Tues Ap 13. [13 April 1909] The soldiers began by assuring us that it
was dangerous to ride around by the old Tigris channel but F. [Fattuh]
and I greeted the news with such a shout of laughter that they were
silenced. I took Jusef and an Arab Kasim and a very inefficient
soldier and struck east. We left Mushahada at 6.50 and rode to a line
of ruined sites lying a little distance W of the present Tigris channel.
They had been watered by canals from it. All this country was
granted by Murad to the Ma'amreh (Beni Amr) Arabs to whom Kasim
belonged. About 20 years ago Abd ul Hamid siezed it and sold half
of it to a Baghdad man and turned half into Seniyyeh watered from the
Tigris "By God who created the heavens and the earth I have nothing
but the mercy of God" said Kasim. Parallel with the tells we visited
and further to the W (outside the high[?] road[?] I think) lie the tells of
Sagr, Tasir and Bisheh and Baghout - I saw them far away; also
ruined sites. At 8.25 we came to Mdowwy, high tells, little pottery. All
the plain up to it forms part of a Hor at high water and is now cracked
and dry. Beyond it we rode over ground always covered with pottery;
coloured and plain, the regular blue and green, sometimes yellow
and purple. A few bits with rough designs on them. On some of the
tells I saw remains of the big earthenware uncoloured pointed jars. At
9.15 we came to Tell Bsaira - lots of pottery and bits of burnt brick
pale red and yellow. Beyond it was a dry canal to the present Tigris
called Er Rafayya. Also a narrow water course, through which water
had flowed recently for it was muddy, an irrigation canal to the
Seniyyeh. At 10.20 we reached Akbara an enormous site of many
mounds. It stretches right down to the present Tigris. W of it (I
reached it at 11) is a ruin called Cheff Ali. 2 chambers of burnt brick
tiles. One of the chambers, at least, has been roofed with a dome on
squinches. Round the E of the long mound on which it stands is a
canal, I think part of the old Tigris. At any rate almost immediately
after we got into the old Tigris bed and rod along it to the Imam
Muhammad 'Ali which is part of Wana[?]. We got there at 12.10 and
stayed till 1.20 I lunched and planned it. Just above it a small brick
bridge over one of the old Tigris branches. It is called Seheriyyeh. At
2.10 we reached Summecha on the old Tigris and found our tents
pitched in a charming palm garden. Slept for an hour then woke up
and wrote my letter to the Times which I finished. A stork in the
neighbouring palm garden clapping his beak.