'Handbook of Mesopotamia. Vol. I. 1918' [‎291] (300/568)

COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORT 291
In 1836 Chesney descended the Euphrates from Birijik with two
steamers, lost one of them at El-Qaim, and with the other (which
drew 3 ft.) reached Basra. In 1870 Midhat Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , then vali of
Baghdad, started a service of two small steamers between Fellujeh
and Meskeneh. But this was soon discontinued ; it appears that one
of the vessels was wrecked on the rocks just below Ardeshir near
Anah. In 1911 two large and powerful motor-boats (length, 65 ft. ;
draught, 2^ft.) were placed on the river. One of these was soon
afterwards wrecked, and the other was withdrawn. Since 1914 the
Turks have apparently used motor-boats, and possibly small stern
wheelers, on parts of the middle Euphrates. (See further p. 286.)
The Tigris was ascended in 1839 by the ss. (3 ft.
draught) as far as Sultan 'Abdullah, about 40 miles by river below
Mosul. Between 1839 and 1917 light-draught steamers had very
rarely gone above Samarra, and none had passed above the Hamrin
hills. A small steam-launch plied fairly regularly between Samarra
and Baghdad. The German archaeological expedition at Qalah
Sherghat used a motor-boat on that part of the river.
It is reported that in the flood-season of 1917 the drawing
32- ft. or 4 ft. according to load, reached Haji 'Ali, a few miles
downstream of Kaiyara, and about 55 miles by river from Mosul.
Other Turkish steamers then reached various points between Tekrit
and Haji Ali. It is reported that motor-boats are being constructed
in Germany for use on the Tigris.
{b) Native Graft.
(i) The Mel:, a raft supported on inflated skins, is used for down
stream navigation, principally on the Tigris from Diarbekr to Baghdad
and on the Lesser Zab from Altun Koprti, and occasionally on the
lower courses of the chief tributaries of the Tigris other than the
Lesser Zab. (Outside our area there is Mek navigation on the Frat
Su and Muiad Su in Armenia.] There are also ferries on the
upper Tigris and on the Tigris tributaries, as well as on the upper
Karun.
The Melt consists of a square platform of timber built up with
layers of poles to a thickness of l|-2 ft., and then covered with
rough planks. On the under side and round the edges of this plat
form are attached inflated skins, the number of which varies from
50 to 800, according to the size of the raft. A small hut or tent can
be erected on the raft to serve as a cabin.
The carrying capacity of a Iceleli may be from 5 to 35 tons. A
raft of 200 skins is said to be about 20 ft. by 30 ft.
The MeTc can move downstream only, and is steered by means of
t 2