ween them there are huge clefts in
the rock, hundreds of feet deep, which carry away the winter torrents
to the Jordan and Dead Sea. Over beyond the edge of hills are the
green wooded banks of the Sacred River, then a patch or two of stunted
trees, and finally the dark walls of the mountains of Moab shutting
out the view of the land which still holds fascinating remains of
Greek civilisation.

But there was no promise of an early peep at such historic sights, and
the problem of getting at the nearer land was hard enough for present
deliberation. It was at first proposed that the whole of the
XXth Corps and a force of cavalry should carry out operations
simultaneously on the north and east of the Corps front which should
give us possession of the roads from Mar Saba and Muntar, and also
from Taiyibeh and the old Roman road to Jericho, thus allowing two
cavalry forces supported by infantry columns to converge on Jericho
from the north and south. However, by the second week of February
there had been bad weather, and the difficulties of supplying a line
forty miles from the railway on roads which, notwithstanding a
vast amount of labour, were still far from good, were practically
insuperable, and it was apparent that a northerly and easterly advance
at the same time would involve a delay of three weeks.

New circumstances came to light after the advance was first arranged,
and these demanded that the enemy should be driven across the Jordan
as soon as possible. General Allenby decided that the operations
should be carried out in two phases. The first was an easterly advance
to thrust the enemy from his position covering Jericho, to force him
across the Jordan, and to obtain control of the country west of the
river. The northerly advance to secure the line of the wadi Aujah was
to follow. This river Aujah which flows into the Jordan must not be
confused with the Auja on the coast already described.

The period of wet weather was prolonged, and the accumulation of
supplies of rations and ammunition did not permit of operations
commencing before February 19. That they started so early is an
eloquent tribute to the hard work of the Army, for the weather by the
date of the attack had improved but little, and the task of getting
up stores could only be completed by extraordinary exertions. General
Chetwode ordered a brigade of the 60th Division to capture Mukhmas
as a preliminary to a concentration at that place. On the 19th