Sun 20 [20 May 1900] Woke at midnight, the moon had risen. I woke
my people and we were off at 1. We soon struck away from the hills
and got onto a plain almost devoid of vegetation, only Harman and a
very little withered grass. At sunrise saw the Kala'a of Palmyra
[Tadmur] far away. My horse and I very tired. Walked from 5.30 to
6.30. Our road lay between 2 low ranges of hills like an avenue
running up to Palmyra. We got to the bottom of the sloping bank of the
cross range about 8 and soon found ourselves among the Tower
Tombs. I have slept and dreamt I was asking one in a white robe
where Soloman imprisoned the Jinn. He said "In Eternity of time and
Eternity of space." Then he brought me 2 little glass bottles and said
"One of these contains E of Time, the other E of space." My horse
stopped and woke me. About 9 we got to the end of the col and
looked over the Mother of Columns. We went down to the sulphur
spring and watered our beasts then rode on to a little temple on the
other side of the ruins where I determined to camp. Got there at 10 I
eat some bread and dibis and drank some milk. A very high wind
scattering the sand over all I eat and drink. The Sheikh Muhammad
el Abdullah is away and I gave my letter to his brother Salieh el
Abdullah who had come to see me. At 11.30 my tent was ready, at 12
I went to bed and slept till 2. Then got up and had some tea. The
Mudir a Turk speaking very little Arabic, the head of the soldiers
Rashid Beg, the Kady and Sheikh Salih came to call. About 5 I
walked down into the town, or rather into the Temple of the Sun and
strolled about, the little boys crowding round and everyone asking for
Bakhshish. The great columns peering out of the mud houses. The
big west door and wall is new made almost entirely of bits of column.
The triumphal arch at the end of the St of Columns is very elaborately
carved. The side doors are double, the second lot twisting aside to
the direction of the temple. The street also bends at the rond point.
The stone has weathered to a lovely yellow which the sunset turns red
almost. The desert lies beyond.