Page:An Introduction to the Survey of Western Palestine.djvu/210

194 194 THE MOUNTAINS OF UPPER GALILEE.

Jebel el Mushakkah may be used as the name of the whole of this range from Eas en Nakurah, to the foot of Kh. Belat, near Birket Eisheh. Its northern base may be found in Wady Zemzem, Wady es Serawat, and Wady es Zerka. Its southern base is Wady Abu Muhammed and Wady Kerkera, as far as the edge of the Plain of Acre, when the base line is carried northward to Wady el Kutayeh, and along the north side of the gardens of el Basseh and el Musheirefeh to the sea. The altitude of 1,192 feet, is given to the trigo- nometrical station on the summit of the mountain between el Basseh and Lebbuna, about two miles from the sea. An altitude of 225 feet at Eas en Nakura, is probably applied to the roadway cut in the face of the cliff. The slope towards the plain of Acre is very rapid, perhaps rugged, but ap- parently devoid of cliffs. East of the plain, the southern slope expands to the south, while the ridge recedes a little to the north, so as to produce a space of nearly two miles in width between the ridge at Tell el Kishk and the base in Wady Kerkera. This space forms a terrace or plateau drained by Wady ed Delem, and bounded on the south by a suc- cession of bold cliffs with ruins above them, among which is Kh. Idmith (altitude 1,810 feet) with others which have been described by Mons. Guerin.* The northern slope spreads out towards the receding shore line, it is more varied, has many interesting ruined sites, and also the existing villages of Alma esh Sh'aub (altitude 1,360 feet), Lebbuna and en Nakura (altitude 221 feet). The slope from Jebel el Mus- hakkah to the sea is limited by a spur from Alma to en Nakura, the northern slope of which gives rise to its own watercourses, partly contributing to the lower course of Wady ez Zerka. This wady was formerly called by Eobinson and others, Wady Hamul, and the Am Hamul is still con- nected with it on the new map. Another spur contributing to the character of this slope, proceeds from the west end of that part of the range called el Menarah, and follows the Wady Zerka on the south as far as Tell esh Shatin.


 * Galilee, II, ch. kxviii.