Friday Feb 10. [10 February 1911] Got up at 6.30 and after breakfast
went out and photographed the temple which is on the plan of the
Temple of Jupiter Baalbek with pilasters in the inside. Great arches
under the pediments at either end. Greek inscrips on E wall and
Arabic on W. It has at one time been turned into a fort and the stone
battlements still exist in part. Endless job loading the camels. We got
off at 9.10, I on the mare. Passed the kishla at 9.55 and here we met
the postaji just in from Baghdad. Skirted round the northern hills and
at 12.45 came to the pools called El Huwa'i er Rashid. They are
formed by banking up earth under an outcrop of sloping rocks which
collect the water like roofs. But in summer they are dry. Filled our
water skins and lunched, left at 1.15 in a violent hailstorm. Fortunately
borne on a west wind. At 3 a bit of rising ground in the middle of the
plain with an alama upon it - Abu Hameid. After this more wind and
hail. We went a little to the S of E and camped under the lea of a
slope where there was khatab - shih. My companions have 3 white
Arab tents. The camels are feeding in front of them on tibu. Rain and
wind but we do not feel cold. The J. esh Sharki [Sharqi, Jebel esh
(Anti-Lebanon)] white with snow after the second storm. 'Ali says 35
hours from Hit to Ga'ra and 80 to Dumeir [Dumayr]. No water in the
last 80 in summer. They take 12 days from Baghdad to Dam
[Dimashq (Damascus, Esh Sham, Damas)]; in summer 10; marching
8 hours of the day and 6 of the night. There are 6 sa'i and they are
paid 12 mej a month with food tobacco and dulul provided. They get
a lot of pickings from travellers who go with them. 7 AM temp 40, bar
27 11/20 [eleven twentieths].