This Will
Be Considered A Very Small Sum For A Journey Of Nearly Four Hundred
Miles; But A Bedouin Puts
Very little value upon time, fatigue, and
labour; while I am writing this, many hundred loaded camels, belonging
to Bedouins,
Depart every week from Cairo for Akaba, a journey of ten
days, for which they receive twenty-five piastres per camel. Had I been
known to be an European, I certainly should not have been able to move
without promising at least a thousand piastres to my guide. The
excursion of M. Boutin, a French traveller, from
SHOBAK
[p.416] Cairo to the Oasis of Jupiter Ammon, a journey of twelve days,
undertaken in the summer of 1812, cost for guides only, four thousand
piastres.
August 19th.—In the morning I went to the castle of Shobak, where I
wished to purchase some provisions. It was distant one hour and a
quarter from the encampment, in a S.E. direction. Shobak, also called
Kerek el Shobak (Arabic), perhaps the ancient Carcaria,[Euseb. de locis
S.S.] is the principal place in Djebel Shera; it is situated about one
hour to the south of the Ghoeyr, upon the top of a hill in the midst of
low mountains, which bears some resemblance to Kerek, but is better
adapted for a fortress, as it is not commanded by any higher mountains.
At the foot of the hill are two springs, surrounded by gardens and olive
plantations. The castle is of Saracen construction, and is one of the
largest to the south of Damascus; but it is not so solidly built as the
castle of Kerek.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 527 of 870
Words from 143064 to 143336
of 236498
