From The Ford Over The Sheriat We Proceeded Across The Plain In A N.W.
Direction; It Was Covered With
Low shrubs and a tree bearing a fruit
like a small apple, very agreeable to the taste; Zaarour [Arabic] is
The
name given to it by the inhabitants of Mount Libanus; those of Damascus
call it Zaaboub [Arabic]; and the Arabs have also another name for it,
which I forget. In an hour and upwards, from the ford, we reached the
village Szammagh [Arabic], situated on the most southern extremity of
the lake of Tabaria; it contains thirty or forty poor mud houses, and a
few built with black stone. The Jordan issues out of the lake about a
quarter of an hour to the westward of the village, where the lake ends
in a straight line, extending for about forty minutes in a direction
nearly east and west. From hence the highest point of Djebel el Sheikh
bears N.N.W.; the town of Szaffad N. by E. Between the lake and the
first bridge over the Jordan, called Djissr el Medjami, at about two
hours and a half from hence, are two fordable passages across the river.
Excepting about one hundred Fedhans around Szammagh, no part of the
valley is cultivated in this neighbourhood. Somewhat
HOT WELLS.
[p.276]lower down begin the corn fields of the Arabs el Ghor, who are
the principal inhabitants of the valley: those living near Szammagh are
the Arabs el Sekhour, and the Beshaatoue. The only villages met with
from hence as far as Beysan (the ancient Scythopolis), are to the left
of the Jordan, Maad [Arabic], at the foot of Djebel Wostye, and El
Erbayn [Arabic]. From Szammagh to Beysan the valley is called Ghor
Tabaria. I swam to a considerable distance in the lake, without seeing a
single fish; I was told, however, that there were privileged fishermen
at Tabaria, who monopolize the entire fishery. The beach on this side is
a fine gravel of quartz, flint, and tufwacke. There is no shallow water,
the lake being of considerable depth close in shore. The only species of
shell which I saw on the beach was of the smallest kind, white and about
an inch and a half long. There are no kinds of rushes or reeds on the
shores in this neighbourhood.
May 6th.--The quantities of mosquitos and other vermin which always by
preference attack the stranger accustomed to more northern climates,
made me pass a most uncomfortable night at Szammagh. We departed early
in the morning, in order to visit the hot wells at the foot of the
mountain of Om Keis, the situation of which had been pointed out to me
on the preceding day. Returning towards the place where the Sheriat
issues from the Wady, we followed up the river from thence and in one
hour and three quarters from Szammagh, we reached the first hot-well.
The river flows in a deep bed, being confined in some places on both
sides by precipices of upwards of one hundred feet in height, whose
black rocks present a most striking contrast with the verdure on their
summits. For several hundred yards before we arrived at the hot-well, I
perceived a strong sulphureous smell in the air. The spring is situated
in a very narrow plain, in the valley, between the river and the
northern
HOT WELLS.
[p.277]cliffs, which we descended. The plain had been covered with rich
herbage, but it was now dried up; a great variety of shrubs and some old
palm trees also grow here: the heat in the midst of the summer must be
suffocating. The spring bubbles up from a basin about forty feet in
circumference, and five feet in depth, which is enclosed by ruins of
walls and buildings, and forms below a small rivulet which falls at a
short distance into the river. The water is so hot, that I found it
difficult to keep my hand in it; it deposits upon the stones over which
it flows a thick yellow sulphureous crust, which the neighbouring Arabs
collect, to rub their camels with, when diseased. Just above the basin,
which has originally been paved, is an open arched building, with the
broken shaft of a column still standing; and behind it are several
others, also arched, which may have been apartments for the
accommodation of strangers; the large stones forming these structures
are much decayed, from the influence of the exhalations. This spring is
called Hammet el Sheikh [Arabic], and is the hottest of them all. At
five minutes distance, ascending the Wady, is a second of the same kind,
but considerably cooler; it issues out of a basin covered with weeds,
and surrounded with reeds, and has some remains of ancient buildings
about it; it is called Hammet Errih [Arabic], and joins the waters from
the first source. Following the course of the river, up the Wady, eight
more hot springs are met with; I shall here mention their names, though
I did not see them. 1. Hammet aand Ettowahein [Arabic], near some mills;
2. Hammet beit Seraye [Arabic]; 3. Hammet Essowanye [Arabic]; 4. Hammet
Dser Aryshe [Arabic]; 5. Hammet Zour Eddyk [Arabic]; 6. Hammet Erremlye
[Arabic]; 7. Hammet Messaoud [Arabic]; 8. Hammet Om Selym [Arabic]; this
last is distant from that of El Sheikh two hours and a half. These
FEIK.
[p.278]eight springs are on both sides of the Wady, and have remains of
ancient buildings near them. I conceive that a naturalist would find it
well worth his time to examine the productions of this Wady, hitherto
almost unknown. In the month of April the Hammet el Sheikh is visited by
great numbers both of sick and healthy people, from the neighbourhood of
Nablous and Nazaret, who prefer it to the bath of Tabaria; they usually
remain about a fortnight.
We returned from the Hamme by the same road we came; on reaching the
plain of El Ghor we turned to our right up the mountain.
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