"كتيّب بلاد الرافدين. المجلد II. ١٩١٧" [‎٤‎٨‎٧] (٥٤٢/٤٩٨)

OIL-FIELDS
487
bered that the continued working of the bitumen-wells for so many
centuries may have exhausted a large proportion of the supply.
Above Hit, the indications of oil are confined to small bituminous
springs here and there (e. g. near Jibbeh, near Alus below Hadlseh,
near Anah, near Lubtar Island): and in the appearance of
bituminous rocks in parts of the valley (e. g. in a stretch below
Meyyadln). It is quite uncertain what amount of oil may be thus
indicated.
Commercial E
Before the war the only important exploitation of this area was to
be found in the bitumen industry at Hit. There were five bitumen
springs, or groups of springs, in the neighbourhood of the town;
four of these were on the right bank, and one on the left. In 1909
four of them were being worked and were said to be capable of
yielding between them over 2,000 donkey-loads a day: much less was
actually collected. The methods of collection and preparation were
primitive. The bitumen was used for pitching boats (there is a boat
building industry at Hit), bridges, floors, &c. Lack of transport
confined the sale of bitumen to the local Mesopotamian market.
The springs appear to have been the property of the Government
and to have been let on lease.
It has been reported that there is now (1916) a petroleum store at
Hit. If this be true, it may indicate that an oil refinery has been
established here.
Bitumen for local consumption may have been collected near
Jibbeh and Anah ? but the evidence on this point is unsatisfactory.
At any rate the industry elsewhere than at Hit was quite un
important.
Communications
The Euphrates valley obviously affords the one line of communica
tion running through the area, and by reason of the deserts to E.
and W. the main approaches to the area are limited to that valley.
The area may be entered at its NW. or SE. end either by the river
itself or by the Baghdad—Aleppo road along the right bank.
The Middle Euphrates, like the Middle Tigris, is a better line of
communication down-stream than up-stream. Above Hit the river
can be navigated up-stream only by steamers and motor launches,
and by such craft only in high water. Even then the journey would
be slow and difficult in places. The Germans claim to have improved