From W&dy Nimrin to the Salt Sea, a distance of 15 miles, lies the great Shittim plain, watered by tliree copious streams, which make it a rich and beautiful oasis. This position is assigned by some authorities for the site of the cities of the Plain.
The Z6r or depressed plain through which tht, Jordnn flows. — The Jordan issues from the Lake Tiberias gently for a mile and then becomes more rapid ; although it has a nearl}- uniform descent throughout its course, j-et it is found to have a great number of small rapids, and its descent is not quite so great about the middle. It has through many ages worked out a passage through the floor-bed of the valley or Gh6r (Anion), which passage is called by the Arabs the Z6r. The Z6r varies from J mile to 2 miles in width, and is a depressed plain about 20 ft. below the Ghi'tr at the northern end, and 200 ft. below towards the Salt Sea. It appears to have been formed by the changing of the river bed from side to side, break- ing liown the banks of the Ghir and carrying the silt into the Salt Sea. The Jordan itself varies in width from 30 to 70 yards. The level of the surface of the Zfir is uniform with the banks of the Jordan, so that in January and February, when the waters overflow the banks, the Z6r is covered, and the total width of river in flood is i to 2 miles. The soil is for the most part very rich (except towards the southern end, where it is full of salts), and is highly cultivated, bearing heavy barley crops and vegetables.
The Zi'ir al>ove the Jtsr Mijnmia is not continu ous ; below the bridge the (jh6r is from 50 to liHJ ft. above the iJrtr. The clitls of the Z6r are here of white -soft marl, about half a mile apart bolow the bridge, but just above the briilgo the hills close in on tlie west, and the Glu'^r disajipears. Near the plain of /Jci>in the crops in the Zt'r were being reaped in April (1873). Near the river the soil wa-M covered with gigantic thistles 10 to 15 ft, high. The whole region round aliout the plain of tlfi.iiin is volcanic, and all the rocks and stones about are black ami basaltic in their character. This probably accounts for the numlwr of ford< across the river in these parts.
From \fVidy tlahlch south of the plain of Beisan to iV/tdy Fdriih the mountnins on the weat close ic
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JORDAN
JORDAN
apon the Jordan, narrowin" the Z6r, which again widens outoiipoaite to W'Aini Fdrah, and gradually incroivscs to "J miles as it aiiiJroaches the .Salt Sea. The river is hidden for a "reat jiortion of its course by the jungle of cane and tamarisk on either side : all rank vegetation except reeds ceases about 2 miles from the Salt Sea. On entering the sea the waters form a muddy marsh covered with drift- wood, too soft to be crossed by man or beast. Although the land for a few miles above the Salt Sea is a veritable desert, having at times been covered by the S.alt Sea itself, yet such is the power of the sun that immediately after heavy rain in January and February small green plants and flowers spring up at once all round, even on the edge of the S.alt Sea, and flourish so long as the rainy season lasts, but wither in a few hours after the rain ceases.
From L. Tiberias to the Salt Sea the direct dis- tance is 65 miles, and the fall is 610 ft., viz. betwixt -682 ft. at L. Tiberias to -1292 ft. at the Salt Sea ; a fall of 9'3 ft. per mile.
The Dee of Aberdeenshire runs 72 miles, with fall of 16'5 ft. per mile. The Tweed runs 96 miles, with fall of 16 ft. per mile. The Clyde 98 miles, with fall of 14 ft. per mile. The Thames runs 215 miles, with fall of IJ ft. per mile. The sinuosities of the Jordan, however, are so great that in the 65 miles' direct course it travels 200 miles at least (Lynch, Narr. p. 265), so that the actual fall is not more than 3 ft. per mile, if this estimate can be accepted.
Molyneux surveyed the Jordan from L. Tiberias to the Salt Sea in a boat in 1847, and Lt. Lynch did the same in 1848. Molyneux found the river when not in flood upwards of 100 ft. broad and 4 to 5 ft. deep near the Jisr Mijdmia ; for seven hours they scarcely ever had sufficient water to float the boat for 100 yards together. In many places the river is split into a number of small streams, which consefjuently have not much water in any of them. Occasionally the boat had to be carried upwards of 100 yards over rocks and through thorny bushes ; and m some places they had high, steep sandy cliil's all along the banks of the river. In other pl.aces the boat had to be carried on the backs of camels, the stream being quite impracticable. Lynch met with equally difficult experiences. He states, ' we have plunijed down twenty - seven threatening rapids, besides a great number of lesser magni- tude.' Only one straight reach of any length was noticed. The passage of the 200 miles of twists occupied 8J days. The width varied with the depth and current, but 70 to 80 yards seems to have been an average width, with a depth of 2 to 3 ft., and current varying from 2 to 8 knots, according to circumstances. The greatest width was 180 yards at the Jordan's mouth, mth a depth of 3 ft., and a very slow current.