'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.' [‎56] (103/905)

Supposed
traces of the'
Flumen
Regium.
The Kuthah.
Course of the
Euphrates.
56 NAHR MALKA, AND KUTHAH. [CHAP. III.
comes to Sersar ^ and, after watering all these countries, it
joins the Tigris between Baghdad and Medajin (Modain).
Six miles below the Nahr Sersar, the inlet of Abu Gharib
coincides with another ancient canal, of which there are
traces, at intervals, in the direction of the ruins of Dan, and
of Khan Izaid, on the road from Hillah to Baghdad, and as
far as the lower part of the ruins of Seleucia. Its termination
at the latter point, as well as the traditional name of Nahr
Malka, seem to connect this cut with the Flumen Regium
of Ammianus Marcellinus, as well as of our historian Gibbon;
which was so celebrated by the passage of the fleets of Trajan
and Julian. Abu-l-feda 2 places the El Melik next below the
Sersar, adding, that it waters all the country of 'Irak, which
is around it, and falls into the Tigris under Modain. This, ac
cording to Pliny, 3 was the work of Gobaris, to protect Babylon
from inundations, and was called by the Assyrians, Armalkhar. 4
The fourth is the river Kuthah, which runs nearly parallel
to the three others, from the mounds of Muhammed to the
centre of Mesopotamia, where a bifurcation takes place. The
northern branch seems to have continued in a S.S.-easterly
direction towards the Tigris, or towards the ruins of 'Ashik
wa Ma'shukah (the lover and his beloved), about 10 miles
below Modain; whilst the other, called the Nahr Dhiyab,
took a southerly direction, or towards Babylon, passing the
Khan of Iskanderiyah. Abti-l-feda says, 5 the Kuthea is a
channel from the Euphrates, below El Melik; beyond Far-
sans it divides, the southern branch spreading into a marshy
country, and the other, which is the larger, entering the
Tigris below the Almalik. 6
Below the mounds of Muhammed, the great river takes a
straighter course, in a more southerly direction, as far as the
floating bridge on the western side of the town of Musseyib;
1 A flourishing commercial town, nine miles from Baghdad, situate on a
navigable canal, over which there is a bridge of boats.—Edrisi: p. 157, Tome
VI., Recueil de Voyages et de M&noires publit? par la Society de Geographic
de Paris, 1840. « Mr. Rassam's MS. translation.
3 Lib. VII., c. 26. . Ibid .
5 Mr. Rassam's MS. translation. « ibid.