'Routes in Arabia' [‎781] (812/852)

781
R oute N o . 202— contd.
island with water lifts and cultivation ; and beyond that again
the branch of the river on which Dar is situated. Between J)or
and the river is Imam Dor, a high square, dark-coloured budd
ing with round bastions slightly indicated, and a top shaped
somewhat like the point of a shrapnel but diminishing m dia
meter by 5 stages, the lowest of which has flat faces. The build
ing is covered with storks' nests. Dor is a scorched-looking
place ; there is no greenery about it. The people are all Sunnis.
Below Dor both banks are low for some way.
At 2 hours 42 minutes there are rocks called Haraqiyat near
the left bank. They are said to project r, feet in low water.
Various streams into which the river has divided recombme here
and give it a breadth of about 400 yards.
At 3 hours 2 minutes low conglomerate cliffs begin on the right
bank Eight minutes later there is an opening called " Rasasi" in
conglomerate cliffs upon the left bank. It is evidently the head
of an old canal, but the bottom of it is now some 15 feet above even
the present level of the river. On the right bank here, half a
mile inland, is a mound called Mahaijlr. _ . , .
At 3 hours 27 minutes there are water-lifts and cultivation
stretching down the right bank. ^ . .
At 4 hours 45 minutes we pass mud rums on the left bank |
they are inaignificant, but are described as Old Baghdad.
The left bank is of conglomerate and raised, the right bank is
cultivated and has many water-lifts. j ^ { co- -
At 5 hours 14 minutes we reach a place called Qaias olnnas
on the left bank. Before it we pass round a large bend of the
river which does not appear in our maps. A little further
down are trees, marking the site of Bisat, a village of 25 houses
of Samarra Arabs. On the right bank opposite Shmas is an Al
Bu 'Abbas village, consisting of 30 houses of Samarra Arabs.
At 5 hours 22 minutes is Hawai Sullat, a village of 20 houses
of Al Bu 'Abbas, a tract extending from the first Al Bu Abbas
village, above mentioned, for about 3 miles downstream all bears
this name. Since passing " Old Baghdad' no cliffs nor hills
have been visible near the river on the left bank.
At 5 hours 36 minutes the left bank still bears the name of
Bisat. Some houses are visible on it. There have been various
islands since passing Old Baghdad " and the mam channel of