'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from September 1850 to June 1852. Edited by the Secretary. Volume X.' [‎62] (195/458)

62
COMMANDER F. JONES.
present clsy • * its circumference may be about 300 yards; at this
spot the districts bordering the river, named Taji and Mazurfeh,
extending from Kathemein, terminate,—the former at Sheriy-’at-al-
Reytha, a welhhnown easy descent to the river, where cattle are taken
to drink, and in the neighbourhood of which the Bedoin plundering
parties generally hover in search of prey* The name is from shcviy q
bj- « place of drinking for cattle,” and beytha “ pure.”
These districts are void of date trees, which do not extend on this side
beyond the village of the Imams ; they are cultivated by families of the
Jebour, the Batt, and the Dellim, who have migrated from other parts;
and a small tribe of Albu Sakr lead a nomade life in the desert West of
it, around a ruin termed Stehh, which I have not yet seen ; but they
are entirely pastoral, and of the Sunni sect of Mahomedans.
By the time we had reached Tel Gloosh every object had become ob
scured by clouds of fine sand that were suspended in the surrounding at
mosphere, giving out a lurid red haze quite painful to the eyes, as it was
urged along by the breeze that was bio wing from the South. The
heat and oppression was worse if anything than yesterday, and we were
glad therefore to shelter ourselves under a small bichoba,t carried for
the protection of the instruments in case of rain. This was pitched in
a fine field of barley under the lee of the mound, and shelter had scarce
ly been obtained when the weather became doubly thick, shutting out
from view even the date groves on the opposite side of the river, ren
dering further progress impossible. To add to our distress, the poor
ness of the place, though within ten miles of the capital, could not
supply us with a lamb or a draught of sour milk to season our meal,
which otherwise was amply enough furnished from the saddle-bags: we
could not, however, dispel the gloom around, and therefore awaited pa
tiently, within our circumscribed horizon of ten yards, until the curtain
* Tel Goosh, Appendix H; I really cannot say what the etymology of this term Goosh may
be; Tel is the common Arabic expression for “ an eminence” or “ mound/' and Goosb, as
it is pronounced, but spelt if an Arabic word, has no meaning that I can discover.
When the Tigris flowed in its ancient bed, Tel Goosh, it seems to me, stood upon
bank; the country is so cut up by the marsh that it is now almost impossible to speak witna j
certainty.
‘t* This word has become anglicised of late years. It is a compound Persian word signify
ing a tent which has no pole. From be without, and choba, “ pole,” or “stake»
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