Page:An Introduction to the Survey of Western Palestine.djvu/224

208 208 THE MOUNTAINS OF LOWER GALILEE.

Damn southward to the Wady el Mady and the Wady esh Sherrar. The last finally becomes Wady el Bireh, and forms the south-western base of this division.

An inspection of the features which dominate the right bank of the Wady Shubbabeh and Wady Fejjas and bound the Plain of Ahma in that direction, will bring into view a long line of interrupted basaltic cliffs, which stands in advance of the Fejjas and el Bireh waterparting, as far as from Lubieh to Damieh and towards Sarona ; while from Sarona towards the Jordan, the cliffs and the waterparting coincide. This is the eastern division of the Nazareth Eange. It will also be observed that the base line formed by Wady Shubbabeh and Wady Fejjas is remarkable for its depression below sea level. As far up as Damieh the depression is 84 feet, and no doubt it will be found to be still greater below that ruin, at the confluence of Wady el Mu'allakah with Wady Shubbabeh. The depression is 300 feet at Kh. Seiyadeh, near the junction of Wady Sarona with Wady Fejjas. It is about 640 feet below sea level at the junction of Wady Fejjas with the Jordan. The observation of a few points on the sea level around the Plain of Ahma, including especially Wady Shubbabeh, would be an interesting con- tribution to the study of the Jordan Basin. At present the depression of this base line, and of the plain through which it passes, has only to be considered in relation to the summit of the eastern division of the Nazareth Eange. The depression will be found to be in remarkable contrast to the com- paratively elevated character of the Plateau of Sh'arah, which extends from the summit of the range to Wady el Mady and Wady esh Sherr&r. The range is indeed a steep escarpment with rocky cliffs and precipices of basalt, repeatedly inter- rupting the smoother parts of the descent from the Plateau of Sh'ar&h to the depressed Plain of Ahma. From Lubieh to Sarona, the range must be identified with a spur extending from Lubieh to the cliffs on the north of Wady Mu'allakah. That wady intersects the range between Kefr Sabt (alt. 650 feet) and Damieh. The descent of the wady from the