BRANCH LINES. 89 



Tigris will be followed ; but from the latter place the 

 line will turn south-west to the Euphrates, and, cross- 

 ing that river for the second time, reach the Gulf 

 by Kerbela and Zobair, the suggested terminus being 

 Kasima on the bay of Koweit. 



So much for the direction to be followed by the 

 main line. The branch lines included in the con- 

 cession are as follows : (l) from Tel Habesch, a little 

 east of Killis to Aleppo, a distance of 60 kilometres ; 

 (2) from Sadiyeh on the Tigris to Khanikin on the 

 Persian frontier, 115 kilometres; (3) from Zobair to 

 Basra, 19 kilometres. A branch line is also to be 

 built in the future, when the receipts of the main 

 line admit of it, to Diarbekr, and a temporary line 

 for construction purposes is to be taken from the 

 main line in the Cilician plain to some point on the 

 Gulf of Alexandretta, probably Yumurtalik on the 

 bay of Ayas. I have already given some description 

 of the country in the course of the preceding narra- 

 tive, but before discussing the questions which are 

 suggested by a consideration of such a line in all its 

 bearings, it may be well to recapitulate briefly the 

 particulars of such description which bear directly upon 

 the construction of the railway. 



The direct road from Konia to Eregli lies across the 

 eastern extremity of the Axylon plain, which presents 

 to the eye an expanse of savage sterility which can 

 scarcely claim for itself any other term than that of 

 desert. For this reason the line makes a bend by 

 Karaman, more fortunate in being situated on the 

 fringe of the desert than Karabunar, a small village 

 which stands in the centre midway between Konia and 

 Eregli. It is at this latter place that the Bulgar Dagh 

 will be entered, and between here and Adana that the 

 descent of the Taurus will present a formidable though 



