The Establishment Of These Public Menzels, Which Are General
Over The Whole Country To The S. Of Damascus, Does Great
Honour to the
hospitable spirit of the Turks; but it is, in fact, the only expense
that the government thinks
Itself obliged to incur for the benefit of
the people of the country. A peasant can travel for a whole month
without expending a para; but people of any distinction give a few paras
on the morning of their departure to the waiter or watchman [Arabic]. If
the traveller does not choose to alight at a public Menzel, he may go to
any private house, where he will find a hospitable landlord, and as good
a supper as the circumstances of his host can afford.
I observed upon the terraces of all the houses of Feik, a small
apartment called Hersh [Arabic], formed of branches of trees, covered
with mats; to this cool abode the family retires during the mid-day
heats of summer. There are a few remains of ancient buildings at Feik;
amongst others, two small towers on the two extremities of the cliff.
The village has large olive plantations.
May 7th.--Our way over the plain was in the direction N.E. by E.
DISTRICT OF DJOLAN.
[p.281]Beyond the fields of Feik, the district of Djolan begins, the
southern limits of which are the Wady Hamy Sakker, and the Sheriat.
Djolan appears to be the same name as the Greek Gaulanitis; but its
present limits do not quite correspond with those of the ancient
province, which was confined to a narrow strip of land along the lake,
and the eastern shore of the Jordan. The territory of Feik must have
formed part of Hippene; the mountain in front of it was mount Hippos,
and the district of Argob appears to have been that part of the plain
(making part of Djolan), which extends from Feik northwards for three or
four hours, and which is enclosed on the east by the Djebel Heish, and
on the west by the descent leading down to the banks of the lake.
Half an hour from Feik we passed, on our left, a heap of ruins called
Radjam el Abhar [Arabic]. To the S.E. at about one hour distant, is the
village Djeibein [Arabic]; to the left, at three quarters of an hour, is
the ruined village El Aal [Arabic], on the side of the Wady Semak
[Arabic], which descended from the Djebel Heish: there is a rivulet of
spring-water in the Wady, which empties itself into the lake near the
ruined city of Medjeifera [Arabic], in this part the Wady is full of
reeds, of which the people make mats. On the other side of the Wady,
about half an hour distant from it, upon a Tel, is the ruined city
called Kaszr Berdoweil [Arabic] (Castle of Baldwin). The plain here is
wholly uncultivated, and is overgrown with a wild herb called Khob
[Arabic], which camels and cows feed upon.
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