"كتيّب بلاد الرافدين. المجلد II. ١٩١٧" [‎٣‎١‎٤] (٥٤٢/٣٢٣)

314
LAND ROUTES
ROUTE 13 a
BASRA—NASIEIYEH (1401 M .)
Authorities : —Force ' D ' Route Report, Serial no. 7, with supplement (Reports of
April, May, and August 1916) ; Boutes in Arabia, no. 203 (mainly from
Turkish Army records. 1915), Survey Maps nos. 43 and 47 (1915-16) ; other
recent information.
•
The route is suitable for all arms, including field artillery. It
crosses a salt plain to Sha'aibeh ridge and thence to near Khamlslyeh
traverses stony or sandy desert. It is passable for light lorries in the
spring, and even in the flood season these can get to within a few
miles of Khamlslyeh. The following general account of the route in
mid-August 1916 has been given (it is not certain how far the first
two stages coincide with the road to Nukheileh described in detail
below)Basra—Zobeir, good, except between Fort George and
Zobeir. Zobeir—2 m. beyond Nukheileh, ground hard and undu
lating, but with 50-yard stretches of softer soil covered with
hummocks in the hollows; quite impassable for heavy lorries.
Nukheileh—Gubashlyeh, ground broken and very soft sand in the
nullahs ; ground studded with tussocks ; quite impassable for heavy
lorries, but a road could be found which could take 30-cwt. Fiat
lorries loaded ; Fiat lorries with 16 cwt. stores and 10 men stuck
in soft patches in 'Roumanila' (Rumeileh?) area. Gubashlyeh—
Nasirlyeh, going hard and good, but some little work would be
needed to locate a road without soft patches ; Fiat lorries with 16 cwt.
stores and 10 men stuck in soft places in Gubashlyeh and Legatteh
(Lagait) areas. Apart from light lorries, the road is best suited to
pack transport; in the dry season the surface becomes dusty and
breaks up ; carts are hard on mules and bullocks are useless ; the
best transport animals are the local camels, which can do 3 m. p. h.
The sending on of stores in boats has been found successful. For
landing-places, see under m. 36, 50, 60^, 77. From about September
to November the khor is too shallow for water transport.
The Basra—Nasirlyeh railway follows the general line of the route.
There is no difficulty about water, which is to be obtained either
from the Euphrates Idior or from wells. Pumps and a 30-ft. length
of hose should be taken, and it is recommended that an advance
party be sent out a day before the main body, as the wells sometimes
need cleaning out, after which the water should be allowed to stand
for a day. Well-digging may be necessary ; water may be expected