"عبر بلاد فارس على سرج ركوب جانبي" [‎٢‎٦‎٣] (٣٦٠/٣٠٤)

UP THE PERSIAN GULF TO BUSREH
Next day we steamed between low, palm-covered shores,
from one point of which the little telegraph station of Fao
arose. Beyond here the flat banks narrowed in, and we
crossed the Fao bar with much caution, and reached Moham-
merah, at the mouth of the Shat-el-Arab, the splendid river
formed by the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates
at Kurnah, the legendary site of the Garden of Eden.
From here, leading into the Karun River, up which lay
our destination, is a great canal connecting the two
streams, supposed by some to have been made by Alex
ander the Great, but in all probability of much earlier
origin.
We stopped at Mohammerah, expecting to change over
into the Malamir, the boat belonging to Messrs. Lynch
and Co., which runs up to Ahwaz every fortnight, and
which was lying off the Vice-Consulate. However, on
inquiry we found that she would not be making her trip
for another week, therefore we decided to take our passage
in her to Busreh on the following day. ,
Mr. Butcher, the acting Vice-Consul, an old acquaint
ance of my brother's, came out in his bellum, or native
boat, to receive us, and hospitably insisted that we should
stay with him for the night, and leave most of our baggage
and servants at Mohammerah, picking them up in a week's
time.
So we dined upon the roof of our host's house, which
looked very pretty from the water, surrounded by a vege
tation which, however, brought creatures enough and to
spare into my bedroom later on. Bats flitted about, lizards
crawled on the beams of the ceiling, locusts plopped down
on the floor at intervals, a scorpion hurried into a dark
corner, and the song of the mosquitoes was so loud that
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