Here Are Two
Saltpetre Manufactories, In Which The Saltpetre Is Procured By Boiling
The Earth Dug Up Among The Ruins
Of the town; saline earth is also dug
up in the neighbouring plain; in finding the productive spots, they are
Guided by the appearance of the ground in the morning before sunrise,
and wherever it then appears most wet with dew the soil beneath is found
impregnated with salt. The two manufactures produce about three Kantars,
or fifteen or sixteen quintals per month of saltpetre, which is sold at
about fifteen shillings per quintal. The boilers of these manufactories
are heated by brush-wood brought from the desert, as there is little
wood in the Ledja, about Berak. The whole of the Loehf, or limits of the
Ledja, is productive of saltpetre, which is sold at Damascus and Acre; I
saw it sold near the lake of Tiberias for double the price which it
costs in the Loehf. In the interior of a house among the ruins of Berak,
I saw the following inscription:
[p.215]
[Greek] ["The tenth of Peritius of the eighth year." Peritius was one of
the Macedonian months, the use of which was introduced into Syria by the
Seleucidae. It answered to the latter part of December and beginning of
January. Ed.].
On the outside wall of a house, in another part of the town, was the
following:
[Greek] [[GREEK] Apellaeus was another Macedonian month, and answered to
half October and half November. This inscription is within a tablet of
the usual form. Ed].
Berak, like most of the ancient towns of the Ledja, has a large stone
reservoir of water. Between these ruins and Missema lies the ruined city
Om Essoud [Arabic], in the Loehf.
Djebel Kessoue runs out in a S.E. direction as far as the N.E. limits of
the Ledja, and consists of the same kind of rock as that district. The
other branch of it, or Djebel Khiara, extends towards Shaara. One hour
S.W. from Berak, in the Ledja, are the ruins of a tower called Kaszr
Seleitein [Arabic], with a ruined village near it. An Arab enumerated to
me the following names of ruined cities and villages in the Ledja, which
may be added to those mentioned in my former journal: Emseyke [Arabic],
El Wyr
EL KHELKHELE.
[p.216] [Arabic], Djedl [Arabic], Essemeyer [Arabic], Szour [Arabic],
Aasem Ezzeitoun [Arabic], Hamer [Arabic], Djerrein [Arabic], Dedjmere
[Arabic], El Aareis [Arabic] El Kastall [Arabic], Bord [Arabic], Kabbara
[Arabic], El Tof [Arabic], Etteibe [Arabic], Behadel [Arabic], El Djadj
[Arabic], Szomeith [Arabic], El Kharthe [Arabic], Harran [Arabic],
Djeddye [Arabic], Serakhed [Arabic], Deir [Arabic], Dami [Arabic],
Aahere [Arabic], Om el Aalek [Arabic], Moben el Beit [Arabic], Deir
Lesmar [Arabic].
I engaged a man at Berak to conduct me along the Loehf, or limits of the
Ledja; this eastern part is called El Lowa, from the Wady Lowa [Arabic],
a winter torrent which descends from Djebel Haouran, and flows along the
borders of the Ledja, filling in its course the reservoirs of all the
ancient towns situated there; it empties itself into the Bahret el
Merdj, or marshy ground at seven or eight hours east of Damascus, where
the rivers of Damascus also are lost. Our road was S.S.E. In one hour
from Berak we passed the Lowa, near a ruined bridge, where the Wady
takes a more eastern direction. Some water remained in pools in
different places in the Wady, the rains having been very copious during
the winter season. In an hour and a half we passed Essowara [Arabic], a
ruined town on our right; we travelled along the fertile plain that
skirts the rocky surface of the Ledja, which at two hours took a more
southern direction. On our right was El Hazzem [Arabic], a ruined town;
and a little farther, Meharetein [Arabic], also in ruins. All these
towns are on the borders of the Ledja. Their inhabitants formerly
cultivated the fields watered by the Lowa, of which the stone enclosures
are still visible in some places. At three hours is El Khelkhele
[Arabic], a ruined town, where we slept, in the house of the owner of a
saltpetre manufactory.
The Wady Lowa in some places approaches close to the Ledja, and in
others advances for a mile into the plain; its banks were covered with
the most luxuriant herbage, of which little use is
SOWARAT EL DSAKEIR.
[p.217]made; the Arabs of the Ledja being afraid to pass beyond its
limits, from the almost continual state of warfare in which they live
with the powerful tribe of Aeneze, and the government of Damascus; while
the Aeneze, on the other hand, are shy of approaching too near the
Ledja, from fear of the nightly robberies, and of the fire-arms of the
Arabs who inhabit it. The labourers in the saltpetre manufactories are
Druses, whose reputation for individual courage, and national spirit,
keeps the Arabs at a respectful distance.
April 24th.--Khelkhele, like all the ancient towns in the Haouran, is
built entirely with stone. I did not observe any public edifice of
importance in the towns of the Lowa; there are some towers of moderate
height, which seem to have been the steeples of churches; and a few
houses are distinguished from the rest by higher arches in the
apartments, and a few rude carvings over their doors. From Khelkhele,
S.E. about two hours distant, is a high Tel in the plain; it is called
Khaledie [Arabic], and has the ruins of a town on its top; nearly
joining to it are the most northern projections of Djebel Haouran, which
are distinguished on this side by a chain of low hillocks. To the E. of
Khelkhele, about four hours, stands the Tel el Aszfar [Arabic], farther
E. the ruined village of Djoh Ezzerobe [Arabic], and still further E.
about nine or ten hours, from Khelkhele, the ruined village El Kasem
[Arabic], near which is a small rivulet.
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