"كتيّب سوريا (بما في ذلك فلسطين). لندن: إدارة استخبارات الأركان البحرية، يونيو ١٩١٩" [ظ‎‎١‎٩‎٠] (٧٣٨/٣٨٥)

374 LEBANON, ANTI-LEBANON, DAMASCUS PLAIN
been compared to the four fingers of a left hand pointing
northward, palm upward. In the system thus represented.
J. esh-Sheikh (Hermon) constitutes the palm ; the western
most chain, J. Zebdani, the fore finger ; the main chain,
J. esh-Sharqi, the second finger; J. Qalamun the third
finger ; and J. Khitmeh the fourth or little finger. The
second, third, and fourth chains are cut through close to
the ‘palm’ by the deep gorge of W. Barada, which here
breaks northward between the first and second chains.
Anti-Lebanon proper is said to exclude Hermon, although in
the following description that great massif is included, as it does
in fact form part of the same mountain system. In genera],
the aspect of the mountains of Anti-Lebanon is more striking
than those of Lebanon : colouring is richer, and forms present
sharper contrasts, while there is a much more marked differ
ence between the aridness of the northern part and the fertility
of the southern. The slopes are everywhere intersected by
ravines of singular wildness and grandeur, but there is a
scarcity of perennial streams, springs being found mostly on
the lower slopes.
Jebel esh-Sheikh (Mt. Hermon), although not the highest, is,
on account of its form and position, the most imposing moun
tain in Syria, and is the most easily distinguishable
over a far spread region. In form it resembles a gigantic
fin-back whale; it lies in a general direction NE. and SW.,
with its higher end N. On the N. its limit is marked near
Qatana by a ravine between the most northern spur and the
low hills, Qalabat el-Mezzeh, that bound the desert tract
known as Es-Sahra. The north-western continuation of this
boundary is indefinite but appears to be marked orographically
by W. el-Qarn and W. Barada. On the west the slopes fall
to El-Biqa and W. et-Teim, on the east to the plain and,
on the south, to the basin of Huleh and the highlands of
J aid an plateau. The formation of the base and lower slopes
is basalt, above which the whole massif is of limestone fairly
uniformly super-imposed and similar to that along the Lebanon
ridge. The lower slopes of the mountain are well watered.