230 KEPORT— 1872. 



epochs. It probably was erected as a hunting-palace, to gratify the luxurious 

 taste of Chosroes. Mr. Fergusson has pointed out the indications in this 

 wonderful sculptured facade of Byzantine art, guided by Persian design 

 (see Plan and Photograph). 



It is not a little strange that so perfect and unique a building has remained 

 unnoticed and undiscovered by any European before us, and without any 

 tradition attaching to it by the Bedouin. There is no trace here of any de- 

 struction by the hand of man. The sculpture is of extraordinary depth and 

 scarcely weathered, as may be seen by the photographs. 



Travelling north from Ziza, the ruins of Kustul, evidently some Eoman 

 " castellum," possess, as may be seen from the photographs, a character distinct 

 from any other Moabite cities. There are the several walls, cisterns, and 

 arches, these latter unusually massive and well finished ; but besides them 

 two castles, with many semicircular bastions, surmounted by a sculptured 

 balustrade of the Corinthian order. The principal castle is 84 yards square. 

 The smaller castle, isolated from the city, would seem to have been a temple 

 fortified. We found a Greek altar of white marble, and several marble capi- 

 tals, which must have been imported from the Greek islands or Asia Minor. 

 Below the city is a tank like that of Ziza. 



Six miles north of Kustul I visited Thenib, a heap of cisterns, walls, and 

 arches, and two miles further north Eujum Hamam, a ruined heap of shape- 

 less stones. This was our extreme north-eastern point. 



Travelling west from Kustul, Um Zibarah presents only a large assembly 

 of hummocks and hollowed cisterns. Crossing the commencement of Wady 

 Jifar we reached the top of Jebel Jelul, a most remarkable hill, hitherto 

 unnoticed, or placed close to Heshbou, rising 300 feet above the plain and 

 covered with ruins. Pieces of Doric entablature were strewn about. The 

 panorama from Jelul was uninterrupted for several miles in all directions. 



From Jelul, turning south, we passed Sufa, crossed Wady Habis, the ruina 

 of Betan el Bareil, Habis city, and then leaving the highlands followed down 

 the gorge of the Habis, the main feeder of the Zerka Main. Owing to the 

 ruggedness of the road it was a two days' journey to the hot springs of Cal- 

 Urrhoe. We had now left the country of the Beni Sakkr, and were in that 

 of the Hamaydeh. These latter have been spoken of as an independent tribe, 

 and the remains of the ancient Moabites. We never found them inhabiting 

 huts, but only tents like other Bedouins ; physically they seemed decidedly 

 inferior to the Beni Sakkr, who treat them as mere vassals, pasturing their 

 cattle and camels where they please in Hamaydeh territory, and summoning 

 them to their service. They obeyed the orders of Zadam implicitly, when 

 he desired Ibn Tarif or any other of their Sheikhs to act as our guides in any 

 part of their country. ISTor were we once asked for backshish from the time 

 we left the Kerak men till we reached Jericho. Their chief men never pre- 

 sumed to enter the tent with Zadam, but consorted with the servants. The 

 gorge of the CaEirrhoe is one of the grandest I have seen. We had to ascend 

 to a narrow secondary plateau and then descend 1300 feet to the hot baths. 

 The north face of the ravine is red sandstone below and white limestone 

 above; the south face is formed by a stream of basalt, in many places co- 

 lumnar. 



Our camping-ground was delicious, by the side of a warm sulphur torrent, 

 9G° Fahr. just where it dashes into the cooler stream of sweet water in front 

 of us. The hot sul^jhurous springs aU issue from the north face of the gorge, 

 at the jiinction of the red sandstone with the limestone. In a reach of three 

 miles there are ten principal springs and many minor ones, dashing down 



