Wed 3. [3 January 1900] Off soon after 9 and rode down to the
Jordan, Nina on a man's saddle. Cloudless day, hot sun and cool air.
Passed through the oasis, then over a belt of thorn, then through mud
hills (the slime pits of Genesis, but fortunately dry, a miniature
mountain range with mud crags and precipices) to the valley of the
Jordan. Full of reeds, tamarisks and willow, all green, brown and
yellow. Lots of water in the river. Then over a quite barren stretch, the
ground white with salt and suddenly we came to the Dead Sea [(Yam
Hamelah, Bahret Lut)] sunk below a strange shore piled up with
whitish wood, a salted forest. We bathed - most delicious. The water
pleasantly tingly and extremely buoyant. Almost impossible to swim
except by treading water and paddling with one's hands. George
said "It looks like a well sea." Nina found a dead fish in it to their
delight. Back onto our horses (very sticky!) and so to the Jordan
where at the traditional site of the Baptism we lunched. Then came a
boat with 2 Germans in it and we all got in and rowed on the Jordan.
Very hot. So home at 4. After tea we walked up to Elisha's well, full of
fish. The barley fields sprinkled over with white narcissus. Wonderful
clear night. It is Ramadan. Last night we saw the tiny new moon of the
fast [Arabic characters] as Hafiz says.