Page:An Introduction to the Survey of Western Palestine.djvu/211

195 THE WESTERN RANGE. 195

From the east end of el Menarah, the remainder of the slope descends to the base of the mountain in Wady Zemzem and Wady es Sera at. The archaeology of this division has attracted the attention of MM. de Saulcy, de Vogue 7 , Eenan, and Guerin.* Dr. Thomson notices the coast route. t

The divisions of the western slope on the north and south of the central portion, descend to the plains of Tyre and Acre respectively. The slope of the northern division, in descending from the Western Eange, appears to present features that separate the upper from the lower part. It will be found that all the larger wadys at first run northward, with more or less westing, and that they bend suddenly to the west, at points in their courses that follow in a continuous line, parallel with the coast. On the outer side of the same line, minor streams, both independent and tributary, take their rise. The conclusion is that the slope makes a sudden drop along this line, which forms a kind of retaining wall to the upper part of the streams, and is broken through by the streams in descending to the lower part of the slope. It may also point to some geological fact that has hitherto escaped notice.

In the southern division of the western slope, the course of the main valleys is scarcely at all northerly, and if an intermediate escarpment exists, it must be looked for in another form. Such a point may be noticed as Yerka (alt. 1,200 feet), in comparison with Kefr Yasif (alt. 279 feet), on the same spur. Due north of Yerka, on Wady el Kurn, is found Kulat el Kurein (alt. 1,055 feet), and Kh. Menhatah (alt. 1,405 feet). Perhaps an examination might be fruitful along the connecting line, including additional altitudes at or near Eas KeMn, Kh. el Habai, Kulat Jiddin, and Kh. Zuwei- nita.

f " Land and Book," 302.
 * Guerin, " Galilee," IT, chaps. Ixxvi, Ixxrii.