Norris: Diary, January - May, 1905

This book is the property of Fred K. A. Norris 15 W. 74th St. New York

January 1, 1905

Umm il-Ḳuṭṭên 10:45 Temp. 52 °F Baro. S. 26.55

#1 Breeze S. Clouds 1/5 sky - Beautiful Day.

Left camp about 11:00 A.M. with a groom, my servant, and a Beduin guide going S 38°30' W. over the desert & gradually descending to the base of Tell il-Ḳo'ês, then climbing to summit some 200 ft. with horse. View of desert to S. & W. & N. & mountains to E. was superb. Could see to S. some 30 miles the country gradually sloping for 10 miles to SE & S. & then thin bands of water stretching with occasional breaks for 15 miles to the S & sparkling like silver in the sunlight. Through may telescope could be seen many Beduin tents with little curls of pale blue smoke isuing there from, made by the burning of the camel dung fuel, and flocks of sheep & goats & herds of camels grazing in picturesque groups with their Arab shepherds all stretching out as far as could be distinguished & melting into a soft Dark blue haze through which could be distinguished only rough countours of a country rolling on & on like the sea until lost in the far distant horizon in Northern Arabia. No town no ruin. A Beduin shepherd left his flock which was grazing at the bottom of the hill and came up to see the strange sight of a European with his magic instrument, all covered with gold which was being pointed like a gun in all directions, and stood staring in wonder. My carpet was spread in the lea of a little pile of stones which marked the place of some ancient building & then later used as a burying place by the Arabs, and there I lay basking in the sun, alone & in silence slowly munching my lunch & drinking in the placid beauty at the wonderful scene of peace. Stretched before me was a land & a people the same to-day as in earliest Biblical times - still unconquered, for here even Rome

January 2, 1905

Umm il-Ḳuṭṭên 7:00 A.M. Temp. 39 °F. Baro. S. 26.63 #1 to # 2 Breeze N. - Clear with few cirus C. Sun rising through bank of clouds in E - 8:00 A.M. clear & Light variable air E to S.

Left Umm il-Ḳuṭṭên 8:22 going N.N.E. Dêr il- Meiyâs 9:10 road good, S.R. Left 11:03 going N.N.E. crossed Wadi il-'Âḳib 11:45 in - Nudêbeh on wadi - a ruin. 1 mile to W. arrived il-Ghâriyeh, 11:55 a Druse village, situated between 2 hills one to E. & one to W. Were greeted by the Shêkh & took coffee in the Meḍâfeh. He seemed very pleasant although he is the man who reports say recently swooped down on a Christian village in the plain and stole a beautiful maiden. Left il-Ghâriyeh 1:35 going W. ^N.W. ^over hill on good road crossing Wadi il-'Âḳib 10 min. from 'Anz arriving 'Anz 2:20.

Roads G. Rolling, S. Guide mounted

January 3, 1905

'Anz 8:00 A.M. Temp. 43 °F. Baro. S 26.01. Clear #1 Breeze NNE. - A. number 2 Breeze N.N.E. during night Shifted in light air to S. by noon 5:30 P.M. Baro. S 26.04

B. L & N. left 'Anz 8:40 summit at 'Abd Mâr 10:00 12 min. taken out by L copying inscription half way up. N. left summit at 2:02 Anz 3:13 Ascent & descent made on S. side.

(see under January 4, 1905)

Contour of 'Abd Mâr looking W. [image of contour map including south and north directions]

After dinner at night, we heard some rifle shots and then the calling of men and answering shots from the fields to the N.E of the village, then a signal torch flared up from a roof and a "battle" was on - Some 30 shots were exchanged. It seemed that the peoples of [Ṣalkhad]] had come over here in the day and tryed to force a Christian - an old man to give them his oxen with which to plow. He had refused & been beaten, 4 of his front teeth knocked out with a stone. His villagers came to his assistance and now the people of Ṣalkhad had returned in the night to steal cattle and so on and to give battle. One of our servants, Joseph like a fool - he had been drinking a little - rushed out of the camp with one of our Winchesters and got mixed up in the fight - firing his rifle two or three times its sound being in marked contrast to that of the black power used by the others so that everybody could tell that we were taking sides. No damage done. - Some battle songs sung - no law here.

Christians greatly pursecuted by Druse. Oldest Christians in world

cont'd.

January 4, 1905

'Anz 7:00 A.M. Temp. 29 1/2 °F. Baro. S. 25.88. Clear calm. Light variable air all day. Thin ice in morning

January 3, 1905 B & L. went from ^ summit ^ 'Abd Mâr to ir-Râfḳah 35 min. ir-Râfḳah to Ṭeḥûleh skirting N. side of 'Abd Mâr 1h 30m. Ṭeḥûleh to Meshḳûḳ 32 min Meshḳûḳ to Anz 45 min

Jan. 4th Left 'Anz 8:52 going N.E. Kfêr 9:28 R. Village 1 mile S.S.W. of il-Meshḳûḳ Left Kfêr 10:35 going N.N.E. Dêr il-Meshḳûḳ 150 yds E. of il-Meshḳûḳ R. Village 10:53, Left 11:47 going E arrived Ṣammeh 12:33 R. Village. Left 3:17 going W.S.W. il-Ḳmêreh 4:35 R. Village Left 4:35 going W. 'Anz 5:27

over plowed fields Roads & Ways G.S.L. G.M.

We left a servant at il-Meshḳûḳ to make two squeezes of inscriptions. He reports that natives from Ṣalkhad tore off one of the squeezes and gathered around with stones threatening him with personal violence & that he had to leave. He reports that they said that because we had joined in the "battle" of last night, as they could tell by the crack of our "Winchester" taking sides with the people from 'Anz that they were coming again tonight and were going to kill one of us.

January 5, 1905

'Anz 7:00 A.M. Temp 34 Baro S. 25.66 Few stratus clouds Light air N. Cirrus Clouds accumilating - Slight precipitation for few min. during night of 5th 6th

Left 'Anz 9:39 going W. little N. 'Abd Mâr 1 1/2 miles to N.E. arrived ir-Rushedeh R. town medium size 10:13 built on small hill & approx. 1 1/2 N. of il-Ghâriyeh.

Left ir-Rushedeh 10:28 going W. little N. - Umm ir-Rummân 11:15 on W. slope of Jebel. Druse village. Left 11:58 going toward "Herman" & gradually descending slope. Arrived Ṣâkhar 12:42 ^ Dhihin? 1? mile to W. ^ R. town medium size Lunched. Left 1:56 going toward "Herman" passed through without stopping Druse village Bekkeh 2:40 arrived Burd 3:23 small ruined village 200 yds. S. of Roman road between Bosra & Ṣalkhad. Left 4:12 on road arrived Bosra 5:15

Roads & ways G.S. rolling country mostly plowed fields - grass growing & wheat up 4 in. Birkets quite full of water - some calves & lambs are born - Fresh milk at Bosra - great luxury

Guide mounted

In Burd was 1 Druse family from Kuraiyeh to which village it belongs. They were there living only during the plowing season.