"كتيّب بلاد الرافدين. المجلد IV .١٩١٧" [ظ‎‎٣‎٦] (٥٣٠/٧٧)

68
THE EUPHKATES
being close to r. bank. Therefrom, until opposite the shrine of
Sheikh Arud (a distance of about 25 m.), the river resumes its
ordinary breadth of about 250 yds., the current being about 8 m.p.h.
A short way below Sheikh Arud is the island of Mugharab el-
Baghl, about 7 m. long. The navigable stream goes to the left and
the current increases to about 4J m.p.h. Two m. below the N. end
of this island is a second smaller island, and the navigable channel
passes between the two. The width of the channel past the islands
is about 100 yds. From these islands to near the place shown as
Surje or El-Hammam on Dr. Kiepert's map, a distance of about 80 m.,
the average width is about 250 yds., the current 3 m.p.h., and the
depth 8 ft. Navigation of this stretch presents no difficulties. . . .
Three m. above Meskeneh is the Jeziret el-Mullah, the navigable
stream going to the right. Opposite Meskeneh again is an island, the
navigable channel going to the left.'
The flat-bottomed boats known as are built at Birijik.
They are oblong in shape, 18 ft. long, 8 ft. wide, with a depth from
gunwale to flooring of about 2^ ft. They draw l^ft. fully loaded.
The bottom consists of tree-trunks sawn in half, beneath which flat
boards are nailed, and a flooring of flat boards is fastened 1 ft. above
the bottom. The sides and ends of the boats consist of flat boards
roughly nailed together, the interstices being stuffed with rags daubed
with bitumen. The cost of building a boat of this sort is said to-be
about £T 4-|. One boat carries about 5 tons. nearly
always travel in pairs, fastened together side by side. They are
steered by clumsy sweeps, pulled in the bow, and are so unman
ageable that they can only travel in a flat calm. They carry mer
chandise downstream and are towed back empty.
Raft Navigation on the Uppee Euphrates
Downstream navigation by JceleJcs is possible on this section of the
river and also, under favourable conditions, above Birijik from
Erzingan on the Frat Su and from about three or four hours above
Palu on the Murad. But where the Euphrates breaks through the
main line of the Taurus, between Kumur Khan and Chunkush
Ferry, there are some very bad and dangerous rapids. In April
1839, when the river was in high flood, these rapids were found by
von Moltke to be quite impracticable: and it seems that they are
extremely difficult, and perhaps impracticable, when the river is
low. See further Military Beport vol. iv, p. 152. For
description of JceleJcs see Introduction to Iloute III O.