[p.276]lower down begin the corn fields of the Arabs el Ghor, who are
the principal inhabitants of the valley: those living near Szammagh are
the Arabs el Sekhour, and the Beshaatoue. The only villages met with
from hence as far as Beysan (the ancient Scythopolis), are to the left
of the Jordan, Maad [Arabic], at the foot of Djebel Wostye, and El
Erbayn [Arabic]. From Szammagh to Beysan the valley is called Ghor
Tabaria. I swam to a considerable distance in the lake, without seeing a
single fish; I was told, however, that there were privileged fishermen
at Tabaria, who monopolize the entire fishery. The beach on this side is
a fine gravel of quartz, flint, and tufwacke. There is no shallow water,
the lake being of considerable depth close in shore. The only species of
shell which I saw on the beach was of the smallest kind, white and about
an inch and a half long. There are no kinds of rushes or reeds on the
shores in this neighbourhood.
May 6th.--The quantities of mosquitos and other vermin which always by
preference attack the stranger accustomed to more northern climates,
made me pass a most uncomfortable night at Szammagh. We departed early
in the morning, in order to visit the hot wells at the foot of the
mountain of Om Keis, the situation of which had been pointed out to me
on the preceding day. Returning towards the place where the Sheriat
issues from the Wady, we followed up the river from thence and in one
hour and three quarters from Szammagh, we reached the first hot-well.
The river flows in a deep bed, being confined in some places on both
sides by precipices of upwards of one hundred feet in height, whose
black rocks present a most striking contrast with the verdure on their
summits. For several hundred yards before we arrived at the hot-well, I
perceived a strong sulphureous smell in the air. The spring is situated
in a very narrow plain, in the valley, between the river and the
northern