The Ordway new era., 1918-08-09


springs, as well as those south OF
Tiberias. also developed in Roman
times, and of the ancient Callirrhoe
springs. visited by the dying Herod the
Great In hope of cure. in the Wady
Zerka Maan, are all undoubtedly valu-
able assets to the land and should be
properly developed. They have. even
under the primitive conditions obtain
ing today. proved of benefit to rheu-
matte affections and are visited by the
natives at certain seasons. The water
of some of these springs reaches tenn
perature-independe Of the season
of 143 degrees Fahrenheit. but all
gradations of heat down to the merely
pleasantly warm occur.
Immediately south of the Lake of
Galilee is fairly level plaln-once
the bottom of the great lake which
then filled this valley-which is good
corn land, while nearer the Jordan
some of the lower ground can be easily
irrigated. How far the whole 60 miles
of the Jordan valley between the two
lakes Is capable of complete irrigation
is question for experts, but | gather
from the views of one expert from
India who visited Palestine when l
was there, that water can be distribute
ed over the greater part. 1t will need.
however, a big scheme, which must
deal with the valley ms a whole. Ger
tain spots are naturally well provided
, with springs and streams, and have In
the past been very well watered,
notably the district around Beisan and
the Vale of Jezreel to Its west, the
wady Fara. running from Nnblus to
the Jordan, the eastern side of the Jor-
dan around the wady Zerka (the'Jab-
bok), and the Jericho district. watered
at present in very incomplete way.
from Ain es Sultan (Elisha's fountain)
and Ain Duk.
Water Supply in Roman Times.
In the Roman era the Jericho plain
was also watered from the Wady Kelt
by series of aqueducts, the ruins of
which exist today, and the whole neigh
borhood must for miles around have
been n mass Of gardens. orchards, corn
fields. and palm groves. In Crusading
times sugar was cultivated here. and
some ruins are now known as Tawa-
hin es Sukkar the sugar mills, Even
dens of oranges, lemons, bananas, and
dates. and great deal of wheat and
barley is grown on irrigated land In
this neighborhood. In the various
parts of the Jordan valley may be sue
cessfully grown. besides wheat, barley.
and maize, dates, bananas, grapes. figs.
oranges. lemons. apricots, vegetables.
and In all probability rice, cotton, and
| sugar.
AS the northern shore of the Dead
sea is approached the soil becomes In
creasingly impregnated with salt. and
only supports tamarisks. reeds, and
other salt-loving plants. The sea is It.
self vast storehOuse of salt. particu-
! larly at Jebel Usdum. where there is
solid mass of crystallized. salt rising
| 100 feet to $50 feet above the Dead
sea, of unknown width, and running
for seven miles along the shore.
In considering the possibilities of de-
velopment In the Jordan valley. there
| are drawbacks which must not be for
gotten. The whole valley is intensely
malarious-ln the lower, hotter parts
all the year round-and blackwater
fever and oriental sore (the variety
here known as the Jericho boiD are
both common. Even apart from this
the heat In many parts is excessive
for more than half the year. Both
Tiberias and Jericho are delightful
though somewhat enervating-as win
ter resorts, but In both the heat is too
great to allow of white men undertake
ing heavy physical exertion there for
the six or eight hot months, and 1t Is
quite unfit for the rearing Of European
children. The only people who seem
to stand long residence in the lower
Jordan valley are negroes or half
negroes (many of the Bedouins here
have a negro admixture). and prob
ably 1t will be necessary to import
negro labor from Africa If any great
development is to occur here. Those
engaged In supervising and developing
the land over almost the whole of the
F, Jordan valley should live In mosquitO-
proof huts, and their families should
live on higher ground. 1000 feet or
more up In the mountains. It should
be quite possible to run an electric
tramway-with power generated from
the Jordan-from the Haifa-Damascus
railway station at Es Semakh. at the
southern end Of the Lake Of Galilee
down to the Dead sea.