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'Handbook of Mesopotamia. Vol. III. 1917' [305] (314/432)
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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■«
KOUTE 48
305
(A)
Account of a journey by motor-car from Anah to Baghdad in
September 1909. Water for the journey was carried from the
Euphrates. About l-J days._
First day. Cross river at Anah. This was a matter of considerable
difficulty, as piers had to be improvised. Leaving river proceed over
stony ridges, which continue for an hour or more (but see (C),
hrs. 0-11). Then traverse level plain of hard soil, and after 1 hr.
of excellent going reach a well of bad water. Soon afterwards reach
a strip of crystallized gypsum, which took 3 hrs. to cross: bad going.
Then pebbly ground, generally good going, though soft in places.
Reach Helwat wells, better water (compare (C), hr. 43£). Here halt
was made for night.
Second day. For about 80 m. from Helwat the ground is hard
and level, with only occasional stretches of soft sand. Numerous
herds of gazelle.
Then reach nomad encampments, then dried marshland (Aqarquf?),
which could only be taken slowly (compare (C), hr. 66J). Thence to
Kazimain.
(B)
Baghdad—Anah by motor-car, November 28-29, 1909. Total
running time, 22 hrs.
First day. Very little difficulty: a good day's running. One
puncture.
Second day. In the first part of the day's run, many difficulties
with wadis. Then excellent running till 3 p.m. The
Wadi
A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows.
Tartar,
which flows into a salt lake about 30 m. from Hit, was found to
be in flood, and could not be crossed at the point where it was struck,
owing to the bottom being of soft mud. An Arab showed the way
to a crossing where the bottom was hard. The water was about
2 deep, and stones and branches of shrubs were placed in the
river to assist the passage of the car. There was some difficulty in
getting the car through, but in the end it was pulled out with the
elp of some Arabs. On the other side of the Tartar the going was
good for most of the way to Anah, but it was necessary to go slowly
w some places lest the tyres should be cut by the small sharp
s ones projecting through the ground. No difficulty in crossing the
bef^ Anah, as shakhiurs and landing-piers had been prepared
MES, III
u
L
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