"كتيّب بلاد الرافدين. المجلد IV .١٩١٧" [و‎‎١‎٦‎١] (٥٣٠/٣٢٦)

ROUTES 108, 109
317
Miles from
Diar-
"bekr
124
18
24
27
27i
31
334
3^-
36
38|
Water from a
Eoad trends more W., the river going N.
Pass Snnon, some houses on a mound,
shallow well. Less cultivation.
Enter shallow valley with steep sides. Descent lin 12-15 for
a short way. Cross the Deveh. Gechid Su, a tributary
of the Tigris, by a masonry bridge 145 yds. long, with
2 main and 5 subsidiary arches. There were only a few
inches of water in the river in November. A khan near
the bridge.
Cross a smaller stream (one of the minor streams forming
the Qizil Chibuq Chai) flowing towards the Euphrates.
The plain is scantily cultivated, except for millet-fields
near the villages. The soil is fertile with good grass in
the spring, without trees or shrubs.
Pass Qara Khan, a poor village. Half-a-dozen small
villages on the plain. The ground is better cultivated.
Stacks of millet stalks round the villages in November
for fodder and firewood. Numerous flocks of sheep.
To W. the plain extends a considerable distance, to E,
the outliers of the hills are a mile off.
Tarmil, a few miserable burrows, with surface wells.
Some larger villages on the plain.
Cross a low hill by a col. Alt. 2,680 ft. Roadway 20 ft.
wide, with easy gradient 1 in 15-20. Descend gently,
crossing basin among low hills draining towards the
Tigris.
Bridge of two arches over watercourse 50 ft. wide, dry in
November. Road gently undulating. Millet cultivation
on plain.
Bagur (alt. 2,800 ft.), with spring and khan.
'Osmaniyeh, some farms and T.O. This is used as a halting-
place, Arghana being off the road to the 1. 5 khans,
20 houses. A few sheep are kept.
There is a track from Arghana through Chermuk
Severek.
Cross a well-tilled plateau.
Road becomes stony for a short distance. Skirt
border of the Arghana hill, where the chaussee is
in the shaley hill-side.
Cross a col (alt. 3,500 ft.), and wind down the 1. side of
a rocky valley. Roadway 20 ft. wide, cut out of the hill.
to
the
cut