"كتيّب سوريا (بما في ذلك فلسطين). لندن: إدارة استخبارات الأركان البحرية، يونيو ١٩١٩" [و‎‎٣‎٠‎٥] (٧٣٨/٦١٤)

INDUSTRIES
603
Belqa and ‘Ajlun are rich in grass ; the former has indeed
always been famous for its pasture, its high altitude, regular
rains, and heavy morning mists assuring it sufficient moisture ;
the Circassians grow clover and other green fodder to augment
the natural supply. Cattle are kept by the people of almost
every village ; oxen are used everywhere for ploughing, and
by the Circassians for drawing their two-wheeled carts.
Goats are ubiquitous, to the great detriment of the young
trees ; sheep are largely owned both by the fellahin and the
Belqawlyeh Arabs. Horses, however, are seldom to be seen
except in large places like Salt and in the bigger Circassian
villages; donkeys are generally found, but are not as numerous
as might be expected. Bee-keeping is general, both among
Arabs and Circassians. Fowls are everywhere kept, but are
of small size and produce small eggs.
The wild life of the country is capable of yielding useful
supplementary resources. Boars are numerous in the cane-
brakes of various wadis. Partridges and pigeons are every
where common, and with shot-guns parties could without
difficulty augment their food supplies from this source. In
many perennial wadis fish are very plentiful; in W. ‘Amman,
Oliphant found them so numerous that ‘ he could have
scooped them out with his hat’. Similar statements have
been made as to other streams, e. g. W. el-‘Arab, W. Zahar,
the pools of Nahr ‘Allan, &c. According to Tristram, the
common species is Scaphiodon Capoeta ; trout are said to be
found in W. Zahar.
The suitability of the whole region for colonization was
pointed out by Oliphant some forty years ago. Under
Turkish rule there could be no satisfactory development of the
country ; but the example of the Circassians has shown what
might be done by colonists guaranteed from the exactions of
a bad government, able to protect themselves, and too
thrifty to fall into the moneylender’s hands. The absence of
rain between May and October reduces the necessity for farm
buildings ; threshing is done in the open ; straw is stored in
caves or ruins ; grain is kept in caves, or in pits, between