624 report — 1878. 



with sand-drifts, to Isinailia. Large numbers of flint flakes and arrow-heads prove 

 that this road was much used in ancient times, and there can be little doubt that 

 it was the road followed by Abraham from the Negeb, or south country, to Egypt. 

 Larce tracts of land on the west of Jebel Mugharah are cultivated by the Arabs. 

 The discovery of this road is regarded as one of great importance, and, as far as the 

 author can learn, it has been previously unknown. 



2. Survey of Galilee. Hij Lieut. H. H. Kitchener, RE., F.B.O.S. 



This paper contained an account of the operations subsequent to those described 

 by Major Wilson at the last meeting of the Association. 



On the renewal of the survey, Lieut. Kitchener found that the cairns built at 

 Hattin in 1875 were all destroyed ; but after a careful search he found the broad 

 arrows cut on the rock under where the cairns had been, and was thus able to 

 carry on the triangulation from a base of 25 miles, and other calculated lines from 

 8 to 12 miles long ; subsequently, after carrying the triangulation round the country, 

 the calculated length of this base was only 60 feet different from the measurement 

 started with, or a little more than 2 feet of possible error in the mile. On the 

 scale employed, this error in 25 miles is only the thickness of a pencil line. 



The triangulation took eight days from this camp, as the old cairns had to be 

 rebuilt, and new ones erected in the northern country. By thus doing the trian- 

 gulation and survey of the ground from each camp were both kept going together, 

 and the strength of the party was not sufficient to adopt any other method. While 

 observing from the top of Mount Tabor, Lieut. Kitchener examined three chapels 

 recently unearthed by the Roman Catholic monks ; they date from crusading 

 times, when this was supposed to be the Mount of the Transfiguration, and the 

 three chapels are mentioned in old chronicles of that time. 



Immediately above the camp was an extinct volcano, called the Kurn Hattin, 

 or Horns of Hattin, being two peaks on the top of a steep mountain, having be- 

 tween them the crater of an extinct volcano, memorable as the scene of the final 

 struggle of the Crusaders after the fatal battle on the plain below. 



On the completion, of the triangulation, the levelling had to be taken up from 

 the last point on the line. In seven days' work 16| miles were accomplished, and 

 the seashore was reached, giving a depression of 682 feet 6 inches below the Medi- 

 terranean. 



The survey of the detail had then to be done. From the fixed triangulation- 

 points a number of supplementary angles were taken to every village, hill-top, 

 prominent tree, or important object in view ; and, as this was done from every 

 point, when these Hnes were plotted, intersections fixing these objects were obtained. 

 Practically almost every place of importance was fixed in this way. The surveyor 

 then started with this diagram of fixed points, and by the interpolation of the 

 angles taken with his prismatic compass was able to fix his own position at any 

 point on paper ; he then sketched in by eye the detail that was in his close vici- 

 nity, and by going through the same process all over his work, the detail was 

 obtained with considerable accuracy. The heights of all places of importance were 

 taken by aneroids, besides the calculated heights of all the triangulation-points. 

 These aneroids were checked morning and evening with a standard barometer kept 

 in camp. The slopes of the hills were taken by Abney's level, and on returning 

 to camp in the evening a report was made of all ruins, villages, and water-supply 

 in the work of the day. The nomenclature was written down in Arabic by a well- 

 educated scribe kept for that purpose. Each surveyor had a guide with him, who 

 gave the names of the different places. The surveyor wrote them down as near as 

 he could to the sound, and on returning to camp he repeated them in front of the 

 guide and the scribe. The guide then pronounced the names correctly, and the 

 scribe wrote it down from him. Lieut. Kitchener afterwards transliterated the 

 Arabic in accordance with Robinson's method, and the proper spelling was thus 



