Behind all gloomy to behold2;
And stepping eastward3 seemed to be
A kind of heavenly destiny."
W. Wordsworth
The Jericho hotels were closed for the season, but with the connivance4 of the negro caretaker and of an Arab in charge of the adjoining orange-gardens we obtained entrance at one, and managed to provide ourselves with firing and an excellent supper, and, subsequently, with beds. The Lady, who alone of the party carried a watch, heard the negro awakening5 the Professor next morning with the information that it was three o'clock, and added greatly to her popularity by being in a position to call out an assurance that it was only one, and that two hours' further repose7 was permissible8. The building, it should be mentioned, being constructed mainly of wood and of mud bricks was well adapted for distant conversation.
{21} Three o'clock, however, duly arrived, all too soon, and by four o'clock we had breakfasted and were on our way across the sandy plain which stretches for about two hours between Jericho and the Jordan. A few faint streaks9 in the east promised the coming day, but it was still so dark that our horses required all our attention, as the plain is full of holes; twice over a silver gleam ahead warned us of fords to be crossed, and from time to time dark masses rose up before us, and those riding in advance called to the others to avoid the spreading branches of the jujube-tree, zizyphus lotus and zizyphus spina Christi, called by the Arabs nebk and sidr, which are the octopods of vegetable life, sending out long tentacles11 armed with fierce thorns, capable of subtracting your head-gear, entering your saddle, and imprisoning12 your horse.
The ride across the plain of Jordan, interesting at any time to persons of imagination, was unspeakably weird13 and suggestive in the morning twilight14, but we differed as to whether the world in which we found ourselves was one in course of construction or of disintegration15. Some of us were of opinion that the giant sand-hills—a labyrinth16 of marl and salt deposit, worn {22} by winds and washed by winter torrents17, an old sea bottom—which crumble18 at a touch, and which resemble castles, churches, towers, domes19, minarets20, whole towns of every variety of architecture, suggested an artist's dream of a world to be; while others maintained that they were the images, in the mind of a philosopher, dwelling21 upon the past. There was no limit to the tricks which fancy might play in such surroundings, a nearer fata morgana; a dream materialised as it created itself; a poem precipitated22 as it was sung: castles in Spain in which each of us saw some reminder23 of his personal aspirations24: the land of By-and-by; the ruins of Yesterday; the house of Never, according to our individual temperament25 and faculty26.
Riding was not very rapid during the first hour and more, so that it was nearly seven o'clock when we reached the Jordan bridge—the Rubicon between Palestine and Moab, an exceedingly rickety wooden structure, of which the only effective part is the door at either end, designed for the enforcement of backsheesh. The river is embowered in trees, a variety of willow27 known as the safsaf, various acacias, the farnesiana, not yet filling the air with its delicious scent28, the tortilis, and seyal—with the {23} long spines29, which are found even on many plants innocent as lambs elsewhere, but fully30 armed in this land of thorns and thistles—the zakkum, resembling a large box-tree, also provided with strong thorns, the inevitable31 jujube zizyphus, the crimson32-flowered oleander, which is as seldom out of blossom as is the gorse on our English moors33, above all, the Jordan tamarisk, inseparable in one's memory from this river and its surroundings, green, graceful34, and, in comparison with its many-armed and aggressive neighbours, gentle and friendly.
We had plenty of leisure to observe these details, for our arrangements with the guardians35 of the bridge involved not only inquiry36, discussion, and the gratification of considerable curiosity but also consumption of coffee and distribution of backsheesh. The scene about us was animated37 and full of variety. The bridge may not be crossed before sunrise, and our arrival was timely, for types of the whole desert population seemed to have just arrived, and were pausing to reorganise their caravans38. A group of fellahin, the agricultural labourers of the country, were bargaining with the Bedu, whose lands they are employed to cultivate at a wage of one-third of the profits, for the Bedu toil39 {24} not neither do they spin. They are the sons of the desert, freedom is their birthright, and the fellah, compared with them, is as the "linnet born within the cage" to one who has always "known the summer woods." With his scanty41 white robe, his black head-cloth or keffeeye, his huge akal of camels' hair, he is probably not less ragged42 than the blue-robed fellah, but he has an air of indescribable dignity. Utterly43 independent of his surroundings, he is as unaffected by hunger or the absence of all the necessaries of life, as a Highland44 chief, and, like him, is proud not of the mere45 outside conditions of life but, literally46, of the blood in his veins47. "I suppose you are descended49 from Abraham?" someone remarked to an old Bedawin of this district.
"Oh no; Abraham was not at all of good family," he replied.
The Circassians, too, are there, with wide-skirted coats and astrachan caps; the Turcomans, with flashes of scarlet50 and yellow where Arabs would be wearing white or blue—to say nothing of certain Government officials, savouring of town life, in tarbush and European boots.
Various animals of the desert are there: camels that are graceful and asses10 that are intelligent; horses with the manes and tails {25} which Nature intended for them; stallions of the fellahin and mares of the Bedu; oxen and goats and sheep and, as link with the wilder creatures, the pariah52 dog and the feral cat. There is a whole armoury of weapons, mostly of the kind adapted for a provincial53 museum, from a matchlock to a modern breech-loader, from a two-edged dagger54 to a cavalry55 sabre, from a horn-handled kitchen knife to the dainty instrument with which, with some futility56, one of the party is manicuring his nails.
We begin to realise that we have said goodbye not only to roads, and sheets and tablecloths57, but almost to humanity, for it seems as if the entire population were leaving the country towards which our faces are set. There is shouting in half-a-dozen languages—our own little party habitually58 provides five—there is the utter disorder59 combined with the perfect courtesy, which contrasts so strongly with the general order and personal indifference60, of what we of the West suppose to be a higher civilisation61.
The Lady showed her sense of the new order of things by betaking herself to a second stirrup; for, when you have to hang on to precipices62 by your eyelids63, climb pathless mountains in the dark, descend48 over solid rock, slippery and {26} defenceless, or over shale64 which disappears beneath your horse's feet; when you may expect to be ten, twelve, or even fourteen hours a day in the saddle—and such a saddle as one is likely to obtain in the East—a Hyde Park seat does not afford all the security and convenience which anxious friends can desire. There was not enough leather in our outfit65 to go round, and as that second stirrup hung on by a piece of string it afforded an excellent measure of temperature, distance, and individual mood. "When in doubt" upon any question—if someone were desperate for a halt, when the party became scattered66 and consequent waiting provided a few odd minutes of spare time, when conversation failed or anyone were aching for occupation, if any member of the party had a sudden access of politeness and wished to exhibit interest or pay a little attention to the suddenly-remembered female sex—there was always that second stirrup to fall back upon. In the morning the string had lengthened67 with the night-dews, but as the day went on and each cavalier had added an attentive68 knot, the rider would allege69 that she had become as lopsided as a London milkwoman. By-and-by the knots tautened, the perpetual pull of a {27} thousand feet of ascent70 or descent, as the case might be, strained the string to its utmost, and the stirrup became inaccessible71; after dusk she was suspected of dispensing72 with it altogether. The whole position was an excellent illustration of the misfit of the privileges claimed as "women's rights!" Nevertheless, it said something for the worth of the compromise, that she never once dismounted on account of the nature of the ground, that she brought home her animal with sound knees, that both horse and rider came back as fresh as they started, and that the company were loud in declaring that their patience was unexhausted and that they were ready, if any shred73 survived, to begin operations again upon that string to-morrow.
The Professor and the Lady had both changed horses; he for one which, however much elated by his position, could yet be induced to behave discreetly74 in the neighbourhood of the Bedawi mare51; she for one which, although incapable75 of the much-vaunted rahwan, could nevertheless be kept within such bounds as befitted ascent of pathless precipices, and progress over the dry beds of mountain streams. It was probably owing to the superior lightness of the burden he had to carry that her new steed, Sadowi, a {28} light-limbed grey, was, like his predecessor76, generally ahead of all the party. The Professor's long-legged mount and the active wide-flanked slender-headed mare of the officer, were of course the official leaders of the expedition, and the Lady did her utmost to sustain a modest retirement77 into the background. But her task was not easy, not only because of the personal ambitions of Sadowi, but on account of certain human vices78 on the part of the Professor's horse, for which the usual cherchez la femme was the occasion. The Bedawy beauty, with whom he carried on an active flirtation79, was, on Oriental principles, haram (forbidden) to anyone else, and he refused to tolerate the neighbourhood of any other horse, looking round perpetually with an evil expression of suspicion and hatred80, worthy81 only of his human superiors. When Sadowi passed him he turned aside to bite him in the act; when the Lady succeeded in keeping in the rear he kicked out at irregular intervals83, on the chance of the proximity84 of his rival.
The coffee served to us pending85 our arrangements at the Jordan bridge was more than welcome, for we had almost forgotten our half-past-three-o'clock breakfast, and the feast of the {29} eye ceased, after a time, to suffice the appetite. Some of us had built our hopes on private stores of chocolate; but chocolate, in the East, even in October, has its drawback, from a tendency to trickle86 out of the corners of one's pockets in tell-tale streams which are not appetising. The humble87 peppermint88, of the quality stamped "Extra Strong," reminiscent of the smell of afternoon church in the country, may rather be recommended, as allaying89 both hunger and thirst, the latter probably by stimulus90 of the salivary91 gland92. Meat lozenges and other devices of the amateur traveller share the fate of the chocolate; bread becomes rusk and, like biscuit, is provocative93 of thirst; raisins94, except of the kind which at home we dedicate to puddings, are, strange to say, unknown; and figs95 and dates with no water to wash them in, are—here where we know their antecedents—for most of us out of the question. One of our mukaris went about with a necklace of figs threaded on a string, from which he subtracted as occasion suggested. He had learned the art of the simplification of life: he drank almost anything that was wet, ate as has been described, never, so far as was known, undressed, and slept anywhere except, apparently96, in a bed, but for choice {30} on the top of one of the baggage animals whenever the road in any degree approached the horizontal. His only luxury was his water-pipe, which he produced at every moment of leisure, trusting to his companion to keep it alight without any unnecessary expenditure97 of tombak, the special tobacco used for the narghile, whenever duty called him away. He was to such a degree a man of resource and expedient98 that a story which the Professor told us, though, as a matter of fact, observed elsewhere, might just as well have been applied99 to him. Some mukari in the Professor's employ had also a water-pipe, but seems to have been fastidious, which Khalil was not, and on one occasion was seen looking around for something which might be conveniently inserted into the bottle-shaped vase which holds the water, and in which a ring of scum had formed upon the glass. His eye fell upon a neighbouring donkey. He seized the beast's tail, twisted it into a convenient bottle brush, performed the required ablution, and returned it to the astonished owner, who, however, with the usual intelligence of the Palestine ass6, made no remark upon the subject.
In Syria the greatest difficulty in locomotion100, {31} except backsheesh, for which it is the pretext101, is quarantine. It is easy enough to cross the Jordan bridge eastward on payment of a toll102 of three piasters (about 7d.), for man and beast, but it may not be so easy to get back again, as quarantine may be imposed at any hour, and may last for any length of time. It was necessary, therefore, to make it clear to the official mind that, by special favour, we were to be allowed to return without let or hindrance103, whatever might have occurred in the interval82. That, in the name of Allah, would be as Allah and certain exalted104 persons willed, we were piously105 assured, and finally, with much hand-shaking and invocation—May peace go with you! May your path be broad! May your day be blessed!—the gates were opened, and in a few minutes we were east of the River Jordan, which in the rainy season is at least one hundred feet wide, but was now only one-third of that distance.
A plain some four or five hours broad—for here all measurement is by time, at the rate of three or four miles an hour, according to the nature of the country—lay between us and the foot of the hills, although during all the months we had looked longingly106 at them from the hills of Jud?a they had seemed to rise almost {32} perpendicularly107 from the banks of the Jordan and of the Dead Sea.
Our destination before nightfall was Madaba, which lies 2940 feet above sea level. Starting from the valley of the Dead Sea, 1292 feet below the Mediterranean109, and with the wide plain of the Jordan valley to cross before the ascent could begin, it was evident we must reserve our force for the precipitous climb of over 4000 feet which awaited us, and we accordingly kept our horses in check, although the sandy plain offered temptation for a canter. We had abundance of interest. The Sportsmen hardly expected to meet with the lions which formerly110 infested111 the thickets112 of the Jordan, but traces of wild boar might be looked for, also hy?nas, jackals, and foxes (which it is considered legitimate113 to shoot) both the desert fox, canis niloticus, and the canis variegatus, smaller than the English fox, with a grey back, black breast, and a large bushy tail. Cheetahs114 are occasionally found in the district we were approaching, the wild cat, felis caligata, though rare, is not unknown, of gazelles we should doubtless see plenty in the mountains, the ibex, with huge horns, might be expected among the rocks of the highest points; and the sight of {33} a wolf was not wholly impossible. However, the immediate115 expectation, considering the hour, the place, and the sounds which accompanied our cavalcade116—for nothing short of personal danger can silence an Arab—was rather of bird than of beast. The first prize in the mind of the Sportsmen was the francolin, much valued in Syria as a pot-shot. It is something between a pheasant and a partridge, of dark grey plumage, very strong both to run and fly, and with a powerful call. Partridges, too, came within their ambitions, and the partridge of Syria is indeed game worth the powder. Down here, in the plains, the Hey's partridge, ammoperdix heyi, with its delicate plumage, a soft grey touched with richest blue, is the most common; but as we advance the larger Greek partridge, the caccabis saxatilis, awaits us, among the rocks and boulders117 of the mountain passes. Pigeons and sand-grouse, and the large Indian turtle-dove, turtur risorius, were abundant, but the wedge-tailed raven118, corvus affinis, with his whistling cry and jackdaw-like air of gaiety, did not show until we reached the cliffs of a higher district.
The Lady openly exulted119 in the lack of accessible game, and grudged120 even the occasional {34} shots fired, as disturbing to the smaller creatures in which she found delight—the grakle, the blackbird with orange under wings with whom we had already made friends by the brook121 Cherith, whose bell-like note sounded from tree to tree, the dainty sun-bird, cinnyris ose?, whose metallic122 sheen flashed in and out of the tamarisk-trees, the delicate—hued Moabite sparrow, the aristocrat123 of his family, who ran up reeds and tree trunks like the familiar tits at home. We were too early to see the flights of birds of passage on their way south to warmer climes, and which, before and after the winter months, pause in the thickets of the Jordan basin, and fill the air with music, which includes the notes of the cuckoo and the nightingale, and recalls, however irrelevantly124, Browning's "Oh, to be in England, now that April's here!" We had hoped to see the busy little jerboa, a jumping mouse with long hind1 legs, like a microscopic125 kangaroo, but circumstances were, for the present, against us, chiefly the noise of our cavalcade. He is a friendly little beast, and easily tamed, and though familiar with him in confinement126 we should have liked to see him under happier conditions.
We could not have happened on a more {35} unfortunate season for flowers; the wonderful flora127 of the Jordan valley was now at rest, and even the autumn squills, the delicate muscari, and a few lingering silenae had been left behind on the higher ground the other side of Jericho. The only feast of colour was the oleander, familiar to most of us as a greenhouse shrub128, and which here rose with its rich crimson or pure white flowers, single or double, wherever a little water remained to keep the earth moist about its roots. We speculated as to what might be its nearest cousin in our northern latitudes129, and the wildest guesses were made, including the rhododendron, mezereum, daphne, and syringa, but no one thought of the familiar periwinkle, with its shining trails and sapphire130 blooms, in habit and appearance so utterly dissimilar, but which also belongs to the family of apocynacea, or dog-bane. In spite of its rich colouring and welcome beauty, the oleander bush is highly poisonous, affecting even the water in which it grows. A story is told of some French soldiers in the Peninsular War who utilised some of its twigs131 to serve as spits for roasting meat, with the result that seven out of twelve who ate of it shortly died.
We knew better than to expect to find "Jericho {36} roses" in the Jericho district, although this curious and interesting crucifer anastatica exists in considerable quantities about Masada, towards Engedi, some twenty hours south. It is an annual, and its curious blossoms are formed in the spring. We found, however, many specimens132 of the Dead Sea fruit, though still green and unripe133. It is an asclepiad, calotropis procera, called by the Arabs oshr, and is strictly134 subtropical. The fruit, the "apple of Sodom" of Josephus, has an inflated135, leathery skin, which, when crushed, leaves in the hand only fibres and bits of rind. The stalk has a strong milky136 juice. The name is also given to the solanum sanctum, of the family of the potato, which also resembles an apple, and is red, with black seeds.
Tristram has happily described the high lands above the Jordan valley as a "watershed137 ... the fruitful mother of many infant wadys," a wady being a river bed, and as we made our way along the Wady Heshban, almost due east, turning southward later in the day, we had glimpses of many of these glens, and we even forded a couple of streams on their way down to the Jordan before, towards noon, we found ourselves at the foot of the mountains. A clear running stream, a little grove138 of trees, were a {37} temptation not to be resisted. In a moment we were off our horses, although, unfortunately, not in time to prevent the baggage animals—left for an instant by the mukaris, who hastened to receive our weary steeds—from refreshing139 themselves in their own fashion, by a roll in the cool water, oblivious140 of their encumbrances141, or, possibly, possessed142 of some vague notion of debarrassing themselves of a superfluity. They had been travelling between seven and eight hours, and for the last two in intense heat, not only overhead but, from radiation of the light sandy soil, underfoot. We could not feel angry with them, and all cheerfully helped the Lady to hang her entire wardrobe and personal belongings143 upon the projecting branches of the jujube-trees, useful for once, as it was her saddle-bags which had suffered most, although a supply of cake, gingerbread, and chocolate was reduced to a condition uneatable by any but the mukaris, who considered the incident an acceptable dispensation of Providence144, or, in their own phrase, maktoub—"it is decreed."
A few Bedu under the farther trees were the first human beings we had met since leaving Jericho except some camel-drivers who, silent and statuesque, their flocks of many scores {38} of stately camels equally silent and pictorial145, had seemed rather to be a part of the landscape than to have any human relation with ourselves. One of the group came forward, and greeted us in such fluent German that we at first took him for some agricultural speculator buying seed or seeking labourers from among the fellahin; for the agriculture—that is the organised, not to say scientific, agriculture of Palestine—is practically in the hands of Germans and Jews. However, he turned out to be a native, educated at one of the many German schools of Jerusalem, or elsewhere, at one time an employé of the Austrian post office, on his way, alone, with a dagger and a revolver for sole companions, to visit some property at Madaba. On hearing that this was our destination he begged permission to join our cavalcade, which the Professor readily granted, as the remaining journey, among the mountains, was especially solitary146. We were very grateful for coffee and an excellent lunch of sausage, potted meat, and jam, with white bread, brought from Jerusalem, the last European bread we were likely to see. We ate our dainties with some sense of guilt147, and a shamefaced sensation of geographical148 and historical anachronism, as the Professor, without waiting for {39} our feast to be unpacked149 and spread, produced from some secret recess150 three parcels, one of which was laid aside for the moment, though with a promissory glance at the Lady, which she knew denoted instruction in view. The other two proved to be bags, one containing dates, the other figs, "Dates and figs," we were informed, "were the natural food of desert wanderers, sufficing to the body, stimulating151 to the mind; the wheat, the flesh, above all the alcohol, of civilisation, were mere irrelevancies." Here some of us sought to conceal152 our sandwiches and withdraw our anticipations153 from private flasks154. "Was it not diet such as this," and he waved a pair of sensitive hands over his ascetic155 larder156, "which had enabled him to reply to the inquiry of a Personage as to how many hours a day he could ride in the desert—'Twenty-four, your Majesty157, since the day does not contain twenty-five, and a man will endure anything for the sake of his miserable158 life'? For was it not on a diet of figs and dates that he had ridden sixty hours without dismounting, resting only for two hours, when he dropped out of the saddle, just one hour's ride from friends and safety? Was it your meat-eater, your wine-drinker, who remained sound and {40} wholesome159 when necessity obliged him to refrain from ablution for twenty-one days? 'If a man must be a pig or die of thirst, your Majesty,' he had submitted to the Personage in question, 'will he not rather be a pig?' a sentiment with which even royalty160 heartily161 concurred162." At this point he carefully counted his date stones, observed that two more were yet due to his appetite, and, having finished his frugal163 luncheon164, drew from the saddle-bag deposited beside him his native pipe, some eighteen inches long, of which the clay head and wooden stem were carefully and separately wrapped in paper, filled it with strong tobacco, and lighted it with a mysterious paper match, laid atop, which smouldered for a perceptible time, and set fire to the precious fuel. Someone, anxious, perhaps, for the just distribution of human praise and blame, unwisely murmured that "tobacco was a luxury." The Professor withdrew his pipe to describe the less costly165 "smokes" of desert life. The paths across the desert of Central Arabia have been the same, probably, since the earliest ages. Man, camel-mounted, with the same dress, food, purpose, habits, has crossed those golden sands for ?ons as, and where, he crosses them now. The living of to-day are treading the dust of yesterday, {41} and amid that dust we may look not only for bleached166 bones and hypophosphates, but even for the decomposed167 dust of camel droppings. These, dried and purified, it may be, by centuries, are the substitute for tobacco of desert life. The Professor would not acknowledge any ability to give a personal opinion of its quality, but the Sportsmen, adventurous168 in this as in all else, were suspected later, when we reached the camel district, of making a personal experiment in the interests of science, with what results it was never revealed.
The Professor emptied his pipe, and, calling the attention of the Lady, opened his third parcel, which proved to contain a large square of white net. "Such a treasure as this," he admonished169 her, "you would do well to acquire. It is a luxury of travel. When I wish for repose I envelop170 myself. It averts171 flies and mosquitoes, and is a hint to my companions that I do not desire conversation." So saying, he modestly withdrew into its folds, and only a neat little pair of black boots emerging from—apparently—a bridal veil, remained to indicate his personality.
The rest of us drew our keffeeyes before our eyes, laid our heads upon any sloping substance {42} that offered itself, and neither man nor beast needed further inducement to enter into the land of dreams.
At two o'clock we were again in the saddle, conscious of between 3000 and 4000 feet to climb. Our faces were set eastward, but we knew that we had to reach a point above and beyond Mount Nebo, which lay immediately south, "to climb where Moses stood, and view the landscape o'er." Very soon the shrubs172, which had hitherto been at least our occasional companions, were left behind, and, perpetually climbing, we began to realise that we had entered a new world. The limestone173, dolomite, and gravel174 limestone of Jud?a had largely given place to a formation different alike in colour and outline—mainly red sand-stone, often of very fantastic features, and a certain amount of basalt—later, as we came still farther south, masses of green-stone and boulders of pudding-stone. The green-stone is embedded175 in and streaked176 with a deep olive grey, but in places is as green as malachite. Tristram points out that a dip in the strata177 brings the limestone again in places to the surface, which probably accounts for the varied178 colouring of the cliffs—black, red, and white—which, in the clear, brilliant {43} sunshine, is dazzling in its effect. The great tableland of Moab lies about 4000 feet above the Dead Sea valley, and slopes gently eastward for some twenty-five miles, beyond which rises another range of hills (limestone), the watershed of Moab, and the frontier of Arabia, whose blue distances we afterwards came to feel as a new limitation, which we longed to cross, as formerly we had longed to cross the hills of Moab.
For miles we saw no sign of human life, no cultivation179, no domestic animal, only wide stretches of bare rock and a scant40 vegetation, which seemed, although so burnt as to be difficult to distinguish, mainly sandwort and soapwort. Now and then a flash of shadow showed that a lizard180 had darted181 away, but even small birds were rare. When the wide zigzag182, which always seemed to turn horizontally just as we had begun to make advance, allowed us, from time to time, to cast glimpses westward183 at the mountains of Jud?a, we were much astonished at their height and grandeur184. A prophet has no honour in his own country, and we had no conception that the familiar range would have so much dignity from afar. Finally, we reached a tableland, a wide terrace, before arriving at {44} the foot of the farther range of mountains, which we must still pass.
We halted beneath a solitary tree, and were thankful for the contents of our water-bottles. Glass bottles cased with straw and packed in saddle-bags were almost hot enough to make tea from, whereas the German military flasks of the Sportsmen, with felt coverings damped before starting, and hooked to the saddle, provided a deliciously cool drink. Mount Nebo, which had all day dominated the landscape southwards to our right, had much dwindled185 in importance, and indeed the end of our journey would bring us to an elevation186 600 feet its superior; and there are indeed many points from which Moses might have had a much finer panorama187 of the promised land than that conventionally pointed188 out.
Very soon we begin to climb the farther and final range, and to enter into a district in which the human interest again awoke, not the less strongly that it was connected with a past which, in England, we should consider remote, but which we describe here as "merely Roman"—that is to say, not quite two thousand years ago. The Roman road, which we followed for some distance, is in much better condition than, for {45} example, the road between Jerusalem and Jaffa, or Jerusalem and Bethlehem, in spite of the heavy road tax which, theoretically, keeps them in order, and the milestones189, though prostrate190, are still of imperial dignity—massive columns some six or eight feet in height.
Other columns and great hewn stones are scattered here and there by the roadside, telling of a grandeur that is past, of a civilisation with which we have nothing to compare. Another chapter in human history had been recently suggested by a great dolmen, worthy of Stonehenge; some of us longed to turn aside to examine it more closely, as it was the first we had seen in this country, although they are very abundant east of Jordan, especially in the district lying between Heshbon and the hot springs of Callirhoe.
An almost perpendicular108 climb, which the heavier among the party thought it only merciful to accomplish on foot, brought us to the summit of the farther range, the Tell el Mataba, marked by an extensive stone circle, from whence we practically looked down on Mount Nebo, and soon found ourselves in entirely191 changed surroundings. Here and there signs of cultivation, a couple of fellahin carrying a plough, a donkey {46} bearing a sack of grain and driven by women, all spoke192 of the neighbourhood of human habitation. A great plateau gently sloping upward to the east, the fertile Ard 'Abdallah, lay open before us, and we knew that beyond the gentle slopes lay the city of Madaba, of which, at present, there was no indication, except that of the industry of its inhabitants—or at least the industry which its neighbourhood made possible. On a slight eminence193 stood the tomb of 'Abdallah, of whom we could learn only that he was a great shech, as was testified by the symbols displayed upon his tombstone: a mortar194 for preparing, an iron spoon for roasting, a pot for boiling, and a cup for drinking, the coffee, which was the symbol of his unlimited195 hospitality.
Thoughts crowded into our minds with rapid confusion. We had seen too much; disentanglement was difficult. The stone circle, the dolmen burial monument of some primeval race, may have been looked upon by Moses in those sad, closing hours of a disappointed life—by Balaam and Balak wandering from point to point, from one high place of Baal to another, among these hills, seeking for some spot whence the prophet might feel himself inspired to curse the tents of Israel, who had made such havoc196 up yonder in {47} Heshbon, and along the very wady we had crossed. We remembered how the cities of Moab were described by Ezekiel as "the glory of the country," and yet how her inhabitants were warned by Jeremiah "to flee and get away, for the cities thereof shall be desolate197." We saw, in fancy, the Roman soldiers of the tenth legion, the military colonies, the Gr?co-Roman culture, the Christian198, the Persian influence; finally, in strange rivalry199 with powers so strong, so highly developed, the Arab, who for thirteen hundred years has lived among the ruins of the past, not, on the whole, actively200 destructive but living only for each day's need; initiating201 nothing, saving nothing from decay, not even seeking to preserve a tree or repair a cistern202, and whose finest monument, among all these ruins of the past, is that of a shech who dispensed203 much coffee! He has held the country longer than anyone else, as the eagle his eyrie or the wolf his lair204, and as we advanced each day farther and farther into the desolation of the present, more and more closely in touch with the traces of the grandeur of the past, we felt that here, at least, was a race perfectly205 adapted to the environment it had, in great degree, created for itself.
{48} Our tired horses, conscious of twelve hours of work already past, were thankful for level ground, and took fresh heart as we pursued a fairly good path, between wide expanses of fields, in which the harvest was not yet entirely over; that wonderful Syrian harvest, which seems to be going on continuously, here or there, during quite half the year, from May to October. We, also weary, let the reins206 fall loose and wandered on thus meditating207, the Professor and our officer to the front, the mukaris bringing up the rear. Suddenly we were conscious of a slight shock to our body corporate208, and, looking up, perceived that the Professor and the officer were in colloquy209 with a body of some six or eight wild-looking Arabs, their swarthy countenances210 looking the darker and more savage211 for their black keffeeyes and akals.
At this moment our Sportsmen rode up, one of whom spoke Arabic like a native, and the Professor, waving a dignified212 negative, rode ahead. We joined him, and turning our horses looked back at the scene in progress. The leader of the attacking party was in hot argument with the Sportsman, who responded to his shouts and gestures with the cool imperturbability213 which, of all European characteristics, {49} is most surprising to the Arab, while our mukaris, hastily collecting the baggage animals, and casting an anxious glance ahead at the horses we were riding, hovered214 timorously215 in the rear. As a mere accidental coincidence we observed that another of the band had fallen upon an unlucky fellah, who rode up at the moment, knocked him off his donkey, and was beating him—casually as it appeared—but probably pour encourager les autres—namely, our mukaris. They demanded, as we afterwards learnt, a tax upon every horse in our company before permitting us to enter the town of Madaba, which they represented. "If you belong to Madaba then accompany us to Madaba, where we will pay any tax which appears to be just," replied our Sportsman calmly, "but it seems to me you are highwaymen," and so saying he, with our other Sportsman, our second mukari with two baggage animals, and our German-speaking Arab companion, rode on, and joined our distant group, Khalil, our chief mukari, who was held responsible for all the horses, being retained as hostage. With the usual cowardice216 of an Arab, in spite of the Sportsman's assurances that he would "see him through," he very foolishly produced his purse, {50} satisfied their demands, and rode on triumphant217. The chatter218 that ensued among our three Arab companions—for nothing in the world excites an Arab like a question of money—can only be compared to a rookery at sunset. One had a rare opportunity of appreciating the alleged219 variety of the Arabic vocabulary; its adaptation to utterances220 of anger, vituperation, and regret. "They claimed, they got, fifty-nine piasters" was the burden of the song, and we had it in solo, antiphon, chorus, refrain, with a hundred variations, all the rest of the way to Madaba. On our arrival we found that our brigands221 belonged to Es-Salt, a town eight hours N.E. of Jericho (Madaba being a good ten hours S.E.), and entirely unconnected with this district; that the tax which they claimed was a war tax, just now enforced by the Government upon every man in his own town, so that our poor Khalil would have to pay it over again on his return to Jerusalem. With this fact, however, we did not at present acquaint him.
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1
hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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eastward
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| adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部 | |
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connivance
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| n.纵容；默许 | |
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awakening
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| n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的 | |
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ass
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| n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人 | |
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repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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permissible
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| adj.可允许的，许可的 | |
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streaks
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| n.（与周围有所不同的）条纹( streak的名词复数 )；（通常指不好的）特征（倾向）；（不断经历成功或失败的）一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 )；使布满条纹 | |
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asses
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| n. 驴，愚蠢的人，臀部 adv. (常用作后置)用于贬损或骂人 | |
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tentacles
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| n.触手( tentacle的名词复数 )；触角；触须；触毛 | |
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imprisoning
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| v.下狱，监禁( imprison的现在分词 ) | |
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13
weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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disintegration
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| n.分散，解体 | |
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labyrinth
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| n.迷宫；难解的事物；迷路 | |
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torrents
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| n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断 | |
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18
crumble
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| vi.碎裂，崩溃；vt.弄碎，摧毁 | |
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domes
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| n.圆屋顶( dome的名词复数 )；像圆屋顶一样的东西；圆顶体育场 | |
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minarets
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| n.（清真寺旁由报告祈祷时刻的人使用的）光塔( minaret的名词复数 ) | |
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21
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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22
precipitated
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| v.（突如其来地）使发生( precipitate的过去式和过去分词 )；促成；猛然摔下；使沉淀 | |
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23
reminder
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| n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示 | |
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aspirations
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| 强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音 | |
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temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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willow
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| n.柳树 | |
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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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spines
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| n.脊柱( spine的名词复数 )；脊椎；（动植物的）刺；书脊 | |
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30
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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32
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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moors
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| v.停泊，系泊（船只）( moor的第三人称单数 ) | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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guardians
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| 监护人( guardian的名词复数 )； 保护者，维护者 | |
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inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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caravans
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| （可供居住的）拖车（通常由机动车拖行）( caravan的名词复数 )； 篷车； （穿过沙漠地带的）旅行队（如商队） | |
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39
toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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40
scant
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| adj.不充分的，不足的；v.减缩，限制，忽略 | |
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41
scanty
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| adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的 | |
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42
ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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43
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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highland
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| n.(pl.)高地，山地 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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46
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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47
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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48
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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49
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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50
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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51
mare
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| n.母马，母驴 | |
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52
pariah
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| n.被社会抛弃者 | |
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53
provincial
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| adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人 | |
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54
dagger
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| n.匕首，短剑，剑号 | |
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55
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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56
futility
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| n.无用 | |
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57
tablecloths
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| n.桌布，台布( tablecloth的名词复数 ) | |
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58
habitually
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| ad.习惯地，通常地 | |
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59
disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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60
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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61
civilisation
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| n.文明，文化，开化，教化 | |
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62
precipices
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| n.悬崖，峭壁( precipice的名词复数 ) | |
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63
eyelids
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| n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色 | |
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64
shale
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| n.页岩，泥板岩 | |
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65
outfit
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| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
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66
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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lengthened
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| （时间或空间）延长，伸长( lengthen的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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attentive
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| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
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allege
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| vt.宣称，申述，主张，断言 | |
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70
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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71
inaccessible
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| adj.达不到的，难接近的 | |
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72
dispensing
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| v.分配( dispense的现在分词 )；施与；配（药） | |
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73
shred
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| v.撕成碎片，变成碎片；n.碎布条，细片，些少 | |
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74
discreetly
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| ad.(言行)审慎地，慎重地 | |
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incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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76
predecessor
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| n.前辈，前任 | |
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retirement
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| n.退休，退职 | |
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vices
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| 缺陷( vice的名词复数 )； 恶习； 不道德行为； 台钳 | |
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flirtation
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| n.调情，调戏，挑逗 | |
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80
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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81
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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82
interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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84
proximity
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| n.接近，邻近 | |
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pending
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| prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的 | |
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86
trickle
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| vi.淌，滴，流出，慢慢移动，逐渐消散 | |
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87
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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88
peppermint
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| n.薄荷，薄荷油，薄荷糖 | |
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89
allaying
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| v.减轻，缓和( allay的现在分词 ) | |
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stimulus
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| n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物 | |
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91
salivary
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| adj. 唾液的 | |
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gland
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| n.腺体，(机)密封压盖，填料盖 | |
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93
provocative
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| adj.挑衅的，煽动的，刺激的，挑逗的 | |
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94
raisins
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| n.葡萄干( raisin的名词复数 ) | |
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figs
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| figures 数字，图形，外形 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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expenditure
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| n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗 | |
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98
expedient
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| adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计 | |
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99
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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locomotion
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| n.运动，移动 | |
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pretext
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| n.借口，托词 | |
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102
toll
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| n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟) | |
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103
hindrance
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| n.妨碍，障碍 | |
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104
exalted
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| adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的 | |
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105
piously
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| adv.虔诚地 | |
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106
longingly
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| adv. 渴望地 热望地 | |
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perpendicularly
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| adv. 垂直地, 笔直地, 纵向地 | |
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108
perpendicular
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| adj.垂直的，直立的；n.垂直线，垂直的位置 | |
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Mediterranean
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| adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的 | |
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110
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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111
infested
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| adj.为患的，大批滋生的（常与with搭配）v.害虫、野兽大批出没于( infest的过去式和过去分词 )；遍布于 | |
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112
thickets
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| n.灌木丛( thicket的名词复数 )；丛状物 | |
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113
legitimate
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| adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法 | |
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114
cheetahs
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| n.（奔跑极快的）非洲猎豹( cheetah的名词复数 ) | |
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115
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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116
cavalcade
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| n.车队等的行列 | |
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117
boulders
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| n.卵石( boulder的名词复数 )；巨砾；（受水或天气侵蚀而成的）巨石；漂砾 | |
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118
raven
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| n.渡鸟，乌鸦；adj.乌亮的 | |
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119
exulted
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| 狂喜，欢跃( exult的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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grudged
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| 怀恨（grudge的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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121
brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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122
metallic
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| adj.金属的；金属制的；含金属的；产金属的；像金属的 | |
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123
aristocrat
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| n.贵族，有贵族气派的人，上层人物 | |
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124
irrelevantly
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| adv.不恰当地，不合适地；不相关地 | |
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125
microscopic
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| adj.微小的，细微的，极小的，显微的 | |
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126
confinement
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| n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限 | |
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127
flora
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| n.(某一地区的)植物群 | |
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128
shrub
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| n.灌木，灌木丛 | |
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129
latitudes
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| 纬度 | |
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130
sapphire
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| n.青玉，蓝宝石；adj.天蓝色的 | |
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131
twigs
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| 细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 ) | |
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132
specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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133
unripe
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| adj.未成熟的；n.未成熟 | |
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134
strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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135
inflated
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| adj.（价格）飞涨的；（通货）膨胀的；言过其实的；充了气的v.使充气（于轮胎、气球等）( inflate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）膨胀；（使）通货膨胀；物价上涨 | |
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136
milky
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| adj.牛奶的，多奶的；乳白色的 | |
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137
watershed
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| n.转折点，分水岭，分界线 | |
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138
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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139
refreshing
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| adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的 | |
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140
oblivious
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| adj.易忘的，遗忘的，忘却的，健忘的 | |
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141
encumbrances
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| n.负担( encumbrance的名词复数 )；累赘；妨碍；阻碍 | |
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142
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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143
belongings
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| n.私人物品，私人财物 | |
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144
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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145
pictorial
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| adj.绘画的；图片的；n．画报 | |
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146
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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147
guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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148
geographical
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| adj.地理的；地区(性)的 | |
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149
unpacked
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| v.从（包裹等）中取出（所装的东西），打开行李取出( unpack的过去式和过去分词 )；拆包；解除…的负担；吐露（心事等） | |
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150
recess
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| n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处） | |
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151
stimulating
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| adj.有启发性的，能激发人思考的 | |
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152
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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153
anticipations
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| 预期( anticipation的名词复数 )； 预测； （信托财产收益的）预支； 预期的事物 | |
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154
flasks
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| n.瓶，长颈瓶， 烧瓶( flask的名词复数 ) | |
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155
ascetic
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| adj.禁欲的；严肃的 | |
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156
larder
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| n.食物贮藏室，食品橱 | |
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157
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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158
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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159
wholesome
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| adj.适合；卫生的；有益健康的；显示身心健康的 | |
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160
royalty
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| n.皇家，皇族 | |
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161
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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162
concurred
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| 同意（concur的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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163
frugal
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| adj.节俭的，节约的，少量的，微量的 | |
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164
luncheon
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| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
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165
costly
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| adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的 | |
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166
bleached
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| 漂白的，晒白的，颜色变浅的 | |
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167
decomposed
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| 已分解的，已腐烂的 | |
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168
adventurous
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| adj.爱冒险的；惊心动魄的，惊险的，刺激的 | |
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169
admonished
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| v.劝告( admonish的过去式和过去分词 )；训诫；（温和地）责备；轻责 | |
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170
envelop
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| vt.包，封，遮盖；包围 | |
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171
averts
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| 防止，避免( avert的第三人称单数 )； 转移 | |
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172
shrubs
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| 灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) | |
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173
limestone
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| n.石灰石 | |
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174
gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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175
embedded
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| a.扎牢的 | |
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176
streaked
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| adj.有条斑纹的，不安的v.快速移动( streak的过去式和过去分词 )；使布满条纹 | |
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177
strata
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| n.地层（复数）；社会阶层 | |
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178
varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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179
cultivation
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| n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成 | |
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180
lizard
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| n.蜥蜴，壁虎 | |
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181
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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182
zigzag
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| n.曲折，之字形；adj.曲折的，锯齿形的；adv.曲折地，成锯齿形地；vt.使曲折；vi.曲折前行 | |
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183
westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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184
grandeur
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| n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华 | |
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185
dwindled
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| v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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186
elevation
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| n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高 | |
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187
panorama
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| n.全景，全景画，全景摄影，全景照片[装置] | |
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188
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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189
milestones
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| n.重要事件( milestone的名词复数 )；重要阶段；转折点；里程碑 | |
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190
prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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191
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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192
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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193
eminence
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| n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家 | |
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194
mortar
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| n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合 | |
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195
unlimited
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| adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的 | |
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196
havoc
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| n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱 | |
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197
desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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198
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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199
rivalry
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| n.竞争，竞赛，对抗 | |
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200
actively
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| adv.积极地，勤奋地 | |
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201
initiating
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| v.开始( initiate的现在分词 )；传授；发起；接纳新成员 | |
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202
cistern
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| n.贮水池 | |
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203
dispensed
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| v.分配( dispense的过去式和过去分词 )；施与；配（药） | |
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204
lair
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| n.野兽的巢穴；躲藏处 | |
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205
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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206
reins
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| 感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带 | |
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207
meditating
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| a.沉思的，冥想的 | |
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208
corporate
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| adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的 | |
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209
colloquy
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| n.谈话，自由讨论 | |
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210
countenances
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| n.面容( countenance的名词复数 )；表情；镇静；道义支持 | |
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211
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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212
dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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213
imperturbability
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| n.冷静；沉着 | |
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214
hovered
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| 鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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215
timorously
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| adv.胆怯地，羞怯地 | |
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216
cowardice
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| n.胆小，怯懦 | |
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217
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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218
chatter
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| vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战 | |
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219
alleged
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| a.被指控的，嫌疑的 | |
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220
utterances
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| n.发声( utterance的名词复数 )；说话方式；语调；言论 | |
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221
brigands
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| n.土匪，强盗( brigand的名词复数 ) | |
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