Page:An Introduction to the Survey of Western Palestine.djvu/116

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100 THE DEAD SEA WATERSHED.

followed by the principal road between Jerusalem and Jericho. At Arak the Wady el Haud turns eastward to Wady es Sidr ; and the bounding range of hills on the south takes the same direction towards Jebel Ekteif, from which it is only separated by the intersection of Wady es Sidr. At the south-western base of Jebel Ekteif, the Wady es Sidr enters the rocky gorge of el Mukelik, previously receiving two distinct wadys from the southern margin of the basin, named Wady el Mudowerah, and Wady ed Dekakin.

At Arak also, the road from Jerusalem forks in two directions. The road to the north-east goes to join the Euabeh Eoad already mentioned. The road to the south-east goes over the hills to the junction of the Sidr with the Mudowerah, near the Mukelik gorge, and passes eastward along the brow of the range on the north of the gorge up to Neby Musa ; whence it proceeds across the Ghor to join the road from Talat ed Dumm, at Ain Hajlah ; whence it goes to the Pilgrims' Bathing Place at the Jordan. The branch road from Arak, by Neby Musa, is distinguished in the Survey as the Pilgrims' Eoad. From Neby Musa to Wady Sidr, this road was followed by Canon Tristram, on the way to Jeru- salem, but the rest of the journey was performed across the country to 'Ain Haud. " Land of Israel," pp. 228, 229.

The Wady el Mudowerah has its most distant source at el 'Aziriyeh, which passes Abu Dis (alt. 2,100 feet) south-east- wards, and receiving several affluents from its neighbourhood, turns to the north-east and east at Wady Abu Hindi. On reaching Kabur el Madadi, the Wady Abu Hindi receives the Wady el 'Auwaj from the west, and after the junction it becomes Wady el Mudowerah, and pursues a very winding course to the Wady es Sidr.

The Wady ed Dekakin rises on the east of the hills where the Abu Hindi takes its north-east course, about two miles east of Abu Dis. As the Khaleil Abu Eadt it runs to the east-south-east, till it receives an affluent descending

in the opposite direction from the mountain on the water-