" شريط المحمرة" [ظ‎‎٢‎٣‎٥] (٤/٤)

2
Tributaries.
Towns on river
banks.
I
From Basra tire river runs in a soutli-easterly direction, joining tire waters of
tire Persian Gulf in latitude 29°'57 north, and longitude 48 d '3'2 east, the distance
from Basra to the Outer Bar being 67 miles.
The width of the river varies from 1,000 feet at Margil —5 miles above Basra,
and the site of the new port—to 1,500 feet opposite the town of Basra ; 1 mile at
bao, and If miles opposite the Turkish Fort 3 miles below Fao.
(5) The only tributaries of the Shatt-el-Arab worthy of notice are the Suwaib
and the Karun.
. „ Tlie S ™ ib > ^ich enters the Shatt-el-Arab on the left bank just below Kurna,
is formed by a portion of the Kerkha river which rises in the Pusht-FKuh hills
a ong with a certain quantity of the Tigris water which finds its way,down the
LJiaiiala canal and through the marshes.
The Kanin river rises in the Bakhtiari mountains at a height of some 11,000
feet above sea level, and joins the Shatt-el-Arab on its left bank 20 miles below
.Basra.
. , f k®, t0 "' ri of BasIa 18 situated on the right bank of the river at its junction
vuth the Ashar Creek, the only other town of importance being the Persian town
the Iff uf 614111 ’ WlUCh 18 SltUated ° n tIle left bank ° f the river at its junction with
Fourteen miles below Mohammerah is Abadan, where are located the works
and refineries of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, and at Fao, a village on the right
bank of the river 55 miles below Basra, is established the office of the Eastern,
Telegraph Company.
(7) From Basra to Fao the banks of the Shatt-el-Arab are intersected by
numerous irrigation canals, and these serve to water the almost continuous
belt of date palms which has a depth inland of 1 to 2 miles on, either bank.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.
river^and quality and Srufbet flTS ° f t ^ Tigris, Euphrates
of wafer. Ivamn are m flood simultaneously, amounts to some 300,000 cusecs ; and the
ow-water discharge may be taken at from 40,000 to 60,000 cusecs ; but these
gures are only approximate, and observations require to be taken very much
more carefully than has hitherto been the case, and over a long period of time.
Throughout the year the river water opposite Basra is quite fresh, and even
at hao fresh water is obtamed from the river on the ebb tide, especially durinv the
ug i-water season ; and during the low-water season the water is always fresh on
tne ebb tide a few miles above Fao.
Irrigation canals.
Floods.
m 11 (9) k e ,f vers Eu P llrates and Ti 8 ris are ^ flood from the beginning of March
he hTf W ’ k ^ tke ° f the fl00ds botb — frequently overflow
a of of km SOme talldreds °f square miles of country. The flood
a muchhtl 1 TFT T Sakl by the l0Cal inIlabit ™ ts *0 have reached
..TFT T e fl00 fj ere att ribnted to unknown causes at the sources of the
snows mSfFa. ^ ^ Spring ^ a -dden melting of the
structioTof tliT sFT "T T 'i ' 1 't 7 tlle ,ocaI inhabitants to be due to the con-
tfle Euphrates passff nT