'The Expedition for the survey of the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, carried on by order of the British government, in the years 1835, 1836, and 1837; preceded by geographical and historical notices of the regions situated between the rivers Nile and Indus. In four volumes. With fourteen maps and charts, and embellished with ninety-seven plates, besides numerous wood-cuts. Volume the first.' [‎33] (76/905)

CHAP. II.]
THE RIVER DIYALAH.
33
miles above the castle of Felujali. This canal crosses Mesopo
tamia in a direction generally eastward, passing, in the latter
part of its course, near the great mound of Akar-Kuf; and
it is, without doubt, one of the most ancient commercial
communications in the world. It may not, however, be out
of place to remark here, that these two important streams,
might be connected together by opening a canal of only 18
miles in length, from the eastern extremity of the Isa to the
mounds of Muhammed on the Euphrates. Such canal would
be passable at all seasons of the year. At 21 miles below the
termination of the Saklawiyah, in the direction of S., 28° E., The Diyaiah
the Diyaiah brings into, the Tigris a vast body of water, TigS, e
which is obtained by the junction of several great branches,
all comins: from a considerable distance. On account of the
extensive range of country traversed, as well as of its indi
vidual importance, and because it probably coincides with the
ancient Gyndes, this great stream seems to deserve a separate
notice.
The principal branch, called the Abi Shirwan, rises on Rise of the
the northern side of the Kuh-i-Sungur, about 40 miles west ^ 1 ®^ irvvan
of Hamadan, nearly as many N.E. of Kirman-shah, and at
nearly two degrees east of Sulei'mamyah. 1 Its direction is west,
inclining to north for about 40 miles, then N.W. for about
40 more, that is as far as the ruins of Darnah ; 2 and it receives
in this part of its course numerous petty streams from the
mountains of Shahie and Avroman.
About 10 miles beyond Darnah, in the same direction, it its course ami
takes a westerly course of 20 miles, through the mountains,
to Gundar, where it receives the river of Chumi-Zamgan,
which rises near Galwarah, in the Guran country, at about
70 miles distance towards the S.E. Immediately after this
increase the Abi Shirwan forces its way through a narrow
gorge (without even sufficient space for a footpath along its
bank) into the plain of Semiram, where it is joined by a
considerable affluent formed by the waters of the Taj-rud and
Salm. These streams unite about eight miles to the north
1 Major Rawlinson : Vol. IX. Part I., p. 28, Journal of the Royal Geo
graphical Society. 2 Darnah of Ptolemy, ibid., p. 29.
VOL. I. F