TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 179 
sheba. It is divided into five geographical districts—two on the south, comprising 
the hill-country of Judza and the plain of Sharon; the third, containing the 
plain of Esdraelon and its boundary chains; the fourth, the hill-country of 
Galilee; the fifth, the Jordan valley. The country of the Beni S’ab or Shep- 
halah, west of Nablus, was unknown until visited in this survey. The author 
described the commencement of the work (one-inch scale) in October 1871, and 
the share taken in it by Mr. C. I’. Tyrwhitt-Drake, who died on the 23rd June last. 
The map was prepared on Sir H. James’s system of tangential projection, in sheets 
containing 30' of longitude and 20' of latitude. Six of the proposed twelve are 
complete, and three are in England. The first base was connected with the trigono- 
metrical point at Jaffa, the second being established at TWsdraelon; this was 43 
miles long, and the difference between its measured and calculated lengths gave 
an error of only ‘03 per cent. The average length of the triangles side was about 
fifteen miles, but never greater than ten in the Judean hills; and every possible 
check appears to have been employed in all cases with an encouraginely minute 
amount of error. The rate of work rose from 60 square miles per month to about 
180 in October 1878, and then, with an extra man, gave a steady average of 280, 
All is done on horseback, and the method is most fitted for military reconnaissance. 
The heights are obtained by Abney’s clinometer, sketches of hill-tops, aneroid 
observations, thermometrical readings, &c.; and astronomical bearings are con- 
stantly obtained as rough checks. As to names of places, the author observes that 
the original Hebrew names are still to be found under slightly modified forms of 
the Arabic. The collection and correction of these, tending to elucidate geogra- 
phical passages in Scripture, were carefully attended to. The number obtained 
was very great (seven or eight times more than in any previous map), averaging 
two per square mile. Seventy special plans of antiquities, not before satisfactorily 
explored, are here mentioned; and seven churches and two sites of towns are stated 
to have been before entirely unknown. The antiquity of ruins in Palestine has 
been much exaggerated, many supposed to be Jewish or Phoenician turning out to 
be Crusading or Saracenic. ‘he identifications of the altar ‘Ad, the site of Alnon, 
Zaretan, Gilgal, Scopus, Oreb, Zeeb, Samson’s tomb, Archelais, Echatana, Sozuza, 
and other places mentioned in Scripture were made during the survey, and various 
other points and discoveries of archeological interest are discussed. As to climate, 
there is an entire absence of ozone during the east wind; the mirage is not depen- 
dent on heat only, but requires also moisture; and therise and fall of the barometer 
has no reference to storms in the Jordan valley, though a safe guide in the hills, 
The Forest of Sharon has been found extending for miles on the northern part of 
the plain; and altogether the seasons, rainfall, and natural vegetation of modern 
Palestine resemble very closely those of Biblical times. The vine, now unknown, 
was once much cultivated. A volcanic centre has been discovered in the plain of 
Esdraelon, and a tertiary volcanic lake south-west of Carmel. 
Notes on a recent Journey East of the Jordan. 
By the Rey. J. L. Porter, D.D., LL.D. 
Eastern Palestine is divided from Western by the valley of the Jordan, which 
extends from the base of Hermon to the borders of Edom, a distance of 150 miles, 
For about 130 miles its surface is below the level of the sea, its depression at one 
place being 1312 feet. This great chain gives the country eastward its most 
striking physical feature. Viewed from the west, it appears an unbroken mountain- 
chain; but when ascended a tableland is seen to stretch from its summit into 
Arabia. The central erection rises into wooded heights, with an average elevation 
above the plateau of 600 feet: this is Mount Gilead; while the southern table- 
land is Moab, and the northern Bashan. The western side of the country is deeply 
furrowed by ravines, three of which are historically important :—1, the Arnon, 
which separated the Moabites from the Amorites; 2, the Jabbok, which was the 
northern border of the Ammonites; and 3, the Hieromax or Jarmuk, the 
boundary between Bashan and Gilead. The country was the scene of some of 
the most remarkable events in early Bible history, such as the raid of the Eastern 
