"استطلاعات في بلاد الرافدين وكردستان وشمال غرب بلاد فارس ولرستان في الفترة من أبريل إلى أكتوبر ١٨٨٨، كتبها المقدم ف. ر. مونسيل، فرع الاستخبارات. يوجد مجلدان. المجلد الأول: تقرير سردي ووصف للمدن الكبرى والطرق المؤدية منها. شيملا: فرع الاستخبارات، إدارة قائد الإمداد والتموين، ١٨٩٠" [ظ‎‎١‎٣] (٣١٢/٣١)

12
In September, for a considerable way above Korna, the Arabs had gathered
large crops of wheat, and the maize was nearly ripe, extending in a frino-e
about a mile wide along the banks.
Ezra’s Tomb .—At 80 miles, 12 hours by steamer above Busra and 8 hours
above Korna, is the tomb of the prophet Ezra (called Uzair by the Arabs)
It is a large group of buildings on the right bank, with a handsome dome
covered with blue and gold glazed tiles, with a cluster of date palms round it.
It is a place of pilgrimage, and is held in much veneration by the Bao-h-
dad Jews. Some Jewish families live there to keep it in order. The force
of tide reaches to this point, but not beyond.
T/ic Narrows.—khw passing Ezra's tomb, the river is 100 to 150 yards
wide, and the portion for hours above it is known as “The Narrows."
IVTost of the water of the river overflows in the marshes here.
; Although the channel narrows, the navigation here in the low season is
not difficult.
n ^i V6r w, ^ s , a & reat deal here, and alters its course from year to year,
bolonel Uiesney s chart of the river, done by his expedition in 1836, is not
or much use now.
Maize and millet are grown on the banks here in September, when the
hoods have receded. Those crops were just ripening, and the barley and
wheat had been harvested some time, and were piled in large round stacks.
devil s Elbow .—miles above Ezra's tomb is a narrow winding called
the Devil s Elbow (Mahaber by the Arabs). It is the, worst spot in the
navigation of the hv'arrows. The river, running with a very strong current
turns at a right angle, the width being barely 50 yards, so that to turn a
steamer ~30 feet Eng in such a space requires careful navigation. With one
paddle going ahead and the other astern, and letting the bow slide over the
mud, we got through easily.
• In the low season it is usual to try and get through the Narrows in day-
hght, but when the river is high, it can be navigated at any time.
taking emLankments t0 kee P out the floods would be a large under-
The Shaikh of the Muntafik made an embankment for some distance a
few years ago, the result being high floods lower down, which nearly swept
away Busra. This only shows that embankments should not b e } begun
su?pls wate°i- JUn 1011 "" " ° £ ^ hi ^ r to utiliz^the
cultfvaSLTn 110 "?^^^^^^ ands °™of the Albu Muhammad
ca led Ma^h A T ^ het ^ en ^ e T ' gris and Eu P h ™tes. They are usually
Fields are A r!r ab ^ Ta 0n by the Bedouin portion of the tribes.
9 ud in A aie P rotec ted from the floods by smMl embankments 3' to 4' high,
d The Marsh ^.P 8 , 0 ^ 6 ^ Parley, and maize are gathered.
beino- bund es ^ ln „ huts , mad ? of v ^s, the supports for the walls
being bundles or fascines of reeds, with one end buried in the ground and
the other bent over at the top to form the slope of the roof The ends are
“E ing ’ A house is 12 to 15 feet high
ou thHanlV The 1 ?'-T. LO f 8r ’ T r0W bit “ m o n -coy ere d boats are uumerous
To orotee Ein f n , d ° gt^dermueh, aud are mainly sedentary.
‘‘sadfas ” Thlv a eTl Tf’r {? stored «n«U circular huts called
ton wS walls Yf Em /f * ?‘ ameter and 5 f <*‘ high with a flat round
top, With walls of wattle, coated with mud outside and in.
reedEafaEthe rb'ht'r d L a ' ! i al f Il0 j'' Sab0Ve ' Iizr ‘ 1 ’ S tomb we P assed some
reed huts on the nght bank clustered round a mud fort called Kair Saidi, 50