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'Handbook of Mesopotamia. Vol. III. 1917' [20] (29/432)
The record is made up of 1 volume (214 folios). It was created in 1917. It was written in English. 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
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20
KIVER ROUTES
El-Hawiyeh it is troublesome owing to the islands above mentioned.
The rapids, already referred to, between El-Qanatlr and Samarra are
apparently not considerable enough to hinder vessels of small draught
even in the l.w. season. A small steam-launch, owned by a Baghdad
merchant named Astrabadi, has been plying on the river between
Baghdad and Samarra since 1902 with fair regularity throughout
the year. l-J days were allowed for the up-stream, and 1 day for the
down-stream voyage. Sailing boats carrying 8 tons, can
ascend to Samarra during the greater part of the year, but it is
reported that at the height of the flood season they would find it
difficult or impossible to make head against the current in the
channel past the islands (between m. 67 and m. 80). Traffic
on the river is principally down-stream, being mainly carried on
by the rafts (keleJcs, see vol. i, p. 166) which come from Tekrit
and Mosul. The strong winds from the S. and SW. which are
fairly frequent in the Baghdad region, especially in spring, may
make the raft journey between the mouth of the Adheim River
and Baghdad very slow (4 days or perhaps more): in the highest
spring floods without an adverse wind the journey may take only
13-14 hrs. In fair weather the rafts travel all night.
(large coracles, see vol. i, p. 166) are used locally for short journeys.
For regular ferries see under m. 43f and m. 78|.
The country between Baghdad and — —From
Baghdad to the neighbourhood of Beled and the islands of Darawlsh
(m. 74^) and Barqeh (m. 76) the Tigris flows through the most
northerly part of its alluvial plain. Here the banks are of firm alluvial
soil, are generally fairly high, and at places (e. g. m. 32) are protected
by dykes. Nevertheless in the neighbourhood of Baghdad the flood
water in spring inundates the country on either side, finding its
way chiefly by the numerous irrigation-cuts.
On the r. bank date-groves are almost continuous to Ferhad (m. 11),
above which they occur only at three or four places on the river (a few
miles inland they are to be found at Sumeikeh and Beled). N. of Beled
there are no more date-groves, only isolated palm-trees. Date-groves
are frequent on the 1. bank as far as the neighbourhood of Nahr el-
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
(m. 17) and thence they occur at intervals up to Sindiyeh
(m. 45|). On both sides of the river up to the neighbourhood of
Darawlsh I. there are numerous water-lifts [cherrads] which irrigate
areas of wheat and green barley (the latter crop being used for
fodder).
Between Baghdad and Beled the country W. of the immediate
neighbourhood of the r. bank is a plain of alluvial soil stretching to
the edge of the desert plateau. From the river to the plateau the
About this item
- Content
This volume is A Handbook of Mesopotamia, Volume III, Central Mesopotamia with Sourthern Kurdistan and the Syrian Desert (Admiralty War Staff Intelligence Division, January, 1917), covering the Tigris and Euphrates from Baghdad and Fellūjeh [Fallujah] to Mosul and Meskeneh [Maskanah], the Lesser Zāb, the country east of the Tigris towards the Persian frontier, and the routes running westward from the Euphrates valley across the Syrian Desert. The volume was prepared on behalf of the Admiralty and War Office, and appears to be based on official and unofficial publications and maps which are cited in a bibliographical section in the volume. This volume was supplemented with corrections and additions in June 1918 (see IOR/L/MIL/17/15/41/5).
The volume includes a note on confidentiality, a title page, 'Note', 'Abbreviations'. There is a page of 'Contents' which includes the following sections:
- Introduction;
- River Routes (The Tigris and the Lesser Zāb, The Euphrates);
- Land Routes (The Tigris Valley with Region to East, The Euphrates Valley, Connexions between Tigris and Euphrates Valleys, The Syrian Desert);
- Gazetteer of Towns;
- Bibliographical Note;
- Transliteration of Names;
- Glossary;
- Appendix;
- Index;
- 'Sketch Map of Routes', which includes 'City Map of Baghdad' (f. 212) and 'Mesopotamia: Outline Map Showing Routes, Volume III' contained in a pocket.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (214 folios)
- Arrangement
This volume is arranged according to numbered routes. There is a page of contents and an alphabetical index. There are two maps housed in a pocket.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: The foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover and terminates at the inside back cover; 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'. side of each folio (except for the front cover, where the folio number is located on the verso The back of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'v'. ).
Pagination: The volume also has an original printed pagination sequence.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/MIL/17/15/41/4
- Title
- 'Handbook of Mesopotamia. Vol. III. 1917'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, i-r:i-v, 1:422, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence