Page:An Introduction to the Survey of Western Palestine.djvu/25

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THE SURVEY OF WESTERN PALESTINE.


Part I.

THE MEDITERRANEAN WATERSHED.

The Basin of Nahr Kasimîyeh,

Only a part of the basin of the Kasimîyeh, or Litany, falls within the Survey, its northern limit being chiefly the lower course of that river. The southern waterparting of the basin commences on the sea coast, about midway between Tyre and the mouth of the river. It is not well-defined at first, but it comes within a mile of the river on the west of Bidias, and here divides the Kasimîyeh from the Hubeishîyeh basin. The waterparting continues eastward as far as Sarifa, where it is a mile and a half from the river, but it bulges southward on the way, to a distance of two miles.

From Sarifa, the waterparting passes south-eastward to Burj Alawei, then southward to el Yehûdiyeh, eastward to beyond Safed el Battikh, southward round Berashît, and westward through Beit Yahûn to Ras et Tireh; where the Kasimîyeh basin ceases to be in contact with the Hubeishîyeh, and becomes contiguous with the Ezzîyeh basin. The waterparting runs on to Marûn er Ras, having the villages of et Tireh and Bint Umm Jebeil on the west, and those of Ainitha and Marûn er Râs on the east.

The Kasimîyeh basin now runs with that of the Jordan, and proceeds from Marûn-er-Râs east to Deir el Ghabiyeh, then north towards Meîs where it makes another bend to the east, and then north to Hunin and el Khurbeh, separating the Wady 'Aizakaneh and other small