volume 2 - Robert Bedrosian's Armenian History Workshop

Kal'at al-Bint. 105
soil is reached."' This is exactly what still wants doing
at Kuyrinjik,
We set out again on our journey the next morning,
March ist, at 6.30, and soon passed a naass of rocks
which stood out boldly in mid-stream. A few miles
lower down the course of the river changed, and we left
the ridge of hills called Khanukah behind us and floated
eastward. We passed the Khanukah rapids, and the
barrier of Sakhar an-Naml, or " Barrier of the Ants,"
without difficulty, but the Farraj Rocks caused the
raftsmen much trouble. The raft swayed and creaked,
and the fastening of some of the poles got loose, and as
soon as we could we tied up to repair the damage and
reinflate the skins. The altar of Sargon II and the
Delegate's bricks were weighty objects. When we
started again we floated almost due south, but as soon
as we came close in under Jabal al-Makhul on the west
bank, the river turned off sharply towards the east.
Close by, also on the west bank, we saw the ruined castle
to which the Arabs have given the name of Kal'at al-
Bint, i.e., the " Maiden's Castle," or " Kal'at al-Makhul."
The castle stands on the top of a hill nearly two hundred
feet high, and there is a deep cutting on each side of
it. Considerable portions of many of the walls still
remain. A little lower down we passed through the
rapid of Tureshah, which caused us no trouble, though
its waters were in a state of commotion and made a
great noise. We then passed the mouth of the Little or
Lower Zab, on the east bank, and the mouth of the
Wad! Jahannam, or " Hell Valley " (on the west bank),
which divides jabal Khanukah from Jabal Hamrin.
Then came Tall Marmus, on the east bank, Kal'at
Jabbar,* or the " Giant's Castle," which is perched on a
hiU on the west bank. Tall al-Dhahab or " Gold Hill,"»
and then another rapid. Soon after the rapid the river
turned sharply to the east, and then turned again to
^ Wigram, Cradle of Mankind, p. 344.
^ The " Gioubbar Calai " of Thevenot. [Voyage, ii, p. iii.)
* The " Altun Daghi " of Thevenot. (Voyage, ii, p. iii.)