In Winter Time The Hadjis Were Often
Embarrassed By It.
Djezzar Pasha ordered a bridge to be built over it.
The ground is a fine gravel; even in summer time, when the Wady is dry,
water is found every where underground by digging to the depth of two or
three ells.
At three hours is the village El Remtha [Arabic], inhabited
by Fellahs, who have about ten cisterns of rain-water, and a small
Birket in the neighbourhood of the village. Most of them live in caverns
underground, which they arrange into habitations; the caverns are in a
white rock. The Sheikh of Remtha is generally a Santon, that dignity
being in the family of Ezzabi [Arabic], who possesses there a mosque of
the same name. On account of the sanctity of his family, the Pasha does
not take any Miri from the Sheikh Ezzabi. The Hadjis sometimes sleep at
Remtha, at other times they go as far as Fedhein [Arabic], also called
Mefrak [Arabic], a castle four hours from Remtha, where the Pasha keeps
a small garrison, under the orders of an Aga, or Odabashi. The Arabs of
the Belka are in the habit of depositing in the castle of Fedhein their
superfluous provisions of wheat and barley, which they retake the next
year, or sell to the Hadj, after having paid to the Aga a certain
retribution. From Fedhein runs a Wady E. which turns, after one day’s
journey towards the S. and is then called Wady Botun.
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