"كتيّب بلاد الرافدين. المجلد II. ١٩١٧" [‎٦‎٢] (٥٤٢/٧١)

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62 RIVER ROUTES
sudden rises may occur at the end of February, or (more commonly)
in March or April. In the second half of April there is the greatest
mean volume of water in the river, which sinks steadily through
May and continues to decline through June and July.
The difference between high and low water may be taken to be
on the whole 12-14 ft,, but there is a difference of between
the highest and lowest records.
The details of navigation are subject to much alteration owing to
the changes produced on the bed of the river by the floods.
Mohammaeeh—Bandar Naziei (about 110 m.)
Up to Bandar Naziri the Karun is in most parts, and in ordinary
seasons, navigable by a vessel of 5 or even 6 ft. draught: but in the
20 m. below Kaziri, a vessel of 3^- ft. draught may find difficulty
when the river is low. Vessels of 12 ft. draught can reach Salmaneli
bend, 14 m. above Mohammareh.
The rate of the stream in a high river is 4-6 knots, in a low river
about 2 knots. The river is 2-5 cables wide, and the channel is
tortuous (especially above 'Ali ibn el-Husein, 31 m. from Moham
mareh), and very narrow at the bends, where the deepest water
is generally on the concave side. Sand-banks extend from most of
the points, sometimes half-way across the river. The tide is felt as
far as Ali ibn el-Husein.
As far as Kut Abdallah, 5-6 m. below Naziri, the bottom is
mostly sand, or sand and mud, and is generally free from rocks ;
though 2 m. below Farisiat village a rock covered at high river
projects about 30 ft. from the r. bank. Off Kut 'Abdallah are
rocks with about 3 ft. of water. From this village to Bandar
Naziri the river is much encumbered with sand-banks and subject
to constantly changing channels. The banks from Mohammareh
to Bandar Naziri are low, and the adjoining country consists of
uncultivated plains deserted in summer and occupied by Arab
encampments in winter.
From Bandar Nazirx to Ahwaz (little more than 1 m.) there is
a great rise in the river-bed, and a series of heavy rapids, generally
considered unnavigable, exists. These rapids are 5 in number, with
a total length of about 2,000 yds. The real obstacle to navigation
is the second rapid from the top, where a reef runs out from the
1. bank leaving a channel only 100 yds. broad, broken up by islets
into two or three passages, of which the one nearest to the r. bank
is the easiest of ascent, but has a width of only 50 yds. The water
here rushes with a fall of 1 in 50. The total loss of height between
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