The
Fishery Of The Lake Is Rented At Seven Hundred Piastres Per Annum:
But
the only boat that was employed on it by the fishermen fell to pieces
last year, and such is the indolence of these people, that they have not
yet supplied its loss.
The lake furnishes the inhabitants of Tiberias
with water, there being no spring of sweet water near the town. Several
houses have salt wells.
June 26th.—I took a guide to Mount Tabor. The whole of this country,
even to the gates of Damascus, is in a state of insecurity, which
renders it very imprudent to travel alone. Merchants go only in large
caravans. We ascended the mountain to the west of the town, and in
thirty-five minutes passed the ruined vil[lage] of Szermedein (Arabic),
on the declivity of the mountain, where is a fine spring, and the tomb
of a celebrated saint. The people of Tabaria here cultivate Dhourra,
melons, and tobacco. At the end of one hour we reached the top of the
steep mountain, from whence Mount Tabor, or Djebel Tor (Arabic), as the
natives call it, bears S.W. by S. From hence the road continues on a
gentle
MOUNT TABOR
[p.333] declivity, in the midst of well cultivated Dhourra fields, as
far as a low tract called Ardh el Hamma (Arabic). The whole district is
covered with the thorny shrub Merar (Arabic). On the west side of Ardh
el Hamma we again ascended, and reached the village of Kefer Sebt
(Arabic), distant two hours and a half from Tabaria, and situated on the
top of a range of hills which run parallel to those of Tabaria. About
half an hour to the N.E. is the spring Ain Dhamy (Arabic), in a deep
valley. From hence a wide plain extends to the foot of Djebel Tor; in
crossing it, we saw on our right, about three quarters of an hour from
the road, the village Louby (Arabic), and a little farther on, the
village Shedjare (Arabic). The plain was covered with the wild
artichoke, called Khob (Arabic); it bears a thorny violet coloured
flower, in the shape of an artichoke, upon a stem five feet in height.
In three hours and a quarter, we arrived at the Khan of Djebel Tor
(Arabic), a large ruinous building, inhabited by a few families. On the
opposite side of the road is a half ruined fort. A large fair is held
here every Monday. Though the Khan is at no great distance from the foot
of Mount Tabor, the people could not inform us whether or not the Mount
was inhabited at present; nor were they hospitable enough either to lend
or sell us the little provision we might want, should there be no
inhabitants. At a quarter of an hour from the Khan is a fine spring,
where we found an encampment of Bedouins of the tribe of Szefeyh
(Arabic), whose principal riches consist in cows. My guide went astray
in the valleys which surround the lower parts of Djebel Tor, and we were
nearly three hours, from our departure from the Khan, in reaching the
top of the Mount.
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