North of the parallel of Jerusalem the unevenness of the table-land Ls much greater, and the hills frequently rise to the height of moun tains. Such are the mountains of Ephraim (north of 32' N. lat.), which are covered with wood' and bushes. The depressions between the hills are of considerable extent. The slopes of the surrounding kills are gentle, and generally susceptible of cultivation, which is effected by making terraces on their declivities. At a few places there are valleys, some between the hills, and others formed by the action of the Avers in the more level country. The country is much less naked than it is farther south ; at several places forests consisting of high trees occur, and large tracts are covered with bushes. Cultiva tion is attended to in some degree, but large tracts lie waste. Fruit trees are very common, sod olive- and fig-trees in some places cover several square miles in extent.
There are two rainy seasons on the table-land. The early rainy season sets in *bent the beginning of November, and lasts till the beginning of January. The late rainy season sets in at the beginning of April and somewhat later. The winter is rather cold, and frost in January and even February is not rare. Snow falls also, and some times very heavily. The summers are very hot. The thermometer sometimes rises to more than 100% when the dry south-east and east winds, which blow from the Arabian and Syrian desert, have continued for several drys.
4. On the west of the table-land of Judaea is the Plain of Falastin, as the ancient country of the Philistines is still called by the Beduins.
It extends from the Tyb, to the base of Mount Carmel, 150 miles, but the width varies greatly. It is widest on the south, where it is more than GO miles across, or rather 120 miles, as it extends to the Isthmus of Sties and to the delta of the Nile. In the parallel of Gaza it is about 25 miles wide or somewhat more, but to the northward it grows gradually narrower, and near Mount Carmel it is only a few miles wide. The most southern portion of the plain, between the delta of the Nile and the town of Gaza is a scorched sandy desert, and the sand blown from it into the sea is the principal reason why all the harbours of the Syrian coast as far north as Cape Carmel are choked up, and admit only small vessels. On the sea-coast the desert terminates near Gaza; but at the foot of the table-land of Judaea it extends about 10 miles farther north. The fertile portion of the plain of Falsstin consists of a tract extending along the sea, with an average width of 5 or 6 miles, as far north as 31° 40' N. lat., where it widens so as to reach the table-land of Judaea. A tract with a sandy barren soil, and an entirely level surface, extends along the sea ; hut farther inland the country is undulating. or interspersed with low hills, between
which there often occur cultivable spots which contain plantations of fruit-trees. The most fertile part of the plain extends on both sides of 32' N. lat., and is known by the name of the Plain of Hamlett, or Rama. The soil, consisting of a reddish sand intermixed with gravel, has a considerable degree of fertility where it cau be irrigated, and produces good crops of grain, figs, olives, pomegranates, oranges, and lemons; the water-melons of this tract are of superior quality. There are many date-trees, sycamores, prickly pears, and aloes. The surface is interspersed with numerous small isolated hills ; only a compara tively small portion is under cultivation, for want of water. The most northern part of the plain, or the narrow tract between the base of Mount Carmel and the Mediterranean, has a still better soil, and, where cultivated, produces wheat, barley, end ootten ; but a great part of it has been converted into a swamp by the rivulets descending from Mount Carmel, and not finding their way into the sea owing to a series of sand-hills which have been thrown up along the shore by the south-west winds, which prevent their discharge. These swamps make rich pasturage for cattle.
5. Mount Carmel is noticed in a separate article. [Cerium.] 6. Between Mount Cannel and the north-east corner of the table land of Judas*, which comes close up to the Lake of Tabarieh, extends the plain of Ebn Omer, the ancient plain of Eadraolon. At its eastern extremity, near the mountains on the banks of the Lake of Tabarieh, it is only from 5 to 6 miles wide ; and in the middle of it rises a round isolated summit, Jebel Tor, or Tabor. Farther west the plain widens, and between Nazara (Nazareth) and Jenin it is nearly 15 miles wide. Its extent from east to west probably does not exceed 15 miles.
At the foot of Jebel Tor the surface is 400 feet above the sea ; but it lowers rapidly to the westward, so that the greater part of it has a very moderate elevation above the sea-leveL The Nahr-el-Mekana (the ancient Kishon), which traverses the plain, inundates the adjacent country after the heavy rains, and converts it into a swamp; but the swamp supplies good pasture for cattle, which in this plaiu are of a larger Axe than in any other part of Syria. Though the soil is of considerable fertility, only a small portion of this tract is inhabited. Corn and cotton are grown. Near the base of the bills and mountains surrounding the plain there are forests of evergreen oak, and in these parts there are also plantations of fruit-trees.