The Tomb Of Noah In The Valley Of Coelo-Syria Is Still Longer.
The Coffin Of Osha Is Covered With Silk Stuffs Of Different Colours,
Which Have Been Presented To Him As Votive Offerings.
Visitors generally
throw a couple of paras upon the tomb.
These are
[p.354] collected by the guardian, and pay the expenses of illuminating
the apartment during the summer months; for in the winter season hardly
any body seeks favours at the shrine of the saint. In one corner stands
a small plate, upon which some of the most devout visitors place a piece
of incense. A wooden partition separates the tomb from the mosque, where
the Turks generally say a few prayers before they enter the inner
apartment. On the outside of the building is a very large and deep
cistern much frequented by the Bedouins. Here is a fine view over the
Ghor. Rieha, or Jericho, is visible at a great distance to the
southward. About half an hour to the N.W. of Osha, on the lower part of
the mountain, is the ruined place called Kafer Houda (Arabic).
As pilgrimage in the east is generally coupled with mercantile
speculations, Osha’s tomb is much resorted to for commercial purposes,
and like Mekka and Jerusalem, is transformed into a fair at the time of
the visit of the pilgrims. The Arabs of the Belka, especially the Beni
Szakher, bring here Kelly or soap-ashes, which they burn during the
summer in large quantities: these are bought up by a merchant of
Nablous, who has for many years monopolized the trade in this article.
The soap-ashes obtained from the herb Shiman, of the Belka, are esteemed
the best in the country, to the S. of Damascus, as those of Palmyra are
reckoned the best in northern Syria. They are sold by the Arabs for
about half a crown the English cwt., but the purchaser is obliged to pay
heavy duties upon them. The chief of the Arabs of El Adouan, who is
looked upon as the lord of the Belka, although his tribe is at present
considerably weakened, exacts for himself five piastres from every camel
load, two piastres for his writer, and two piastres for his slave. The
town of Szalt takes one piastre for every load, the produce of which
duty is divided among the public taverns of the town. The quantity of
soap-ashes brought to
[p.355] the Osha market amounts, one year with another, to about three
thousand camel loads. The Nablous merchant is obliged to come in person
to Szalt in autumn. According to old customs, he alights at a private
house, all the expenses of which he pays during his stay; he is bound
also to feed all strangers who arrive during the same period at Szalt;
in consequence of which the Menzels remain shut; and he makes
considerable presents on quitting the place. In order that all the
inhabitants may share in the advantages arising from his visits, he
alights at a different house every year.
In descending the narrow valley to the south of Szalt, the ruins of a
considerable town are met with, consisting of foundations of buildings
and heaps of stones. The Arabs call the place Kherbet el Souk (Arabic).
Near it is a fine spring called Ain Hazeir (Arabic) (perhaps the ancient
Jazer), which turns several mills, and empties itself into the Wady
Shoeb (Arabic). The latter joins the Jordan near the ruined city of
Nymrein (Arabic). In a S.W. direction from Szalt, distant about two
hours and a half, are the ruined places called Kherbet Ayoub (Arabic),
Heremmela (Arabic), Ayra (Arabic), one of the towns built by the tribe
of Gad, and Yerka (Arabic). East of Szalt, about one hour, are the ruins
called El Deir (Arabic).
I found it impossible at Szalt to procure a guide to Amman; the country
was in a state which rendered it very dangerous to travel through it:
the Beni Szakher were at war with the Arabs of Adouan, with the
government of Damascus, and with the Rowalla, a branch of the Aeneze;
and we heard daily of skirmishes taking place between the contending
parties, principally near the river Zerka. Amman being a noted spring,
was frequented by both the hostile parties; and although, the people of
Szalt were now at peace with the Beni Szakher, having concluded it on
the day of my arrival, yet they were upon very indifferent terms with
the
FEHEIS
[p.356] Adouan and Rowalla. I had once engaged four armed men to
accompany me on foot to the place, but when we were just setting out,
after sunset, their wives came crying to my lodging, and upbraided their
husbands with madness in exposing their lives for a couple of piastres.
Being equally unsuccessful in several other attempts, and tired of the
exaggerations of my land-lord, who pretended that I should be in danger
of being stripped, and even killed, I at length became impatient, and
quitting Szalt in the evening of the 6th, I rode over to Feheis, where
the greater part of the Szaltese were encamped, for the labours of the
harvest, and where it was more likely that I should meet with a guide.
On my way I passed the deep Wady Ezrak (Arabic), where is a rivulet and
several mills.
El Feheis is a ruined city, with a spring near it; here are the remains
of an arched building, in which the Christians sometimes perform divine
service. Below Feheis, upon the top of a lower mountain, is the ruined
place called El Khandok (Arabic), which appears to have been a fort; it
is surrounded with a wall of large stones, and the remains of several
bastions are visible. From a point near Khandok, the Dead sea, which I
saw for the first time, bears S.W. b. W.
At Feheis I was so fortunate as to find a guide who five years ago had
served in the same capacity to Mousa, the name assumed by M. Seetzen.
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