Remtha Is The
Last Inhabited Village On This Side Of The Haoun:
The greater part of
its houses are built against the caverns, with which this calcareous
country abounds; so that the rock forms the back of the house, while the
other sides are enclosed by a semicircular mud wall whose extremities
touch the rock.
May 1st.--From Remtha I wished to cross the mountains directly to
Djerash, which, I had reason to believe, was not more than seven
WADY WARRAN.
[p.248]or eight hours distant. It was with difficulty that I found a
guide, because I refused to be answerable for the value of the man's
horse and gun, in case we should be plundered by Arab robbers. A sum of
twelve piastres, however, at last tempted one of the Fellahs, and we
rode off late in the morning, our road lying toward the southern
mountains, in a direction S. by W. Remtha is on the boundary line of the
Haouran; which to the south-eastward runs by Om el Djemal and Szamma,
two ruined towns. The district bordering upon the Haouran in this part
is called Ezzoueit [Arabic], and stretches across the mountain nearly as
far as Djerash. To the E. of Remtha runs a chain of low hills, called
Ezzemle [Arabic], extending towards the S.E. nearly to Kalaat Mefrek, a
ruined castle situated on the eastern extremity of Djebel Zoueit. At one
hour and a quarter, brisk walking of our horses, we saw to the right, or
west, about one hour distant, the ruins of a town called Eszereikh
[Arabic], at the foot of Djebel Beni Obeyd. From thence the village of
Hossn bore W. by S. The Kalaat el Mefrek, or, as the Arabs call it, El
Ferka, lay in a S.E. direction, distant about three hours. About one
hour and a half distant, in a S.W. direction, is the ruined village of
Remeith [Arabic], with several large columns lying on the ground. At two
hours and a half from Remtha we passed a Tel, with the ruined village
Dehama [Arabic], on its top; near the foot-way lay several broken shafts
of columns. At three hours, on reaching the Wady Warran [Arabic], our
route began to ascend. The Wady, which descends from the mountain
Zoueit, was at this time dry. Three hours and a quarter brought us to
three fine Doric columns lying on the ground. We met several Arabs, but
they did not venture to attack three men armed with musquets, and gave
us a friendly Salam Aleykum. We now ascended the mountain, which is
calcareous with flint, in following the windings of the Wady. Wild
pistachio trees abound;
SOUF.
[p.249]higher up oaks become more frequent, and the forest thickens;
near the top, which we reached in five hours and a quarter from Remtha,
are some remains of the foundations of ancient buildings. The Djebel
Kafkafa [Arabic], as this summit is called, commands a beautiful view
over the plain of Djerash and the neighbouring mountains of Zerka and
Belka.
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