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ROUTE , : SUQ ESH-SHUYUKH—HATL                                      87





                                 ROUTE 7


              SUQ ESH-SHUYUKH—LEESTAH—HA’IL


 [uthoritiea : For the first part of the route, from Suq esh-Shuyukh to Bir Belegh-
    blyah, Leachman, 1910, and native information. For authorities for the
    section Bir Beleghblyah-Ha’il, see Route No. 3.
 direction: SW.
 yUtance : Crow-fly, 358 miles ; road, 391 miles.
 Character and Supplies : see p. 29.


  miles,
 atal. stages.
              StJQ ESH-SHTJYtTKH, important town of Turkish ‘Iraq,
                      on the Euphrates, the greater part lying on the
                      r. bank ; pop. about 12,000. The river is here
                      spanned by a bridge of 12 pontoons, increased
                      to 15 or 16 when the river rises. The town,
                      which is frequented by Bedouins for purposes
                       of trade, possesses a bazaar of about 200 shops.
                      There are numerous fruit gardens, and the date-
                       plantations extend up the 1. bank of the
                       Euphrates, meeting those of Nasirivah. The
                       neighbourhood is marshy and the climate un­
                       healthy. Single telegraph lines to Nasiriyah above
                       and to the village of Hammar on the river below ;
                       post-office.
                 Dir. SSW. across gravelly undulating desert.
   21  21 Qasr Bir Shaghrah, ruined fort overlooking water, which
                       lies in a hollow.
                 Dir. SW. across similar countrv. From here onwards
                                                      %/
                       the grazing is excellent and fuel abundant, but
                       there is no water until Bir Arkamiyah is reached.
                       Between the thirteenth and fortieth miles from
                       Qasr Bir Shaghrah, the isolated hill Jebel Haniyah
                       is seen on the E. of track.
  101 80 Bir Arkamiyah, many wells in a wadi ;                     a well-known
                       camping ground for Bedouins in summer.  Bir
                       Amghar, well with plentiful supply of water, lies
                       about 8 m. to the N.
                 Dir. SW. across a gently undulating plain of sandstone
                       or limestone, strewn with gravel; there are occa-
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