"كتيّب سوريا (بما في ذلك فلسطين). لندن: إدارة استخبارات الأركان البحرية، يونيو ١٩١٩" [و‎‎١‎٨‎٩] (٧٣٨/٣٨٢)

ANTI-LEBANON
371
forced up into the axis of the depression, and forming the
watershed between the parallel rivers Litani and Hasbani.
At the south-western base of this ridge, where the valleys
reunite, there commences a fertile tract, Merj ‘Ayun, which
falls southward to the spreading marshes and fertile plain of
Huleh at the head of the Ghor.
The depression contains the principal sources of the three
great rivers of Syria—the Orontes, the Litani, and the Jordan.
Most of the depression is therefore fairly well watered,
particularly in the southern part, although the Litani, for
much of its length, is impracticable for irrigation on account
of the deep chasm in which it lies. The valley bottom has
been raised by successive moraine strata; the volcanic
formation is found southward of Rasheya, and also in the
most northern part on the 1. bank of the Orontes. The
narrowest part is opposite Fikeh, S. of Ras Ba‘albek, where
it is only 2 miles wide; the widest part is about half-way
between J. Sannin and ‘Ain ‘Ata, where it is about 8 miles
wide.
Terrific cold tempests occasionally sweep the plain during
winter, causing serious loss of life. Violent whirlwinds are
also common. Snow falls in winter, and in spite of the
high altitude fever is generally prevalent. At Meshghareh,
alt. 3,000 ft., in a small valley at the base of Tumat Niha,
55 in. of rain fell in 60 days between October and April
1895-6 ; during the same months of 1898-9 the fall was
22| in. These two records probably represent the maximum
and minimum for the locality ; in each period the greatest
fall of 28 in. and 10J in. respectively, was during the months
of January and February.
The name Sahelet Ba'albeh, ‘plain of Ba‘albek,’ is given
to that part of the depression lying north of the parallel
of Zahleh. It is a fertile but not too well watered tract as
far N. as Ba'albek where lies the plain Merjet el-Earada,
which is flooded in winter and in summer retains water
from the uplands at a level of 3-4 ft. below the surface. This
place is frequented by nomads and their flocks, and cavalry