Page:An Introduction to the Survey of Western Palestine.djvu/237

221 THE NORTHERN SAMARITAN HILLS. 221

southern part also proceeds from the eastern range, near the village of Eaba (alt. 1,590 feet), and runs in two parallel channels also westerly, and along the foot of the waterparting range, where it extends between Eas Ibzik and Tannin. The western boundary which turned the Mughair Wady to the south-west, diverts the Eaba Wady after the junction of its parallel streams, to the north-east, that is in the same line as the Mughair Wady, though they proceed from opposite directions. The streams are thus brought to a junction, and acquire the name of Wady Shubash, which intersecting the eastern range in a deep gorge, descends rapidly to the Plain of Beisan on an easterly course.

The next elevated lateral valley on the south of Eaba, and east of the main waterparting, extends from Eas Ibzik to Tubas (alt. 1,227 feet), and is drained by streams running in the same line, but from opposite directions, at the western extremity of the Maleh Basin. From Tubas, the succession is maintained by the wide-spreading heads of Wady Farah, which repeats the eccentric features of the Mughair-Eaba Valley, on a scale three times greater, and extends the lateral communication along the eastern side of the main water- parting from Tubas to the Plain of Mukhnah, a distance of 12 miles. From the last named point, the series of these elevated plateaus will be taken up again in due course.

If nothing else served to fix the southern boundary of this section towards the west, the drainage proceeding from the northern edge of the plateau in this direction, would answer the purpose. It belongs to the basin of the Nahr el Mefjir, which has its southern waterparting along the Beiazid Eange. As the southern base of the Beiazid Eange, the Wady Shair becomes the boundary of this part of the section, and thus its continuity with the eastern part of the base-line, is shown to be not so much a motive as a coincidence.

When Wady Shair or Zeimer reaches the foot of the hills, the base line of the highlands is continued northward along the Plain of Sharon to Gape Carmel. But regarding the low eminences in the plain as related to the highland, it becomes