Princeton Expeditions to Syria (1899, 1904-1905, 1909)

January 13, 1905

il-Umtā'îyeh 7:45 A.M. Temp. 42° Baro. S. 27.37 " L. 27.64 #1 Breeze S.E. stratus clouds & cirrus over sky but clear to N. Breeze & clouds increasing - Rain began 12:30 drizzle until 9:00 P.M. Breeze S.S.E. #3 to #5.

Left il-Umtā'îyeh 8:43 A.M. going S by E over rolling country crossing Wadi Butm 9:31. Arrived Umm is-Surab 9:54, An uninhibited ruined town with 5 different clusters of ruins seperated from each other in different directions, by distances varying from 100 to 400 ft. & with 2 other isolated ruins.

While exploring one of the clusters alone, I saw an Arab walking toward one of the other clusters, & so called to my servant to run and intercept him for the purpose of asking him some questions about local geographical names. When the servant was within some 70 ft. of him, the Arab stopped very much frightened and commanded Peter to keep his distance. Peter much amused that the man should be frightened at him, laughed aloud and made toward him at which the man ran a little way with Peter chasing him, by he was too fleet footed to be caught, and so Peter stopped and tried to coax him as if he were a horse, advancing toward him slowly one step at a time, and saying that we were friends. Then the Arab drew a revolver, holding Peter at his distance & threatening to shoot if he came any nearer. A Moslem guide whom we had taken with us from Bosra, then appeared upon the scene, and the Arab seeing him asked that the Haurânī as they call the people of the Haurân plain that live in villages, come near and he would speak to him. Pointing his revolver at the two men he kept them at a distance of about 50 ft. both men convulsed with

January 14, 1905

is-Summāḳiyât 9:00 A.M. Temp. 43 ° Baro. S 26.88 Baro. L. 27.13

Nimbus clouds going E. Breeze varying from #1 to #4 and from S. by E. to W. - through S. Light drizzle for 4 hours in afternoon What would be called a cold, damp, chilly rainy day. Moon & stars shining brightly in clear sky from 8 P.M. to 10 P.M. & then it clouded up again, clouds coming from W. Rainbow, partly double for 1/2 hr. from 4:00 P.M. Sunset cloudy.

is-Summāḳiyât, a town divided into 2 parts by a branch of Wadi Butm, one part N.W. of the other. There are ruins, and numerous inscriptions, mostly funereal, many in situ in old burying places to the E. of both parts of town. 10 Moslem, 15 Christian families.

B. & L worked most of day.

B. left camp about 11:15 A.M. with 2 servants & Haurânī guide returning to Umm is-Surab for the purpose of getting more measurements of ruins & to make a squeeze of a Nabataean inscription. It took him 1 hour trotting & cantering most of way. He left there at 3:10 for camp.

The guide was afraid of robbers, and while at Umm is-Surab, seeing four horsemen at a distance, climbed to the top of the church tower, and watched them anxiously for some time, crouched low & out of their sight behind some stones. At last he descend & said that thank God they were going in a different direction than toward us. Poor fellow, he had lived all his life in fear, in this border land without law, Druse to the E. and wild Arab tribes to the S., both at his very door. What a way to go through life!