William Francis Lynch

“ The weather became warmer and warmer as we descended, — the torrent bed of the ravine (Wady Kerak) perfectly dry. As we approached the plain, I placed myself beside Muhammed to watch him more narrowly. By this time, all but two or three of his followers had ridden ahead and left us. When he first joined us he had demanded a watch, then a double-barreled gun, and a number of articles in succession; but when he saw that we held him as a hostage for the good behaviour of his tribe, he changed his tone. About an hour before reaching the shore, we stopped fifteen minutes to breathe the horses. ”

“ The elements were not yet entirely hushed, the wind sweeping down the ravine in occasional gusts. Here the Kerakiyeh amused themselves by firing at a mark. Approaching to pistol shot distance, and taking rest with their long guns, they rarely hit the mark. ”

“ In the course of a long conversation, to-night, Abd’ Allah gave us a history of the condition and prospects of the Christians of Kerak. He said that there were from 900 to 1000 Christians here, comprising three-fourths of the population. They could muster a little over 200 fighting men; but are kept in subjection by the Muslim Arabs, living mostly in tents, without the town. He stated that they are, in every manner, imposed upon. If a Muslim comes to the town, instead of going to the house of another Muslim, he quarters himself upon a Christian, and appropriates the best of every thing ”

“ Kerak contains a population of about 300 families, three-fourths Christian. By paying an annual tribute, and submitting to occasional exertions, the latter live amicably with the powerful tribe of Kerakîyeh, whose encampment is a short distance without the walls. The latter are so averse to houses, that some, then on a visit to the town, had pitched their tents in the yards of vacant dwellings.
The Muslim inhabitants are wild-looking savages, but the Christians have a milder expression. The males mostly wear sheepskin coats; the women, dark-coloured gowns ”

“ How much more exciting and sublime than anything a monotonous plain presents! I have skirted the base of Etna, clothed in the luxuriant verdure of a favoured clime, and looked upon its summit, wreathed in a mantle of perpetual snow, while the smoke from its crater gracefully curled above it. ”

“ A horse, taken into the bay, could, with difficulty, keep himself upright. ‘Two fresh hens’ eggs floated up one-third of their length. They would have sunk, in the water of the Mediterranean or the Atlantic.
When one of our party inquired if there were stores in Kerak, describing a place where articles were sold, the Christian Arab replied, — “What we have we give: do you think that we would sell you any thing? You are our friends.” ”

“ They are much darker, and their hair more wiry and disposed to curl instead of any Arabs we have seen. Their features as well as their complexion are more of the African type, and they are short and spare built, with low receding foreheads, and the expression of countenance is half sinister and half idiotic. Their only garment is a tunic of brief dimensions, open at the breast and confined round the waist by a band or leathern belt.
The sheikh has rude sandals, fastened by thongs; the rest are barefooted. The women are even more abject-looking than the men, and studiously conceal their faces. ”

“ While we made preparations for our departure in the room above, the Arabs were in consultation beneath the window, Muhammed and several of his tribe gesticulating violently. But ’Akil and the Beni Sukr prince were there, and we knew that they would stand by us. After much difficulty, our horses were procured. As we were about starting, Muhammed again demanded a backshish, which was refused. He then said that he would not go down with us, and sneeringly asked what we should do if we found one hundred men in our path. We replied that we would take care of ourselves. ”

“ They all, men and women, seem to bear impressed upon their features the curse of their incestuous origin.
Their village, Mezra’a, is on the plain, about half an hour, or one mile and a half distant. Their houses are mere hovels plastered with mud. They cultivate the dhoura (millet) , tobacco, and some indigo, a specimen of which we procured.
CHRISTIAN ARABS
The deputation from Kerak expressed great delight at beholding fellow-Christians upon the shores of this sea, and said that if they had known of our first arrival on the western shore, they would have gone round and invited us over. ”

“ In most places the naked rock dipped down abruptly into the deep and gloomy chasm, and it only required a torrent to come tumbling headlong over the rude fragments fallen from the cliffs above to complete the sublimity of the scene. ”

“ They were accompanied by Muhammed, the son of Abd’el Kadir, the Muslim Sheikh of the Kerakiyeh, and by Abd’ Allah, the Christian sheikh of the Beni Khallas; the latter residing in the town of Kerak, the former living mostly in black tents, about half a mile distant from it.
On our way to camp, Muhammed endeavoured to display his horsemanship; but the animal, wearied by the rough mountain road he had travelled, fell to the ground, and his rider was compelled to jump off to save himself. ”

“ These Christian Arabs are of the tribe Beni Khallas (Sons of the Invincible) , a name inappropriate to their present condition. Their features are fuller and more placid in expression, and they seem more vigorous, manly, and intelligent than the Raschayideh and Ta’amirah of the Judean shore. ”

“ Yet their God is gold, and fifty well-armed, resolute Franks, with a large sum of money, could revolutionize the whole country. The presence of ’Akil was of great service to us; and but for him we should have come in collision with this rude people.
ARAB DISCONTENT
The Christians were as kind and obliging as the Muslims were insolent. In order, as he told me, to secure the good behaviour of the Kerakîyeh, ’Akil brought with him the young prince of the Beni Sukrs, a powerful tribe, of whom even these fierce Arabs stood in awe. The Beni Sukr wore his hair in ringlets, like a girl ”

“ Each sailor had a carbine which loaded at the breech, and could be fired with great rapidity, and there was attached to it a steel bayonet, three feet long, that could be drawn out at will; and each one carried in his belt a pistol with a deadly bowie-knife attached. The officers had severally a carbine, a revolver pistol, and a sword, three of the last having pistol-barrels attached to the blade near the handle. ”

“ If a Muslim sheikh buys a horse for so many sheep, he makes the Christians contribute until the number be made up. Their property, he said, is seized without there being any one to whom to appeal; and remonstrance, on their part, only makes it worse.
AN APPEAL FROM KERAK
Already a great many have been driven away ”

“ A steep glacis-wall skirts the whole. The walls, now partly standing, are composed of heavy, well-cut stones; and there were seven arched store-houses, one above the other, with narrow slits for defence. The part used as the chapel was evidently built in the times of the crusades; and the east end, where the altar stood, was least demolished; for these buildings have been devastated by the hand of man. ”

“ We beg, secondly, to say that in the most happy and honourable time, we received your letter containing your beautiful discourse. We thanked, on reading it, the Almighty God that you are well, and ask him now, also (who is the most fit to ask) , that we may be permitted to behold the light of your countenance in a fit and agreeable time.
“The animals which you have ordered will be brought down to you by the Excellency of our brother chief, Muhammed Nujally, and the chief Abd’ Allah en Nahas; and the men necessary to guard the boats will be supplied by the said chiefs. ”

“ There were light airs from the west. At 6:30 A.M., thermometer 84°, and quite warm. The wind had been fresh in the night, and the boats were driven by the surf broadside on the beach. The atmosphere of the tent being oppressive, we breakfasted outside in its shade. Some of us spent the forenoon in the quiet recesses of the ravine, endeavouring to observe the day.
EFFECTS UPON HEALTH
Thus far, all, with one exception, had enjoyed good health, but there were symptoms which caused me uneasiness. ”

“ He had sent an apology for not coming in person on account of his wounded followers, and in consequence of all their horses being foundered.
Lieut. Dale, like myself, found it difficult to keep awake to-day, while steering the boat across. We are on the eastern side, a little north of the neck of the peninsula. Wady Kerak is at the S.E. extremity of the bay. Between it and us is the village of Mezra’a, and in the near vicinity of the latter are the supposed ruins of Zoar. To-morrow we will continue the exploration of this deep and interesting bay. ”

“ P.M. Rode out upon the plain, with two Arabs on foot, to look for the ruins of Zoar. Pursuing a S.E. direction, up the peninsula, passed, first, some dhoura (millet) fields, the grain but a few inches above the ground — many of the fields yet wet from recent irrigation. ”