We turned back on
nearing it, and beheld the plain we had traversed appearing like the sea
enveloped in mist and cloud. In fine weather the minarets of Tripoli can
be seen, but now the northern horizon faded off in haze. On either hand
the steep declivities of the hills presented a wall-like surface, here
and there battered into breaches, from out of which burst little tufts
of green, revealing the presence of springs.
There are 200 troops stationed at the castle under Colonel Saleh, to
whom we paid an official visit; as also to the Kaid of Gharian. In both
cases we were hospitably treated to pipes, coffee, and lemonade. In this
canton are said to be the fanciful number of "one hundred and one" Arab
districts, inhabited by the Troglodytes. All the villages, indeed,
hereabouts, are underground: not a building is to be seen above, except
at wide intervals an old miserable, crumbling, Arab fort. The people are
easily kept in order by the summary Turkish method of proceeding; for
they are entirely disarmed, and matchlocks, powder and ball, are
contraband articles. The first word of an Oriental tax-gatherer is
"Pay!" and the second is "Kill!"
The outset of a journey in the East is usually employed in finding out
the vices of one's servants. Their virtues, I suppose, become manifest
afterwards. We were on the point of sending our chaouch back from
Gharian for dishonesty; but as we reflected that any substitute might be
still worse, we passed over the robbery of our barley, and merely
determined to keep a good look-out.
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