[p.267]assembled upon the wall, to enquire who I was, and what I wanted.
I explained to them the nature of my visit, and shewed them the
Mutsellim's letter, upon which they opened the iron gate, but continued
to entertain great suspicions of me until a man who could read having
been sent for, my letter was read aloud; all the family then vied in
civilities towards me, especially when I told them that I intended to
proceed to Tabaria.
Kalaat Er-Rabbad is very strong, and, as appears from several Arabic
inscriptions, was built by Sultan Szelah-eddyn [Arabic]; its date is,
therefore, that of the Crusades, and the same as that of many castles in
other parts of Syria, which owe their origin to the vigilance, and
prudence of that monarch; I saw nothing particularly worth notice in it;
its thick walls, arched passages, and small bastions, are common to all
the castles of the middle ages. It has several wells; but on the
outside, it is distinguished by the deep and broad ditch which surrounds
it, and which has been excavated at immense labour in the rock itself
upon which the castle stands. Rabbad is two hours distant from the Ghor,
or valley of the river Jordan, over which, as well as the neighbouring
mountains, it commands a fine prospect. It is now inhabited by about
forty persons, of the great family of El Barekat.
I returned from Kalaat Rabbad to Adjeloun, where I rejoined my
companions, and after mid-day set out for El Hossn, the principal
village in the district of Beni Obeid. Our road lay up the mountain, in
the narrow Wady Teis. At half an hour from Adjeloun we passed the spring
called Ain Teis [Arabic]. At two hours the district of Djebel Adjeloun
terminates, and that of Obeid begins. The country is for the greater
part woody, and here the inhabitants collect considerable quantities of
galls. Our road lay N.E.; the summits of the mountain bear the name El
Meseidjed [Arabic]. At three hours and a half is a Birket of rain-water,
from whence the