Report of a Journey in Palestine Henry Poole Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London, Vol. 26 (1856), 55-70. Stable URL hitp:/flinks.jstor-org/sicisici 166-6235%28 1856%2926%3C55%3 AROATIP%3E2.0,CO%3B2-9 Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London is currently published by The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) ‘Your use of the ISTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR’s Terms and Conditions of Use, available at hup:/www,jstororglabout/terms.hml. ISTOR’s Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use. Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. 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For more information regarding JSTOR, please contact support @ jstor.org. hupulwww jstor.org/ Sat Feb 12.09:45:29 2005Damaseus, Haran, and the Lebanon Mountains, 53 obliged to correct thoir postions, as assumed by the best autho- rities, in onder to make them agree with my own observation Having laid down these places T constructed the several rontes Thad followed between them, and thus fixed with eare the station on the summit of the lofty peak above Bludan. 1 then laid down the stations of observation on Hermon, Jebel ‘Tiniyeh, Tell Mani’a and ‘Tell es-Salahiych, from each of which, with the ‘exception of the second, T had faken the angles of all the others. On the basis thus forme Eeosracted the whole fom my itnraries and very numerous bearings. Ie will thus be abwerved, that the map has no, cui to strict accuracy, as there were no points within the bounds of my survey, tstrowosialy faed to tore as bane T iave solaroured, however, to approximate as closely to the truth as possible ; and f have been earful to delineate with accuracy the relative positions of the several provinees, cities, and villages, It has often been to me a subject of regret that, from the want of the requisite instruments, I have not been able to improve the many opportunities I have had of ascertaining from astronomt observation, the true position of many important towns in th interesting country. Were the latitudes and longitudes of Damas- cus, Hums, Buseah, and a few other places aseortained, an aceu- rate and full map of this section of Syria could now be eonstructed. ‘This, however, I can searccly hope to accomplish, for I have already found it to be rather an expensive anusement to conduct, scientific investigations ina country like Syria, where one is de- pendent wholly on his own resources, Report of a Journey in Palestine. By Mr. Hzwny Poout, Communicated by the Ean of ChanexDox. ‘September 27, 1855.—Leaving Constantinople for Jaffa, by the steamer, we stopped @ short time_ at Gallipoli, the Dardanelles, ‘Teneddos, Mitylene, Smyrna, Chio, Rhodes, Marsine, Alesandretta, Latakia, Lamaca in Cyprus, to land and take in goods and pas” sengers. October 7, Sunday.—Arrived at Beyrdt. October 9.—We stopped for a short time at Mount Carmel, and anchored off Jaffa at 3p. ‘October 10.—The Vice Consul arranged about engaging horses to take us to Jerusalem, He informed me that 190 okes or 400-Tbs. were ‘a camel's Toad from Jerusalem ; the charge for catringe 25 piastres or 4s, 2d. por load. ‘The, clare for storage was 10 piastres or Is, 8d. per load for a reasonable time ; theeran ie eb fe oes Pe a a Bf pin et el dS56 Pooux's Report of a Journey in Palestine. season for shipping from Jaffa was from June to November. The pinipal imports wore salt and manufactured goods; the exports were ction and grain population 26,000." eft Jaf at 4 rat ad passed between hedges of prickly pears protesting orange trees loaded with fruit, for some distance ; the soil appeared to be red sand, and where rock showed itseemed to dip to the east. The ground rose gradually until we came to Ramleh at 7 v.%. where wwe rested at the house of the Consular Agent. Oatober LIT left Ramlch at 130 ax, and rode over eu. vated ground: at 4 Aas. we hegan to ascend the mountain-pass 5 the rock was limestone, dipping about 8° to 10° w.; we reached the summit at 6-30 2, passed the village of Abii Gosh, and a church in ruins at 7 a. as we descended on the x. side of the mountain, At 7-30 we reached a spring, where the limestone had slight dip to the x.; we then crossed another hill of limestone 5 passed over a stone bridge, near the village of Kulonia, and arrived at Jerusalem at 10°30 a.m. By aneroid the bottom of Hezekiah’s Pool was 20644 ft. above the level of the Medi- tervanean, Bedouins came with camels loaded with raisins, very large and luscious; also carbonate of potash from the district ‘of Salt to the east of the Jordan, October 17.—At 7°30 a.m. T felt three smart shocks of an earth- quake at Jerusalem. At 8 p.. I went to meet Mr. Consul Finn returning from his tour, and accompanied Mr. Graham on his way to Damascus, as far as Nablus. We rode out at the Bethlchem Gate 5 over ‘Scopus, by the base of Mount Gibeon, through Rim-Allah, and camped at Birch, - Limestone rocks prevailed the whole way, and a good deal of the country was cultivated in terraces. October 18.—1 got some shelly limestone before leaving Birch. ‘Phe rock on the top of the hill was nearly flat, slightly inclined to the x; large cleared spaces are used for threching-floors. Tn hour and a quarter we arrived at Bethel, where is a large pool ruins, also a tower. On the top of the hill were large masses of bilue limestone with shells, An hour later we passed near Borek, where the mountain-road was by the side of a. pre the mountain appeared to have been spht, for the stratification on oth sides of the ravine corresponded. Another hour's ride Drought us to Ain-el-hara-mich, or the Robbers’ Sprit narrow defile. The perpendicular rocks were curiously marked, as if hy torrents of water, by deep longitudinal grooves up to thei summit. We passed the Khan-el-Liban, then rode over an extensive plain, near to Burin, and reached Nablus at 730 r.x., situated on the #. side of Mount Gerizim, whence it ie well sup” plied with springs of water. October 19.—I went to the top of Mount Gerizim, and during the ascent got nammulitic limestone ; in some parts the rocksPoour’'s Report of a Jiurney in Palestine, oT been in a liquid state, for one kind had overflowed and encased another. BY aneroid, the summit was 24124 ft. above the Medi terranean, and 1274’ ft. above Nablus, to which we returned oer 20.—T rode to Samaria, passing through a. great deal of fenile,weli-watoed country, and averted that the springs of Nablus were the summit sourees of streams flowing both ways, to the Jordan and to the Mediterranean. Most of the way between Nablus and Samaria is covered with masses of flint, called by the inhabitants chalcedony. ‘The bill of Samaria is, composed of limestone.* ‘The land appears to be fertile, and I saw a great many mistletoes on the olive-trees; indigo and sesame were also grownin the valley, Gatien 22-1 leh, Nablus in. company with Mr. Finn at 9:20 at, and visited Jacob's Well and the tombs of Joseph and Eleazar; the rocks were everywhere limestone; we reached Bireh at 8 v.91, where we camped for the night. Qetder 38-—We left Biel a 9 aa roturoed to Jra- October 24-—T called on the Consul, and arranged through hi with Mattien Fadlalleh for horses, tents, and provisions for the Dead Sea; he also sent a messenger to Abii Daouk, sheikh of the Dishing for guard as we had to pss through is retry 5 also sent to Elijah Mashallam to ask him to accompany me, and Act as interpreter. October 25.—I visited the tombs and other remarkable sites around Jerusalem, while waiting for the arrival of the guard of ‘Arabs, October 26.—At 8.45 at. Left Jerusalem and rode through Bethany: the limestone dipped about 15° to the =. At 11°05 the road to Jericho branched off to the x. We soon after passed near the ruined Khan-el-Lachmé, where white nodules with black fint in the centre were thickly strewed about. At 11°45 we passed Dorbez-zuar; saw Tirb-rearché to the At 12°30 came to the junction of valleys Dubbak and Cavern of Hiram-em-Dowrah ; the ‘isterns in limestone were dry. ‘Thence we rode sx. and ascended a hill where chalk was vertical with a yellow tinge 5 strike x.x.w. and 5.8. ‘The road was through barren hills and steep ravines, and at 115 p.m. we passed a curious pinnacle of sharp broken rocks; at 1-45 we erossed a ridge, where thin layers of sandstone alternated with the chalk; and a litle farther on, the hills were covered with red clay, and wed Nebi Musst at ‘The Mediterranean Sea bore & 61° w. | Mount Etal 8 Mi Ges A Hada OL escra tone sospe yea and Tun 108 Inches the reat ‘ay woe yer "Pa hand fiwn-oloutedlvstone, shell smgmenty of sutale sd iain limestone, m58 Poous's Report of « Journey in Palestine. 205 ratty which by aneroid was 2495 ft. below Jerusalem, and 3205 A below the level of the Mediterranean, The soil smelt very strong of sulphur, the rocks dipped to the Xow. and T got spetinonaf limetone of ay oltcetrustr, abo of a mam of Dituminous and caleareous limestone, with pectens about 6 in thick, of which bowls, seals, &c. are made. ‘Thermometer was 89° Fabr. in the tent at 3 vm Occoter 27—T loft Nebi Musa with a single Arab at 4 a to ride to the Dead Sea—said to be three hours distant. I reached the shore in an hour and a half. We rode through steep winding dofiles: the ground sounded. harshly under the horse's feet. ‘Thermometer in air 70°, in the Dead Sea $2°, and fell to 64° ah. in drying. T waded in to a depth of 4 ft, where I filled a bottle with the water, and got a speeimen of lay and bituminous stone; this was near the island as marked on the maps, but which found to be a promontory with a few dead shrubs encrusted with salt upon it. ‘The water was beautifully clear and ealm. ‘The Tine of dift-wood was 4 ft. above the present level of the seas rounded pebbles of different kinds formed the beach; but T eould hot find either sulphur, nitee, or bitumen, By aneroid the sea was 13135 R below the Mediterranean, and 34904 ft. below Jeru- salem. My Arab guide did not like me to remain long, as seven ‘Arabs of another tribe came from the Jordan to see who we were. We left the shore of the Dead Sea at 6:0 a.a-; erossed the frst ridge at 6:50; passed over what I thought might have been the criginal level of the old plain at 7-15, and 5324 ft. above the Dead Sea. At 7-30 we reached the top of the mountain, 1025 ft. above the Dead Sea, and we got back to Nebi Musa at 750, having been only 1-20 hour in returning. Tleft Nebi Musa at 9°30 4.0, and arrived at Jerusalem at 245 pa, s0 that, a person migh tasily go in GF hours from Jerusalom to the Dead Sea by this route. In the evening I arranged with Abii Daouk, that the number of the guard was not to exceed 12 men, at 10 piastres| each per diem, and 20 piastres per diem for himself and horse. Octover 28, Sunday—Adam Bek, deputy Pasha, ealled on me: the was much intorested with the aneroid, and anxious fora railroad to be made to Jerusalem. October 29.—I left Jerusalem at 10/30 a.x., and rode by way of Bethlehem to Urtas, where Elijah Mashallatn joined me. - Thi valley is very fertile, being watered by the Pools of Solomon, whieh we passed at 1-30 raat. By aneroid the aqueduct was 81 ft. above the bottom of the Pool of Hezekiah in Jerusalem. ‘The ground kept rising until we reached Khan Cull at 515 na, We aivired at Hebron at 630 nats where we eneamped. Welres jackals, boars, foxes, badgers, and porcupines abounded. A great dnl of land fe cultivatedy and largo sineyands were nese te town. ‘October 30.—We had to remain all day to enable the muleteersPoour's Report of « Journey in Palestine. 59 to get barley, water, and other articles for the journey. T went to see a tree called Abraham Oak, 23 f. in eiveumferenee, near whieh I got two fossil shells, We afterwards rode to visit the ruins of Rama, on the plain of Mamre, and passod by the x. side of Hebron, where the limestone was nearly level, dipping slightly tothe sx,” At2 raw, we passed by Ain-es-Lin, where I got fossil shells much crushed. ‘The ruins at Rama measured 214 fe from ©. to W. by 165 ft. w. to 8.5 the walls were 5 ft. 10 in thick, of shelly limestone. October 31.—We left Hebron at 815 a.m. and rode nearly S., and at $45 passed the ruins of Zipb, about 1m, off on our left. At 10°30 T visited the ruins of Em Sirkan, which’ must have been ‘large city ; soon after, going due s., we passed other ruins, and cameo Hikete-Ruradl et hore tere i a Psd tower extensive ruins, and a large pool filled up with dirt; but_a good spring of water in a cave on the x. side of the pool. From El Kuriel we travelled ., and at 1 rm. came to a well at Tawand, then crossed a ridge, and descended into a plain on a se. course, with a dry water-course and rocky sides ; at 1-45 ras. we crossed another ridge, and at 2rat. reached the encampment of the Djahalins, consisting of about’ 70 long tents made of goats? hair. Gur baggage did not come up until 4 P.%, s0 we had to camp there. ‘There were not any trees or shrubs on the route, after having left Hebron. the rocks of limestone continued unchanged. November 1.—We left the camp of the Djahalins at Tawan at HB ny aod rode Gl 10-1, when we came co. well and water or hones; we Jo at 11 ate an roe ona 6 cree {ill 12-25, when we eame to the valley of Drippings (Wadi Matra of Lyte where chalk: showed ig cevrl Blase era wstone. At 140 pat, we came to a ridge where I got ww of the Dead Sea; at 210 raw. we reached Ermelé, where Thad «good view of thes. ond of El Liseo, or the Peninsula, td tho ebay ofthe Ded Sea; ve then desde & step bank to a dry brook,'then rose again and crossed a ridge at 3 PW 1 figh mountain (Masada) out Tet he connty was quite barren the whole way, and very hot. At 3°23 we came to. plain, where the sheikh wanted to camp, but I thought it too early in the day, and pushed on until 430, when we camped at the Bed of the Dervish. Picked up a small piece of lava. ‘Novenber 2—We left the camp at 8°10 a.m. and rode on a sx. course; at 9 Aat. we passed a large Talkba tree, and then rode through a defile, called the * Bazar Pass ;” the rock looked like cinders of sulphur. At 9-40 we passed what appeared to be fan old erater: the rocks dipped Ny sw. and si At 1D ay, wwe came to the top of the ridge Nejeb. We now desconded rapiily by a winding path, and at 1145 pasced a ruinedco Poou's Report of a Journey in Palestine. tower called EI Zuerch, and at 12-36 pitched our tents on the isin of Usdum, ‘The temperature in the tent was 90°, The horses had to go to Em Berahek for water, and did not retura until 5 pam, so we were not able to ride anywhere. I walked down to the shore of the Dead Sea, and got a bottle of the water, temperature 83° not so clear as at the north end, but was more saturated with brine. Crystallized. salt extended 40 yards in width from the water’s edge, and the Tine of dvift-wood was 70 ards distant. I picked up erystallized spar and. saw a flock of Thout 30 black and white binds, swimming ina line and diving ont in the water. I found no shells upon the shore. We passed hole where a camel had fallen through the encrusted sand, which was about 60 ft. above the present level of the sea. Many parts sounded hollow, as if there were subterranean watercourses. November 3.—We rode to the Cave of Usdum, which T found was about midway of the length of the mountain, and on the east fr side next to the sea. Rock salt was visible all the way along in the mountain side with limestone overlying it, with a general dip of 45° w. ‘The rocks of the cave were composed of large, loose, broken masses, s0 we could not penetrate fars but I was told by the Arabs as well as the tent men, who had been along with De Sauley, that we had penetrated farther than other travel- ers, a8 no one previously had observed the long stalactites of salt, whieh I discovered ; and yet by measurement Ehad not gone over 200 ft. ina direct line into the cave. T also observed that there wwas a current of air passing into the cave and ascending towards the roof where the stalactites were, so T had no doubt but there ‘waa a communication with the top of the mountain at that place. T got spar above the rock salt, but could not find any nitr ‘Marshy ground at the south end of the Dead Sea had a red ap- pearance, but the mu was too soft for any person to walk upon it, ‘On returning to our camp, T saw a flock of nearly 100 black wild fowl, diving and lapping their wings in the Dead Sea, and T could riot but think that both the flocks had been feeding at the time. ‘Norember 4, Suniay.—We attempted to ascend Mount Usdum from the westside, and went up a water-course to a height of 270 ft by the aneroid, when I found the side so steep and full of| fissures, that T did not like to proceed for fear of breaking my in~ Siromentss there were pinnacles of salt in every direction. The highest point must be 400 ft. above the Dead Sea. At 10.a.x. wre left sium and rode along the western shore Tstw many ead trees standing in the Dead Sea for some distance from the shore in the bay. At 10-45 we came to a brine spring, tempera ture 902, about 100 yards distant and 30 ft. above the level of the sea. "Tt spread over some extent of ground where the kali plaut grew freely. At the drift fine and a few yards from the ead Sea, to which there was a free communication by the