Ruphrates. 
———— 
ton of Kor- 
Remark of 
Poly bins. 
Polybius 
cootredicted 
by Kiancir. 
2382 
the point of the tri formed by the junction of the 
nae newbie epsom, was Euphrates on the 
one hand, and forced back by the strength of the Ti- 
is on the other. Korna is one of the three A 
iit by Seleucus, in honour of his first wife Apama, 
and is situated at the point of a tri formed by the 
confluence of these two streams. John Malcolm, 
peels etter + dete Aes + lee 
the M is Wellesley, considerin tion or- 
na malarly ad and where an im able 
fort might be erected at a trifling expence, which would 
secure the navigation of both rivers, repress the inroads 
of the nei ing Arabs, and command the countries 
between and Bussora, recommended this ob- 
ject as worthy of the attention of the governor-general 
of India. Here the channels of the Euphrates and Ti- 
gris are so deep, that a small ship of war might anchor 
close to the works, and a canal cut across the base of 
the tri , from one river to the other, would render 
any other fortification unnecessary. 
Polybius observes, that the Euphrates is remarkablefor 
differing in one from most others in the world. 
Rivers, in general, he remarks,. increase in size as they 
advance in their course, their waters swelling in winter 
and decreasing in summer. The Euphrates, on the 
contrary, diminishes as it flows, is very high in the 
middle of summer, and no where so broad as in Syria. 
This is accounted for from its increase being the effect 
of the dissolution of snows in the mountains, and not 
of winter rains ; canals and reservoirs being employed 
to draw off the superabundant waters for irrigating the 
districts on its banks, it decreases as it traverses an ex- 
Captain thor of a Geographical M 
Captain M. Kinneir, author of a i emoir 
of the Persian Empire, whv must be su; posed the sulhat 
authority to follow, writing from actual observation on 
the spot, and to whom we are indebted for much inte- 
resting information on this peg ie says, that the great- 
lan 
est rise of the Euphrates is in January, when it attains 
an increase of 12 feet icular; and it continues 
to rise and fall till the end of May or beginning of June. 
Here is a manifest contradiction of Polybius, which we 
cannot hope to reconcile, as it probably proceeds from 
some change, in the manner in which the river is now 
affected, unknown to us. However, in justice to Poly- 
hius, who is esteemed an excellent historian, and drew 
trom the best sources within his reach, we must observe 
that that part of his account where he mentions that 
the Euphrates decreases in size as it advances in its 
course, is supported by Kinneir; for this author states 
that at Hillah, near the ancient Babylon, the Euphrates 
is only 200 broad, and 40 feetdeep. Now Hil- 
lah is mach below Ul] Der, where itis 800 yards broad. 
Perhaps the great depth of 40 feet may be . ht to 
compensate in some degree the breadth so much higher 
up; but we are not warranted to draw this concla- 
sion, a8 Kinneir has not given. us the depth of the 
river at Ul Der. Even in the driest season, the Eu- 
phrates is navigable for boats of considerable bur- 
den, up as far as Shukashu, a village situated on: the 
west bank of the river, and a day's sail from Korna. 
The tides of the Persian Gulf reach 20 or 25 miles 
above Korna; and the river is navigated, during six 
months of the year, by flat boats up to Hil- 
lah, These boats are of a singular construction. The 
body resembles a half-moon in shape; the ribs. and 
planks are roughly nailed together, and the outside 
covered with tha or bitumen; there is no keel, 
and the rudder, formed of a number of spars clums 
EUPHRATES. 
ily bound together, is nearly as large as the vessel; 
ch igi conehee Alf aac aia te at lagen a 
When ing to Bussora, they float down the stream ; 
cent,” Asotiee Wate at ya 
rent. n ¥ 
wicker work, covered with Wenner. and about 
phrates and 3 
made of reeds, in the form of a shield; and, as 
Kinneir remarks, it is curious to observe that so li 
alteration in their construction has taken place during 
such a lapse of Oo 
- 3 
Hi 
ue 
pd 
No subject has excited more the attention of the learn- Canals end 
Cas artificial 
its wa- lakes. 
ed than the river Euphrates, with regard to its. 
nals and artificial lakes, dug for the-reeeption 
ters at the season of inundation. Of the ancient’autho- 
blished by su! ery estigation. 
The canal of Pallacopas, dug by the first of the Baby- 
ton of Kuls, having fallen disrepair 
tion of K i into disrepair, about twenty 
years ago it ee ly cleared. by the Nabob of 
Oude, in honour of whom the Arabs now call it Hindi. + 
It is cut from the ri 
mainder is nearly raging dee sand, but its course 
hood of Babylon are still:the remains of two lakes, 
the names of Ali and his son Hussein. 
The upper 
pots mania eye te 
FA Sp ag AI en e town of K 
containing the tomb of Hussein, the of 
hommed. cig ming re Ree pee 
the northern point of the lower, or Nej 
distance is about. twenty-five miles. Meshed A’ 
tuated a little to the east. Into this lower lake the 
phrates was turned by the canal of 
season of its floods. e opening and 
canal was a part of the office of the satrap of’ 
and, as Dr Vincent remarks, it must have been a duty 
ee 
is desert cannot be watered, every spot 
tile that can be flooded. Peat esd oy ee 
Heyer pious Go gency tener enemy eyo 
mand of the waters of the Euphrates was highly ne- 
cessary for the cultivation of the adjacent icts ; 
> 
and thus, as the cities in the vicinity of its banks have 
h its grand canals 
ve failed, the ruinous policy of the Turks, at this 
day, regards the partial distribution of its waters as an 
object of primary importance for the purpose of irtiga- 
bee 
in existence; butpsinge thedesr. .s** 
tion. Arrian gives us the following accountof igin Arrian’s y 
and object of the canal of P. , cut from the 
phrates to draw off its superabi 
river, he tells us, descending from the mountains of 
Armenia, flows within its natural channel during win- 
ter, but receives such an accession of water in the be 
ginning of spring, and a still about the summer 
solstice, that, overflowing its banks, it lays under wa- 
ter the plains of ia. And unless this inundation, 
caused by the write ti of snows in the mountains, 
ut fre = count of 
it waters. For this Pallacopss, 
