'Routes in Arabia' [‎649] (680/852)

649
ROUTE No. 183.
From FALLUJAH TO MUSAIYIB.
60 miles. 3 stages {4 marches).
Lieutenant-Colonel Newmarch, November,
Lsaving Fallujah the route skirts a pebbly ridge on the east ;
ground slightly cultivated near the river, but barren elsewhere.
About mile 4, reach the Abu Ghuraib canal; good bridge with
two strong brick arches of 6 feat span. Breadth of canal be
tween banks 69 feet; breadth of water 28 feet ; breadth of road
way 10| feet; depth of cutting 40 fc 't. About 200 yards before
reaching this bridge pass a small graveyard. At mile 8 the soil
is a sandy loam, much cultivated ; the country is fiat and feature
less except for a few small canals. The Euphrates is here dyked
all along, and revetted on the river side. At mile 21, arrive
Maqdam (pronounced Mijdam). There is no permanent habita
tion here; only some tents of Zoba' Arabs. There is a small
wood on the left bank of the Euphrates 800 yards long by 150
yards wide, consisting of medium sized poplar trees, surrounded
by tamarisk. Goods from Hit, such as lime, gypsum, and
bitumen, are often deposited here for transport to Baghdad on
camel-ba?k. The most important Arab tribe hereabouts is
the Sabbagh. The bank of the river is sandy, which is bad in a
wind. The left bank is shelving, the right, steep. Breadth
of water, 200 yards. About mile 25h pass the tomb of Hanifah
Bin Kadhim, with one large and one small dome ; this is about
400 yards to the east. General character of the country is
flat, sandy, and featureless, but with canal] bods crossing in vari
ous directions ; camel-thorn abundant. At mile 33, cross
Mahmudlyah canal by a brick bridge in fair repair ; no side rail
or parapst. Canal 40 feet deep from top of banks ; water 12 feet
wide, and roadway of bridge 11 feet. At mile 45, arrive at
Al-Khidhar, marked by a mosque on the left bank with a
few palm trees round it; bank sfceep and 10 feet above water ;
a few mulberry trees bordering bank. On the up-stream side
of mosque there is a wood of tamarisk and poplar, nearly 800
yards long by 200 yards wide. Mas'ud Arabs are found round
Al-Khidhar, and the best lands in vicinity belong to Dairat-
as-Saniyah. About mile 50, reach the tomb of Ibrahim-al-
Khalil; from here the khan at Sikandariyah is in sight bearing
1905.