'Field notes: Mesopotamia. General Staff, India. February, 1917.' [‎92r] (190/350)

Route No. 9— contd.
Grazing .—Except for camels is very scanty.
Fuel .—Chiefly tamarisk bushes, is obtainable in places.
Water .—Is good and plentiful except at stages 1 and 6 (and
stage 7 of alternate route).
Obstacles .-—There are no obstacles with the exception of the
swampy nature of the ground and the bed of the old Karkheh
River in stage 6 .
Climate.-—From the end of May till August there are generally
strong north-west winds with much dust. After the first
week in October there is generally a drop in the day temperature.
Rain seldom falls before December but does occasionally occur
as early as November. The wmrst months for heat are June,
July and August.
No. of stage {
and total i
distance.
Details.
1 MANDUWAN
. 18.—General direction due
E. following course of
18
Shatt-al-’Arab. The
stage is passable by all arms in the dry season but is impassable
by wheeled traffic after heavy rain or in high floods. The start
ing point is mile east of the Turkish Isolation Hospital.
The ground is mostly flat, but slightly undulating in places,
with, as far as mile 5, a line of sand dunes 15 to 20 feet high run
ning parallel to and north of the tract. At mile 9 the Du’aiji
■canal is passed. It forms no obstacle. From here on the route
is quite impassable for wheeled traffic except from the middle of
August until the rains break (in November or December) and is
extremely difficult for horses and mules, being boggy in places
and often under water. At mile 14 the Nahr Abul Arabid,
which here forms the Persian frontier is crossed, and at miles
164 the small village of Arith is passed on the right. Manduwan
is a small village some 3 miles from the Shatt-al-’Arab on the
eastern bank of the Nahr Khaiyain, a small creek which supplies
it with water.
Fuel .—A certain amount of brushwood available.
Fodder .—A little grazing for horses and mules.
Supplies. — Nil.