"كتيّب سوريا (بما في ذلك فلسطين). لندن: إدارة استخبارات الأركان البحرية، يونيو ١٩١٩" [و‎‎٢‎١‎٦] (٧٣٨/٤٣٦)

COUNTRY EAST OF JEBEL ANSARlYEH 425
and Hama there are some wadis carrying streams from the
highlands on east.
Kuwaik Su .—This river rises near ‘Aintab (see Handbook of
Asia Minor, vol. iv, pt. 2). Flowing west of Aleppo, it takes
a southerly course and at the village of Ansariyeh is spanned
by a bridge carrying the Homs-Aleppo carriage-road. It
is followed on the r. bank, as far as Udeihi, by the railway
which there crosses the stream. The channel here bends
westwards to Khan Tuman, then southwards, finally falling
into El-Matkh, a marsh, after having received a broad and
sluggish affluent on the r. near its outlet. The channel carries
a large volume of water in winter and spring and is well stocked
with fish ; during summer the river is much reduced and,
below Aleppo, it is entirely used up by irrigation. Three
miles above its outlet it is spanned by a modern bridge
carrying the road from Aleppo to Palmyra via J. el-Hass, and
here the river is about 20 yards broad and has a strong current.
Some distance above this, its banks are lined by a narrow fringe
of poplars and fruit trees among which are summer residences
of people of Aleppo besides bee-hive villages. The adjoining
lands are irrigated from the stream.
Nahr ed-Dahab .—This stream rises north-east of the im
portant village of El-Bab. Hereabouts, in ancient times, the
stream was diverted into three underground channels cut in
the rock and, at regular intervals, there are air-holes which
serve as wells. Following a southerly course, it finally
empties into Es-Sabkheh, or Jebbul G61, one of a group of
salt lakes.
Lakes and Marshes
Very little information is obtainable as to the lakes and
marshes E. of the Orontes, most of which are dry in
summer. Those on the western border of the plain appear
to be basins into which winter torrents from the surrounding
mountains, are collected. Some are described as being thickly
overgrown with reeds and water plants which, as in the
case of the fish-stocked lakes S. of Aleppo, provide cover