65
MEDJEL.
are many spots of arable ground. Upon a low hill, in our route,
at an hour and a quarter from the Ain or well, is Deir el Khouat
),i. e. the Brothers' Monastery, a heap of ruins. From
thence we travelled to the south-eastward for thrée quarters of an
hour, to the village Sedjen (), where we alighted, at the house
of the only Christian family remaining among the Druses of the
place. Sedjen is buili, like all these ancient towns, entirely of the
black stone peculiar to these mountains.
November 13th.—We left Sedjen about noon ; and in half an
hour came to the spring Mezra (), the water of which is
conducted near to Sedjen by an ancient canal, which empties itself -
in the summer time into a large pond; in the winter the
stream is joined by a number of small torrents, which descend
from the Djebel Haouran between Kanouat and Soueida; it
empties itself farther to the west into the Wady Kanouat. Above
the spring is a ruined castle, and near it several other large
buildings, of which the walls only are standing ; the castle was
most probably built to protect the water. There is a tradition
that Tamerlane filled up the well; and a similar story is repeated
in many parts of the Haouran: it is said that he threw quicksilver ¬
into the springs, which prevented the water from rising
to the surface; and that the water collecting under ground from
several sources near Mezerib, at length burst forth, and formed
the copious spring at that place, called Bushe. From Mezra
to Medjel we travelled E. N. E. one hour. It rained the whole
day. On arriving at Medjel I alighted to copy some inscriptions, -
when the Druse Sheikh immediately sent for me, to know
what 1 was about. It is a general opinion with these people that
inscriptions indicate hidden treasure ; and that by reading or
copying them a knowledge is obtained where the treasure lies.
Toften combated this opinion with success, by simply asking them,
K
