"دليل بلاد فارس، الجزء III، وهو يتضمن محافظة فارس، لورستان، عربستان، خوزستان، يزد، كرمانشاه، أردلان، كردستان" [و‎‎٢‎٤‎٨] (٦٨٦/٥٠٠)

MUH—MUH
473
some years, to bear witness to its superiority in this respect over any
other part of the adjacent country, so much so that when during the
hot months duty called me from Baghdad to the town of Basra or its
vicinity, I invariably remained at or near Muhammarah, to which, in a
great measure, I attribute the entire absence of that deadly fever which
committed such havoc in the second expedition, under Captain Lynch,
at its outset, and which can only be ascribed to its having been com
pelled to remain so long at Basra. I may further adduce as a proof
that during the fifteen months I commanded the steamers Euphrates
and Assyria, I only lost two men,—one from an accident, the other in
consequence of a chronic disease of seven years' standing."
The country adjoining Muhammarah,boundedon the east by the Bahr-
ul-mashlr, on the west by the Shatt-ul-Arab, and on the south by the
Hafar, is for miles a low plain, no high ground being within sight of Mu
hammarah. The soil is an alluvial depositand chiefly consists of clay. On
the banks of the rivers and for about three-quarters of a mile inland, the
ground is intersected by deep cuts, which are filled with water at the
rise of the tides : almost all those on the western side, when so filled,
are impassable, unless bridged over. These cuts are surrounded by date-
trees, groves of which run along the banks of the rivers and extend
inland as far as the cuts. These trees are seldom less than fi*om 7
to 8 yards apart from each other. The ground here in many parts is
covered with rank vegetation, amongst which grows the liquorice plant,
which seems indigenous to the country. Further inland, beyond the belt
of the groves, there seems to be no vegetation whatever, the ground being
one continued plain, intersected, by a nala of from 50 to 15 feet
broad by 15 to 10 feet deep. This extends right across the plain,
and joins the Shatt-ul-Arab with the Karun. At low tides it is passable
in one or two places. The open country is of course well adapted for the
operations of cavalry and artillery, and even in the groves. All arms
could advance inland with great facility, provided they proceed in a
direction parallel to the cuts and had not to cross the large connecting
nala abovementioned. However this, as well as all other cuts, could
be bridged over by trunks of the date-trees, which grow on either side,
being cut down and laid across. The banks of this nala are com
posed of a soil of thick adhesive clay.
The productions of the country seem to be barley, lucerne-grass,
onions, beans, dates, &c. Poultry and bullocks are obtainable to
an ordinary extent, but the latter are of an inferior quality. Eggs,
butter, and milk are to be procured in small quantities from Sirkhana
and the other small villages near Muhammarah.
The river Shatt-ul-Arab is here of about half a mile in width, and of
sufficient depth to float the largest ships, and to allow them to be
alongside the bank, which is perpendicular and composed of adhesive
clay. The Hafar and Bahr-ul-mashir are nearly as deep, small vessels
being able to lie longside their banks. The rivers are of course impas
sable, except in boats or rafts, the only material at hand for construct
ing the latter being trunks of date-trees, which, owing to the heaviness
of the wood, are not very buoyant. The natives made much use of a
raft composed of inflated skins with a flooring of date branches tied