Thurs 3. [3 May 1900] But I was asleep at 2 when H woke me. It was starry and very cold. By 3 I had breakfasted and the packing began. I feared for the light of the lantern and walked to and fro shivering with cold. By 4 the east had whitened, it was very dark and we set off round the Birket. It was an endless way along the E wall and we kept losing it! As we reached the NE church the east turned pink, but we couldn't see Jemurrin because it was straight in the light. We nearly turned off too much to the W twice but at last we saw it. The clouds had turned yellow and as we passed Jemurrin the sun rose. We crossed the stream by the Roman bridge and so up and up long slopes of corn in full view of Busrah [Busr'a ash Sham]. The first village Deir Zubeir turned out to be only a ruin but there was a Druze in the fields who put us into the way. We crossed the top of the slope and saw Mujaimir ahead. At the foot of its slope was a pond with people round it, Druze men and women, all very lovely in their charming clothes. I dismounted to water my horse and a beautiful boy, Nasr ed Din came up to me, kissed me on both cheeks and took my hands. All the friendly people stood round looking at me and white turbans appeared on the roofs. I asked N ed Din to show us the way, he refused, but presently came running after me as we cheminÈed through the pleasant green country. Fig trees corn and vines, and lilies seeding, poppies flowering and the muleteers singing. About 8 or so we reached 'Areh. Some dignified people were standing by the road, I saluted them and they asked me to drink coffee. Hammad Hamid took me by the little finger and led me into the nearest house where they placed me on cushions and all sat round on the matted floor while Mahmud Rathwan made coffee. [Arabic characters] Great delight when I told them I was English. HH sat with his hand on my shoulder. I told my tale, HH stopping me to say to the others Listen to what she says - so and so. They asked me about the war most intelligently and about the Queen and for a verse out of the Bible and then I asked to see the Sheikh. They said he was Yahya Beg the head of all the Druzes. He has been 5 years imprisoned in Damascus [Dimashq (Esh Sham, Damas)] and has returned 3 weeks ago. As we went up to his house HH warned me to be very polite. We found him eating. He beckoned me in too and I was very glad to eat something. Then we sat on the floor and I told him my adventures, he assuring me there was no hukumet[?] here and that I might go where I pleased. He is a grand seigneur. His elder brother Shibly Beg is still in prison. A white bearded man Salim Nofib talked of the Burtons and finally suggested I shd photograph the Beg. We went out to look at the new buildings he is making which he showed me with great pride - not bad at all, all stone like the old work with carvings old and new - so up to a lovely verandah where I photographed him. We then parted and I went with HH and MR to a water meadow where we found my beasts grazing and so with N ed Din and one Ali to Habran up a pleasant grassy country, corn and stones and grass and balut on the top of the hill. We arrived at a charming Mansub[?] by a big pond at 12.30, Kuleib to the north and Habran standing up to the W. On the way we had met gaily dressed people coming down to congratulate the Beg. Lunched and slept and walked about the town with N ed Din. Had coffee with the Sheikh, entertained an old party in my tent, swam in the pond in the stars and new moonlight and so to bed. There is a ruined temple standing out on the extreme S point, quite ruined. A greek inscription on a long stone broken in two. There are several tolerably complete old houses, the Khalweh being the best. Ponds[?] (mughr[?]) also to the W. A Mazar to the SE, also very perfect with a stone door. The women carry their water in lovely ja..... They are all most polite, "Yallah?" says N ed Din every time I speak to him - and snort[?] lovely.