"ملاحظات ميدانية: بلاد الرافدين. هيئة الأركان العامة في الهند. فبراير ١٩١٧". [ظ‎‎١‎١‎٣] (٣٥٠/٢٣٣)

218
Route No. 23—contd.
canal; passes the tomb of ’Ann at mile 12 or 13; and finally
enters Karbala by the Bab Baghdad bridge.
An alternative route, for horsemen and foot passengers,
follows more closely the north bank of the Husainiyab. At
about mile 7, it crosses a medium-sized distributary from the
Husainiyab, empty-and ruined; and immediately beyond this
it runs over the Wall distributary by a brick bridge, 18 feet
wide, with no parapet nor handrail. The banks of the Wall
are 45 feet apart, 25 feet high, and precipitous; and the stream
at the bottom flows 6 feet wide and 3 feet deep. A short dis
tance beyond the Wall the road crosses the Hamudiyah distri
butary, which has banks 25 feet apart and 16 feet high. The
bridge here is of brick, with an 8-foot roadway.
At about mile 11, another distributary, known as the Abu
Sulaiman, narrower than the preceding ones, and spanned by
a bridge of wood and earth.
About mile 12, Khan-al-’Ataishi.
To mile 17, route runs along right bank of the Husainiyah,
and a number of small canals are passed, the bridges over which
are bad and unfit for •wheels. The road now crosses to the
left bank of the Husainiyah by the Gul-i-Safid. For these
last several miles the way has lain through dense date planta
tions.
From mile 17 to end of stage there are continuous walled
enclosures adjoining the road on both sides.
Karbala is a town of about 50,000 permanent inhabitants
and has in addition a large floating population. The old town
is surrounded on three sides by a wall from 20 to 30 feet high,
with towers at intervals, but the work is in bad repair. There
are two tiers of loopholes; perimeter of wall, about 2 miles;
5 gates. Large agricultural and garden produce, considerable
quantities of dates. Large and well-stocked bazar, and some
20 shops dealing in European wares. Karbala not a good
centre for collection of supplies or transport. No mules; and
camels only procurable in the autumn when the Bedouins
come in. There is a flour-mill driven by an oil-engine; 2 ice
making plants Water from Husainiyah canal, or when it is
dry, from 20 to 25 wells sunk mostly in the canal bed.