'A handbook of Syria (including Palestine). London: Naval Staff Intelligence Department, June 1919' [‎191v] (387/738)

376 LEBANON, ANTI-LEBANON, DAMASCUS PLAIN
is characterized by fertile and picturesque ravines with luxuriant
vineyards and orchards. There are many copious springs and
considerable wooded areas chiefly of oaks, particularly in
the south-western part. In the vicinity of Hasbeya the
rock is dark red sandstone and the ground and springs
are strongly impregnated with iron. Between Tell el-Qadhi
and Baniyas is a park-like and well-watered expanse thickly
studded with small oak and other trees. The hill of Baniyas
is cut off from the southern flank of Hermon by W. Khashabeh
and, at its foot, is the grotto of ‘ Pan ’, one of the chief sources
of the Jordan (see p. 648); the locality is densely wooded.
Below Mejdel esh-Shems, alt. 3,780 ft., is the remarkable
lake Birket er-Ram, alt. 3,590 ft., about 3 miles in circum
ference, lying in a crater at a level of about 80 ft. below the
lip ; the sides are steep and difficult of access, and are bare
except on the south, where there are large flowering shrubs
and small trees. The lake has neither outlet nor inlet and
its depth which is said never to vary, was found by Burton
(1872) to be 171 ft. The temperature of the water in May was
68° Fahr. ; it is unfit to drink and swarms with leeches, frogs,
and water snakes. The shore is fringed with papyrus and
other water plants. Running northward from the lake is
the picturesque valley Merj el-Yafuri, surrounded by wooded
heights, along the southern extremity of which lies the
Roman road from Baniyas to Damascus via Quneiterah.
The lofty ridge which extends from Hermon southward ter
minates in an abrupt descent of about 4,000 ft. near Mejdel
esh-Shems, close to which is the geographical frontier between
Palestine and northern Syria. From this place to El-Fuleh a
deep valley sweeps round the southern base of the ridge cutting
it off from a lower and broader ridge to S. This latter ridge,
almost completely covered with oaks, slopes gently to the
eastern plain while taking a more rapid descent to the deep
basin of El-Huleh. East of Baniyas the formation is in
general basalt mingled with sandstone impregnated with iron;
the heights around Mejdel esh-Shems, toward the eastern
plain, are wholly basalt.