246 THE MOUNTAINS OF JUMA.
at its head Wady Abu Hirsh and Wady el Butm on its lower course. The Middle Range conies to an end in the Plain of Beersheba.
From the head of the Hebron Valley southward, the space between the Main and the Middle Eanges, is wholly occupied by that valley and its branches, which throughout maintain an average width of four miles. The length of the valley from its head to its junction with Wady es Seba, is about 30 miles.
Eastward of the Middle Eange, and parallel to it, is the continuation of the Eastern Range, from the northern boundary of the group at Wady el Muallak. The line passes from Kubr Ghaunameh, to the head of the rocky gorge of Wady Mukta el Juss, thence by the spurs that separate the Wadys Dannun and Bassas to the range at el Megheidhah, and Rujm Abu Zumeitir ; thence to the summit of Dharet el Meshrefeh (alt. 1,696 feet), and southward to Dharet es Sukiyeh (alt. 1,836 feet), Dharet el Kolah, and the summit of the range on the south of Wady el War, which runs unbroken for 23 miles to the Wady el Milh. The principal summits on this very distinctly denned and concluding portion of the Eastern Range, are : Tell et Tuany (alt. 2,837 feet), on the highway between Yutta, Kurmul, and Engedi ; and Kanan el Aseif (alt. 3,002 feet), on the road from Yutta to Tell el Milh, or Moladah.
This first attempt to indicate, and to give a precise limit- ation to the triple succession of terraces above the Dead Sea cliffs, which the New Survey has disclosed, may not be always supported by a critical examination on the ground in every particular ; but generally the distinct separation of the three steps, seems to be unquestionable. The lowest step between the cliffs and the base of the Eastern Range is about four miles wide at the north end, and gradually increases to about eight miles in the southern part. Only a few scattered summits rise to 1,400 feet above the ocean, but it must be remembered that the surface of the Dead Sea is 1,292 feet below that
level. Between Teku'a and Ain Jidy, in this step, is probably
