'A handbook of Syria (including Palestine). London: Naval Staff Intelligence Department, June 1919' [‎316v] (637/738)

626 SOUTHERN BELQA AND ARDH EL-KERAK
springs west of the plateau-crest, often at a considerable
distance. Thus the people of Madeba will fetch water at need
from ‘Ain Jedeid (see below, p. 628), distant 4-5 miles, or even
from ‘Ayun Musa, a couple of miles farther to the north.
West of the plateau, water is far more abundant. As above
noted, a large proportion of the wadis running to the Gh5r and
Dead Sea are perennial, though in their lower middle courses,
where they cut deeply through the hills, their ravines are
often inaccessible. From Es-Safiyeh to the Lisan, and again N.
of Mezra‘, they run out across a narrow alluvial shore and are
used for irrigation ; thus the traveller along the coast has
never far to go without a supply. In the upper basins of these
wadis, not far W. of the plateau-crest, springs and streams are
numerous. Thus the upland basins of Seil Nimeireh and Seil
‘Esal have abundance of good water both for drinking and for
irrigation. To the N. of them, the upper branches of W. el-
Kerak have never-failing sources with copious springs quite
close to the town. Again further N., Seil el-Megheisel and
W. el-Maqased (upper branches of W. Beni Hammad or Seil
el-Haditheh) have springs (‘Ayun Abu Sa‘Id and others) about
2 m. W. and NW of Rabbeh. Lower down W. Beni Hammad is
the hot spring, Hammam Ibn Hammad (alt. 147 ft.), on the
1. bank, about 4 m. from the sea ; it flows with some force
from the rock, with a temperature of about 100° F. and is
used by Arab bathers. Among other sources S. of Mojib
mention need only be made of ‘Ain el-Bediyeh above the S.
bank of that wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. almost opposite the ford under Naqb el-
Masammat : there are four springs, watering an oasis with
thick grass and trees. The tract of El-Jibal has many per
ennial wadis flowing into the Dead Sea, the lower Seil Heidan
and the lower Mojib. ‘Ain er-Riyyeh and Ain ‘Arus are on
the fertile slopes above the r. bank of Seil Heidan near the
track running S. from Mekawar. Higher up on the same side,
about 2 m. W. of the point where the Madeba-Kerak road
crosses, there is a hot spring at the mouth of the affluent,
Seil ez-Ziza. More important are the hot springs, Hammam
ez-Zara, on the small coastal plain due W. of Mekawar,