Notes Prepared for Reference during Curzon’s Tour of the Persian Gulf, and Other Papers on Persia and the Persian Gulf [‎151r] (301/678)

I
23
Route No. 2— concld .
Baghdad to Aleppo via the Euphrates Valley.
Authority —Douglas, April 1896.
Approximate distance
IN MILES.
Name of stage.
Interme
diate.
Total.
Actual
time occu
pied in
huurs.*
Remarks.
13. Miyadin
28
Miyadin is a large village, with z bazar.
14. Der ... ... 27
293
320
From the post the road ascends to the high ground
and keeps across it for nine miles, passing the
ruins of the old town of Salahiyah. Then descends
to a large plain across which it, lies to Miyadin.
Supplies are procurable.
Road all across a level plain, at first covered with
grass, but as Der is approached the ground is
higher and covered with wormwood. About two
miles from the town a strip of cultivation by the
Large camps of Ahnizah with flocks and herds and many mares grazing on the plain
near Miyadin. Der is a large town, with a good bazar, a.nd supplies of all sorts. It is the capital of the
district of Zor, is the residence of a Mutassarif a,nd has a garrison of a battalion of regulars. There is some
open ground at the west end of the town, where a camp can be pitched, but travellers usually go to one of
the numerous Khans ” in the bazar. These, however, are very dirty and uncomfortable.
river is reached.
15. Tref
a small Zaptieh post.
16. Maidan ...
342 7j From Der the road keeps close to the river through
out, occasionally rising on to the high ground,
but mostly across grassy plains where numbers
of camels and bullocks were grazing. Tref is only
No supplies, but grass and fuel plentiful.
graph runs near the road from Der onwards.
17. Sabkha ...
18. Hamam
32
3 8 4
362 6| Road at first as in preceding march, but for the
last 10 miles keeps to the high ground, descend
ing close to the Zaptieh post of Maidan. Grass
and fuel, but no supplies. A single line of tele-
6£ A good road all across a perfectly level plain
Sabkha is only a small Zaptieh post, but is the
residence of a Mudir. No supplies.
416 io£ For four miles the road is clo<e by the river, then
ascends to the high ground which is very broken
here and the road bad in places. About 11 miles
from Sabkha there is a steep descent to a large
grassy plain across which the road lies. At 18 miles the town of Rakkah is reached on the opposite bank
of the river. It is a fair-sized town, with a Kaimakam and small garrison. A branch line of telegraph goes
from the main line, with an office in a hut opposite the town. The long stage between Sabkha and Hamam
is often broken here. The direct road keeps straight across the plain without going near the town. Many
encampments of nomad tribes. The last 10 miles are among low hills. Hamam is only a small Zaptieh
post; no supplies and not much grazing.
AbuHarerah ... 22 438 | 7 ! Road mostly close to the river, occasionally jising
fo the desert fof a few miles. Good throughout.
Abu Harerah is a Zaptieh post, with a few tents
round if, and a small village of Caucasian settlers.
These people are quite fair and live in huts of 'wattle anil daub, with enclosures of hurdle work. They keep
bullocks for agricultural purposes and small twq,wheeled carts.
19
Mas ran ah
460 7f Good road throughout, mostly below the high
ground, but occasionally rising on to it for a few
miles, where it comes close to the river.
No village at Maskanah, only some Arab tents, with
j . , ltc mnct-lv in ruins bv the river. About a mile from the river, on the edge of the desert, is a
smaU mdkary post, with two or'three houses for officers. Here and on the plajn below were tents, con-
tSng about 500 men ot the reserves, but usually there is only a very small garrison.
400 io| From the camping-ground by the river the road
goes up towards the post, whence it keeps up the
valley under the hills for three or four miles. It
then turns west-north-west across the desert. At
. - mi!p , an Ar3b encampment near some wells, mostly brackish, but two are sweet. At 26 miles the village
I? Q C nrinrr and stream of good water. All the desert here is covered with grass and numerous
of Der cultivated in & P laces. Camp four miles further on by a spring of good water below
camps of Arab , . ro P un d, all known as Maina. The huts are shaped like bee-hives, the
reasonteing^tis said, to facilitate the melting of the snow in winter. At the camping-ground was a small
post of Zaptiehs in a tent.
21. Maina
3°
22. Aleppo ...
25
5i5
Road as before over grassy plain and good, but
villages are more numerous and the extent of
ground under cultivation is greater as The town is
approached, until it becomes continuous. Outside
Aleppo extensive gardens, planted with olive 'and pistacfe. trees in rows with porn growing between them.
There are two good hotels in the European quarter ol the town.
*The times given are thoTe a^Taken by" six horses, except froo, Abu Harerah onward,, when a caravan
containing camels was joined and the pace was rather slowei.