"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" [و‎‎٨‎٦] (٣١٢/١٧٦)

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The Telegraph Office is at the south-east corner of the town and has
direct communication with Baghdad and Constantinople
e egrap is. through Jazirah and Diarbekr, with Rawanduz through
Erbil and Sulaimaniah through Kirkuk. .
Telegrams can be sent in Roman letters. They are better sent in Irencli
than in English as most of the officials know French. # .
The wires bifurcate from the east end of the bridge, one going in the
Baghdad direction and two towards Jazirah. The Post passes through from
Baghdad to Constantinople once a week.
Mosul Bridge.—The bridge of Mosul is partly masonry and partly a boat
bridge. . , , ,
The main channel runs along the west bank, and this is crossed by the boat
bridge. In the centre of the riverbed is a broad, gravelly island covered at
higirfloods and crossed by the masonry bridge ; and at the east end of this is a
small channel, which at high water has to be forded. In front of the Babal
Jisr gate is a strong masonry pier jutting out 32 yards into the stream; on
which is the toll bar. ,
The boat bridge consists of 18 pontoons and is 123 yards long with a road
way of 24 / made of rough wooden planking ; each pontoon ^is flat bottomed and
26' long by 10' wide, the interval between each being 10'. At the east end
of the boat bridge is another pier and ramp 46 yards long leading to the stone
bridge.
The masonry bridge is 278 yards long built of brick faced with sandstone
and seems fairly well built. The roadway is 16' wide. There are 29 arches,
all of 20' span, but of two patterns. Eleven at the east end are higher in
the springing of the arch and have only low cutwaters to the piers. ie
other 18 have high cutwaters. The whole has an incongruous appearance
and looks typically Turkish.
Two French Engineers built the stone portion, but declined to try to
bridge the main channel. The ramp at the east end is 52 yards long with three
small arches and is much worn by the rush of water round it. Beyond this is
a strip of gravelly riverbed 145 yards wide covered at high floods.
On the 7th June some 40 yards had to be forded here, and the boat budge
had only been fixed up a week previous because of high floods.
When the bridge is swung back the crossing is made in ferry boats, of which
there are five available. They are 20 * long and 10 / broad with a high gunwale
and bow, and the stern cut down within a foot of the water to let animals get
in and out easily. They are propelled by two long paddles. They can each
take four laden mules.
Camels have a great objection to a boat bridge and crossing them is
tedious work. Both here and at Jazirah sopie of them took fright and leaped
into the water.
With a good camel leading they will go easily, but if frightened they
all start running. The bridge would take artillery if guns were passed over
siagly-
When we arrived the river was high with a current of 4 to 5 miles an
hour; the main channel was some 15'to 2(F deep.
The total width of the riverbed at the bridge is 675 yards, and there is
generally a deep water channel 150 to 200 yards wide on the west bank.
The principal traffic down stream to Baghdad is done on rafts of skins
Rafts called “ kalaks.” It is the quickest way for travellers-
Rafts do not ascend the river, and trade from Baghdad
to Mosul follows the post road through Kifri, Kirkuk and Erbil.
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