[p.344] banks of the Jordan, about two hours distant from Bysan, which
bore N.N.W. from us. We here crossed the river at a ford, where our
companions arrived soon afterwards.
The valley of the Jordan, or El Ghor (Arabic), which may be said to
begin at the northern extremity of the lake of Tiberias, has near Bysan
a direction of N. by E. and S. by W. Its breadth is about two hours. The
great number of rivulets which descend from the mountains on both sides,
and form numerous pools of stagnant water, produce in many places a
pleasing verdure, and a luxuriant growth of wild herbage and grass; but
the greater part of the ground is a parched desert, of which a few spots
only are cultivated by the Bedouins. In the neighbourhood of Bysan the
soil is entirely of marle; there are very few trees; but wherever there
is water high reeds are found. The river Jordan, on issuing from the
lake of Tiberias, flows for about three hours near the western hills,
and then turns towards the eastern, on which side it continues its
course for several hours. The river flows in a valley of about a quarter
of an hour in breadth, which is considerably lower than the rest of the
plain of Ghor; this lower valley is covered with high trees and a
luxuriant verdure, which affords a striking contrast with the sandy
slopes that border it on both sides. The trees most frequently met with
on the banks of the Jordan are of the species called by the Arabs Gharab
(Arabic) and Kottab (Arabic) [The following are the names or the rivulets
which descend from the western mountains into the Ghor, to the north or
Bysan. Beginning at the southern extremity of the lake of Tiberias are
Wady Fedjaz (Arabic), Ain el Szammera (Arabic), Wady Djaloud (Arabic),
Wady el Byre (Arabic), and Wady el Oeshe (Arabic). To the south of Bysan
are Wady el Maleh (Arabic), Wady Medjedda (Arabic), with a ruined town
so called, Wady el Beydhan (Arabic), coming from the neighbourhood of
Nablous, and Wady el Farah (Arabic). On the east side of the Jordan,
beginning at the Sheriat el Mandhour, and continuing to the place where
we crossed the river, the following Wadys empty themselves into it: Wady
el Arab (Arabic), Wady el Koszeir (Arabic), Wady el Taybe (Arabic), Wady
el Seklab (Arabic), which last falls into the Jordan near the village
Erbayn, about one hours distance north of the place where we crossed.
This Wady forms the boundary between the districts; called El Koura and
El Wostye.
On the west side of the river, to the north of Bysan, are the following
ruined places in the Ghor: beginning at the lake, Faszayl (Arabic), El
Odja (Arabic), Ayn Sultan (Arabic). Near where we crossed, to the south,
are the ruins of Sukkot (Arabic). On the western banks of the river,
farther south than Ayn Sultan, which is about one hour distant from
Bysan, there are no ruins, as far as Rieha, or Jericho, the yalley in
that direction being full of rocks, and little susceptible of
cultivation.].
[p.345] The river, where we passed it, was about eighty paces broad, and
about three feet deep; this, it must be recollected, was in the midst of
summer. In the winter it inundates the plain in the bottom of the narrow
valley, but never rises to the level of the upper plain of the Ghor,
which is at least forty feet above the level of the river. The river is
fordable in many places during summer, but the few spots where it may be
crossed in the rainy season are known only to the Arabs.
After passing the river we continued our route close to the foot of the
eastern mountain. In half an hour from the ford we crossed Wady Mous
(Arabic), coming from the mountains of Adjeloun. In one hour and a
quarter we passed Wady Yabes, and near it, the Mezar, or saints tomb
called Sherhabeib (Arabic). In two hours we came to a stony and hilly
district, intersected by several deep but dry Wadys, called Korn el
Hemar (Arabic), the Asss Horn. Our direction was alternately S. and S.
by W. Here the Jordan returns to the western side of the valley. The
Korn el Hemar