I witnessed something both impressive and terrifying. While walking through a valley near the Delicias River, I came across numerous corpses. I could also hear different kinds of music, particularly the sound of timpani being played in an astonishing manner. Faced with so much noise and chaos, I felt a deep sense of fear.
This valley stretches for about seven or eight miles, and it is said that those who enter never return, but instead die almost immediately. Despite the warning, I decided to go in to understand what was happening. As soon as I entered, I encountered, as I mentioned before, a vast number of lifeless bodies-so many that, had I not seen it with my own eyes, I would not have believed it. On one of the mountain slopes, on a rock, I spotted something that resembled a man's face, so horrifying that, for a moment, I thought I would lose my mind or die of fright. I kept repeating aloud, "Verbum caro factum est" ["The Word became flesh"]. However, I did not have the courage to approach the face, keeping a distance of about seven or eight steps at all times.
Lacking the bravery to come any closer, I headed to the other end of the valley. There, I climbed a sandy hill, and looking around, I saw nothing-only heard once again the magnificent sound of the timpani. When I reached the top of the hill, I found piles of gold and silver, shimmering like fish scales. I gathered some in my lap, but since these kinds of things do not interest me, and since I suspected it might be a devilish illusion, I threw it to the ground. With God's help, I managed to escape the valley unharmed.
Seeing this, the Saracens looked at me with great respect, convinced that I was a holy man. They believed that those who had perished in that valley were evil souls, damned by the infernal demon.
