Norris: Diary, January - May, 1905

January 6, 1905

Bosra 8:00 A.M. nimbus clouds. S to W. wind #2 Temp. 48 °F. Baro. S 26.85 Rain in heay drizzle for about 3 hours. in afternoon.

Cleared up 9:00 P.M. stars out.

Received call from the Mudîr & four of his sons & the commander of the garrison of 50 soldiers here.

Returned their calls in afternoon

January 7, 1905

Bosra 8:00 A.M. clear, calm, Temp 38 °F. Baro. S 26.90 clouds cirrus & stratus gradually increasing all day - Calm.

The Turkish commander of the soldiers called in the morning and was given some Brandy which he had hinted that he would not refuse when we saw him yesterday. He said that there wasn't a drop of spirits in this place - not even enough for God himself if he ever came here. He asked me if I had received money for attending the man who was stabbed on Nov. 5th and who, by the way, recovered. I told him I never took money from anybody and then he said that the Mudîr had collected 4 Mejîdi from the poor devil as my fee. a Mejîdi id about 80 cents. A Jew would starve to death here. I am now much wiser and understand why the chiefs of so many villages have brought their poor fellow townsmen to me to be healed. It seems evident that they collected money from the poor things as my fee, representing themselves as the "go-between" the patient and the "English Doctor" who was a very high person, and could not take money directly. Can you beat this?

I learn today that the son of the poor Beduin mentioned Nov. 7th died and the father is trying to get enough money to pay for his dead son's shroud. I gave him the price - 31 piastres - about $1.40

January 8, 1905

Bosra 10:00 A.M. Temp 53 °F . Baro. S. 26.75 Baro. L 27.02 Stratus Clouds. 1/2 - Calm.

Fine sunset. Horizon near - slight rise of ground in front the cause - and all below was black, piles of stones, all that remained of what was once a mass of building in the ancient city with every outline [silhouetted] against a brilliant gold sky which shaded up to clear blue in which shining brightly was a new moon and the evening star. To the right a stretch of cloud shading from a greyish lavender to a purple with the ruins of a mosque - its square minaret standing ^ in deep shadow ^ in the foreground.

January 9, 1905

Bosra 7:30 A.M. Temp. 34 1/2 °F. Baro. S. 26.72 Baro. L. 27.00 calm, clear Hoar Frost

Left Bosra going little N. of W. 8:43 Arrived il-Ma'arbeh 9:46 medium size village Moh. & Christ. of S. side of Wadi Zedi which bends at this point from W. to S.W. some ruins of private houses in best [Hauran|Haurân] style & ruins of (church ?). Natives friendly.

Left il-Ma'arbeh 11:58 going W. (Wadi iz-Zêdī to N.) stopped for lunch 12:30 to 1:40 on bank of Wadi iz-Zêdī grass green, numerous Asphodil growing & up 8 in high. Lava outcropping. - Very fine Sarcopagis in il Ma'arbeh

Arrived Ghaṣm 1:50 on S. side of Wadi iz-Zêdī (m. size village M. & C.) ruins, but unimportant - Natives friendly.

Left Ghaṣm 2:53 going S.W. arrived Ṣuhb 3:13 pile of stones practically all that is left of a small village.

Left Ṣuhb from cent. of which S side of castle at Bosra & S. side of Kal'at Ṣalkhad were in line of collomation; left Ṣuhb 3:25 going S.W. arrived camp at il-Umtā'îyeh (all Moslem) 4:40 pop. est. 200 Ruins.

Roads Very good & hard, Straigh [sic-straight] & nearly level, county [sic-country] rolling but we very gradually descended. Guide mounted - estimated pace 3 1/4 miles per hour.

Travelled all the afternoon with sun in our faces, & gentle southerly breeze.

il-Umtā'îyeh is the place incorrectly called Umm idj - Djimâl es Saghîreh on some maps. (P.E.F.)

January 10, 1905

il-Umtā'îyeh 8:00 A.M. Baro. S 27.32 Baro. L 27.57 Temp. 45 °F. nimbus clouds, light rain. #2 Breeze S. rain fall very light - not enough to make mud - rain stopped 8:00 A.M. gradually clearning conditions in morning - occasional sunshine, all kinds of clouds nearly, Cirrus, Cumulus, Stratus. I have observed numerous times that in this part of the country Latitude 32°30' seems to be about the southerly limit of much rain fall & that in the rainy season, the periodic storms from the West pass N. of this Latitude. What look like heavy clouds are often seen to the N. while there is clear sky at the Southern horizon. Also when there are disturbed or unsettled weather conditions the wind is from a Southerly quarter indicating that it is being sucked in by the vacuum in the wake of storms passing to the N.E. The high mountain ranges to the N. & N.E. also add in drawing cyclones toward them. The clouds now overhead are coming from the W. & then drawing to the N. Baro. L 27.51 Temp. 56 °F. Time 1:00 P.M. 9:00 P.M. clear stars & moon brilliant. Lightning in N. 9:00 P.M. to 10 P.M. ?

One of our Moslem guides gave a funny performance in the moonlight dressed up in sheepskins to resemble a bear & with a mule bell around his tail. He was lied [sic-tied] by the nose to the tail of a donkey from ^ which ^ was hanging some 15 large bells which made a terrible din. The Moslem sang very well two Bagdad songs - not without merit. He kept up his antics for about an hour il-Umtā'îyeh is supplied with water taken from Wâdī iz-Zêdī at a point just to E. of Ghaṣm & run in ditches to a birket. They also take water in ditches from Wadi Butm from a point to S.E. which point is about ^ 1/2 hr. ^ N. of is-Summāḳiyât., at place called