And from the shaft of a column still erect, half way down the hill, I copied the following:—
I have since learned that they are the tokens of the Bedaween Arabs, by which one tribe is
distinguished from another. In common parlance they are called the Ausam (plural of Wasam) of the several tribes. [33]
In a valley to the north of us, leading westwards from the main valley, we found a beautiful mausoleum tomb,—a building, not an excavation in rock,—containing six sarcophagi, or ornamented stone coffins, ranged upon ledges of masonry, along three sides of the chamber. These were very large, and all of the same pattern—the lids remaining upon some of them, but shifted aside. Beautiful sculptured embellishments were upon the inside walls and over the portal outside, but no inscriptions to indicate the period or persons to whom they belonged. Inside, however, were rudely scratched the modern Arab tribe-signs, showing that persons of such tribes had visited there; so that Europeans are not the only travellers who help to disfigure ancient monuments by scribbling. Along this western valley were several other such mausoleums. Thence we mounted on a different side to the summit of that hill from which I have here begun my description of edifices—upon a gentle sloping road, evidently of artificial cutting, quite feasible for ascent of chariots.
Near the square (possible) church before mentioned, (though I should say that our party were not all convinced of its being a church,) is a prodigiously large cistern, of good masonry. From the top of the strong walls of the building—while
some Arab boys below me were reaching birds’ nests—I got from our guide the following list of sites in the neighbourhood. They were of course unable to discriminate between ancient and modern names; and I do not find one Bible name among them all:—
From north to west—
| Thuggeret el Baider. | Esh-Shemesâni. |
| Kassar Waijees. | Esh-Shwaifiyeh. |
| Es-Salt. | Umm Malfoof. |
From west to east—