The
Guardian Has Still Much Influence In The Town, Because He Is Supposed,
As Usual, To Be On Good Terms With The Pasha, But At Present The Chief
Man At Nazareth Is M. Catafago, A Merchant Of Frank Origin, Born At
Aleppo.
He has rented from the Pasha about twelve villages situated in
the neighbourhood of Nazareth and the plain of Esdrelon, for which he
pays yearly upwards of £3000.[The villages in the Pashalik of Akka are
all of the description which the Turkish law calls Melk.
They are all
assessed at certain yearly sums, which each is obliged to pay, whatever
may be the number of its inhabitants. This is one of the chief causes of
the depopulation of many parts of Syria.] His profits are very
considerable, and as he meddles much in the politics and intrigues of
the country, he has become a person of great consequence. His influence
and recommendations may prove very useful to travellers in Palestine,
especially to those who visit the dangerous districts of Nablous.
NABLOUS
[p.342] It happened luckily during my stay at Nazareth, that two petty
merchants arrived there from Szalt, to take up some merchandize which
they sell at Szalt on account of their principals at this place. Szalt
was precisely the point I wished to reach, not having been able to visit
it during my late tour in the mountains of Moerad; on their return
therefore I gladly joined their little carayan, and we left Nazareth at
midnight, on the 1st of July.
July 2d.—Our road lay over a mountainous country. In two hours from
Nazareth we passed a small rivulet. Two hours and a half, the village
Denouny (Arabic), and near it the ruins of Endor, where the witch’s
grotto is shewn. From hence the direction of our route was S.S.E.
Leaving Mount Tabor to the left we passed along the plain of Esdrelon:
meeting with several springs in our road; but the country is a complete
desert, although the soil is fertile. At five hours and a half is the
village of Om el Taybe (Arabic), belonging to the district of Djebel
Nablous, or as it is also called Belad Harthe (Arabic). The inhabitants
of Nablous are governed by their own chiefs, who are invested by the
Pasha. It is said that the villages belonging to the district can raise
an army of five thousand men. They are a restless people, continually in
dispute with each other, and frequently in insurrection against the
Pasha. Djezzar never succeeded in completely subduing them, and Junot,
with a corps of fifteen hundred French soldiers, was defeated by them.
The principal chief of Nablous at present is of the family of Shadely
(Arabic). In six hours and three quarters we passed the village of
Meraszrasz (Arabic), upon the summit of a chain of hills on the side of
Wady Oeshe (Arabic), which falls into the Jordan. At about half an hour
to the north of this Wady runs another, called Wady Byre (Arabic),
likewise falling into that river.
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