New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-06-16
BEYOND TIE JORDAN.

Mr.. Selab Merrill Of the American Exploration IN
Palestine sends from Beirut, May 10, TO The Lon.
don Athengum very interesting description Of tia
country Of Gilead beyond the Jordan-a region hith.
erto only little known. The following are the mozt
important portions Of his account:
The better acquainted become with the country n
the Jordan. the | amazed at its fertility ana
natural resources The scenery everywhere among tas
Gllead hs - picturesque and beautiful The forests
remind one Of the park scenery of England The hl in
many parts well wooded, but besdes this there ara
also dense forests OF large fine old trees such AZ ~
elsewhere In this peeled and stricken land
The upper portion OF Wady Yabis Is called eli Akbdar
Il e., the greenland its gardens and orchards as Well
Its fields Of grass combine 70 render il Charming
place But Wady Alum surpasses the Yabis in respect
10 cultivation ana beauty because 10 IL larger and ths
fountains which feed its copious stream at much
higher level III the mountains. Ain Jenmeh near tia
among olive and walnut groves there
one Of the most delightful valleys in Syria. -"
At one place on this w3dy saw orchard Of unusua
extent, In which there at least eight kinds OF mid
trees-the fig. olive apricot, ounce, plum lemon apple
and the pomegranse growing side by side The yssey,
is full OF mills, hOurm OF which counted about ~
but not all OF them were in working ORDER and moi onIy
on this but many other streams as wel the numb,
OF ruined mills surprises For instance on the ne
OF the ZeTka, or Jabb0k, counted between 20 and 10
ruined bour-ms besides very few that opera
ton.
yet have only referred 10 the region OF Jebe Aim
which stretches eastward from the lake OF Ibera tba
LEAH and south ~ Ora (Edrp and Gerash ~ one yast
natural wheat field. Some portions Of this peau arc
rocky but these furnish excellent PASTURE the soil how
ever is for the most part toora6y free from stones and
the plOwman has no excuse for turning crooked far
Those who ace familiar only with the country ye@s
Of the Jordan viii perhaps hardly believe me when
state that on tho HauraD plains have seen In the powed
fields burrows mile and mile and half in continuous
length, and as straight IA one could draw line.
IN searching for Biblical sites have followed mp the
whole line Of the Zerka from It's mouth to Its source. and
find The valley pretty extensively cultivated II beng
SO or ~ miles IN length It's capacities great beeauss
the supply OF water Is abundant and every could La
reached by irrisatng canals. There already mult
tude OF farms IN TINS valley and the wheat crop this year
tn tine ala mat
present utyaOIs OF the land say that they dig no new
ones and the Arabs say that those which exist have
always existed there There are on the hisdes many
unused canals, few of which be traced 10 a ds-
lance OF five ten miles These remains show that in
ancient times there perfect system Of irrigation by
which only the bottom land brought under cut
tyatio1, but in some eases even the foothills them
srlves When the present farmers want 10 utilize
piece of ground all they have TO do - 70 clear out and
pair OF these Old canals. some OF these canals exhibit
such skful engineering that often wondered how tho
people Of to-day, whether Arabs or ieahin could have
built them until they assured me repeatedly that neither
they their fathers had anything to do with Their con-
/ have examined the Jordan Valley throughout its
whole extent, with special reference 20 ITS being irrigated
from the Jordan itself; and am convinced that tho
project is very feasible Every square mile not nov I'M
gated could be watered from the Jordan and the expense
FOR dam and canals would be small compared Win INC
large number OF square miles Of valuable land That would
thus be- made productive II we reckon the valley AT 90
miles In length and from two or three 10 six miles IN
width snOld nave $50 square miles OF lana as iere
as any prairie, and which, ~ 20 or p bushels per acre.
w0ud produce between 2,ODOOOO and 3OiOOOO bushels
OF wheat II 1t h objected that people could not i've IN
the valley tho answer is thai The people who cultivate
he sol there ~ present live there all the year rouu,
ard BESIDES the rui2s Of dozen important towns along
OF the foothills show that the valley mas been IL
hobi,pd hy civilized people ~ time In the past.
If We go south OF the ZeTka We find the Jaazs region
which tng children OF Reuben ana the children OF Cad
once coveted as fine pasJureground for their cattle
Dumb XXxii1, still Astounding IN wheatnel1s ana COW
cred with numerous Hooks and herds OF tBc Bcoou AZ
Khurbct ear there large plateau extending norm ana
east distance of three miles perhaps ana IN THIS pateal
Is the watershed between tie Zerk on the cast ana
wadvs Keferein and Hesban the west and SOUTH Tue
region Is studded with ruins, snd among them th!n6
am able to identity the cities OF the Tribe Of da