'Routes in Arabia' [‎758] (789/852)

758
Route No. ZOl—contd.
by the drainage of the Batas valley; the place of junction or
perhaps the lower part of the valley, seems to be called Hamidi.
bash Rubat._ About half a mile up the Batas valley from the
1S . khara, a village of 40 houses of Surkhi Kurds On tho
opposzte sxde of the Zab some half or three-quarters mile down
stream, to the west by south, was Astriland, a village of more
than 20 houses of Surkhi Kurds. On the Astriland side of the
rjff T , cs< 1 :rlb€d a fine collection of animals grazing—
cattle (mostly black), mares with foals, and sheep
In summer the Zab is fordable a little way below the ferrv
a3 y 3 0t t7 la T ^ ^ n0W ln fl0 ^ having recentty
h™ ^ \ presented a formidable aspect. The
breadth of its single channel was only about 150 yards but I
estimated the velocity of the current at 6 miles an hour. There
was only one raft, a kthlc buoyed up on 18 skins, and capable
a* most of carrying 4 passengers at a time with a little baggage
0 - unloaded transport animals'and
w tumw baot * ' but they could not ^ p revented
as weU To for f h + Swlmmm g a short way. It was perhaps
afterwards in th< ? 8tron g e «t of transport ponies was drowned
raft made ni ng an easier passage further down. The
half Tmile COUrSe of whioh * was car ™d
opposite tan^Tn f 111 / ^ ^ had t0 ^ Carried a ^ U P
whihtsta^d ^ 0f fining the point from
and efforts H ^ T j er 4 hours ^effectual expedients
the CMavaii 6 ^ ^ Mr - Ga ^ should proceed with
with N§sir the D ^ ^ an . ea ® ler r oute lower down, while I
tTrtour o ^ the Mosul Vice-Consulate, made
we could cany on^them^ The^T)^ SUCh be l on g in g s onl y as
crossed r>n i t tt , , . dragoman and I accordingly
and reached the Pf 868 . bein g towed behind by the bridles,
ana reached the other side without mishap.
are largelv ^ l!i" S ? n routes hy which many travellers pass
Turkish admiW f 6 unfortuna te reputation of the
but ciVUi^ ^ f 6 Servi ? e8 0utside Turke y- ^ any new
few years • hn/'h ^ ^ ri r p er Zab would be bridged in a
K A wni i pot* k e y» centuries have not sufficed.
'AOPA^ ERRY t0 The remainder of the
journey to 'Aqrah had
to be performed in haste,