Sat 24. [24 March 1900] Up at 6.30 and bathed in the river, off at 8,
lovely day. Scarlet tulips and blue hemhem. Roman columns a few
100 ft up and ruins of a big guard house a little higher. In an hour and
a half we were on the top - I was Hanna's horse - Another ruined R.
guard house, and a Turkish one and two teribinths [sic] - butm. We
were on a new Turkish road but I saw the old R. road often with its
cross pieces of stone. The soldiers brought us coffee and we rode
on under the base of Shihon [Shihan] covered with ruins and broken
rice terraces. I had seen the Dead Sea [(Yam Hamelah, Bahret Lut)]
from the Mojib [Mujib (Arnon)]. From Shihon we looked over great
rolling plains of grass with a few tents and flocks on them (Christian
and Hamideh) and far away a little corn and some fields being
ploughed for durra. Rode to Kasr Rabba [Rabba] which we reached
at 12.30 all along the R road passing many ruins. It is a temple and
stands up finely, with solid walls, one 15 ft high. The inside filled up
with ruins, broken columns and Corinthian capitals lizards and garlic.
Talked to a Christian arab. On at 1.30. Entered Rabba by the R. road
and saw the gateway and the grooved lintels. A milestone close by.
Immense mass of ruins, some columns, the end of a temple standing.
On and on over gigantic furrows with no view till at 4 we came to the
top of the last crest and saw Kerak [Karak] ringed with forts standing
up on its hill. Down 1000 ft and up, no water in the valley. Went
straight to the Johnsons who gave me tea and he also showed my
people a good place for my camp, near the SW fort. He walked me
down afterwards passing by a ruined church afterwards used as a
mosque, with a Saracen door and caps carved on either side of an
Arabic inscription. Clear sunset with wonderful shadows on the Dead
Sea, goats coming home - and a very late dinner.