Norris: Diary, January - May, 1905

January Thursday 26 1905

Umm idj-Djimâl 8:30 A.M. Temp 32 ° Baro S 27.34 " L. 27.70

1 in of ice during Clear, Calm moonlight night. Temp. before daylight was 20 °F. - Ground frozen.

Calm to light S.E. air clear.

Some muleteers? whom we sent to the village of Simdj to-day report that they were told that the Druse who were here on the 21st inst. came for the purpose of raiding us expecting to rob us of all our horses & mules & all the gold that they believed we had taken out of the ground, but that they were afraid of the consequences at the last minute and backed out. They were told by our Beduin guide that we were armed with guns that could fire ten shots to their one.

While surveying one of the deserted streets of the city to-day I was surrenly? aroused by the report of a gun close to me. Upon investigating I found an Arab hunting a bird. It seems as if there was more shooting of guns in this country than in any other I have seen, this experience, being only one of many similiar? ones. Having already been shot twice in my life I am rather "gun-shy".

We worked in the dining tent as usual after dinner until 11 o'clock and then took a smoke and had a little social chat. Then bidding each other good night, we came outside to go to our respective sleeping tents. The night was clear and calm and freezing cold. There was not a sound as the moon slowly peeped from behing a clusted? of ruined walls to the east, throwing its pale white light on the canvass of our little cluster of tents, pitched at the south end of a large open place surrounded by ruins, which we call "the park". We stopped a moment to admire the scene, when softly through the air came the strains of the Pilgrims

January Friday 27 1905

Umm idj-Djimâl 8:30 A.M. Temp 42 ° Baro. S 27.34 " L 27.68 Clear, Calm. Heavy hoar frost - 1/4 " ice during night.

January Saturday 28 1905

Umm idj-Djimâl 8:45 A.M. Temp 39 1/2 ° Baro. S 27.30 " L. 27.62

Stratus & Cirrus all # 4 Breeze E.S.E. thin ice at night.

Slight flurry of snow about 11:00 A.M. - few flakes only.

January Sunday 29 1905

Umm idj-Djimâl 9:00 A.M. Temp 39 1/2 ° Baro. S 27.25 " L 27.60

Clear # 3 Breeze E.S.E.

1/4 " ice at night

I have been printing my note instead of writing them in script because it is easier for me, as most of my writing is done in a temperature of from 25 ° to 40 °F. and my hands are stiff with cold, besides being frost - bitten. My pen is generally handled with gloves on.

My feet have also been frost-bitten, and I have suffered terribly with chill blains ever since Dec. 4th.

Our water at this place is very bad, greenish yellow in color like Absynthe. It is taken from little pools in dry wadis. We have exhausted several of these pools and now go two hours to the S.E. to the Wadi Arkib where there is plenty of water along the river in pools - The river is not now flowing but evidently has been.

January Monday 30 1905

Umm idj-Djimâl 8:00 A.M. Temp 31 ° Baro. S 27.15 " L 27.51

Clear, calm. Ice at night. 1/4 in.

B & L. with Bschara, B's servant, George the dragoman and one muleteer left this morning for a ruin some hours to the S. which B. had seen yesterday from a nearby rise of ground. I stayed here to finish up my surveying. After lunch I was told by a very much worried head muleteer that he had sent the horses & mules to water at 9 o'clock in the morning and that they had not returned at 1:30. He feared that the Druse or Arabs had swooped down on the herd attended by only three unarmed men, and made off with them. I was about to start out with Joseph and two Winchesters in search of them when they hove? in sight.

It got dark & B & L. had not returned, so we had a lantern placed on the top of a wall in the most prominent place for them to see - a light house in the desert. They arrived in about an hour but nearly missed the town at that for they were passing it nearly 1/2 mile to the W. when they suddenly spied the light and changed their course.

During the night we had an unwelcome visitor to camp in the shape of a hyeina? who prowled around the tents and frightened our watch dog who only had nerve enough to growl quietly. A dog will not tackle a hyiena?. The animal had probtably? been attracted to the camp by the smell of a sheep we had slaughtered.

Ever since I arrived here I have been hoping to hear a hyeina? growl in the ruins or to see one in the moon light, because it would make such an attractive subject for the story of the place, and now at the very last moment my wishes have been fullfilled?.