"ملاحظات ميدانية: بلاد الرافدين. هيئة الأركان العامة في الهند. فبراير ١٩١٧". [ظ‎‎٢‎٥] (٣٥٠/٥٧)

42
from which the Umm Qasr creek branches off to the west about
4 miles above the junction. The Khor Zubair is about | mile
wide and contains deep water opposite Umm Qasr and for 14
miles inland. At this point, it divides, into two branches, one
running north-eastwards, with a depth of 18 feet, to within C
12 miles of the Shatt-al-’Arab, the other much shallower and
narrower, going further west to within 10 miles of Basrah and
Zubair. Although, however, the depths of the channel in the
Khor Zubair are generally good, the navigation is not alto
gether easy.
For anchorage and landing see page 105.
The Umm Qasr creek itself is about 3 miles long and ^ mile
broad, with a depth of water generally of only 3 to 4 feet. The
fort is situated about ^ mile inland, but the usual landing place
is at the entrance of the creek. The building is nearly square,
measuring about 120 feet each way, and having one entrance
in the north face; a recently constructed salient on the west
side enfilades two faces. The walls are 15 feet high, loopholed
at 4+ feet from the ground, and are built chiefly of mud; the
gateway and coping of the walls are of burnt brick. There are
wells with a plentiful supply of water to the northwai-d opposite
the entrance to the fort at 250 yards distance, and the water
used by the garrison is sweet: whether it is obtained from these
wells, or elsewhere, is uncertain. No supplies are obtainable at
Umm Qasr, and not even vegetables are grown; there is grazing
for sheep, but not for horses. The ground in the neighbour
hood is firm and gravelly.
Umm Qasr is said to be more healthy than Basrah; it is
15 miles from Safwan and 34 from Basrah: there are wells on
the direct route from Zubair to Umm Qasr, but travellers
between Basrah and Umm Qasr ordinarily pass through Zubair
and Safwan.
For details of routes via Zubair and Safwan see Chapter VIII,
Routes Nos. 1 and 2, page 112 et sea.
The country to the north and east of the Khor Zubair is
marshy for several miles.
Safwan, on slightly rising ground, has wells of passable water
12 feet deep. There are a few houses and a date grove sur
rounded by a wall. Jabal Satiam, an isolated volcanic hill,
stands 5 miles to the west.
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