"تقرير عسكري حول عربستان (المنطقة رقم ١٣)." [و‎‎١‎٦] (٣٦٦/٣٦)

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at this point having given way as well as the bridge. The ma
terials and construction of the weir are superior to those of the
bridge. The stream in the spring floods has a current running
up to 6 ft. a second, and is dangerous to animals which have to
eross it. At Shushtar the river is crossed by Jcattaks, but in low
water season it is possible for a man to ford it some two hundred
yards below the bridge.
The Shatait is not applied to irrigation except on a petty
scale near villages, though if the weir was repaired it would be
possible to make use of the Shatait for extensive irrigation.
The principal tribe in the neighbourhood of the Shatait are the
‘Anafijah, who live upon its lower reaches.
(6). Nai igation .—When steam navigation was introduced on
the Karun, the Shushan, still in use, a stern wheeler 100 feet
long with a beam of 23 and an ordinary draft of 3 feet, ran for
more than a year on the Shatait, instead of upon the Gargar
as at present, it being at that time believed that in the low
season the channel of the Gargar might become impassable. It
was however found that the river could not be navigated with
safetv by a vessel of the Shusharis dimensions above Chehar
Dingeh, a point 10 miles distant by land from Shushtar, on
account of the intricacy and number of the channels and of the
shingly nature of the bed, which prevented the use of anchors
from getting oh when aground. Below Chehar Dingeh the
only serious obstacle was a double reef of rocks with a narrow
channel, through which the water raced violently; the difficulty
of the reef was at times increased by the formation of sand- ^
banks below it. It was found that owing to want of water, the
passage of the reef was uncertain in August and September,
dangerous in October and impossible in November, but the
level of the river did not vary regularly with the season. Native
craft prefer the Gargar to the Shatait.
(3). Ab-i Gargar.
(a). General Description .—This channel, the uppermost part
of which is artificial, issues from the left bank of the Karun
just above Shushtar, and rejoins the river at Band-i-Qir. Its
direction is thus almost exactly from north to south and its
length in a straight line about 30 miles, but between its extreme
points it forms a regular curve to eastwards of which the maxi
mum divergence from the direct line is about 8 miles. The
Gargar forms the eastern boundary of the MTan-Ab island.
MC164CGS