The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-11-14
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rHR 7pRv1L,s. CASTLE.
A French Travellers Advent tures with
=. Arabian Superstition. ,r. II.

y The country became broken as we advanced,
and the outlines of the mountains and hills
running into seurieusiy fantastic FORMS: Old
ruined castles, gothic cathedrals, and the re-
mains of palaces, with colonades and stupen-
dous porticos, were all visioned out to us by
those rocks, among which weired will-o'ths
wisps forever, fitted, supposed by the Arabs to
be the souls of the ancient Sabians. We
passed at the foot of a mountain called in the
language of the country, Kassr-eL- Cheitdn-
the Devils Castle=for information respecting
the origin of which l applied to Abu -Bekr-el
Doani. ni.-
'sSeck not to know" replied be; the devil
is the enemy of mankind, let us try to protect
ourselves from his malice. and be content in
ignorance of his mysteries
''But tell me, at least - said 1, "what that
mountain has to do. with him? 2"
Nothing that know Of answered the reis,
i'except that it is the hiding place of the enemy
of man; place haunted, from base to summit
by the emmissaries of hell Allah protect us
listen to this faithful story of two rash men
who went there and never returned. z''-
sOne evening in the month of Maharem, of
the gear 1850, the silence that reigned over
these mountains was suddenly broken by the
steps of dromedaries, soon after which could
be-, distinguished, the forms of two cavaliers,
who were near saying to each othet:
This, then, is the Place. Yusuf-the Kassr
el-Cheitam 2
sYes, o, Mobarrmed,' replied the other this
is it .i ' 'i..5 '
And as he spoke, they reached the foot of
the mountain and began to ascend 1t, when
some wandering Arabs who happened to be
passing, entreated them to desist, telling them
that ito ute ever went up that mountain, which
is the abode of Satan. ~ -
What matter for thai! retorted the caval-
iers; we have vowed to bring our ,sweethearts
some wonderful things that nobobody else
could obtain for them; that VOW We gave to
keep. And they went their way up the
mountain :r
'Then the Arabs, who again entreated them
to return seeing that their efforts we're useless.
went on their way reciting Fatha;* but they
had not gone far, when they saw strange
light slimhering at the top of the mountain,
accompanied bya fearful sound and cries of
distress, and then all was silent as before.
Next day they recouhted everywhere how
two Cavaliers had gone up to Kassr ell -Cheiton,
FROM which they had not been seen to return;
nor did the families or friends of those two
cavaliers ever hear any news of them again,
except, Indeed, that the devil and his imps
had roasted them alive .E "'ed ''13 80
When the reis had concluded burst into
fit of loud laughter, at which he turned pale,
and said !: 5,,f ~.
F"HavFe 1 not sorrows enough to bear up
against that you must bring more upon me by
the levity with which you look upon such
horrible event 2" .''.'' ''-.+
BE not troubled Sidi,' answered I, with as
much gravity as I could command. BE of
good cheer, in my country, too, people tell
foolish stories, with which they frighten weak
minded persons and small children; bnt such
fearis unworthy of a man like you, as I will
PROV E to you How long will it take the car
avan to file past this mountain r. - ~ 'I's
tHalf an hbtir OF; less 'li.7i'.i ''2ei'f 81
way % to the toS Of it, Il bs bS5 '' I"]' -
. fWhat p exclaimed tie reis, in spite of what
I have told you,' '1 9n5 f.ia, ''-ii'- Dl1
= Because Of what you have told me- replied
I; and leaving him to recover from his con
sternation 1 turned to my companions of the
caravan, asking " hether any of them would ac-
company me on a visit to the hosts of Kassr-
| elCheitan-an invitation which they declined
with horror, one and all. some of them even
running away from me when i made show of
| approaching them. A few, however, endea-
| vored to pursuade me from my undertaking,
| bts .aftefl the course 1 had taken did not
choose to withdraw, lest I might be set down
as an empty bfdggart; though, on the other
| hand, my carrying out my design, should
subject myself to the suspicion of having com
tnefee with evil spirits. Dn-i0i 81 1'''"5.
| Dash1Dg my dfome medary, then, across the
rocks and bushes at the foot of Kassr- -el Chef
tan, I cohtneneed ascending the spiral path
that leads to the summit, on arriving near
| which 1 thought heard murrnuring sound
as of human voices. -e tu aa c'l,i
rode towards the spot whence the sound
appeared to proceed, where 1 found a Iafge
| opening in the rock, slightly concealed by the
tall herbage, into which 1 entered on foot, and
had made but few steps into the cavern when
1 found myself in utter darkness. listened
Athe murmur of voices appeared to come from
the depths of the cave, Tut soon all became
! still; and, as 1 had no means of lighting my
self on my way; returned, lest might fall
over some precipice, if yentdred farther. in
the dark fh6neht besides, that / must
have been deceived With regard to voices, ,issuF
ing from the cave, and that the sounds heard
/ by me must have cou;e from the caravan be.
low. Continuing my ascent; therefore, Ireach-
ed the ascent of stE9 NJ no1ntaifhh, where T f6hba
| myself upon plateau, in the centre of which
there was deep pit, which, T at once recognf-
- ;s7ra1 -. '-.,.-y --c- al
y *The first chapter Of the Koran; FatEa means
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