Page:An Introduction to the Survey of Western Palestine.djvu/30

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14
the mediterranean watershed.

about six miles south-westward, and about four miles in breadth. A mountain spur, projected from Kh. el Yadhin (alt. 2,512 feet) is the northern limit of this parallelogram, all the drainage of which descends to the channel which skirts the southern base of the spur, and runs in a north-east ‘direction to Safed el Battikh, where it bends round the end of the spur, and follows its northern base to the Wady el Ma, in a direction parallel, but contrary to its higher course, until it is deflected by a great bend to the north on its way to Deir Amis. On the summit of the eastern end of the spur is the Crusader’s Castle of Tibnin or Toron.

The northern division of this basin is drained by the Wady el Humraniyeh. It has on the north the waterparting — dividing it from the Kasimiyeh; and its division from the central part ef the basin on the south, may be defined by a line from the outfall through M’arakah and Kefr Dunin. It is nowhere so much as three miles wide. The course of the main channel is north-westerly until it approaches its outfall, when it turns to the south-west. The head-waters are collected in two parallel valleys, dividing the villages of Silah, Baflei, and Neffakiyeh and uniting in the main channel below Baflei.

The Basin of Wady el Ezziyeh, and Minor Basins on the North.

This basin joins that of el Hubeishiyeh in its upper part, although towards the sea they are divided by no less than six minor basins with distinct outfalls. Of these Wady el ’Akkab and Wady Nettarah are the chief.

The Palestine Exploration Survey has revealed much inaccuracy in the former delineation of the minor basins. The wady which passes the villages of Siddikin and Kana was called Wady Shemaliyeh, and was supposed to reach the sea on the north of Tyre. This wady is now found to be the upper part of Wady el’Akkab, which makes a sharp bend at