"كتيّب سوريا (بما في ذلك فلسطين). لندن: إدارة استخبارات الأركان البحرية، يونيو ١٩١٩" [و‎‎٥‎١] (٧٣٨/١٠٦)

MINERALS
95
Maqarim station on the Haifa—I)er £ a railway): a boring was
undertaken in 1912 by the Syrian Exploitation Company but,
after reaching a depth of 600 ft. in 1914 and the expenditure
of £T. 12,000, the apparatus broke and the enterprise appears
to have been abandoned. In the year 1914, the American
Standard Oil Company was on the point of making borings
for petroleum near Kurmul, about 44 miles southwards of
Hebron, but was prevented from carrying on the work by the
outbreak of war.
Salt .—Strata of ordinary salt exist at the south-west
end of the Head Sea, notably in Jebel Usdum where*they are
of great thickness, but the mineral is little worked because
of transport difficulties. It is also extensively found at
Tadmor (Palmyra) and at Jud in the Hauran. Salt is
obtained in Syria mainly from water, the most important
supply being from the depression of Es-Sabkheh or Jebbul,
south-east of Aleppo and from artificial salt-pans on the
northern shore of the Head Sea. The industry is a govern
ment monopoly; in the year 1911-12, 12,000,000 kilograms
and, in the following year, 9,300,000 kilograms, were obtained.
Sulphate of magnesia and magnesium chloride are found
south-west of ‘Ain Jidi (west of the Head Sea).
Head Sea water has valuable curative properties : wounds
heal quickly as a result of bathing in it and the Arabs bathe
for rheumatism. The bromide in the water should be good
for nervous ailments and the whole question is deserving of
investigation. Hot mineral springs are spread all along the
great Central Hepression : they are used very generally by
the natives (especially the sulphur springs), and a large
number of those in the Gh5r, as, e.g. the hot baths of Tiberias,
are radio-active.
Sulphur is abundant in the Head Sea basin and in certain
parts of the lower Jordan valley. It is collected by the
Bedouin at ‘Ain Jidi and Masada, but is not sufficiently
pure for exportation on a large scale.
Alum is said to be found north of Wadi Zerqa Ma‘In east
of the Head Sea.