"كتيّب بلاد الرافدين. المجلد II. ١٩١٧" [‎٢‎٤‎٨] (٥٤٢/٢٥٧)

248
Miles from
Kut el-
Amara
54
57-
61
70 -i
LAND ROUTES
approaches road from the 1. Eoad then runs alons? r.
bank of river: numerous canals to 1.
Opposite Bedrah, cross river, 500 yds. broad in August
running very shallow over a gravelly bed with small
channels: easily fordable. It is said to be sometimes
quite dry.
Enter Bedrah (alt. 444 ft.) on the 1. bank. Pop. 800. Water
slightly brackish, but drinkable; it is purer on the northern
outskirts of the town, on the 1. bank. The place is
surrounded by date and orange gardens extending for
2 m. from either bank, and surrounded by a mud wall
15-20 ft. high with watch-towers at intervals. In 1888
the inhabitants were all Shiahs, except the sheikh and
his family, who were Sunnis. About 1905 the popu
lation of Bedrah was said to be Kurdish. A Turkish
zaptieh post of 100 men was stationed here.
From Bedrah the route goes in a general ENE. direction
to Zorbatiyeh. The road is good, leading over an open
level plain. At first it follows 1. bank of the river.
Cross Craujan Cham River, about 50 yds. broad, and a few
inches in depth, with stony bed and very easy banks
(October). 17
Route follows r. bank-(authority has 'left bank'), crossing
several small irrigation cuts.
(Another authority, August 1888, made a detour to N. to
avoid irrigation cuts, making the march from Bedrah
to Zorbatiyeh 22 m.)
Z0 SA t , iyeh (alt - 4M ft ') :Tur kish frontier town, of about
dOO houses of sun-dried brick, surrounded by extensive
plantations of date-trees, and situated on a level plain,
it contains a few shops. Water is plentiful, flowing in
cuts from the Ganjan Cham : it is slightly brackish, but
dnnkable. The circle of date-gardens round the town is
u- m ' diameter. Each garden is surrounded by
a igh mud wall, with watch-towers. The inhabitants
are mainly Arabs : some Lurs also live here.
.trom Zorbatiyeh the road at first runs over level ground,
intersected by several irrigation cuts with soft bottoms.
1 urco-Fersian frontier as settled in 1914. Below this
point the frontier runs along the bed of the Ganjan
Cham xor about 12 m.