'Narrative of a Residence in Koordistan, and on the Site of Ancient Nineveh; with Journal of a Voyage down the Tigris to Bagdad and an Account of a Visit to Shirauz and Persepolis.' [‎154] (189/450)

154
RIVER ISLANDS. [CH. XVIII.
is the place accounted for at once. They said it was
a town before Islam. It is curious that the natives
of the East, though tliey sometimes give too great
an age to Mahometan ruins, never, on any occasion,
attribute more ancient remains to Islam. I asked
the same men what were some fragments of brick
work I saw beyond these ruins, and they immediately
said, " A town of the Khalifs."
Samara from hence bore N. 20 W., and the
building on the Nahrawan, N. 40 . The Nahrawan
runs at the back of Gadesia*, at about a mile's
distance.
We set off again at a little after four, but were
compelled by the violence of the weather to bring
to again at ten minutes before six. The river 1
observed to be rising again very fast.
March 11.—Olf at half past five in the morning.
Passed Beled, the principal village of the district ol
Dijjeil; near it were some date-trees, and a minaret.
A little way in from the bank was Ghowadir, another
village, likewise among date-trees. The river all
this morning wound greatly, and formed a great
number of islands and channels. Ivhan i heyd visible
on the right bank, and a little below it the tomb ot
Seyd Mohammed. The banks here were steep, and
composed of tine pure mould, much shivered by the
destroyed. [See the animated account of this battle in the ninth
volume of the " Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire."]
* Macdonald Kinneir takes this for Opis, which is quite out ot
the question.