Thurs 13. [13 April 1905] Up at 5 and off at 6.30. Blazing hot. We rode
along the high road under the hills for 3 hours when we reached the
village of Karamurt[?]. The road execrable, with bits of pavement
?Roman? in deep gulfs of mud. 3/4 of an hour further on we left the
road and struck into the hills to the old Khan of Karamurt. Up a side
valley there is a very picturesque castle on a hill, Baghras. Our path
went up and down steep mud hills. Full of flowers, cistus (for the first
time) gorse, Judas bushes, most lovely. Presently we hit upon the
paved road again which came up this way not by the present carriage
road. At a little stream and cried off and lunched - it was near 12. We
started again at 12.45 and got onto the carriage road near the top of
the pass at 1. This is the great Bailan [Belen] pass but there are no
traces as far as I cd see of the Syrian gates. At 2 we got down to
Bailan, very beautifully situated looking at the sea from the top of the
hill. On the way down we took another short cut and got down to the
spring at 5.45. I had a cup of coffee and rode straight off into
Alexandretta [Iskenderun (Alexandria ad Issum)] - a miserable place.
Went to our Vice Consul, Catoni, but saw only M. Paul who produced
my films for me. M. Belfonte the second in command we met in the
street. Shopped some stockings at the shop of one who turned out to
be a Beha'i from Haifa. So on to Mr Lorrimer's. He is American Vice
Consul and head of this branch of the Liquorice Trust, which is an
American Co. which amalgamated with a Scotch. Delicious house
near the sea with a garden full of flowers. Mrs Lorrimer, a charming h
less oldish Welsh woman, made me welcome and gave me an
excellent tea. Then Mr Lorrimer came in and we had a pleasant talk.
Got back to my camping ground at 6 - no tents. They did not come in
till 7.30 and I dined at 9. Very hot night. Frogs. This is an awfully
marshy place.