Norris: Diary, January - May, 1905

February Friday 10 1905

id-Dêr 8:30 A.M. Temp. 46 ° Baro S. 26.77 Baro L. 27.09 nimbus & stratus all, calm. Rainy day-in light showers. B & L. went to Khuraiyib in afternoon - a ruined town of small medium size on S. side of Wadi Butm. 25 mins. East of id-Dêr Bath id-Dêr & Khuraiyib are in the midst of a sea of plowed fields belonging to the people of Bosra.

February Saturday 11 1905

id-Dêr - nimbus all - rainy night in light showers. light var?.

a steady light rain all day.

Broke camp about 9:30 A.M. and went N. on road 1/2 hour to Bosra. It was very muddy. We arrived ahead of the camp and took refuge out of the rain in the house of our guide Mohammed il-Mizzâwī which house consisted of a room some 15 x 10 ft. built under one of the ancient arches of the ruins of the bazaar, and plastered inside like most houses in this country with a mixture of mud & dung. We were seated on rugs & awaited the arrival of the camp. The mules with their heavy loads had a hard time many in fact most of them were mired. The largest and strongest mule of the lot, the one who always leads the caravan, gaily comparisoned with a beautiful wide collar of colored beads and a bell, went into the mud up to his mouth and it look? and hour or more with the aid of carpets to dig him out. At last the camp arrived and was pitched in a field of soft mud. The men working in the rain & mud were completely covered with mud so that they were hardly recognizable - their hair, faces, & clothing all the same color - a dark brown. It was necessary to wade in rubber boots from one tent to another, each foot carrying a load of pounds of the rich dark soil. But by five o'clock, at which time we have our tea the camp was in order and tea ready as usual, At 7:15 we sat down to our usual dinner, served in the usual way - soup, entré, meat course, desert, coffee, nuts & raisens?. & bottle of red wine. It was perfectly wonderful. Every body solicitous for our comfort and making almost superhuman efforts so that the great gentlemen would not be inconvenienced any more than absolutely necessary. Our guide is a very handsome man with a black beard & long hair over his shoulders. He looks exactly like the Christ. cont'd. Feb. 12th.

February 12 Lincoln's Birthday 1905

Bosra 9:00 A.M. Temp 42 ° Baro S. 26.72 Baro L 27.03 nimbus all - rainy night. calm to light var. clouds moving E. to N.E.

Mohammed, our guide (continued) He is newly married to a Beduin women, young & good looking but with her face tatooed all over. The Beduins or Nomads consider people who live in houses as beneath them, and speak scornfully of the Hauranī (Ḥawârineh, plural) who live in villages of the Hauran plain. Mohammed's wife was an orphan without brothers and so M. bought her from her uncle and got her cheap. The chief of her tribe was very angry when he heard about it and made one or two attempts to kill M. His life was so much in danger, that he loaded a camel with rice and sugar, and stole up to the Arabs tent unawares, presented the peace offering and craving pardon. Of course his prayers were granted, and now he lives in peace and happiness with his bride. You know it is the custom among the Arabs, that if your worst enemy, even a man that has killed your son, can get near enough to your tent to touch the ropes, he is safe and must be treated as a guest and given food, shelter and protection. He is also safe from harm as far as you are concerned for 3 1/3 days after leaving. After that time all of your bread which he has eaten is supposed to have passed out of his system, and then you are priveleged to renew hostilities.

Rec'd. to-day letters from Father, Mother, Marian Thompson, Mrs. Gus Holly Jr. Clarence Porter, & University Club notifying me of my expulsion for non-payment of dues - nice state of affairs. - Poor Gus has rest at last. How much he deserves it! His wife's letter the most beautiful I have ever received.

February Monday 13 1905

Bosra, 9:00 A.M. Temp. 46 ° Baro. S 26.75 Baro. L 27.045 nimbus all. clearing & 1/2 cumulus all day - clear at sunset.

Left Bosra 1:13 going W.S.W. on paved Roman Road through plowed fields, rolling country passing id-Dêr 1/2 mile to S. of Road, Arrived Kôm il-Bezâyiz 2:17 as the name Kôm, indicated a small hill with pile of stones - a completely ruined small settlement foundations alone remaining. Left 2:39 going W. for 5 mins. to il-Bezâyiz, a medium size ruined town completely rebuilt in medeival times and situated in centre of plowed fields. Left 3:34 going W.N.W. arriving 4:00 Hammâs a ruin of a small square very ancient fortified town with large birkeh on N. side. Ghasm estimated 1 1/2 miles to N.W. Left 4:35 going E. on ancient road, arriving Bosra 5:55.

pace all way estimated as 2 3/4 miles per hour. Way straight Roads medium, country rolling - Guide mounted.

February Tuesday 14 1905

Bosra, 8:00 A.M. Temp. 44 ° Baro. S. 26.66 Baro. L. 26.97 nimbus all #2 to #3 Breeze E. to S.E. Cleared by 12:00 Noon.

B & N. left Bosra 9:35 going E.N.E. passing il-Maḥḍak 10:30 crossing Wadi Zêdī there and recrossing at Ḥuzḥuz arriving there 11:40. Ḥuzḥuz is on the E. bank of Wadi Zêdī, and is a small ruin (complete) of a very ancient fortified town. 1 mile to S.E. is Ḳuraiyeh in same line beyond is Kȧlat Ṣalkhard. Left 1:15 going W. arrive 2:20 summit of hill 150 ft. high on top of which is a small Druse Welī place called Welī iz-Zaḳḳâḳ. Left 2:47 going S.W. arriving Bosra 4:30. Way bad, wadi is swollen making fording difficult, plowed fields very soft and only free from snow for two or three days. pace 2 1/2 miles per hour, G.M. 1/3 to 1/2 mile to N.N.E. of Welī iz-Zaḳḳâḳ is a completely ruined medium sized town evidently old but seen fairly well through telescope only. It is situated on top of a hill.