'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from September 1850 to June 1852. Edited by the Secretary. Volume X.' [‎91] (224/458)

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MEMOIR ON THE “ TIGRIS.’’
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offered itself alongside the running water in the canal. After the
evening meal had been done justice to, a council was held on the route to
be taken to-morrow; whether we should advance at once over the
bridge boldly into the desert, in search of the Median Wall,—by pursuing
a course that should cross its line, if, as represented, it should extend
across Mesopotamia to the banks of Euphrates,—or pursue our journey
onwards within the canal, in comparative security from the Bedoin
tribes, to the camps of the Majummah beyond, and there address a
letter to a Dellim chief, whom we knew was encamped opposite to
Samara—requesting an escort from the tribe to conduct us to the
Euphrates, as I had determined on tracing the wall to its termination
wherever it should be. The difficulty opposed to the latter plan, after
leaving the bridge, was crossing the Dijeil itself, which has deep and
abrupt banks in the higher country, and quite impassable unless the Ma
jummah would construct a temporary way across the gorge the stream
is confined in. Danger of being met by Arab parties was the objection
to the former plan, which however had been the mode settled as the one
to be adopted some days beforehand, but as the solitude beyond the
bridge now stared us in the face, the spirits of the party sank, and our
guides openly expressed their fears of treading on the soil where the
enemy of his species, having his “ hand against every man, ,, is the
only acknowledged inhabitant. Though the skins were filled for the
journey, it was idle attempting to overrule their objections, and we
accordingly, on the following day (March 26th), pursued the route
along the old bed of the Tigris—which is now abounding in culti
vation to the North-westward. A mile beyond Harbeh the Nahr-
Beled, the irrigant leading to the village of the name, leaves the
Dijeil, and crossing the old valley of the Tigris where it is plentifully
distributed, it conducts to the gardens of Beled, where it is finally
expended. On the ridge forming the West boundary of the bed
of the old Tigris several ancient canals are seen, which originally derived
their waters from the river. Lower down they are cut through by
the more recent Dijeil, but their continuities are distinguishable beyond,
m the open country between it and the line of the ancient Izhaki.
Opposite to these canals, on the left bank of the old course of the Tigris,
some mounds are seen, probably of great antiquity, surmounted by a
ruined town. These are known as Al ’Alth, another of the positions