The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society (Volume 10)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1852 Excerpt: ...families of these tribes formerly inhabiting them. These stand upon the site of an ancient town which encompassed a quadrangular fortress, of great apparent antiquity, whose remains, worn down to a high tumulus, similar to the strongholds seen in the plains of Shahri-zur, t are quite distinct, having a deep hollow in the centre that evidently marks the side of the well from whence its garrison derived the supply of water in times of strife and confusion. It is now called Al-Hyr, and nothing is known of its history at present either directly or by tradition. NNW. of this position, a mile and a half distant, we came upon the well-known line of an ancient canal, of considerable size, stretching from the NE. It can be traced, in a direotion of 240, to the old bed of the Tigris. It was recognized instantly as a branch originally emanating from the Katul-al-Kosrawi, the large conduit now on the other side of the great river. The Tigris indeed, by its irruption to the East, separated this and many other similar branches from the trunk-stream, causing universal destruction at the period. The guide erroneously styles it the Nahrwan, though the name is conclusive of its origin. Its singular position, lopped off it is from the great artery, and standing immediately to the West of the small dry bed, called Shatayt, shows that the latter water-course is of comparatively recent date: we can see its windings about a mile North of our present position, and about the same distance to the East, where it severs the canal. Proceeding onwards in a line of North, as near as possible, in ten minutes we crossed the dry bed of the Shatayt, and in an hour and five minutes beyond, the broad stream of the Tigris was gained, immediately to the West of the opening, or depression rather, ..