'Reconnaissances in Mesopotamia, Kurdistan, North-West Persia, and Luristan from April to October 1888. By Lt F R Maunsell, Intelligence Branch. In Two Volumes. Volume I: narrative report, description of larger towns and routes leading from them. Simla: Intelligence Branch, Quarter Master General's Dept, 1890' [‎26v] (57/312)

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defined clay track, with nothing to break the flat landscape except the lines of
some old canals.
We passed several irrigated crops of barley and wheat, the water being
brought in small surface canals from the digris or the Diala.
Khanbir .—At 10 miles the ruined serai of Khan Bir was passed and
a few clusters of Arab encampments seen.
Khan Beni Said .—At 3 p.m. (17 miles) we halted at the Khan in the
small village of Beni Said.
Weather today cloudy and overcast, with a few passing showers, but
pleasant for marching. The temperature at 3 p.m. was 09°, and at starting
65° with a fresh north-west wind. A heavy hailstorm last night had killed
the locusts in immense numbers.
Mushirea—Six miles to the west are a few date groves and the village of
Mushirea on the Mouradiyeh canal from the Diala.
There was plenty of short grass on the plain now, on which large herds of
cattle and sheep were grazing.
Round the Khan are a few enclosed gardens with some young date trees.
Water-supply is good at this time of year ; wells and a large pond near the
khan. In summer it is brackish.
The canal and irrigation system have much improved of late years, and
more land has been taken into cultivation.
21st April.—General direction, E.N.E. Left Khan Beni Said at 7 a.m.,
and kept along the main track by the telegraph poles ; along a road which
winds in a very needless manner.
The soil is alluvial clay, and becomes very muddy in rainy weather; we
crossed the line of several old canals coming from the Bakuba direction.
At 6 miles left the main route and struck in a direction 32° across the plain
towards a clump of date trees which represented Bahriz in the distance.
Mirage made it appear hung up in the sky.
Great numbers of locusts were seen, and crops were being cut green to save
them.
At 10 miles we came on a bend of the Diala River, and soon after crossed
in a ferry boat which took the whole party and six animals over in 12
minutes. The river runs in banks 25' to £0' high and was now in a thick
muddy flood. The river is navigable for large native craft to Bakuba.
Bahriz.—O n the opposite bank we reached Bahriz and put up in a khan.
Along the left bank as far as Bakuba are date groves, fruit gardens, and
cultivation watered by theNahr Khurasan canal, which leaves toe Diala near
Shahraban. It flows through here and south as far as the shriue of Abu
Khumis, 6 miles off, where it loses itself in the desert.
The date gardens reach this far, but below are only a few irrigated fields.
Ground is allowed to lie fallow for two years before being sown again. A
great variety of fruit was seen in the gardens, dates, pears, figs, almonds,
pomegranates, grapes, plums, and melons of various sorts, and of vegetables,
beans, bania Merchant of Indian extraction. , badijan, and onions.
The soil is very rich, but there is no regular control over the canal water,
and much runs waste. The weather was pleasant with occasional showers;
temperature 55° at starting and 70° at noon.
The fruit and date gardens are surrounded by mud walls 8 to 10 feet high
loopholed in places to keep off marauders.
There is a small bazar here, and supplies are abundant.
22nd April.—General direction, E. Left at 6-15 a.m. The road lies
over a flat alluvial plain, and for the first five miles crossed numbers of