Page:Mount Seir, Sinai and Western Palestine.djvu/203

 Rh The Wâdy Mukalik is of much interest from the fact that it once formed the bed of an ancient lake, probably at the time when the waters of the Salt Sea rose about 600 feet above their present surface. When first we came in sight of the valley there appeared in the centre of a circular range of limestone hills a flat terrace of lighter coloured material, through which numerous deep channels had been cut by torrent action. On descending into one of these it was found that the terrace is formed of sand, marly gravel, and boulders, more or less rudely stratified, and terminating against the marginal banks of limestone, which rise in some directions several hundred feet above the surface of the terrace. The only outlet is the narrow gorge in the direction of the Salt Sea plain; and it is easy to conceive that when this plain was filled with water to the level above indicated the waters of the lake basin were banked up; but that as those of the Jordan Valley were lowered, the channel communicating with them became deepened, until ultimately the lake itself was drained. It is not improbable there may be other lake deposits of a like description amongst these hills.

I was unable to observe any good evidence of the unconformity between two sets of limestone beds to which Canon Tristram refers when describing this tract of country. The appearance to which he alludes is probably due to the plications and contortions into which the strata have been thrown; so that, when seen on the side of a hill, or of a valley, the upper portions of the same beds are not parallel to those below, and in fact recline at a considerable angle from them. All along the district, from the entrance to the Wâdy-el-Kueiserah to that of the Kedron near Mar Saba, the strata are much disturbed, and their contortions are often visible from long distances on the chalky downs, owing to the scantiness of the herbage, and the occurrence of numerous bands of dark chert. These bands enable the eye to follow the planes of bedding, with their numerous curves and foldings on the sides of the chalky downs, and the effect is often very striking.

We camped at noonday for luncheon near the borders of an extensive undulating plain. It was usually our practice at such times to loose the horses and mules and let them feed on the pastures—in some cases fastening the head by a halter to one of the legs. Generally the animals were easily secured when wanted; but on this day the horse which Bernhard Heilpern bestrode, having gained his liberty, and rejoicing in getting rid of a tolerably heavy load, showed a marked preference for the pleasures