# Mount Seir, Sinai and Western Palestine/Chapter 11

CHAPTER XI.
PETRA AND MOUNT HOR.
We rose early next day to commence our short day’s journey towards Petra. All around we beheld a sea of ridges and furrows of various rocks—and still more varied colours—tints of red, purple, and grey predominating, and we camped at the entrance of a grand gorge leading up into the heart of the Mountains of Edom, there to await the arrival of the Sheikhs of Petra, who we felt sure would not be long in making their presence known.
During our progress up the Wâdy el Arabah we had seen from time to time the English engineers whom I have already described as having passed our tents in the Wâdy el Ain, and whom we afterwards found camped at Akabah on our arrival there. We had had no communication, as they appeared to desire to avoid our company, and had forbid their dragoman (as we were informed) even to divulge their names. It may be presumed they were engaged in endeavouring to ascertain by the barometric process the elevation of the watershed of the Arabah above the Gulf of Akabah. On our part the observations of this same point would necessarily be more complete, as the level could be determined, not only by means of the aneroid, but by that of the theodolite, and also from both sides;—that of the Gulf of Akabah and of the Salt Sea, the depth of which below the Mediterranean had been accurately determined by the Ordnance Survey of Palestine by actual levelling from the Mediterranean itself. It can therefore be stated that the height of the saddle is nearly 700 feet; but even were ​it less than this it is clear that it would render a slip canal impracticable except it was to be worked by locks; but for this purpose a large and constant supply of running water from some still higher source would be required, and this is not to be found in the region on either side of the great valley. I therefore regard the proposal of a ship canal in the line of the Jordan Valley, and of the Wâdy el Arabah, as impracticable from a purely physical point of view, even supposing that the political and social obstacles could be overcome.
We now commenced our preparations for a visit to Petra, the ancient capital of the Nabatheans, and to Mount Hor, the sepulchre of Aaron. No more grand monument could be erected to the memory of a man honoured of God than that which nature has here raised up. For, amidst this region of natural pyramids, Jebel Haroun towers supreme, and from its summit Aaron was doubtless enabled to look across the great valley to the hills of Judæa, which he was only to behold from afar. Thus Jehovah, in passing sentence of premature death upon his servant for a public act of disobedience, left him not to die without honour; and for ever after, the most conspicuous hill in all this country has been inseparably connected with his name, and stands as a monument to his memory.
Mount Hor is formed of reddish sandstone and conglomerate, rising in a precipitous wall of natural masonry, tier above tier, with its face to the west. The base of the cliff of sandstone rests upon a solid ridge of granite and porphyry, and the summit of the sandstone is somewhat in the form of a rude pyramid, on which is built a little white mosque, supposed to be over Aaron's tomb. This mosque was an object easily to be recognised for triangulating purposes. On the 10th December, Major Kitchener and Mr. Armstrong succeeded in planting the theodolite on the summit of the mount, and in taking several angles on other conspicuous points. The mount is flanked by two remarkable bastions of sandstone, standing erect on the granitic base, and somewhat in advance of the mural cliff's. On our way up to the entrance to the Wâdy Haroun, the gorge by which Mount Hor and Petra are approached from the west, we passed numerous flocks of sheep and goats browsing on the shrubs of the valley. We had intended to push on up the gorge, and some of our party thought that they might be able unobserved to climb Mount Hor (as had previously been done by Professor Palmer), and thus steal a march upon the inhabitants of Petra; but on approaching the entrance an obstacle presented itself which we had not expected. Our Sheikh Ali dismounted from his ​camel, and turning round to us protested by all that was sacred that, if any of us ascended Jebel Haroun without the permission of Sheikh Arari of Wâdy Mûsa, he would return back to Akabah. To do so, he said, would produce a feud between himself and his friend, the Sheikh of Petra, and he would not be responsible for the consequences. After much disputation it was agreed that we should pitch our tents near the entrance to the gorge, still on his (Sheikh Ali's) ground, and then push up the pass, and hold a consultation during lunch. So on we went, Ali breaking out from time to time in protestations. The gorge was very fine; the rocks of marvellously varied forms and colours; and soon it contracted to a mere torrent bed, above which the cliffs of sandstone towered aloft in great precipitous walls of several hundred feet. We wound our way over blocks of rock and masses of shingle amidst luxuriant bushes of the oleander,—not however now in flower, but laden with large fruit pods—along with which were several other plants and shrubs, such as the tamarisk and the ubiquitous broom. Amongst the rocks which form the sides of the valley may be recognised massive agglomerates of volcanic origin, formed of blocks of trap, granite, and porphyry; much older, however, than the Desert Sandstone which rests upon them, and probably of the age of the dykes of porphyry or diorite which penetrate the granitic and gneissose rocks of this region.
We accordingly proceeded up the Wâdy Haroun to a spot where the path to Petra ascends the northern side, and where there are the remains of some ancient buildings. We discussed our future course of action, and came to the conclusion that it would now be useless to attempt to ascend Mount Hor unrecognised, as we had been informed that guards had been posted to prevent our progress. A messenger was accordingly despatched to Petra to request Sheikh Arari to send word upon what terms we could visit both Petra and Mount Hor.
On returning down the valley to our camp, about four o'clock in the afternoon. Sheikh Abdullah of Petra arrived, accompanied by several other horsemen, with the reply that the Head Sheikh of Wâdy Mûsa (Sheikh Arari) was absent in Damascus; that on no consideration could we be allowed to ascend Mount Hor, and that to visit Petra each of us (i.e., the hawajahs) would have to pay thirty dollars. We replied that we must visit both Mount Hor and Petra;—or neither; and that the terms were so ​excessive we could not entertain them. A long and angry discussion ensued, and the prospect of an arrangement seemed less and less imminent as time went on. At this juncture Major Kitchener produced a document which he hoped would have a wholesome effect on the minds of these unreasonable people. It was a Firman, granted to him when Consul for Anatolia, by which he was authorised to visit all the Holy places of the Turkish Empire! The document was explained to the envoys from Petra, who scrutinised it closely, probably without becoming much the wiser as regards its contents. For a time this seemed to have some effect. They retired for consultation, and we gave them till the next morning to propose reasonable terms to us.
I may here explain that these Arabs of Petra, though practically independent, and accustomed on all occasions to have their own way with travellers, still have a lingering respect for the Sultan as the head of the Mohammedan world; and if this respect can be made to fall in with their pecuniary interests it becomes of paramount effect.
Next morning a parley was held; terms were proposed by us and accepted. They were then committed to writing, and the money was counted out and placed on the table. The document was about to be signed when a new mine was sprung by the Petra Sheikhs. "Bakhsheesh," they said, "must be paid for the Head Sheikh Arari, absent in Damascus." Now, as his share had already been included in the sum to be paid, this was too much for us to put up with. We all exclaimed, "Helas!" The money was returned to the bag by Bernhard Heilpern, and I declared the negotiation at an end. Orders were then issued to strike the tents, and to commence our march down the valley. The Petra envoys retired, decidedly crestfallen at this turn of affairs, and at the prospect of losing the good sum which was just within their reach. But we saw that it was necessary to give these extortioners a lesson, and to show that all travellers were not to be trifled with or fleeced with impunity. For the time, therefore, the prospect of a visit to Petra, and of triangulating from the summit of Mount Hor, seemed at an end.
The Petra horsemen who had momentarily departed up the Wâdy Haroun soon returned, and, joined by others, followed our party. Presently they rejoined us, and humbly asked for bakhsheesh to remunerate them for the loss of their valuable time. This we sternly refused. After ​another conference they came up to Major Kitchener, asking us to return, and offering easier terms. We again declined, as we had no security that if we assented they would not again fall back on the old practice of deception. After we had proceeded about six miles from our camping ground in the morning, in the direction of the Wâdy el Arabah, the Petra Sheikhs became thoroughly alarmed. They saw we were really slipping from their hands, and probably asked themselves what account would they give of all this to Sheikh Arari on his return from Damascus? At length we came to a spot bounded by an amphitheatre of rocks and favourable for camping. It being Sunday we had not intended to make a lengthened day's march, as we only wanted to place ourselves and the Petra men at a good distance apart, and to camp on a spot well within the limits of Sheikh All's territory. The horsemen now came up, and said that if we would camp here for the night they would assent to the terms we proposed, and take us to Petra and Mount Hor on the following day. This, after some discussion, we agreed to, the terms being written out and signed before the tents were pitched; with the addition that, all demands for bakhsheesh were to be struck out, and that the money was not to be paid over until we had returned safely to the camp. This was unpalatable to the Sheikhs; but as we were in a position to dictate terms to them, and we determined to take every precaution to secure safety and success, they were agreed to.
I will here place, side by side, for the guidance of future travellers, the terms as originally demanded by the Sheikhs of Petra, and those ultimately assented to, and carried out. It will be their own fault if they allow themselves to be imposed upon, as has too often been the case on former occasions. We believe the Gates of Petra are now open on reasonable terms to those who have nerve and will to resist extortion; and the Sheikhs, sooner than lose their visitors and the money they may bring, will came to terms on the basis now established.
It was also agreed to that no money should be paid till the return of the party in safety; and that if any sum should be extorted by the inhabitants of Petra during the visit the amount was to be deducted. These were hard terms according to the views of the Sheikhs, and in fact quite unprecedented. The reader who knows something of travellers' visits to the rock-hewn city will probably concur in thinking that they sere sufficiently liberal, and that the arrangement regarding the time of payment was not unnecessary.
Thus was the morning of wrangling and turmoil closed in, at least, outward harmony and peace. Our camp was pitched in the centre of a recess amongst the sandstone cliffs, and close by the pass which opens out on the Arabah plain. The Arabs took up their quarters at the foot of the cliffs, forming little groups around their fires; and over their coffee and pipes discussed with abundant vigour the events of the day. I held Divine Service in the dining tent, selecting as the first lesson for the evening the account of the death of Aaron on Mount Hor, as given in Numbers xx. All retired early to rest, preparatory to a start next morning before daybreak.
Monday, 10th December.—All our party but myself were on their camels by four o'clock, the intention being to ascend Mount Hor, make observations, and afterwards go down into Wâdy Mûsa and visit Petra, where I hoped to join them. They were accompanied by one of the Sheikhs of Petra and Sheikh Ali. Major Kitchener took his theodolite; my son took his camera and a good supply of dry plates for photographing. Hart was very sanguine of a good ingathering of specimens both zoological and botanical, and supplied himself with preserving apparatus accordingly; and Laurence took charge of the thermometrical aud barometrical ​instruments. Not feeling equal to a double clay's work, I contented myself with a start two hours later for Petra, and accompanied by Sheikh Abdullah and another sheikh from Petra, together with our dragoman, Ibraham, I left the camp about six o'clock; Bernhard Heilpern remained to take care of the camp during our absence.
It was still dark when we set out; and we had to thread our way over the plain towards the east by the aid of a lantern carried in front of my camel, and so for an hour we wended our way towards the entrance of the Pass of Wâdy Haroun. Just as day began to dawn, but before sunrise, I turned to take a look at the country behind. What was my surprise on looking beyond the Valley of the Arabah to behold the whole tableland of the Tih to the westward lighted up with remarkable clearness, the plains and escarpments distinguished by lines and streaks of gold and white; so that it might have been supposed that we were looking towards the direction of sunrise rather than of sunset, and that this region was lit up under the first rays of dawn. I expressed my astonishment to Ibraham; but that worthy was equal to the occasion. Nothing could surprise this man; nothing was new to him. He assured me that it was always so, and that in these parts the western lands receive the sun's rays before those of the eastern! The effect was doubtless due to the light of the morning sun reflected from the sky.
On entering the ravine of the Wâdy Haroun above our camp of the previous morning, a griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) appeared soaring above my head. It was a handsome bird, and with my glass I could scan its form and colour. The body was grey, and the wings tipped with black. Soon another appeared; and presently, one after another, about a dozen came in sight, flying low or clambering up the rocks. The animals had been gorging themselves on the carcase of a camel of our party, which, from overwork and probably insufficient food, had dropped down from exhaustion on the previous day.
As we were wending our way up the gorge of the W. Haroini, Abdullah and our dragoman kept up a lively conversation. Some time after I inquired of the latter what it was all about, and he rehearsed it to me as follows:—
Abdullah. Have you ever been on pilgrimage?
Ibraham. Yes! once to Mecca, and twelve times to the mosque at Jerusalem (El Khods).
A. Where do you live when you are at home?
​I. Cairo.
A. Is Cairo comfortable (quiet)?
I. Yes!
A. Who rules at Cairo?
I. The English and the Khedive.
A. Where is Arabi?
I. A prisoner in Ind (India or Ceylon).
A. Is Arabi comfortable?
I. Yes! I believe so.
A. Has he his family with him
I. Yes!
A. What has he got to live on?
I. An allowance of £2 a-day.
A. What are these hawajis (name for European gentlemen) with you!
I. Inglese.
Silence ensued, during which Abdullah was probably ruminating on the fact that these same Inglese were also the rulers of Cairo. Afterwards Ibraham went on to inform Abdullah that the English had several ships of war in the Suez Canal, and that they could easily march an army "with cannon" across the Tih to Petra should any ill-treatment be offered to the travellers.
Passing again the oleander bushes, the fresh green of whose leaves was pleasant to the eye, we came to the base of the lofty sandstone cliffs where we had lunched on Saturday; and now our path left the ravine, and we struck up the mountain side to the left. The climb was stiff and difficult; enough to try the strength and skill of camels and horses even of the desert;—but they did not fail. We soon got amongst some grand rock scenery. On the right a deep ravine, partially clad with verdure, laid bare the base of the precipices of granite surmounted l)y great mural cliff's of red or variegated sandstone, rising in tiers to heights of 1,000 or 1,200 feet. Beyond these other terraces and tors of sandstone came into view. Here, indeed, the sandstone formation of Arabia Petræa displays itself in its grandest proportions and most varied forms; and the presence of oleanders, cypresses, and other shrubs along the beds of the ravines and little glens, ​adds to the beauty and freshness of the scenery. The cliffs were perforated with caves and holes, where eagles, hawks, and owls find safe nesting places; and possibly beasts of prey, a secure retreat during the hours of day. To the left rose the sandstone terraces, culminating in the summit of Mount Hor. They have a gentle "dip" or inclination eastwards towards the Wady Mdsa. Presently, on having crossed the "Nagb," a pass between the Wadies Haroun and Mfisa, we came to some ruins of ancient buildings; and on the left the faces of the sandstone cliffs were sculptured around doors, or entrances, into interior chambers. These were the suburbs (as it were) of the ancient capital of Arabia Petrsea; and, when we came within view of a solitary column standing on the top of a ridge, we felt that we had entered the city itself, with its ruined temples, theatres, palaces, rock-hewn dwellings and tombs, and possibly Christian churches.
It is not my intention to attempt any description of this wonderful city of the past, of which Laborde has left an excellent plan within reach of all, and which has been already well described by previous travellers. I will only here observe that the styles of architecture and sculpturing remind us of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman works; secondly, that in the destruction of these ancient structures, there have been three kinds of agencies in action; for not only has the hand of man and the "hand of time"—as represented by frost, heat, and tempest—been here, but the shocks of earthquakes have evidently been a powerful factor in the work of demolition. This is evinced by the peculiar characteristics of the damage done in some places. We see not only the stones of columns partially dislocated, and turned out of their original positions, but also in the case of some buildings, such as "the Great Temple," those of the walls partially thrust out from their beds into the air. Similar phenomena have been recognised as the results of earthquake movements both in Italy and Egypt.
When gazing, now at the stupendous walls of rock which enclose the winding valley of Wâdy Mûsa, now at the architectural ruins, the work of the hand of man, I became profoundly impressed with the conviction that in ​originating and executing these works, man himself had been but an imitator of nature; that he had endeavoured to reproduce artificially those forms which the natural architecture here presented to his view was well calculated to suggest to him. The noble cliffs and rock faces at the base of Mount Hor of themselves assume forms simulating artificial structures, such as temples, fortresses, or dwellings of men. Here may be seen three grand natural facades of sandstone ranged side by side like a line of palaces, but severed from each other by intervening spaces; and one cannot help conjecturing that the examples of natural architecture here, as well as at other places, displayed along the sides of the valley, had suggested to the early Edomites and Nabathean inhabitants the idea of imitating in art what nature has so prominently placed before them.
The colouring of the sandstone cliffs of Wâdy Mûsa should not pass unnoticed; it is wonderfully gorgeous, possibly altogether unique. I have seen coloured sandstone formations in the British Isles and in Europe, but never before colours of such depth and variety of pattern as these. The walls of rock reminded one of the patterns on highly painted halls, Eastern carpets, or other fanciful fabrics of the loom. The deepest reds, purples, and shades of yellow are here arranged in alternate bands, shading off into each other, and sometimes curved and twisted into gorgeous fantasies. These effects, due to the infiltration of the oxides of iron, manganese, and other substances, are frequent in sandstones to various degrees; but nowhere, as far as my observation goes, do they reach the variety of form and brilliancy of colouring to be found in the Wady Músa amongst the ruins of Petra.
Little time was allowed for an examination of Petra, or the Wâdy Mûsa, as the days were short; and, owing to the difficulty, not to say danger, of traversing the mountain path in the dark, it was necessary to allow ourselves time to get out of the Wâdy Haroun before sunset. My companions had not joined me when I began to retrace my steps. As it afterwards turned out, when the party reached the summit of Mount Hor, they found themselves in mist, which delayed the trigonometrical observations for nearly two hours. Hence much precious time was lost, and their visit to the Wâdy Mûsa was consequently a hurried one. We all reached the camp, however, in safety, our party about an hour after sunset, the other about four hours later. Fortunately for them a brilliant moon shed its light on their path, and enabled them to avoid the pitfalls with which the road over the Nagb was beset.
​The results of the day’s work were very valuable. Major Kitchener and his assistant, Mr. Armstrong, were successful in taking angles on several prominent points, both backwards and forwards, along the line of the Arabah valley, and as far north as the hills overlooking The Ghôr. Mr. Hart found a considerable number of plants, amongst others three species of ferns, indicating a moister and more temperate climate than that we had experienced, and leading to the belief that in spring time the mountain side must exhibit a rich carpeting of flowers, such as crocuses, lilies, and amarillas, which were only now appearing above ground. Mr. Laurence took barometrical readings at the summit of the mountain, in addition to those of the hypsometer (an instrument for determining altitudes by the temperature of the boiling point of water). To myself the observations I was enabled to make on the geological structure of the Edomite range were of essential value in the construction of the geological map of that part of the district. We were all delighted with our visit to this most wonderful of cities, and congratulated ourselves on having accomplished it on terms far more favourable than those of previous visitors. I here give the altitude of Mount Hor as determined by the aneroid observations of Mr. Laurence.
Altitude of Mount Hor (Jehel Haroun). :
| English feet. ||||
| Altitude by boiling point of water above camp (W. Kuseibeh) | 3,340 |
| „ aneroid above camp | 3,320 |
| Mean | 3,330 |
| Elevation of camp above Gulf of Akabah (about) | 1,450 |
| Height of Mount Hor above Gulf of Akabah | 4,780 |
| „„„ Dead Sea, 4,780 + 1,292 | 6,072 |
The elevation of Mount Hor, as determined by the hypsometer, was 4,260 feet, and of Petra 2,935 feet, and it is probable that these are more reliable results. The elevation of the former, as determined by Major Kitchener by triangulation, is 4,580 feet.
The next morning (Tuesday, 11th December), we broke up our camp for a march into the Arabah, but a scene, half tragic, half comic, was first to be enacted. Our conductor handed to the sheikhs the money and the bakhsheesh agreed upon, but still they were not satisfied. All night long the Petra envoys. Sheikh Ali, and others had kept up a protracted wrangle, and next morning the gale increased to a storm. We had strictly fulfilled ​the terms of our contract, and nothing would induce us to alter it by a hair's breadth. After the envoys had been paid they should have departed. We were on Sheikh Ali's ground, and they were intruders. We requested them to leave the camp, but they remained shouting and gesticulating, and demanding more money. We then requested Ali to eject them, but he dallied, and the confusion increased. Bernhard then told Ali that he was no sheikh at all, or "only a quarter of one," as he was unable to protect his territory from intruders, and his convoy from the insults of these Petra robbers! This was more than Ali could bear. In great fume he called his men to arms, and when I emerged from my tent in the morning I found the clansmen "standing to their guns"—in other words, standing in a row with their long flint locks resting on the ground, the men themselves scarcely able to conceal a grin of amusement. The scene was comical enough; the old guns would have been of little use, and I rather think that one of our revolvers would have been more than a match for a dozen of them. The display of force, however, was not against us, but against the Petra Sheikhs, who finding things beginning to look serious and that nothing more was to be got out of our "man of iron," Bernhard Heilpern, mounted their nags and rode out of the camp towards the hills; Sheikh Abdullah declaring that if he should catch Heilpern within ten miles of Petra he "would do for him;" and the latter, that if he should ever catch Abdullah within twenty miles of Jerusalem, he should do the like for him!
With such farewells we watched our Petra guides ride up towards their native haunts; we ourselves were soon on the march in the opposite direction towards the Great Valley, where we camped in the evening, glad to leave behind us such a den of thieves.
* ↑   Determinations of the Elevation of the Watershed, W. el Arabah. Above Gulf of Akabah. Mr. R. Laurence, 6 Dec. 1883, by aneroid 910 feet. Do. Do. deduced from hypsometrical determination of elevation of Mount Hor 390 ,, Mean 650 ,, M. Vignes’ determination, 240 metres 787 ,, Major Kitchener and Mr. Armstrong’s determination by triangulation 660 ,, Mean of all 699 feet
* ↑ Lartet has recognised this agglomerate under the name of "Poudingue do Dj. Haroun," and apparently refers it to a much more recent age.
* ↑ I.e., "finished."
* ↑ The money is paid in majedies, a silver coin, six of which make £1 sterling, the value is nearly that of a dollar.
* ↑ The rocks here are traversed by several large "faults" or dislocations, along one of which the pathway winds for a considerable distance. See Geological Map.
* ↑ Petra was the seat of an Archbishop early in the 5th century, according to Carl Ritter. "Palestine and Sinai," Eng. Edit. 1866. Vol. 1. For a history of this remarkable city, see Quatremère "Mem. sur les Nabathéens." Journ Asiat. Soc. 1835, T. xv, p. 31.
* ↑ See Baedeker's and Murray's Guides.
* ↑ By Lyell in his "Principles of Geology," &c.