GEOGRAPHICAL EXPLORATION OF MOAB. 217 



Between the Tower of Bybars on the north end and the castle on the south, 

 there arc ruins of numerous buildings as well as an immense reservoir. 



The plateau on which the town is built measures in its greatest length 

 from north to south 852 yards, and in width from east to west 77G yards. 

 Taking it as a rude triangle, the north-east face of the rampart measures 

 about 1028 yards, the south face 8G8 yards, and the west face 732, making 

 a total of 2G28 yards. In other words, the plateau of the rock on which 

 Kcrak is built is not only more than 4000 feet above the Dead Sea, but is 

 surrounded by a rampart more than a mile and a half in circumference, ex- 

 clusive of the tower on the north and the castle on the south. 



But though the fortifications are of the crusading period, some of the ruins 

 in the town, and of the materials used in the construction of the modern 

 dwellings, are decidedly relics of the lloman occupation of this place. These 

 houses, which are some distance from the fortifications, are, as a rule, under 

 the ground. They exhibit a very extraordinary appearance at a distance, 

 since little more than the outlines of squares are visible above the ground. 

 Dr. Ginsburg rode over several of them without perceiving that he M'as on 

 the top of human residences. On going or descending into one of them, he 

 found it consisted of one large room only, and had a few arches thrown across 

 it, on which were the rafters. In this house, which was occupied by a rela- 

 tive of the Sheikh of Kerak, were the bases of four ancient columns, with a 

 Mosaic pavement in the centre, of which the occupant made a circular hearth, 

 with a raised rim around it. A fire was burning on it ; and as there was no 

 hole in the roof to serve as a vent, the whole room was full of smoke, so much 

 so that he could not remain there more than a few minutes, much as he 

 wished to examine the place. There wore also raised recesses in the room, 

 serving as a bed and as receptacles for corn. Part of the room also was set 

 apart for the horse, and the goats too were admitted. There is not a single 

 dwelling-place among the hundreds of houses with a window. 



The population of Kerak is about 8000, about 6000 Mussulmans and 1600 

 Greek Christians. The former eomit about 2000 muskets, and the latter 

 from about 500 to 600. After a minute inspection and examination of the 

 ruins of the place. Dr. Ginsburg could discover no trace whatever to justify 

 us in marking Kerak on our maps as the Kir Moab or the Kir Haraseth of 

 the Bible. 



We were now determined to make the best of our time ; and having heard 

 that the Sheikh of the Mugelly, who appeared as our second deliverer, was 

 likely to disappoint us, we endeavoured to see as much as possible. We 

 therefore started early on the following day accompanied by two horsemen, 

 nephews of the Sheikh, to survey the neighbourhood of Kerak. We rode to 

 the south of the town over magnificent ridges, down rugged and steep ravines, 

 and across beautiful highland country from 8 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. 



We first came to the place called Gelameh el Sapcla, from which Ibrahim 

 Pasha bombarded the town. 



At 9.15, still travelling S.S.E., we reached the first ruin of Kirjathaim, 

 which is on a hiU. The stones which mark the basis of the walls are now 

 in a different position from what they originally were, and distinctly show 

 that the traces of the buildings which they indicate are of a much later date, 

 probably of the crusading period. As the summit of the hill is only about 

 1000 yards in circumference, and as the ruins on the slope around do not 

 extend very far down, the town must originally have been small. Still the 

 immense stones which are strewn about in all directions, and the extensive 

 caves on the ridges, show that it was in olden days a very strong and im- 



