File 756/1917 Pt 2-3 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 66-114’ [‎149v] (307/834)

forced on them that Zionism has come to stay, that it is far
more moderate in its aims than they had anticipated, and that by
meeting it in a conciliatory spirit they are likely to reap sub
stantial benefits in the future. Suspicion still remains in the
minds of some, but it is tempered by the above considerations
and there is reason to hope that it will gradually disappear if the
Commission continues its present attitude of conciliation.
It should be noticed that the Palestinians tend more and
more to divorce themselves from the rest of Syria and that most
of the criticisms are now coming from Syrians who, having no
direct interest in the matter, seek to disguise the fact by an
exaggerated expression of concern.
K.C.
TRIBUTARIES OF THE EUPHRATES.
Mr. D. Carruthers sends the following remarks on the
western affluents of the Euphrates between Basra and the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows.
Hauran :—
“Until recently the western and south-western watershed The boundary between adjacent drainage basins. of
the lower Euphrates basin was but vaguely known. We have now
learned that it runs across the heart of the Syrian Hamad in a more
or less straight line north and south. Further south it takes in
an even wider expanse of country, and actually reaches to
within two hundred miles of the lied Sea. The nature of the
country has made it exceedingly difficult to trace the main wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows.
systems. Many wadis are known in their upper courses, but
their ultimate destinations are not. Some we are aware enter
the Euphrates, but we have no knowledge of their origin.
There has been much guess work in map compilation, and
many errors have crept into the later maps. We are now
m possession of so many route traverses and diaries of travellers
who have crossed, or seen, a portion of this region, that it seems
to be a suitable moment to tabulate the facts, and to attempt to
unravel the problem. lor instance, Chesney has thirty-four
wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. names across his route between Basra and Palmyra;
Ihielman, m 1872, between Kerbela and Palmyra, noted only
six by name ; the two routes take more or less the same line,
am cioss ,ind lecross^ each other. Of these names only two
cornea e . ns is a fair example of the existing confusion.
I he most curious fact is the difficulty of finding the
ou on o ie k_yi lan desert wadis into the Euphrates valley.
Jne would expect to be able to recognise the mouth of a wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows.
which may have half a dozen heads, and has come for 200 miles,
l et the upper courses seem to be more clearly defined than
rf We know o£ onl y five important wadis
astssr,