"كتيّب سوريا (بما في ذلك فلسطين). لندن: إدارة استخبارات الأركان البحرية، يونيو ١٩١٩" [ظ‎‎٢‎٢‎٣] (٧٣٨/٤٥١)

440 JUDAEA AND THE SOUTHERN DESERT
irregularities producing deep estuaries or sheltered gulfs—
a small inland basin at Ascalon, low reefs at Abu Zabura
and Jaffa, small curves of the beach at Tanturah, a projecting
rock at ‘Athlit and the sand-barred mouths of some half
a dozen small streams are the only possibilities of natural
harbourage. Attempts at establishing permanent ports for
deep sea vessels have, so far, proved abortive, as witness the
remains of ancient moles at Ascalon, the suggestion of a double
harbour at Tanturah and the solid ruins at ‘Athlit; the
river estuaries have never been utilized as harbour sites.
Jaffa is an open roadstead with dangerous reefs and can only
be approached by small craft through a narrow strait in the
reefs which is difficult to negotiate in stormy weather ; the
beach at Gaza is straight and low and the roadstead even
more unsheltered than Jaffa ; the landing-place at Minet
el-Qal‘ah is between reefs.
From the Egyptian frontier at Rafah to Gaza, 19 miles, the
coast is extremely uniform and trends north-eastward in
a slight curve and consists of a sandy beach with sandhills at
intervals. About midway there is a slight projection, Ras
el-Markab, and up to this point there is no vegetation near the
coast, but beyond, in the direction of Gaza, a few shrubs and
trees appear. A heavy swell is usually breaking on this shore.
From Gaza to Ascalon, 10 miles, the coast continues NE.
and is still very uniform. It is sandy with sandy hillocks at
intervals and there is an almost constant heavy surf along it.
At Ascalon, a bold line of cliffs rises to a height of 60 ft.
directly from the sea. From this point to Jaffa, 26 miles, the
foreshore is of very soft sand of deadly uniformity interrupted
by a few black rocky capes and now trends NNE. A wilder
ness of shifting sand dunes, soft and waterless, which ‘ march
with the winds ’, masks the plain from the sea and extends
from 2 miles to 5 miles inland. The N. Sukereir and N. Rubin
force a passage to the sea in this section, and the only other
noticeable irregularities consist of some rocks or islets that
form a sort of natural jetty at Minet Rubin. For 3 miles
S. of Jaffa and 2 miles N. of it the shore is fronted by rocky