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'Handbook of Mesopotamia. Vol. I. 1918' [286] (295/568)
The record is made up of 1 volume (282 folios). It was created in 1918. It was written in English, Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Armenian, Kurdish and Syriac. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
286 COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPOET
(d) Marid Canal. n ^
There is hellam traffic between Mohammareh and Fellahlyeh by
the Marid—Fellahlyeh canal.
Principal Waterways in
(a) The Euphrates from Birijik to Fellujeh.
The middle Euphrates has up till now been used mainly for
downstream traffic by shaMturs (see p. 292) from Birijik, or, since 1914,
from Jerablus or Meskeneh. Steamers have occasionally navigated
the river, and an experiment was made in 1911 with two large and
powerful motor-boats ; but of these latter one was wrecked and the
other was subsequently transferred to the Tigris.
(i) Downstream navigation. (1) take from about 14 to
about 45 days from Jerablus or Birijik to Fellujeh, according to the
state of the river, the wind, &c. (2) Steamers drawing 3-4 ft.^ and
motor-launches have done the journey from Meskeneh to Fellujeh,
but only in a full river would the journey be fairly safe.
(ii) Upstream navigation. (1) Native craft do not navigate upstream
of Hit owing to the swiftness of the current, especially at the rapids.
ShaJcMurs are towed back empty. (2) Light-draught steamers can
ascend to Meskeneh in high water, but progress would be slow, and
it has been reported that a speed of 12 knots would be needed to
make head against the current between Hit and Anab. In low
water the upstream journey would be dangerous, perhaps impractic
able, for steamers.
From a report of 1903 it would appear that navigation (especially
in the months of mean water) could be improved by considerable
engineering works at the rapids below Hadiseh between Hit and
Anah, at those off Anah town, and at those of Abu Quba'i and El-
Hammam above Kaqqah. The dams of the water-wheels
which occur on some stretches of the river help to impede navigation.
The Germans are said to have improved the waterway since 1914,
but details are lacking. It seems that they have placed life-saving
apparatus at dangerous places, and have destroyed a number ol
naurs.
(b)The Tigris from Diarbekr to Baghdad.
The upper and middle Tigris is an important waterway for down
stream traffic, the craft iri use being rafts on inflated skins {kelehs
see p. 291).
(i) Diarhehr — Mosul (? about 335 miles). The times taken by
helclis on this stretch of the river are reported to vary from about
4 to about 20 days, according to the state of the river, the wind, &c.
About this item
- Content
This volume is A Handbook of Mesopotamia, Volume I, General (Naval Staff, Intelligence Department: November 1918). This is an updated and expanded edition of A Handbook of Mesopotamia, Volume I, General (Admiralty War Staff, Intelligence Department: August 1916) (IOR/L/MIL17/15/41/1). This is an introductory volume containing matter of a general nature giving an account of conditions in Mesopotamia, for the most part as they were before the First World War.
The volume includes a note on official use, a title page and 'Note'. There is a page of 'Contents' that includes the following chapters and sections:
- Chapter 1: Boundaries and Physical Features;
- Chapter 2: Climate;
- Chapter 3: Minerals;
- Chapter 4: Fauna and Flora;
- Chapter 5: Hygiene;
- Chapter 6: History;
- Chapter 7: Inhabitants;
- Chapter 8: Religions;
- Chapter 9: Administration;
- Chapter 10: Irrigation of Irak [Iraq];
- Chapter 11: Agriculture and Land Tenure;
- Chapter 12: Commerce and Industry;
- Chapter 13: Currency, Weights, and Measures;
- Chapter 14: Communications and Transport;
- Vocabularies;
- Index.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (282 folios)
- Arrangement
The volume is arranged in numbered chapters. There is a contents page and an alphabetically arranged index.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: The foliation sequence commences at the first folio and terminates at the last folio; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. of the folio.
Pagination: The volume also contains an original printed pagination sequence.
- Written in
- English, Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Armenian, Kurdish and Syriac in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/MIL/17/15/41/2
- Title
- 'Handbook of Mesopotamia. Vol. I. 1918'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, i-r:i-v, 1:556, ii-r:ii-v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence