"كتيّب بلاد الرافدين. المجلد I. ١٩١٨" [‎٢‎٧‎٠] (٥٦٨/٢٧٩)

270 COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPOET
and the Diyaleh) serve as roads fit for motor transport; where they
are fairly intact they are protected from flood by their banks and
by the high level of their beds,
(b) Eoutes for pack-animals.
Paths fit for pack-animals (at least in the dry season) can be found
in the cultivated country along the rivers and canals. There are
also routes used by camel and donkey caravans across the steppes
(e. g. Baghdad—Mendali, Kut el-Amara—Bedrah, Amara—Dizful,
in the plains NE. of the Tigris; and between the rivers, Hilla—
Bogheileh, Afaj—Bogheileh).
(c) Bridges.
The rivers of Irak are crossed at a number of points by boat-
bridges. Most of these consist of a roadway on pontoons or native
boats {safmehs or danalcs). Usually one or more portions of such
a boat-bridge can be swung open to let vessels pass. In a high flood
a boat-bridge may have to be temporarily removed. It seems that
most of the boat-bridges can take fairly light wheeled transport, but
before the war some of them (e. g. that at Museyib) were apparently
fit for pack-animals only.
There are a number of brick bridges carrying roadways across
canals in northern Irak ; and there is an iron bridge across the
Kharr canal, 4 miles from Baghdad, on the Baghdad—Nejef road.
Eecent railway and road-construction has involved a good deal of
bridge-building along the line of the Tigris and elsewhere.
The smaller water-cuts are bridged, if at all, by planks of palm-
tree wood, which may not be practicable for laden pack-animals.
The Euphrates from Pellujeh downwards is bridged at the follow
ing points :
Fellujeh (boat-bridge).
Museyib (boat-bridge).
Hindiyeh Barrage at the head of the Hindiyeh branch ; the
barrage forms a bridge capable of taking heavy wheeled transport,
which cannot use the Museyib boat-bridge.
Tawarlj (on the Hindiyeh branch ; boat-bridge).
Ktifeh (on the Ktifeh channel of the Hindiyeh branch; boat-bridge).
Hilla Eegulator (at the head of the Hilla branch; the regulator
affords a bridge capable of taking heavy wheeled transport).
Hilla (on the Hilla branch ; boat-bridge).
Diwaniyeh (on the Hilla branch ; boat-bridge).
Samaweh (boat-bridge).
Nasiriyeh (boat-bridge).