DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5073#0405
392
THE CASTLE.
He described it as the gloomiest castle he had ever seen,
with numerous vaulted chambers and extensive dun-
geons, occupying a very strong position. Meg Merrilies
most unwillingly followed him, and kept on exhorting
and conjuring him "not to be afraid of the jinns," of
whom she was herself evidently in mortal terror, and
when she came down she gave us a most lively account
of all the trouble she had had in persuading him to go
on, describing his misery and dread of the awful jinns,
and all she had done to soothe and comfort him! She
would stop on the way down the mountain continually
to gather the potash plant, and when she had got a good
bundle in her veil, she addressed him with, " Oh, young-
man, in the flower of thy blooming youth! carry this
load on thy back for me, for thou art young and strong,
and I am old, — and then I will perhaps give thee part
of the profits of my bundle!" He good-naturedly helped
her, but her version of the story to us was, that he was
so completely worn out with fatigue and terror that she
was obliged to carry the " welled " * (who is about six
feet high) on her back for a long distance. To this
castle, in seasons of drought, the people of Tadmor go
in grand procession, dressed in their best clothes, and
when there they sacrifice a lamb, and offer up prayers
for rain.
Our promised five days had expired, but most reluc-
tant were we to leave the enchantiug spot; every day
new points of view were to be seen, other tombs to be
examined, and fresh sketches to be taken; so we
made a joint petition in due form to our good Sheikh
for leave to stay longer; he was, as usual, full of kind
desire to accede to our wishes. The tribe was indeed
* " Young man."
THE CASTLE.
He described it as the gloomiest castle he had ever seen,
with numerous vaulted chambers and extensive dun-
geons, occupying a very strong position. Meg Merrilies
most unwillingly followed him, and kept on exhorting
and conjuring him "not to be afraid of the jinns," of
whom she was herself evidently in mortal terror, and
when she came down she gave us a most lively account
of all the trouble she had had in persuading him to go
on, describing his misery and dread of the awful jinns,
and all she had done to soothe and comfort him! She
would stop on the way down the mountain continually
to gather the potash plant, and when she had got a good
bundle in her veil, she addressed him with, " Oh, young-
man, in the flower of thy blooming youth! carry this
load on thy back for me, for thou art young and strong,
and I am old, — and then I will perhaps give thee part
of the profits of my bundle!" He good-naturedly helped
her, but her version of the story to us was, that he was
so completely worn out with fatigue and terror that she
was obliged to carry the " welled " * (who is about six
feet high) on her back for a long distance. To this
castle, in seasons of drought, the people of Tadmor go
in grand procession, dressed in their best clothes, and
when there they sacrifice a lamb, and offer up prayers
for rain.
Our promised five days had expired, but most reluc-
tant were we to leave the enchantiug spot; every day
new points of view were to be seen, other tombs to be
examined, and fresh sketches to be taken; so we
made a joint petition in due form to our good Sheikh
for leave to stay longer; he was, as usual, full of kind
desire to accede to our wishes. The tribe was indeed
* " Young man."