Sat 31 [31 March 1900] Off at 7 before which I walked all down the E
cliff to some white isolated rocks at the entrance of W.M. [Wadi Musa]
All full of tombs. Saw one great portal with no apparent door to a
tomb in it. Rode up through the Sik which must be over a mile.
Noticed many niches, some of wh. looked like tablets for inscriptions,
also a bit of the old paved road and many bits of the watercourse
along the cliff. Got to Ain Hehjaf [Arabic characters] which I wrongly
called Bir {el} Dabaghat - this is a little further on in the wooded valley
- at 10 and lunched under a {cliff} rock. Lots of caterpillars, very hot.
On at 11. The valley is wooded with thorns and terebinths. Reached
Ain Nejlek at 2.30 and camped under the cliff. Then Ayoub Hanna
and I and Mr H [Harding]'s servant, Ifram, rode off 20 minutes to
Shobak [Shaubak] which is very finely placed on a mound with very
deep valleys on the E and S filled with corn, olives and figs. There is
only one door, to the E with a bit of scrolly carving over it. I was
welcomed with enthusiasm by the soldiers who showed me all over
the ruins of a church with a pointed arch standing and houses packed
into the arched aisle. They then took me into the guard room and
gave me coffee, a couple of Arabs too who had been sheikhs and
swells in the Old days and we talked of Jof [Jawf, Al (Al Jauf)] and
Abou Rashid. We cd buy nothing but corn and wood and a little milk.
Came back and bathed after photographing the garrison to their great
delight. Mrs H. rather bad. They dined early and she went to bed.