Norris: Diary, January - May, 1905

February Sunday 5 1905

Ṣabḥah 9:45 A.M. Temp 48 ° Baro. S 26.63 Baro L. 27.00 Cumulus & nimbus clouds 1/2 #1 to #2 Breeze S.

All last night & all to-day, the Beduins have been assembling here. Their tents are pitched all around us in the ruins, and many more are camped at Ṣubḥîyeh. They have been drived north by the Beduins of the Belḳā who have stolen many of their sheep. We are surrounded by the sounds of barking dogs, bahing lambs, bellowing camels & crying children. The Arabs seem to be friendly. Wether they are assembling here for protection or wether they are going to give battle to their enemies, and are massing for that reason I do not know. They are very uncommunicative. Some 40 horsemen came in this morning and just now a band with 15 camels & 3 donkeys pitched their tents along side of us. There was no confusions no noise - the camels sat down were unloaded & turned out to pasture. The women started to work and in 1/2 hour or less they seemed to be settled with tents up, fire going and everything in order. We are camped in a Beduin burying ground. There is a grave right at the entrance to my tent and I have stumbled over it 2 or 3 times in the dark while comming? in or going out. Fortunately however I have smelled no ordors to indicate that there are fresh dead here. As I think I have stated before the Arabs do not bury their dead, no put them in coffins, but dress them in a shroud, lay them on the ground and then cover them with about two to four inches of earth and then pile stones around and over, making a kind of mound. If not warned away by the stench, one is apt to stumble on a pile of stones and see a corpse pearing up at him through the cracks. Very often - in fact I think in the majority of cases - the jackalls & hyeinas pry off the stones and cary away the carcasses to their lairs and eat them, so that

February Monday 6 1905

Ṣabḥah 9:00 A.M. Temp. 40 ° Baro. S. 26.71 Baro. L. 27.01

light rain during night at intervals. Nimbus clouds all light air W. In reference to remarks under Feb. 1st., the Beduin camped here state that the bath to the E. is called Ḥammâm iṣ Ṣarakh and the castle on hill to west is called Ḳoṣêr il-Ḥallabât, which is as it should be.

This is a cold dark rainy day.

While I am writing my tent is surrounded about 100 little lambs who are smelling the canvass and seem very curious and hungry too judging by their crys. They are from 2 weeks to 2 days old.

At night after dinner there were 6 or 8 Beduins around the kitchen tent singing & dancing having a jolly good time.

February Tuesday 7 1905

Ṣabḥah 7:45 A.M. Temp. 35 ° Baro. S. 26.74 Baro. L. 27.06

Clear, Calm. Hoar Frost - Thin ice.

February Wednesday 8 1905

Ṣabḥah 8:00 A.M. Temp. 42 ° Baro. S. 26.56 Baro. L. 26.87

Clear #2 Breeze E Blew all night

Left Ṣabḥah 8:40 going E. by S. toward Bât, following S. side of Wadi 'Âkib, arrive 9:23 il-Khân/Khân il-Kedîsh on Wadi 'Âkil, S. side, a small completely ruined group of buildings. Left 9:35 going same direction arrived 9:58 ir-Rukês a small rounded hill on S. side of Wadi A. which at this place turns to N. E. no ruins or bldgs. but signs of fortification very ancient. Left 10:20 going E by S. Bât 5 ° to Rt. of our course. Arrived 10:49 Sa'âdeh a small group of ruined bldgs. 3/5 mile S. of Tell between which and Sa'âdeh flows Wadi A. Many Druse out plowing Tell.

Left 11:18 going S.S.W. rolling desert gradual descent arrived 12:09 id-Defyâneh a small ruined town. Umm il-Kutten is E by S. 2 1/2 miles from here. Left 2:28 going N.W. arriving Ṣabḥah 3:28. Rolling desert country all day, way good; guide mounted, pace 2 3/4 miles. Many Arabs and flocks on the route.

While at Sa'âdeh at which place there were 10 or 12 Arab tents, an argument arose between our guide, Moḥammed il-Mizzâwī who is an Haurani from Basra, and an Arab. Our dragoman like a fool took a Winchester and rushed over to the Arab's tent where the argument was taking place just as if a rifle was a good weapon at close quarters. As he arrived on the scene one of the women rushed up to him and grabbed the rifle in both hands and hanging on to it for dear life keeping herself between the Arab and the dragoman. - Such is woman's bravery the world over. When their loved ones are in danger they never think of them selves. It may be that they know that 99 men out of a hundred wouldn't hurt them anyway, but I doubt if that is considered by them at such a time as this. The fight was only verbal like

contd

February Thursday 9 1905

Ṣabḥah 7:15 A.M. Temp. 37 ° Baro. S 26.49 Baro. L. 26.79

Nimbus all. Light S.S.W. air

Broke camp & left Ṣabḥah 8:38 going N. arrived 9:09 Miksar or (Miksar Ghenêm) a small completely ruin place of no interest or importance, Left 9:24 same direction arrived 9:35 Kharâb is-Sakhl, a small hill with evidences of a very ancient fortified town completely ruined. not important. Left 9:58 same direction arrived 10:30 Ḳasîl, a ruined town, medium size with signs of successive Nabitean?, Christian and Moslem occupancy.

Left Ḳasîl 11:28 going N.W. arrived Simdj 12:30 no stop. except by L. for 8 mins. arrived id-Dêr 1:40.

Ways straight, rolling country, to Ḳasîl. Ḳasîl to Simdj an ancient road. Simdj to id-Dêr over plowed fields very muddy. Guide mounted. Pace all way approx. 2 3/4 miles.

Most disagreeable day, continuous rain, hail, and snow from Miksar on. #2 Breeze S. to S.W. cold, wet, muddy. Camp pitched in wet field in rain. Max. Temp. all day 40 °F.