"كتيّب بلاد الرافدين. المجلد II. ١٩١٧" [‎١‎٨‎٩] (٥٤٢/١٩٨)

EOUTE 1
Miles from
Pao
10
18
26
27
34
35
42i
43
Hamlets are met with every half-mile or so in the date-
groves.
Mnkhrag village. In December 1913 this point was
reached from Gatah (see under m. 35) in 8 hrs. by
a party on horseback with pack animals. The latter
part of the way was very soft going owing to rain and
inundations. A few creeks run about half a mile into
the desert, but they can easily be turned.
Dorah (Salili bin Ibrahim) village ; milk, a few sheep
and chickens. The going behind Dorah was found in
December to be very soft and difficult owing to the
flooding of the land W. of the date-palms for irrigation
purposes. The ground was to some extent flooded in
the same way elsewhere in this region.
The route now enters the Dawasir district (see above under
m. 6), and traverses the Faddaqlyeh tract, in which is
the village of Kut el-Khalifeh.
Route then traverses Dd'irat es land.
Dawa'ib (Deweb ibn 'Ammar ?).
General direction of route NW.
Route has island of Ziyadlyeh on r. beyond the date
plantations for 6 m,
Khast village; 40 huts, some date-palms. Country here
abouts barren on the whole.
Seihan Creek. Beyond it for 2^ m. is the tract of
Saniyeh, with scattered huts and valuable date-palms.
In this tract is a place called Aradeh, which affords
a good camping-ground (reported to be 'the only good
spot' found between Fao and Basra by a party which
went over the route in 1908). The ground is firm and
dry, and there is plenty of lucerne in the neighbourhood.
A clear view is obtained across the main channel of the
Shatt el-'Arab to Haji Salbuq Island.
Route now traverses the tract of Gatah with 7 hamlets.
The islands of Haji Salbuq, Bariyeh, and Gatah lie off
this tract. This place was reached in 8 hrs. by a party
on horseback with pack animals coming from Sablliyat
(see under m. 57) in December 1913.
Southern entrance of the Mutawwa Creek, dividing the
tract of Gatah from that of Ruweis, which is now
entered. It extends inland for 1-| m.
District of Umm el-Crharab, also bounded by the Mutawwa'