Los Angeles herald., 1908-11-15
In Front of the Triumphal Arch in Palmyra.

laws of New York city allow, were badly shaken
up and in danger of causing an accident to the motor
Fars Aga whose custom was to travel on horseback.
thought the road excellent We left the and
secuted for better road and found to the north
of the village short distance from the socaed cara
van road. To us 1t anything but road. The
akali was very thick large chunks of it covering the
entire desert but there now lay before us straight
road to Palmyra. We should have left Kaser el-Hay
to right but instead took the longer route by way
of deserted military post of Kaser eHay, to find
out for the benefit of future travellers if water was
still obtainable from the twenty fathom we'll that
dug there by the Turkish government. The barracks
had been deserted by the Turkish troops account
Of the raids of the warning Bedouns This part of the
road was the worst we came across in our journey.
There were large stones in the way which led to
conclude that there stood here either village
an important Palmyran castle. Considering the
heavy weight OF the car and the roughness of the
road, we were surprised that the motor behaved so
well. 1t gave us no trouble whatever but we were
disappointed to find that while the well contained
plenty of water the soldiers had taken away with
them the especially imported rope, fifty yards long,
without which we were helpless
From the top of the barracks we saw to our left
a long stretch of sand covered with dry grass of
yelowish color, and account of the roughness of
the caravan road to Palmyra, which extended east
ward, we drove due north for about two miles, till
reached the stretch of sand which, were ex-
ceedingly glad to notice. had hard bottom and Of
fered good road could wish. Looking at
the for bearings, Fars Aga gave us a new land
mark and again we drove full east As Faris Aga
put it, "Te him the chaueur) to drive for that hill
all the time keeping the sun to his right"
This direction accurate as that of the best
The change in our from a road covered with
alkall to the smooth roadway of the desert sands
gave the motor remarkable opportunity to show our
companions how fast we could CO.
Before were half an hour on the way we sighted
Ain el-Bayadah, a Turkish military barracks built
on the site of old Pamyrian castle. Faris Aga
thought it mirage and rubbed his eyes to clear
his vision With the field glass the building was
clear enough to me, 1 drew the attention of Faris
Aga to it.
"Aga, isn't this Ain el-Bayadah|
His reply showed that he was perplexed. -.
by the Prophet of Mecca, am altogether lost.
1 see the place clearly, yet do not believe It, 1t
takes me fully seven hours my swifes horse from
Kaser el-Hay to this place. and now it is only rev
minutes since we left. Look the cigarette hghted
at the other place ic still in my hand Upon my word
it is Ain el-Bayadah. You can see the soldiers
taking their the courtyard of the barracks
They are scared, and cannot make us out. 40 doubt
they think the very devil himself got loose in the
desert" . ..-,, -, l.
Then he became serious, and sad;-"Tell him to
STOP The soldiers taking refuge ON the roof they
might fire at u.s."
We Immediately stopped out of the range of their
guns