[p.394] depth beneath the surface, and are used by the Arabs to cure
diseases in their camels. The asphaltum (Arabic), Hommar, which is
collected by the Arabs of the western shore, is said to come from a
mountain which blocks up the passage along the eastern Ghor, and which
is situated at about two hours south of wady Modjeb. The Arabs pretend
that it oozes from the fissures in the cliff, and collects in large
pieces on the rock below, where the mass gradually increases and
hardens, until it is rent asunder by the heat of the sun, with a loud
explosion, and falling into the sea, is carried by the waves in
considerable quantities to the opposite shores. At the northern
extremity of the sea the stink-stone is found; its combustible
properties are ascribed, by the Arabs, to the magic rod of Moses, whose
tomb is not far from thence. The stones are thrown into the fires made
of camels dung, to encrease the heat.
Concerning the lake itself, I was informed that no visible increase of
its waters takes place in winter time, as the greater part of the
torrents which descend from the eastern mountains do not reach the lake,
but are lost in the sandy plain. About three hours north of Szaffye is a
ford, by which the lake is crossed in three hours and a half. Some Arabs
assured me that there are spots in this ford where the water is quite
hot, and where the bottom is of red earth. It is probable that there are
hot springs in the bottom of the lake, which near the ford is nowhere
deeper than three or four feet; and generally only two feet. The water
is so strongly impregnated with salt, that the skin of the legs of those
who wade across it soon afterwards peels entirely off.
The mountains about Kerek are all calcareous, with flint; they abound
with petrified shells, and some of the rocks consist entirely of small
shells. Fine specimens of calcareous spath, called by the Arabs Hadjar
Ain el Shems (Arabic), the Suns eye, are found
[p.395] here. Ancient coins of copper, silver, and even of gold are
found in the fields near Kerek; in general they are bought by the
silversmiths, and immediately melted. I procured a few of copper upon
which was the Greek legend of [Greek].
The direction of Jerusalem from Kerek, as pointed out to me several
times, is N. by W. The direction of Katrane, a station of the pilgrim
caravan to Mekka, is E.S.E. distant about eight hours. That of Szaffye,
or the S. point of the Dead sea, is W. by S. distant about twelve hours.
The Dead sea is here called Bahret Lout, the Sea of Lot. August
4th.After having remained nearly three weeks at Kerek, waiting from day
to day for the departure of the Sheikh, he at last set out, accompanied
by about forty horsemen. The inhabitants of Kerek muster about one
hundred horsemen, and have excellent horses; the Sheikh himself
possessed the finest horse I had seen in Syria; it was a gray Saklawy,
famous all over the desert.
We descended into the valley of Ain Frandjy, and ascended the mountain
on the other side, our road lying nearly S.S.W. In one hour and a half
from Kerek we reached the top of the mountain, from whence we had a fine
view of the southern extremity of the Dead sea, which presented the
appearance of a lake, with many islands or shoals covered with a white
saline crust. The water is very shallow for about three hours from its
south end. Where narrowest, it may be about six miles across. The
mountain which we had passed was a barren rock of flint and chalk. We
met with an encampment of Beni Hamyde, where we breakfasted. At the end
of two hours and a half we reached, on the descent of the mountain, Ain
Terayn (Arabic), a fine spring, with the ruins of a city near it. The
rivulet which takes its rise here joins that of Ketherabba, and descends
along a narrow valley into the Ghor, which it reaches near the ruined
place called Assal, from which it takes the name of Wady