated cavern, but of no great
extent, where our Scheikhs establish themselves with
their followers. "We halted at exactly three minutes
to four.
During our march through the Ouad-ez-Zouera, and
when we had attained a point above the level of the
Dead Sea, sufficiently elevated, we were singularly
fortunate in being present at a spectacle few men can
hope to witness twice in their lives, and which demands
a passing comment. We may almost say that we
saw the catastrophe of the Pentapolis, and are still
under the strong impression of the scene that we gazed
on with the most intense excitement.
As we were laboriously pursuing our way between
the Djebel-Esdoum and the sea, a storm, that had
come down from the mountains of Canaan, burst exactly
over the Asphaltitic Lake, at about the meridian of
Masada and of the peninsula of El-Lisan. Dark-gray
clouds had united the sea and sky, concealing in
utter darkness all the northern part of this deep
valley. Suddenly, a splendid rainbow, of dazzling
brightness and richly variegated colours, appeared to
form a gigantic archway, thrown by the hand of the
Almighty between the two opposite shores of the Dead
Sea. The reader may fancy how much we were
moved by the magnificence of this natural pheno¬
menon ; but it was nothing compared with what was
reserved for us towards the end of the same day.
AND BOUND THE DEAD SEA.
527
When we began ascending the first acclivities of the
Ouad-ez-Zouera, large black clouds, driven by the
westerly wind, passing above our heads and over the
Djebel-Esdoum, rushed down upon the Dead Sea, in
the direction of the Rhor-Safieh, then rising again along
the flank of the mountains of Moab, soon cleared the
view and allowed us to contemplate the expanse of
water, resembling a vast motionless sheet of molten
lead. By degrees, as the storm hurried towards the
east, the western sky became again pure and radiant;
then for a moment, the setting sun darted above the
mountains of Canaan fiery rays, which seemed almost
to cover the summits of the land of Moab with the
flames of an enormous conflagration, while the bases of
those imposing mountains remained as black as ink.
Above was the dark lowering sky ; below, the sea, like
a metallic sheet of dull leaden gray ; around us, the
silence of the desert, and utter desolation. Afar off, in
the west, a bright, cloudless sky, shining over a blessed
land, whilst we seemed to be flying from a country
condemned for ever.
It is impossible to describe this scene, which, to be
fully understood and felt, must have been witnessed.
Our Bedouins, themselves, though accustomed to the
grandest operations of Nature, participated in the sensa¬
tions by which we were completely mastered. " Chouf,
ia-sidy," they exclaimed to me ; " chouf! Allah yedrob
Esdoum !" (" See, sir, see ! Allah is smiting Sodom !")
and they were right. The tremendous spectacle which
was witnessed by Lot, from nearly the same spot
where we were now standing, must have borne a striking
528
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
resemblance to the magnificent repetition with which
we had just been favoured by the same presiding
Providence.
Our good fortune in having escaped with safety out
of the hands of the Bedouins of Moab, and the Scheikh
of Karak, and above all from the perils of the Sabkhah ;
our joy at having discovered the ruins of Sodom, and
at having beheld a sight which recalled the destruc¬
tion of the Pentapolis, furnished ample subjects for
our evening's conversation under the tents. Most
agreeable was it to review, in order, in our memories,
all the episodes of our adventurous excursion, and to
repeat to each other, whilst enjoying the double fra¬
grance of the djebely and the moka (tobacco and coffee),
that the real dangers of our undertaking were now
over, and that it only remained for us to enjoy, in
security, the result of our discoveries and the fruits of
our persevering labour.
Rothschild, who had no map to complete, by line,
rule, and compass, and no note-book to fill up, boldly
ventured alone into the midst of the ruins of Sodom,
and traversed their entire extent, at the risk of encoun¬
tering some dangerous accident. When I observed
him imprudently committing himself upon this unsafe
ground, I hastened to send two of our Djalialins in
pursuit of him, commanding them besides to look
amongst the ruins, and bring away, if possible, some
fragment of pottery. On our arrival at the Nedjd, they
confidently presented me with the remains of a jar,
but evidently of modern construction, which they had
picked up, Heaven knows when and where. This
AXD ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
529
grand discovery procured them at the moment a few
piastres ; but I soon got rid of the pseudo-relic bj
throwing it amongst the rocks upon which we are
encamped.
There is every reason to suppose that the Ouad-ez-
Zouera is precisely the pass or Ascent of the Scorpions
mentioned in Holy Writ. For my own part, I am satis¬
fied on the subject; and at all events I can attest that
the Ouad-ez-Zouera is in every respect entitled to that
denomination. You cannot turn over a single pebble
in the Nedjd, without finding under it one of these un¬
popular animals. They stroll even into our tent, when
disturbed from their accustomed hiding places. The
proverb says " habit is second nature," and says so with
good reason. A month ago, the sight of a scorpion
powerfully affected my nervous system; to-day the
apparition of one of these creatures, even when un¬
expected, has ceased to cause the slightest emotion ; I
merely tread upon it with perfect composure. By this
I mean to convey, that without having acquired a
greater liking for scorpions, I have ceased to be afraid
of them.
Our night has been delightful, and we composed
ourselves to sleep with the pleasing recollection of the
happy issue of our adventurous voyage of discovery.
January 23rd.
This morning we had no occasion to urge our forces
to activity, every man was ready by dawn ; and we
ourselves, who ought to have set the first example,
were the only sluggards to delay the departure of the
caravan. It is true that I adhere to my plan never to
VOL. I. M M
530
.TOURNEY IN SYRIA
give the order to move until we have taken our early
breakfast ; a frugal repast most certainly, but still indis¬
pensable, if we wish to sustain with greater ease the
fatigue of travelling and the evil influences of the climate.
O O
By seven o'clock we were 011 the march, and retracing
our steps, entered once more upon the Ouad-ez-Zouera.,
which we had deviated from the day before, for the
purpose of encamping at the Nedjd. As soon as we
have gained the ouad, which is not more than forty or
fifty yards wide, and still commanded to the right by an
immense conical hill of yellowish sand, and to the left
by broken perpendicular rocks, we march westward by
north. Almost immediately after, two huge conical
sand-hills appear to the left of the ouad, whilst a large
dark rock, of the same description as that which we
had passed a moment before to our left, stands out in
bold relief, to our right, on the sand-hills. The rocks,
forming the bottom of the ouad, are covered, as we
have had already occasion to observe, with a kind of
crust composed of a conglomerate of small rolled
fragments, cemented into a calcareous paste, which has
moulded itself according to the angles and cavities of
these rocks. Is this compound an alluvial or a volcanic
production % The question I leave to the decision of
professed geologists. During several minutes we keep
ascending, and by twelve minutes past seven we reach
a mediaeval ruin, known to the Arabs by the name of
Qasr-ez-Zouera, or of Zouera-el-Fouqah (the upper
Zoar). This interesting ruin has been already described
by Messrs. Irby and Mangles, and at a much later
period by M. de Berton; but, as ruins of this kind are
AND HOUND THE DEAD SEA.
531
rarely visited, I scarcely suppose I shall tire the patience
of my readers in giving them, as succinctly as possible,
an idea of the buildings accumulated at this point of the
Ouad-ez-Zouera.
The difficult road we have been following, runs along
the left flank of a very steep, conical calcareous hill, the
upper level of which is occupied by fortifications well
laid out, so as to command the whole pass through the
Ouad-ez-Zouera. On the eastern point of the conical
hill is a small square fort, commanding the portion
of the road leading up from the shore of the Dead
Sea. A short distance behind this fort, to the west¬
ward, and upon a mound several yards high, is another
defensive enclosure, much more considerable. This is
a kind of pentagon, the eastern face of which comprises
a curtain flanked by two round towers ; the tower
on the right, or northern face, is in ruins, whilst the
one 011 the left is still in a fair state of preservation.
The western face presents a salient angle, ending in a
round tower that commands the entire ascent, which,
after winding round the base of the hill, leads up to
the higher country.
To the south of this principal structure, and on the
same level with the small square fort I have mentioned
first, are still standing two high walls of a building,
which must have been originally square, having on its
western face an ogival gate, still in good repair, but
without any ornament; and on its southern face, as
well as I can recollect, two bay windows. All these
constructions are in hewn stone, of a whitish colour,
regularly cut and fitted, but of small dimensions.
M M 2
532
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
In front of this building is a well, excavated in the
rock.
To the left of the road, and nearly opposite the
small square fort, is a very high rock, in which a cavern
has been hollowed, at a considerable elevation, with
openings or windows, resembling embrasures, looking
towards the road, and disposed so as to flank it with a
cross fire of the projectiles, whatever may have been
their nature, which were prepared for intercepting, in
case of need, the access to the upper level. Beyond
this cliff, at the foot of which a fine quadrangular
cistern is hollowed in the rocks, a steep ravine ascends
towards the south-west, leading most probably to the
cave I have just mentioned.
The right peak of the ravine is formed by a huge
rock, at the foot of which is hewn, in front of the Qasr,
a second square cistern, in very good repair, but
containing only a small quantity of muddy water. The
road passes to the left of this cistern, and is encumbered
by several heaps of rubbish ; indications, although at
present undistinguishable, of habitations, or, what is
more likely, of inferior military works, intended as out¬
posts.
The ascent is very steep, and soon reaches a point
where a succession of frequent and short zigzags
commences. At this point two heaps of ruins, situated
the one to the right, the other to the left of the ascent,
are distinguishable, from their disposition itself, as
having been two advanced posts. About half way
up the corkscrew ascent, which is cut in the flanks
of a very hard dark-coloured rock, the path is
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
533
interrupted by three ruined walls, which, in all
probability, were perforated by openings, sufficiently
wide to allow a passage for loaded camels.
Twenty-four minutes past seven have arrived, when
we reach the last zigzag on the ascending path taking
us up to a small inclined plain, where we allow our
horses to breathe for three minutes. Here the road still
tending in a due westerly direction, is flanked on the
left by a wall in ruins. A little higher up again, by
thirty-one minutes past seven, we scramble over the
ruins of two other walls barring the passage. Here
the road becomes broken by loose stones, and turns
sharply towards the north-north-west.
We have now attained an upper plain, everywhere
covered with heaps of pebbles, which seem to have
been violently thrown together by some volcanic
process. To our right, running parallel with the line
we are following, is a steep and wide ravine, appear¬
ing also, as we view it from a distance, to be hollowed
to a considerable depth.
On this plain, which scarcely exhibits a blade of grass,
I perceive from my saddle a kind of flower, having some
resemblance to a large, dried, Easter daisy {Pdquerette);
it is quite open, well displayed upon the soil, and looks
as if it was alive. On alighting to examine it more
closely, I distinguish a plant of the radiated family, but
without leaves or petals ; in a word, the plant is quite
dead; how long it has remained in this state, it is
impossible to guess. It retains a kind of fantastic
existence. I gather a few samples, which I place in my
holsters, these having for a long time ceased to be a
534
JOURNEY IN SYKIA
receptacle for fire-arms, and being daily crammed with
stones and plants.
Another word respecting this extraordinary plant. In
the evening, when I happened to empty my holsters, I
was quite surprised to find the dead flowers closed up,
and as dry and hard as if they were made of wood. I
then recognised a small flower, with a long tap-root,
which I had never seen alive, but had already picked
up at the place where we halted to breakfast on our
descent to Ayn-Djedy. What prevented me from ascer¬
taining this identity at first sight was, that one sample
was gathered in a state of moisture, while the other
had been picked up perfectly dry. It was then quite
clear that this ligneous and exceedingly tough vegetable
possessed peculiar properties, which developed them¬
selves hygrometrically, with the corresponding changes
of the soil and atmosphere. I immediately tried the
experiment, and discovered that the Kaff-Maryam, the
Rose of Jericho of the pilgrims (Anastatica Merichuntica)
so celebrated for the same faculty, was not to be com¬
pared to my recent discovery. A Kaff-Maryam, placed
in water, takes an hour and a half before it is entirely
open ; whilst in the case of my little flower, I watched
it visibly expanding, and, without exaggeration, the
change was complete in less than three minutes.
I then recollected the heraldic bearing called
the Hose of Jericho, which is emblazoned on some
escutcheons, dating from the time of the Crusades;
and I became convinced that I had discovered the
real Rose of Jericho, long lost sight of after the fall
of the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem, and replaced by
AND ROUND TUB DEAD SEA.
535
tlie Anastatica, or Kaff-Maryam; which a Mussulman
tradition, accepted by Christians, pointed out to the
piety of the early pilgrims, who inquired from the
inhabitants of the country what was the plant of the
plain of Jericho that never died, and came to life again
as soon as it was dipped in water.
Under any circumstances, this singular hygrometric
vegetable constitutes an entirely new genus for bota¬
nists, judging by what we know of it, that is to say,
by its skeleton. My friend, the Abbe Michon, has
undertaken to describe this curious plant, and has paid
me the compliment of naming it Saulcya hierichuntica.
Unquestionably, the honour is all on my side.
I return now to my diary.
Close upon eight o'clock we reach, by a few winding
paths, a rocky ledge, where the pebbles seem to have
been grilled, and come upon a plain of small extent.
Since we have gained the crest bordering the plain, we
march almost invariably to the north-west. By five
minutes past eight we descry, ten yards distant to our
left, a heap of ruins, resembling the remains of a round
tower. At this spot commences the elevated flat called
Eas-ez-Zouera. The large ravine we have pointed out
before has drawn nearer to our road on the right. For
the last ten minutes it had been concealed by hillocks,
and two considerable mounds of pebbles; the summits
of these latter bearing in an east-south-east direction.
By ten minutes past eight we are pointing to the
north-west, over a small plain, commanded, three
hundred yards off to our right, by a range of high
hills, and eight hundred yards off, to our left, by a lofty
53(5
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
calcareous mountain, the foot of which is bordered by
hillocks of a greyish sand, formed into compact rocks.
Towards the summit of the mountain, on the left, a square
grotto is visible, evidently constructed by human labour.
At a quarter-past eight, we go down by a slight descent
upon another small plain, dotted with mounds; to the
left of this plain, rise, about six hundred yards off, some
very high hillocks. In regard to this tract of country,
it scarcely deserves the name of plain, beyond an extent
of four hundred yards in width at the utmost. It still
continues to bear the appellation of Ras-ez-Zouera.
By lialf-past eight, our distance from the foot of the
hills 011 the left is only about fifty yards. By thirty-
four minutes past eight we are precisely in front of the
summit of a high hill of compact sand, and one minute
later we cross a ravine coming from the south-west.
Beyond is a small plain, that spreads out six hundred
yards to our left, and then narrows again by forty
minutes past eight, so as to leave only a breadth of
sixty yards to our left, and a hundred yards to
our right, dowm to the foot of a high hill, masking
the one whose summit I noticed just before. On
this side of the ravine, which wre have crossed by
thirty-five minutes past eight, transported fragments of
volcanic ejections begin to appear again. By forty
minutes past eight we cross another ravine, and enter
a new ouad, rather narrow, bearing the name of Ouad-
et-Thaemeh. Our course is now west by north. Up
to forty-seven minutes past eight, we are crossing a
small plain, four hundred yards wide at the utmost,
commanded on all sides by sandy hillocks ; the ouad
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
537
tlicn becomes a mere defile, very deep and narrow,
through which our course lies north-north-west. We
observe here huge accumulations of lava. Two
thousand yards off to our left, we notice the summit
of a high mountain, and soon issue upon a small, flat
space, about two hundred and fifty yards in diameter.
By fifty-five minutes past eight our road becomes
straight again, and keeps ascending along the Ouad-et-
Thaemeh, in a north-westerly direction. We have now
011 our left a line of hills, distant about thirty or forty
yards from our road, whilst the hills oil our right are,
generally speaking, about one hundred yards from us.
By nine o'clock we reach and cross a ravine, beyond
which two Arab tombs appear, consisting as usual
of heaps of stones, piled up by the hand of man.
The ravine which we have just crossed makes an
elbow 011 our left, whilst we are marching due north,
so as to near very rapidly the road we are following,
and to cut it in two other places. The ravine is then
very narrow, and our path lies along the bottom of
its bed. By eight minutes past nine it inclines to
the north-west, and at this point we observe in the
rocks by which we are passing, many considerable
veins of a violet, green, and yellow hue, produced by
the presence of copper and manganese, between the
layers of the calcareous masses.
By twelve minutes past nine our route is due west,
and the cliffs confine within constantly narrowing
limits the ravine through which we are moving. The
rocks divided by this ravine present fine red and
yellow masses, the colours of which are certainly
538
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
owing to the metallic salts I have indicated above.
Lastly, by twenty-two minutes past nine, we climb
a small, steep ascent, between two violet-coloured rocks
that look as if they had been roasted, and scarcely allow
a width of a few yards for the passage. This strange
spot, where the effects of volcanic eruption are
palpably defined, is called Souq-et-Thaemeh (the
Market-place of Et-Thaemeh.)
The name of Et-Thaemeh, which has struck upon our
ears for the last half-hour, joined to the designation of
a market, surprised us not a little. I question Abou-
Daouk and Hamdan on their etymology, who both tell
me that there existed formerly on this spot the market¬
place of a city destroyed by fire from Heaven, sent
by the vengeance of Allah. This city was called Et-
Thaemeh, and we are precisely on the site of the market
that was held there. Between Et-Thaemeh and Admah
the difference in sound is not so great but that I feel
greatly tempted to believe myself on the site of one of
the towns of the doomed Pentapolis.* Are there to be
discovered on the neighbouring hills any vestiges of
this city ? My guides positively affirm that there are.
As to verifying the fact myself, buried as I am between
two steep rocks, I am unable to do so. I can only
affirm, that either before or after the Souq-et-Thaemeh,
I saw nothing that could enable me to surmise the
existence of an ancient city in these districts, so deeply
impressed by volcanic agencies.
By twenty-five minutes past nine the Ouad-et-
* The pronunciation of the Arab word, et-Tkdemeh, is exactly the same as
that of Admah in cither the French or English languages.—(Translator.)
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
539
Tliaemeh suddenly widens, and a large and deep
ravine borders it eighty yards off on our left. We
are then marching in a north-westerly direction,
between two lines of hills. By twenty-nine minutes
past nine we cross the ravine we had discovered some
minutes before, and by thirty-two minutes past nine
we have, fifty yards distant to our left, an elevated
hill commanded by a very perceptible ruin.
For the last half-hour, the sky had become dark, and
from time to time drops of rain had made my topo¬
graphical labours exceedingly difficult. At this moment
the rain becomes so thick and icy cold, that notwith¬
standing my zeal I find myself compelled to give
up laying down a map of the country. The sky is
obscured on all sides ; the bad weather is not likely
to leave us throughout the day, and I am in despair
when I reflect that the work I have carried on with
such perseverance is now interrupted. My temper
gives way under this unexpected disappointment, and
I declaim loudly against the rain, that has chilled my
fingers so that I can neither hold pencil nor compass,
and less than either, my memorandum-book, which
would soon be wet through, and occasion the loss of
my former labour.
We continue on our way, in almost total darkness,
through a very broken country, and pelted by incessant
torrents of rain. Hail soon comes in to reinforce the
tempest, and beats so furiously against our faces that we
are at a loss how to screen ourselves from the painful
effects of the large bullets discharged in constant
volleys. Even our poor horses refuse to proceed under
510
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
this rude squall, and turn their backs to it without our
permission, so as to receive upon their haunches the
tremendous attack which had before assailed them in
front. During an interval of several minutes, men and
beasts expose themselves to the storm, waiting anxiously
for the moment when its fury may relent.
Our Sclieikhs, not more inclined to bear it than
ourselves, and caring very little what may become of
us, go in quest of a refuge they are well acquainted
with, and without apprising us of its existence. Thus,
when the hail ceases, to give place to the rain alone, we
have no guides, excepting our poor Ahouad, who has
never left us for a moment. At his suggestion, we
resume our march as quickly as Ave can, through flat
tracts of land inundated with water, and arrive, after a
quarter of an hour, at the bottom of a shallow ravine,
leading to a spacious cavern, where our escort has found
a shelter. The weather seems to clear up a little ;
and, disgusted as I am by the storm we have just
endured, and the forced interruption of my topographical
labours, I reject sulkily the proposal of Abou-Daouk to
halt in this grotto and spend there the remainder of the
day and the night.
What should we gain by so doing % Probably a
repetition of the same weather for to-morrow. Besides,
we have here neither wood nor water. Then how are
we to remain and spend twenty-four hours in this
repulsive cavern 1 Notwithstanding the strong incli¬
nation of all our people, who would much prefer to stay
here and dry themselves as well as they could, I give
orders to proceed with the march, still fondly hoping
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
511
that we may reach Hebron in the evening, although
our Arabs unanimously affirm that the thing is im¬
practicable. I remain immoveable, and once more give
the signal for departure. However, as a thorough
wetting, or] an empty stomach, is by no means com¬
fortable, I keep back Matteo and Aliouad with us, and
we breakfast at the bottom of the ravine, a little to the
southward of the cave.
I then learn that this country is called Belad-er-
llamail. Antique barriers, made of large stones, every¬
where intersect the ravine, and very distinguishable
ruins are scattered all around. We are assuredly on
the site of a town contemporary with the Scriptural
ages. What town can this have been 1 I am unable
to divine ; and the modern name (Er-Ramail) of the
locality, does not, to my great regret, awaken any
recollection upon which I might have recourse to
some text from the Sacred authorities.
Let me, nevertheless, venture an hypothesis. We
find in Eusebius (ad vocem 'Apa^a), the following phrase:
Kiorjrj airo rerdprov cn]p.eiov MaA.aa0i, rr/s Se XefiPleiKocn,
" Arama is a borough situated at the fourth mile¬
stone from Malatha,* and at the twentieth milestone
from Hebron." If we compare this passage with
another of the same work, where it is said that Thamara
is a borough distant one day's march from Malatha, for
those who are journeying from Hebron to Allah, we
shall be almost tempted to look for the Arama of
Eusebius in the Er-llamai'l, where we have stopped to
* Malatlia is certainly no other than the city named Moladah, in
Joshua, xv. 26, xix. 2, and in 1 Chronicles, iv. 28.
51:2
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
breakfast, surrounded by the ruins of a town which
must have been an important one. But, I repeat it, I
merely propose this identification with due reserve.
During our breakfast, which has only occupied a
quarter of an hour, the clouds have separated, and a
pale sun has darted forth some cold rays to encourage
us to resume our march with vigour. Our luggage is
in advance, attended by our escort. Ahouad alone has
refused to leave us. We start again, and emerging through
the ruins, lying^on a level with the ground, of the valley
of Er-Bamail, ascend a vast tract of land, entirely
naked, but which seems to possess a soil that might be
cultivated. From a distance we discover Abou-Daouk,
who, feeling anxious lest we should delay too long in this
country, which is far from safe, has stopped on the road
to wait for us, and give us his protection. The fact is
that we are now reaching the confines of the country
lying under his all-powerful dominion, and with his single
presence we may brave all the Bedouins who happen to
be within ten leagues in any direction round us. Still
the worthy Scheikh knows perfectly well that were we
to trust entirely to the effect of our own imposing-
presence and amiable looks, the most virtuous of his
subjects would scarcely resist the temptation of plun¬
dering us to the best of their abilities. Our friend is
on the look out, and when we have come up to him, he
entreats us to push on at a good pace, considering that
our day's journey is far from finished, and that we have
still some hours of marching before us, ere we arrive
at a place with water and fire-wood suitable for our
encampment.
AND liOUND THE DEAD SEA.
543
I am simple enough to hint to him again that I wish
to sleep this same evening in Hebron, but Abou-Daouk
contents himself with laughing silently in my face,
deeming it unnecessary to waste words in telling me
that I may as readily expect to sleep in Jerusalem.
Ahouad is more polite and more explicit:—" Thou
liopest to reach Hebron to-day," says he, " but I would
advise thee to give up the idea ; if thou canst deter¬
mine to march without halting a minute, perhaps thou
mayest arrive there to-morrow morning; but even
then I assure thee that 110 time must be wasted on the
way in picking up plants and sarasir " (this last word is
the Arabic plural of the word sarsour, by which the
Bedouins designate all descriptions of scarabcei, or
beetles). On receiving this warning, I begin to admit
the reluctant belief that the only shelter for the night
will be a cold tent, soaked through with rain.
The plain we are crossing is strewed with delicious
clusters of flowers, of a rosy white, belonging to the
family of lilies, and most attractive to the eye. This
flower is of the same size and shape as the autumnal
meadow-saffron (Colchique), so common towards the
end of September in the fields of our own country.
As the rain has compelled me to give up, by about
ten o'clock, my survey of the ground ; and as I have not
been able to take any observation over a space of more
than two leagues (six miles), I yield to the incipient
laziness which whispers me, that I could no longer
connect the localities I might reconnoitre now, with the
immense extent of map I have laid down, without inter¬
ruption, from Bethlehem to Souq-et-Thaemeh. Whether
544
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
from indolence, fatigue, or impossibility, anticipated
rather tlian experienced, I give up, henceforward, the
completion of the map. I only think of finding, as
soon as possible, a place of shelter to get rest and
warmth, and to dry my drenched garments. But
whenever traces of ruined cities present themselves
before me, I feel a pang of remorse, and inquire
anxiously the names of those ruins, whilst I note the
exact time of their discovery. I thus hope to prepare
for future travellers, more favoured by the weather
than I have been, certain data upon which to build an
accurate survey of all these localities.
At twenty-seven minutes past eleven I observed to
our left, distant about a thousand yards from the road,
and on the summit of a hill, a ruin of imposing appear¬
ance, and bearing the name of Qasr-el-Adadah. In
this it is easy to recognise a Biblical station, Adadali
(miny), which we find mentioned in Joshua (xv. 22),
as amongst the cities forming the extreme southern
frontier of the tribe of Judah. It thus appears that
the name of this ancient town has been preserved
without the slightest alteration, and that the situation
of the modern Adadah corresponds exactly with the
position of the Adadah of the Bible. As well as I can
recollect, Qasr-el-Adadah is only at a short distance from
Er-Ramail; but I am quite certain that we noticed this
ruin before arriving at the vast cavern of Er-Ramail
Whilst traversing throughout its whole extent the
plain I have mentioned above, and where Abou-Daouk
was waiting for us, we have fallen in with the sites of
two other ancient stations. The first, discovered at a
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
545
quarter past one, is called Ivharbet-Esded ; and the
second, passed through by ten minutes after two, is
known to the Bedouins under the name of Kharbet-
Hezebeh. I am quite unable to identify these modern
names with those of any ancient cities mentioned in pas¬
sages quoted from either the sacred or profane writings.
The book of Joshua (xix. 3) mentions, amongst the cities
assigned to the tribe of Simeon, and detached from the
southern territory of the tribe of Judah, a place called
Azem, or Etsem (a^). Can this be our Ilezebeh %
I leave the proof of this identification to more daring
inquirers, and content myself with merely pointing it
out as a surmise.
During several hours we march along the vast plain
already named. It is closed in at the horizon—that is
to say, to the westward—by a range of mountains, or
rather hills, apparently of no great height, and crowned
with trees or thick bushes, forming a coppice, looking
exactly like a close plantation of underwood. We
reach the foot of this range of hills by a quarter past
four. .We have passed on our left, at a distance of
about two or three thousand yards, and without being
able to visit it, a rather important-looking ruined station,
called by the Arabs El-Qeritem. Perhaps under this
name is concealed an ancient denomination of Kiria-
thaim. But the only Kiriathaim mentioned in the
Scriptures is a city that became an integral portion of
the Land of Moab, and therefore not to be looked for at
El-Qeritem. We find amongst the cities in the portion ot
land made over to the tribe of Judah, one called Kerioth-
Hezron ; but, notwithstanding the apparent concordance
VOL. I. N N
54.6
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
as to situation, we must question the prudence of proposing
the identification between the two places, ancient and
modern.* Judging by the account of our Arabs, the ruins
situated at El-Qeritein are very considerable, and denote
at this point the former existence of an important town.
Leaving El-Qerite'in to our left, we reach the bottom
of a lovely little valley, irrigated by a rivulet which
seems to flow at all seasons permanently, instead of being
accidentally formed by the periodial rains. The bed of
this running stream, besides being rather hollow, is
planted with trees. The rivulet winds round a vast
rocky cliff, on the sides of which are excavated several
grottoes, and presenting over its entire surface evident
signs of ancient habitations; this place is called
Djenbeh. Avenues of stones fixed on end, similar to
those we have observed in Moab, give access to this
level, coming down from the neighbouring hills, upon
which are descried also numerous vestiges of buildings
of a very remote antiquity, judging by the rudeness
of their construction. On the summit of the hillock of
Djenbeh is a kind of enclosure, formed by a .wall of
rocks, from one to two yards and upwards in height.
Some of these rocks, detached from the mass, are
disposed almost after the fashion of a Celtic or Druidical
Tolmen, a fact which excited our intense surprise. The
ground is strewed with fragments of red fluted pottery,
of a very antique character. The caves of Djenbeh
are used at the present day as stables by the wandering
* Why so 1 Tlie difference of pronunciation is not so great between Kerioth
and El-Keritein ; and the analogy becomes still greater when we consider that
the termination " em," often indicates the plural; thus, El-Keritein might be
translated " the cities of Kerit."—(Note hy the Translator.)
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
547
tribes who visit this district; and we find there, to our
great satisfaction, two or three Bedouins, with a flock of
sheep. Here is a piece of good fortune, of which we
hasten to take advantage.
The weather is dreadfully cold and damp ; our first
object is to warm ourselves, and whilst our tents are being
pitched, and our Scheikhs are making their own arrange¬
ments for themselves and followers, men and horses, in a
cave situated at a few yards distance to the left of our
encampment, my thoughts recur to the surest means of
procuring promptly the wood necessary for our kitchen
and for the bivouac fires. I summon Djahalins and
Thaameras, and promise twenty piastres for the required
supply. Having so often alluded to the love of piastres
inherent in the nature of Bedouins in general, I suppose
I need scarcely mention the ardour—I ought rather to
say the enthusiasm—with which my proposal is accepted.
The whole band scatters like a covey of partridges ;
blows from yataghans resound 011 all sides, and in less
than ten minutes we have twice as much wood as we
require for the night. It is true the wood is green, and
emits more smoke than fire ; but nevertheless it will
do to roast our sheep and warm ourselves a little ; and
campaigners must be satisfied without the luxuries of
a palace.
Our evening passes less gaily than usual; we are
harassed, chilled, and out of humour with a weather
and atmosphere so different from what we have enjoyed
for twenty days in the warm valley of the Dead Sea,
we think of nothing so much as getting a few hours'
rest as soon as possible ; and, consequently, when
nn2
548
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
dinner, coffee, and chibouks are despatched, all my
companions immediately seek their cots ; for myself
I proceed to trace in Indian ink the small portion of the
plan of the country which I have been able to survey in
the morning, and then follow most willingly the good
example they have set me. I retire to sleep, grumbling
at the thought of my unfinished map, and consoling
myself with having so far conducted our expedition to
a successful end.
I must not omit to mention here the last of our
Bedouin adventures, which occurred soon after we
had cleared the pass of the Souk-et-Thaemeh. Before
the merciless hail which so severely assaulted us, the
rain had only fallen at intervals, and without any other
inconvenience than that of destroying my note-book if
I continued my travelling memoranda. We were then
passing through a hilly limestone tract. Since our
departure from En-Nedjd, Abou-Daouk and Ham dan
had never ceased urging us to hasten on, and keep in
a compact mass, without yielding, no matter for what
cause, to the temptation of straggling or extending our
line of march. At a particular moment, we saw at the
summit of a cliff, by the foot of which we were to pass,
a Bedouin, in a crouching position, with his head resting
upon his hands, and his elbows upon his knees. He was
as immovable as a statue, and we passed close to him,
without his seeming to take the slightest notice of us.
No sooner were we well engaged in the difficult
pass beyond the hill, where the fellow was certainly on
the look-out, than he disappeared ; and in a few minutes
after we saw thirty truculent-looking figures issuing at
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
549
the same time from all the neighbouring ravines, and
marching towards us, carbine in hand. Abou-Daouk
sprang forward to meet them, and addressed them in
the following terms, which I repeat literally, without
changing a syllable :—" Ya nas, fih lelim takalouhou,
ouelakin fih lehm ma takalouhouch abadan." (" I say,
you men, there is meat for your teeth, but there is also
meat that will never do for your teeth.") This pithy
address, or rather the dreaded voice of the illustrious
Abou-Daouk, produced a magical effect. The thieves,
who had hoped to plunder us, deemed it prudent to
restrain their amiable aspirations ; and after lavishing
on the Scheikh of the Djalialins every mark of respect,
they wheeled off, without the slightest mark of hesitation,
down an inclined plane leading to the bottom of a
frowning valley, where we descried some tents, looking
like black specks upon a plate of chalk. The attempt
had failed : there was no playing tricks upon the high
and mighty potentate who had done these bandits the
honour of addressing them.
They did not take their departure, however, without
carrying with them a slight memento of our passage.
One of our moukris having lingered behind the caravan
for a few moments, on the road, was accosted by these
hospitable strangers, who invited him to divide with
them every article of personal wardrobe he carried upon
his back—a characteristic specimen of the fraternity
of the desert, little to the taste of the poor moukri, who
rejoined his companions in haste, but equally ashamed
and discontented.
The Arabs, who had for a moment entertained the
550
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
liope of taking us by surprise, belonged to a tribe bearing
the name of Adullam, a very antique appellation, which
we find mentioned in the Bible, precisely under the
same form (oV-iy). Adullam was a city of the tribe
of Judah,* situated in the plain. That the Arabs we
have met derive their name from the Scriptural city
seems unquestionable ; but at the particular spot where
we fell in with them, we were in the centre of the hilly
region of the territory of Judali, and certainly the
Adullam of the Bible could not have been situated
there. Let us not forget, besides, that these are wander¬
ing tribes, carrying their name from place to place over
large tracts of ground. Eusebius tells us that Adullam
was a large hamlet, ten miles distant from Eleutheropolis,
towards the east. Josephus speaks twice of Adullam.
The first time,f on the occasion of David's taking refuge,
when flying from Djitta, in the cavern situated near the
town of Adullam, belonging to the tribe of Judah (irpos
AhovWdfiri jroXei). The second time,J when enumerating
the fortified cities that were first constructed by Keho-
boam, son of Solomon, in the territory of the tribe of
Judah. The name of Adullam is written in this passage
OSoAAa/x«
We have seen that Eusebius places that locality at a
distance of ten miles from Eleutheropolis, in an easterly
direction. St. Jerome states the distance to be twelve
miles. Ileland observes, with sound reasoning, that the
town mentioned by Joshua, amongst the cities of the
tribe of Judah, situated in the plain, cannot possibly
be identified with that which Eusebius places eastward,
* Joshua, xv. 35.
f Ant. J ud. vi. xii. 3.
J Ant. Jud. viii. x. 1.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
551
and at a distance of ten miles from Eleutlieropolis,
because tlie point thus explicitly laid down happens to
be necessarily in the mountains, and not in the plain of
Judah. Have there been two distinct localities, each
called Adullam % This seems to be the most obvious
conclusion. If so, it would be most singular if one of
the two had existed somewhere about the spot where
we encountered the Arabs of the tribe of Adullam, and
if the extensive cave of Er-Ramail should happen to be
the very cave where David took refuge, and from which
he proceeded towards the King of Moab, to seek an
asylum for his family. But these are mere surmises,
the correctness of which cannot be demonstrated, and
which may in reality be very distant from the truth.*
January lith.
This morning when we rise the sky is only threaten¬
ing. The clouds are scattered, and a pale cold sun, like
the sun of the end of October in France, appears at
intervals to throw a half-cheerful gleam upon the sur¬
rounding face of nature. Let us, then, hope that the
day will at least be tolerable, and that we may arrive
early at Hebron, without being thoroughly drenched by
rain. I am the more anxious that it may prove so, as
I have already bitterly reproached myself for my apathy
of yesterday, though I feel that I was not without
excuse. I have determined to resume my topographical
* The fine map of Zimmermann lays down at the very spot where we met
the Adullams, the name Dhullam. There can be no doubt that this is intended
to mean the same Arabs of whom we had the pleasure of casually encountering
a few choice specimens. But which is the correct orthography of their name ?
Until more ample information is procured, I must take the liberty of maintain¬
ing that which T have deduced from my conversations 011 the spot with the
Djalialios, whose territory is contiguous to that of the Adullams.
552
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
survey of the country we are travelling through; and,
with the help of Providence, I will complete my work,
by uniting, as well as I am able, to the remainder of
my map, the country intervening between this place
and Jerusalem.
We are now in the centre of the country of the
Djahalins ; we therefore no longer require the escort of
the faithful tribe, who, after the fatigues they have endured
for so many days, have now but one predominant wish,
that of returning to their tents as soon as possible.
They ask permission to take leave of us this morning.
Their Scheikh, though he feels, for reasons of his own,
but a slight inclination to accompany us to Jerusalem,
has determined to travel with us so far; as much, I am
presumptuous enough to think, through personal regard
for me, as because he is aware our purses are empty,
and that we cannot give him the bakhshish to which
he is entitled until we have paid a visit to our banker.
The question is how to distribute the pay so lawfully
earned by our Djahalins, and we arrange this important
matter before striking our camp. Each receives the
full number of piastres to which he is entitled, and in
addition a new kafieh, with a supply of powder and
ball. Our munificence excites the warm gratitude of
these poor people, who, after having affectionately kissed
our hands all round, hasten away, carrying on their
expressive faces marks of regret at parting with us,
almost equal to their joy at revisiting their own homes.
Before dismissing them I explored the elevated plat¬
form of Djenbeh, and took, as rapidly as possible, a
survey of this interesting spot. At last everything
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
553
is ready, the tents packed, and our luggage loaded on
our mules and horses. We have taken our usually
abstemious morning's meal; and by thirteen minutes
past eight commence our march, in the hope of arriving
in a very few hours at Hebron,
As I had intended, I resumed at starting my topo¬
graphical task of the preceding days. The weather is
cold and disagreeable, but it has not yet begun to rain,
and I can go on with my work, from the moment of
our departure from the encamping ground of Djenbeh.
We proceed in a due northerly direction along the foot
of the hill, on the top of which the town of Djenbeh *
formerly stood. As we reach the northern point of this
hill, we descry, on the right and left banks of the small
ravine we are following, and at the bottom of which is
a running stream, some ruins and several Caves, evi¬
dently excavated in the rock by human hands. A
tolerably large defile then opens before us, running in a
northerly direction, and ascending rapidly. We enter
this pass, in which the stream takes rise that winds
round the base of the hill of Djenbeh, and find it
intercepted, at right angles, by six or seven ancient
walls of the roughest construction. On the left flank
of this defile, the ascent of which is rather difficult,
appear some scattered ruins. Towards the summit, a
long and ancient wall borders the right of our path, on
the flank of the hill on the same side.
* The book of Joshua (xv. 53) mentions a town of Judah, situated on the
mountain, and bearing the name of Jan inn (Dli1). This is the only name
having some analogy, though a very distant one, I confess, with the modern
name of Djenbeh, actually borne by a mass of ruins most certainly contem¬
poraneous with the Biblical times.
554
JOURNEY m SYRIA
Reaching the top of the ascent, by thirty-three
minutes past eight we plunge into another defile, com¬
manded on the left by a hill of no great height, and
having 011 the right a breadth which does not exceed
at first seventy-five yards, and narrows very rapidly
until it becomes contracted to twenty-five yards. From
this spot a steep, almost perpendicular, commences,
dipping down into a very deep valley, called the Ouad-
el-Merked, at the bottom of which we descry some well-
cultivated fields. In this valley there are ruins called
Kharbet-el-Merked, situated exactly at the foot of the
cliff, but we are unable to distinguish them. These
ruins bear nearly due east from Djenbch.
I can discover in the Bible but a single place whose
name presents any analogy to that of El-Merked ; this
is Makkedali, a city of the tribe of Judah,* enumerated
amongst the cities of the plain. This city was con¬
quered by Joshua (x. 28), who put all the inhabitants
to the sword. Eusebius, at the word Mcuc^a, and St.
Jerome, both tell us that this city was eight miles
distant from Eleutlieropolis, to the eastward of that
place, which must have been in the close neighbour¬
hood of the modern Beit-Djibrin, if not 011 the very site
of Beit-Djibrin itself. Josephus, when relating the
exploits of Joshua, calls this same town MaKKr)ba.j- I
am much inclined to believe that our El-Merked is
identical with the Makkedali of the Bible.
By thirty-five minutes past eight we enter a ravine,
running northward, the bottom of which we soon leave,
to march along the flank of the hill 011 the left-hand
* Joshua, xv. 41.
f Ant. Jud. v. i. 17.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
side. By forty minutes past eight we march north¬
west, at a height of about five-and-thirty yards above
the bed of the ravine ; whilst we are still, as the crow
flies, two hundred yards below the summit of the hill
commanding the ravine on the right. By fifty-one
minutes past eight our road turns north-north-west,
then immediately west again, upon a flat three
hundred yards wide, enclosed between two lines of
rather elevated hills. By exactly nine o'clock we are
marching north-west, and are in front of huge ruins
that cover the western face of the hill, on the left hand,
which we have been winding along for the last ten
minutes. These ruins consist of long rows of primitive
walls, crossing each other at right angles, and more
than five hundred yards in length. Resting upon, and
adjoining one of these walls, is a vast quadrangular
enclosure. Beyond, a small plain, five hundred yards
in extent, is strewed with ruins, and approached by
several wide avenues of stones, placed upright, exactly
similar to the king's highways we so often encountered
in the Land of Moab.
These ruins, which it would be very desirable to
examine with care, and at full leisure, are called by the
name of Kliarbet-Omm-el-Arays (the Ruins of the
Bride's Mother). By twelve minutes past nine they are
still lying along the line of our march, and we pass by
a double avenue of stones, in excellent preservation, for
above thirty yards. Then a single avenue, turning to
the north-west, through a small glen, thirty yards wide,
leads up to a circular enclosure, constructed with very
large stones, and crowning the summit of a high cliff,
556
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
which we leave on our left. By twenty-one minutes past
nine we are marching nearly due north. For some time
past large drops of an icy cold rain have annoyed us at
intervals, but soon the clouds, violently impelled by the
westerly wind, gather over our heads ; then they burst
suddenly, and we are half drowned in one of those
Syrian squalls, of which no one can form an adequate
idea unless he has been personally exposed to them. I
am again compelled, sorely against my will, to give up
my topographical survey, and replace in my pocket,
with a sigh, my compass and memorandum-book, making
up my mind, though with a heavy heart, to trust to
memory for preserving the names of the important
localities I may happen to pass through, as well as the
exact time when they cross our route.
Before long I am mentally absolved for my forced
laziness during the remainder of this day's march. The
rain has become so violent, so incessant, and so intensely
cold that the exposure to its fury is a positive torture.
Wrapping ourselves in our caoutchouc cloaks is a useless
defence ; in a few minutes we are soaked through to
our very bones. With difficulty we retain a grasp of
our bridles; the cold has almost deprived us of the use
of our hands and feet. ' I give up the senseless ill-
temper with which for hours I had exclaimed against
the weather; it rains not one drop the less because I
am exasperated; neither do my objurgations diminish
my shivering. But let me do myself justice, never¬
theless. The cold rain and blasts annoyed me less
throughout this bitter day than the irrevocable loss of
notes, in the midst of a country strewed round in all
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
557
directions with the ruins of places celebrated in Holy
Writ, and of which I only obtained a casual glance as
we passed hurriedly along. From that moment I
resolved to retrace my steps once again over this
ground, and to undertake, as soon as the weather would
permit me, an investigation of the entire Land of
Canaan. This resolution once taken, my regret became
more tolerable, and then only I began to rail in real
earnest against the cold and rain for the exclusive evils
they contained in themselves.
Although I had made up my mind to return, I did
not neglect asking the names of all the ruins I encoun¬
tered on the road ; and in this manner I collected the
following notes, the value of which I fully appreciate
now, having been compelled to give up my intended
plan of exploring in detail, and at full leisure, this
interesting country. I had been forced to abandon
my survey at twenty-one minutes past nine. By forty-
eight minutes past nine we passed, distant about a
hundred yards on our right, a hill entirely covered with
ruins ; this hill and these ruins are called the Djebel
and the Kharbet-Mayn.
We find in Joshua (xv, 55), amongst the cities of the
hilly region of Judali, Maon, Carmel, Zipli, and Jutta.
The Maon (pro) mentioned in this verse is certainly
no other place than the Kharbet-Mayn, in front of
which we have just passed. From the tenor of this
verse it appears that Maon was in the vicinity of Carmel
and Zipli, and we shall soon see that this statement is
quite correct. In the first book of Samuel (xxiii, 24
and 25), it is written : "And they arose and went to
558
JOURNEY IK SYRIA
Zipli before Saul; but David and his men were in the
wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of
Jeshimon." "25. Saul also and his men went to
seek him, and they told David : wherefore he came
down, into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of
Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after
David in the wilderness of Maon." Further on we
read again (xxv. 2) : " And there was a man in
Maon whose possessions were in Carmel : and the man
was very great, and he had three thousand sheep
and a thousand goats ; and he was shearing his sheep
in Carmel." These verses taken together tend to prove
again, not only that Maon and Carmel were in the
vicinity of each other, but also that the country in
which Maon was situated was a wilderness. Certainly
this country has not improved since ; it is still an actual
desert, the aspect of which must be most melancholy,
even in fine weather; the reader may judge how it
appeared to me under a cold, drenching rain. Another
word concerning Maon : Eusebius says that this city
was situated in the eastern part of the Daroma ; and it
is essential to remember that this was the name given
to the southern part of the territory of Judali.
By ten o'clock we find ourselves in front of a mound
covered with ruins, distant about a hundred yards to
the right of our road. These ruins are called Kharbet-
Omm-el-Aamid (the Ruins of the Mother of Columns).
It is perfectly evident that this denomination, entirely
modern, can be of no aid to us in the endeavour to
ascertain the original name of this locality.
By fifty minutes past ten we are close to other con-
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
559
siderable remains, the name of which is unknown to the
Arabs accompanying me ; and at last, by exactly
eleven o'clock, we pass directly through the centre of
the ruins of Carmel. A square building of the middle
ages commands from its exceeding height the vast
space occupied by this ancient city. At the foot of
this citadel, the construction of which dates most likely
from the period of the Crusades, are lying several fine
broken shafts of columns, and a capital, which has been
used to ornament the side-post of a gate. A magnificent
cistern is excavated in the rock, at a level a little lower
than that of the flat hill upon which the castle stands.
Streets extend to a considerable distance, having on
both sides contiguous ruins of houses of a very remote
antiquity. A detailed examination of this place could
not fail to produce results of the highest importance.
What I saw of it, was, unfortunately, a hasty glance,
while seeking refuge behind the castle for a few minutes
to shelter myself from the incessant rain by which we
had been pelted without mercy for nearly two hours ;
and even in doing this I had taken good care not to
alight from my horse, for had I done so I should never
have been able to mount again.
Carmel, as we have already stated, is mentioned
amongst the cities of the tribe of Judah,* as being in
the neighbourhood of Maon. The present ruins of
Maon and Carmel are distant from each other little
more than the interval of an hour's march ; that is to
say, about a league and a half, or two leagues at the
utmost (between four and six English miles.) This
* Joshua, xv. 55.
560
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
town continued to maintain its importance down to
the period of the Roman dominion, and even to a late
date under that empire ; for we read in the " Notitia
Dignitatum Imperii :" Equites scutarii Illyriciani
Chermulce. (" The Illyrian cavalry, with the shield
armour, were garrisoned in Chermula,") which is
unquestionably identical with our Carmel : and,
accordingly, Eusebius, in his Onomasticon, at the word
KapurjXos, tells us that a Roman garrison was stationed
at that place.
Leaving Carmel, we fall in again with enormous
avenues of stones, of exactly the same description as
those we saw in the Land of Moab, with this
difference, that the blocks employed are no longer
composed of lava. These avenues appear on every
side, intersecting the ground right and left of the road
we are following, which is here a well-defined track;
they wind along the flanks of the hills, and descend
into valleys planted with a small kind of ilex or holm-
oak. All around may be seen remains and fragments
of a very early period. For instance, an hour after
having left Carmel, we pass through the ruins of a
city ; but we have neither leisure nor courage enough
to examine them. Only one object attracts our atten¬
tion as we pass ; a well, hewn in the rock, with a brim
and trough, both cut out of a single mass. This well
is evidently of the highest antiquity ; but I find it
impossible to ascertain the name of the town. Every
man in the caravan moves on, thinking of himself alone,
wrapped up, as closely as possible, in whatever he
can think of, to screen himself from the cold and rain.
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
561
It is quite useless to address a question to our Arabs ;
they either cannot hear, or more probably they do not
choose to listen, for fear tliey should be obliged to give
me a decided answer. This horrible day is our retreat
from Moscow, and has entirely routed our little army.
A few paces further on, a hillock is pointed out to me,
distant a few hundred yards to the right of our road,
and covered with ruins. This is Ziph, whose original
name (p^) has not undergone the slightest alteration.
The 55th verse of chapter xv. of Joshua, as the
reader will remember, only contains the four names,
Maon, Carmel, Ziph, and Juttah. We might suppose
that these places would have been enumerated in
this verse in the same order as that in which they
are situated in the land, proceeding from south to
north. But in that case Juttah should be looked for
to the north of Ziph, which is contrary to the relative
position of both. Zimmermann's map lays down
towards this point a single place called Jukin ; and,
notwithstanding that the two names begin with the
same syllable, it would be difficult to find any
identity between the biblical Juttah and the modern
Jukin. This becomes, also, the more difficult when
we consider that Juttah still exists at no great
distance westward of Carmel, but very far from and
to the south-south-west of Ziph.
The name of Ziph is applied in common to two
scriptural localities of the tribe of Judah. We find *
at the southern extremity of the territory of Judah,
and in the vicinity of Adadah and Kedesh, a place
vor,. l.
* Joshua, xv. 24.
o o
502
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
called Ziph, which evidently cannot be confounded with
the one situated in the vicinity of Hebron and Carmel.
Eusebius tells us that this last town (of the name of
Ziph) was eight miles distant from Hebron, in the
Daroma ; but the figures seem to me to have under¬
gone some alteration, and I believe the number of
miles to be exaggerated. Josephus * mentions Ziph
under the name of Supa as amongst the first towns
which Relioboam, the son of Solomon, ordered to be
fortified in the land of Judah. We read in the same
book another passage, which is extremely important.f
It tells us that David, after having started from the
solitude above En-Gedi (Ez>yebalv), came into the
country of Ziph (tijs hicpijvris), to a place called lvsene
(d? Ttva Toirov Kaun)i> KaXovfiivrjv). I am much tempted
to look for the Kaene of Josephus in the modern Jukin,
situated so close to Ziph.
The country of Ziph was far from flourishing at the
scriptural period, for we read in Samuel (Book I.,
xxiii.) : "14. And David abode in the wilderness in
strongholds, and remained in a mountain in the wilder¬
ness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but
God delivered him not into his hand." " 15. And
David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life :
and David was in the wilderness of Ziph, in a wood "
at Harsah (nunm).;}; Lastly (chap, xxiii. v. 19), we
read again : " Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to
* Ant. Jud. viii. s. 1. + Ant. Jud. vi. xiii. 2.
X I give here an observation of Cohen's concerning this name :—" According
to some people, this is the name of a place in the desert of Ziph at Horscha ;
but, according to the Chaldean version, this word means forest, in the desert
of Ziph, in the forest," or, accoz-ding to the English received version, " in a wood."
The abundant holm-oaks covci'ing the sides of the valleys throughout this tract
of country render this version extremely probable.
AND HOUND THE DEAD SKA.
563
Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with
us in strongholds in the wood (at Harsah), in the
hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon V'
(or of the desert, for the word Jeshimon lias also
that signification.)
Beginning from the spot where we are in sight of
the ruins of Ziph, we enter a mountainous, green-
looking, well-wooded country. All the hill-sides are
covered with holm-oaks. Many ruins appear every¬
where along the road, and from time to time we
spy on the heights some Arabs watching numerous
flocks of sheep and goats. The weather has not
cleared, but quite the contrary. The nearer we
approach Hebron, the rain has become more diluvian.
At last, by one o'clock, after having passed in front of
a miserable-looking building, bearing the pompous
name of Lazaretto, and also an immense cistern hewn
in the rock, between a vast Mussulman burying-ground
and the western point of the town, we enter Hebron
by a small postern, giving access to a street, narrower,
dirtier, worse paved, and more winding than even
the streets of Jerusalem ; it is, in fact, a deformed
repetition of Naplouse.
Under the guidance of Matteo, we went to take up
our quarters in a small, cold, damp house, but tolerably
clean, where we heartily congratulated ourselves on
our arrival. An immense brazier, full of burning
charcoal, is brought to us in a few moments ; we
hasten to throw off the clothes which the rain has
thoroughly penetrated, and occasioned to adhere to
our bodies, and dry ourselves as quickly as we can.
561
JOURNEY IN SYRIA
with the door wide open ; a necessary precaution, to
avoid being suffocated by the effects of the charcoal.
We take a hasty breakfast, drinking much coffee, and
smoking many chibouks, and in about an hour feel
ourselves considerably refreshed. It was high time, for
since the morning our spirits had declined lamentably
towards the point of zero.
As it is impossible to stir a foot out of doors, and
we have been sufficiently drenched for the day, we
give up all idea of examining Hebron at present,
the more willingly that we purpose repeating our
visit ; another instance, as it often happens, in proof
of the superior wisdom we should have evinced in
bearing the rain a few minutes longer, so as to obtain
at least a general idea of the aspect of this city. What
knowledge I could obtain amounts to little. Hebron
occupies the bottom of a tolerably wide valley, the sides
of which are planted with vineyards and fine olive-
trees. To the eastward the town rises a little on the
side of the hill, on which stands the mosque, inaccessible
to all but Mussulmen. It is said that this mosque
contains the celebrated vault of Machpelah, in which
was interred the bodies of Sarah, and the patriarchs
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Let me dwell for a few moments on the origin of
Hebron ; a town frequently named by the sacred
historians. We read in Genesis (xxiii. 2) : " And
Sarah died in Kirjath-arba ; the same is Hebron, in
the land of Canaan ; and Abraham came to mourn for
Sarah, and to weep for her." "19. And after this
Abraham buried Sarah his wife, in the cave of the field
AND ROUND THE DEAD SEA.
565
of Machpelah, before Mamre ; the same is Hebron, in
the land of Canaan." " 20. And the field, and the cave
that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a
possession of a burying-place by the sons of Hetli."
The plain of Mamre is mentioned in another passage.*
" Then Abraham removed his tent, and came and dwelt
in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built
there an altar unto the Lord." From the concordance
of these two passages, an evident conclusion results,
that the plain of Mamre was precisely the site of the
eastern portion of the present town of Hebron. And,
lastly, the vale of Hebron is mentioned again in the
! 4th verse of chapter xxxvii. of Genesis.
The antiquity of the city of Hebron is determined
by a scriptural passage : f "Now Hebron was built
seven years before Zoan, in Egypt." Zoan, or Tsaan, is
unquestionably the same as Tanis ; but, unfortunately,
this text docs not state when Tanis was built. Hebron
was given as an inheritance to Caleb, son of Jephunneh.|
The Bible tells us also that Kirjath-arba, which is
Hebron, on the mountain, was chosen for one of the
cities of refuge.§ And, lastly, the great piscina, or pond,
which we noticed on our entrance into Hebron, is also
mentioned in the Bible ; for we read : || "And David
commanded his young men, and they slew them ; and
cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up
over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of
Ish-bosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner,
in Hebron." A fish-pond, like the piscina which exist
Genesis, xiii. IS. + Numbers., xiii. 22. J Joshua, xiv. 13, 14.
§ Joshua, xx. 7. || II. Samuel, iv. 12.
560
.TOURNEY IN SYRIA
at Hebron in the present day, was unquestionably there
at a very remote period.
An entire chapter might be written on the history
of Hebron, bringing together in proper order all the
facts dispersed through the Bible and in the sacred
and profane writings ; but as such an undertaking
would exceed the limit I have proposed for this work,
I must therefore rest contented with referring the
reader to the original sources ; besides which, Reland
has collected, in refereuce to the word Chebron, the
greater portion of the passages which might be quoted
here. I therefore dispense with the repetition of
a summary which has already been given from a higher
authority, and with deeper scientific research than I
can possibly claim for myself. I shall merely remark,
in conclusion, that Hebron has received from the
Mussulmen the name of El-Khalil (the friend or beloved
of the Lord), in commemoration of the patriarch
Abraham, who bears especially amongst them the name
of El-Khalil.
Towards the close of the day we were visited by a
high and mighty chieftain, who was introduced to us
by the Scheikhs Abou-Daouk and Ham dan. This is no
less a personage than the Scheikh Abd-Allah. who
exercises a sovereignty nearly absolute over all the
Arabian tribes dispersed through the country of Hebron.
He is extremely polite and obliging in his offers of
service, in case we should be disposed to return to
Hebron, and to establish there our head-quarters,
with the intention of exploring the neighbouring
country. We accept his proffered civilities with
AND ROUXIJ THE DEAD SEA.
567
deep gratitude, and fully intend taking advantage
of the favourable disposition of this distinguished
potentate.
To-day I have presented to our excellent friend
Ilamdan a tolerably good sword, ray first-rate double-
barrelled gun, and ray pocket-pistols, in token of ray
gratitude for his faithful services. The honest Scheikh
can scarcely restrain the overwhelming joy which over¬
powers him, and has a hard struggle to maintain the
cold and dignified bearing imperiously commanded by
Arab decorum under all circumstances, whether of
happiness or misfortune. It is perfectly evident that
we have powerfully stimulated the pride of the Scheikh
of the Thaameras by placing in his hands these fine
specimens of arms, which he will soon contrive to put
out of order, but which nevertheless will still continue
to excite the admiration of all the Bedouins he may
ever after meet with.
The fatigue of the day's march has been such that
we are all anxious to retire to rest. Dinner and notes
are soon despatched, and then every man stretches
himself upon his cot, with the joyful reflection that
to-morrow we shall once more re-enter Jerusalem.
Before dinner, Matteo brought to me a kind of small
box or chest of white marble, having the form of a
sarcophagus, and bearing on one of its faces a double
cross, with arms of equal length. This kind of funeral
urn, with three compartments, is the property of our
host. According to his account, it was discovered in
one of the numerous sepulchral caves excavated on the
sides of the hills that surround Hebron. I feel some
50>8
JOURNEY IN SYRIA.
longing to purchase the curious relic, but I suspect
the possessor is likely to sot too high a value upon it,
judging by the admiration he loudly expresses. How¬
ever, after some negotiation, carried on by Matteo, I
succeed in purchasing the urn for sixty piastres, upon
which, most likely, Matteo has levied a lawful tithe,
after the established custom of every dragoman in all
bargains concluded for his employer.
ENT) OF VOL. I.
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