Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-05-14
PoriIs of elm the Orieu,.

The Levant Herald publishes the following
letter, dated Jerusalem, March 30th:
"The adventures and capture of a party of
scientific travellers by that notorious ruffiau
Mujelli Shaykh, of Kerak, in Moab NAV per
haps interest some of our readers as much as
they did the inhabitants of this place Two
months ago Canon Tristram and DR.. Guisburr
accompanied by four other gentlemen and Rev.
Mr. Klein, resident missionary, started for
Moab The two tirst-named gentlemen had re-
cciYed grant from the British association TO
assist them in exploring more thoroughly than
has yet been done the Land of Moab. They first
went to Hebron, (El Khalil), where they engaged
certain of the Jehan Arabs to escort them to
Kerak. Arrived at the Ghorel-Safl, they found
the Ghawarinsh Arabs and the Bent 'Attvyeh "a
division of the Maazen from beyond Petral pre-
pared TO attack them. Diplomacy however,
aided by 'Backshish' PaSha, gained the day'
Then Mujelli Shaykh, of the fellahin of Kerak.
sent down his son to rescue the travellers and
escort them to Draa. Here they were bled to
the extent of some thirty napoleonS. Arrived
at kerak, they complained to the muielli, who
affected great indignation at his sons enforce
ment of hackshish, and said that he had no
wish to touch farthing. He, however, confined
the travellers to their tents for three or four DAYS
as strict prisoners, and then demanded e60O as
ransom. They managed in this interval to send
Oft a Christian of kerak to Jerusalem with a
letter to Mr.. N. P. Moore, her majesty's consul.
This gentleman acted with the greatest prompti-
tude and decision, telegraphing to Damascus
and Nabbas for soldiers, and sending off MIR. G.
Salame, his chancellor, with the necessary gold,
to proceed to El-Salt and 20 down to Kerak with
the troops. Meanwhile, Zattam, son of Fendiel
Falz, Shaykh of the Bent Sakhkhr, had gone 10
herak, having made contract at the English
consulate, after DIR. Tristram'S departure TO
escort the party anywhere in his territory or
that of allied tribes The Bedouin proved A
most valuable ally to the EngliShmen who
finally got off with a further payment of some
twenty-five to thirty napoleonS. On hearing
that the party had escaped safe and sound in
person, the troops who were marching on Kerak
received orders to proceed no further and an in
| curry was set on foot. Had it not been for the
energetic action of her majesty's consul here
these gentlemen would not have escaped so east
| ly. Shaykh-el-Muielli Is a leah whose father
Is sad to have been so poor as to possess moth
| ING in the shape of clothing but a single abba
| The present rufian rolls in wealth, chiefly px
| torted from travellers, such as the late Dude dc
| Luynes, NJ, de Saucy, and Others and from the
creek converts at kerak. lie has thus been
able to satisfy the Itching palms OF commissions
ers' ne mas forced the Christians of Kerak,
! VINO detest and lear him, to sign paper exon
Grating him from all blame; and he himself has
written 10 say that he treated the travellers with
all courtesy and took nothing from them. hut
requires satisfaction for defamation of cbaracterI
The Turkish authorities have chosen to take this
Si'lon Va lhe vase as tIuei prelerrlng to believe
the statement of fallah of VIGOROUSLY rufflan-
" habits to that of seven well known English
gentlemen-three of whom are cergymen-and
OF Bedouin Shaykh of good reputation. All
TINS, Notwithstanding the energetic protests of
her Britannia maiesty'S consul. If the matter be
allowed to rest thus, it will be useless for the
American exploring party to attempt work in
Moab, unless they are prepared to pave their
| road with gold. Our transatlantic cousins have
undertaken the survey of the country east of
| the Jordan, while that 10 the west has been be-
gun some four months by the (Englsh) Pales-
tine exploration fund, whose party has already
explored the country between Ramleh and Jeru-
salem TO an extent OF nearly two hundred and
fifty square miles"