"كتيّب بلاد الرافدين. المجلد II. ١٩١٧" [‎١‎٨‎٨] (٥٤٢/١٩٧)

188
LAND KOUTES
mediateThis one is nearer to the Shatt el-'Arab than the main
route, and it is shaded throughout by date-groves, but its course
is winding, and it is poorly provided with bridges, many of the
numerous creeks and deep irrigation trenches encountered being
spanned only by a single date-log or crossed by means of ferry-boats.
(ii) A third track, known as Hadar or 'Lower', runs between
Wasti and the river bank, and appears to be the most difficult and
discontinuous of the three.
Each village stands on a creek generally providing good and
plentiful water. There are no wells, but water is always easy to
obtain from the creeks or the river. The banks would generally
require to be ramped to enable animals to get to the water's edge.
Near the sea, water should be taken with the falling tide, especially
when the river is low.
There is much dry date-palm wood for fuel. Plenty of short grass
inside the date plantations for fodder. Lucerne and barley are exten-.
sively grown, and, in places, rice. Outside the date plantations there
is no grazing except in spring for sheep. Large quantities of dates,
and a little straw and barley at hamlets. Meat generally abundant;
fair supply of milk. A few donkeys and indifferent horses in many
hamlets. A considerable number of boats could be collected.
Miles from
Pao
0
6
Pao. For description see Route I A, m.
The route leaves Pao in a general NN W. direction, striking
away from the river through date-groves to the desert.
From near the fort, 4 m. below the telegraph station
at Fao, to Ma c amir, about 6 m. above it, a new embank
ment has been made to keep out the salt water which
floods the desert to the W. Horses and men can go
along the top of this embankment, but wheeled transport
would have to keep to the W. side of it on desert soil,
and this is generally bad going for wheels, as it is at
this point a salt mud-flat which never dries and is flooded
at high tides.
Ma amir tract. In this region and in the Dawasir district
(see m. 18 below) there are numerous empty villages about
400 yds. from the date-groves. Their defensible village-
walls still remain. They are 90-100 yds. square.
Ma* amir, Sheikh Naghaimish's village. Track is now over
dry, hard desert, except in wet weather, and after high
tide in spring when the river is in flood: it is then
very boggy. The route runs just behind the date-groves.