'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from September 1850 to June 1852. Edited by the Secretary. Volume X.' [‎126] (259/458)

126
COMMANDER F. JONES.
avoidable in many cases by vigilance on the part of Government and
its officers. The change in the channel of the Tigris in a rocky
region like that immediately beyond Opis, we must, however, ascribe
to another phenomenon, which, though, natural, is but seldom experi-
enced in these tracts. I allude to earthquakes, and have little
doubt but the misfortunes sketched above could be traced to an
occurrence of this nature. Though faintly felt—perhaps but once in
twenty years—in the alluvial district of Babylonia, we know these
shocks are constant and alarming in Syria, Asia Minor, and, to some
extent, on the west of Persia—countries immediately enclosing Meso
potamia, the northern half of which is, indeed, only a connected
rocky flange thrown off, as it were, from the base of the several
ranges, having a gradual descent, terminating in the deep hollow of
the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , In earthquakes, such as those which have at
various times prostrated Antioch and Aleppo, in Syria, the shocks
have doubtless been felt in a more or less degree over Northern
Mesopotamia, and in my experience some milder concussions have ex
tended to Baghdad and Southern Mesopotamia. During the Khalif
Malawakkel’s reign, A. D. 850, we have it recorded that for many
days the waters of the Tigris, to the great astonishment of the inha
bitants of Baghdad, first became yellow, then suddenly changed to the
hue of blood; afterwards traced as the effect of an earthquake that had
destroyed many towns in Georgia and Persia, and opened new sources
for rivers, besides changing the streams.* A visitation similar to this—
if not the occurrence of the period—must, I presume, have lopped off a
shoulder of the tertiary tract east of Oadesiyeh on the Tigris, in the
neighbourhood of the great dams—perhaps adjacent to the Sidd Nimrod,
which giving way also on the left bank of the river at the same time,
admitted the Tigris, perhaps confined at the juncture, in a vast mass
into the plains east of its old course, severing at the moment the
K&tul-al-Kesr&wi. on the Phuskus from its sources at Al>Kaim and
Dur. The deep and narrow watercourses marked on the map in the
immediate tract between the new and the old beds will show that the
river meandered about for some time previous to setting in its
* D. Hordelok s Biblio Orients, “ Matawakkil,*’ a similar change in the color of the litU lS
took place this year (1850) on the 9th August, and lasted to the astonishment of all, for three
days ; the river, too, which had been falling as usual in these months gradually became station
ary, and when the water resumed its general dirty appearance the river fell with a doup
velocity for two following days. I have no doubt myself but some earthquake has occurred in
the hills near the source of the stream, for a fall of rain is unusual in these months and to
create such a change must have been excessive.
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