"كتيّب بلاد الرافدين. المجلد I. ١٩١٨" [‎٢‎٥‎٠] (٥٦٨/٢٥٩)

250
COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORT
(&) Land communications.
The alluvial plains along the lower Karun can be traversed easily,
when dry, by pack-animals and light carts, but become impracticable
after heavy rain or when the floods are out.
When the ground is dry light motors can travel from Marid, on
the left bank of the Karun 8 miles above Mohammareh, to Ahwaz
(58 miles); from Ahwaz to Shushtar (65 miles), crossing the Ab-i-
Gargar by the Band-i-Qlr boat-bridge; and from Ahwaz to Shush
(75 miles).
From Ahwaz to the Maidan-i-Naftun oil-field there are two roads :
(i) Via Band-i-Qlr and Dar-ivKhazineh (82 miles); a cart-track, but
at Dar-i-Kbazineh where the Ab-i-Gargar is crossed there is neither
bridge nor ford.
(ii) Via Abgungi (about 69 miles) ; passable for carts to Abgungi,
thence a good pack-road. Water scarce from mile 24, where the
track leaves the Karun.
B. From the Direction of Syria to Baghdad
As the Syrian Desert (see p. 21) is a bar to direct communication
between Irak and southern or central Syria, the main routes to
Baghdad on this side enter Mesopotamia in the upper part of the
middle Euphrates valley. Two sets of routes may be distinguished :
those which having entered the Euphrates valley follow it down to
Fellujeh W. of Baghdad, and those which strike across upper
Mesopotamia and pass round by Mosul. To the first of these groups
belong the road and river-routes from Aleppo to Baghdad the
Euphrates valley; to the second belongs the line of communication
already partly covered by the Baghdad Railway (Aleppo—Jerablus
Nisibin—Mosul—Samarra—Baghdad).
[Distances from Aleppo or Damascus to the Syrian coast are:
Aleppo—Alexandretta, by rail {via Toprak Qal'ah), 135 miles.
Aleppo—Suedia, by road, 89 miles.
Aleppo—Latakiyeh, by road, 100 miles.
Aleppo—Tripoli, by rail, via Homs, 188 miles.
Damascus—Beirut, by rail, via Rayak, 92 miles.
Damascus—Haifa, by rail, via Derat, 178 miles.]
I. The Euphrates
(a) Aleppo—Baghdad.
(i) Land -route.
Aleppo—Baghdad road (527 miles) Meskeneh (57 miles), Deir
ez-Zor (205 miles), Anah (340 miles), Hit (424 miles), Fellujeh