308 Journal of a Steam Trip to the north of Baghdad. [April, 



cultivated, by the Jeboar Arabs on the east and Mahjamma on the 

 west. Obtained the following bearings and angles from the masthead 

 when at anchor. True bearing of the Maluryeh near Samarrah 328°. 

 151 Ghaim,* at the head of the south branch of the Nahrwan 19° left 

 of the Maluryeh. Tombs of the Imams at Samarrah 3° 20' left. Khan 

 Mazrakji right 1 10° 40'. S. W. angle of the old fort of Qadesiyeh left 

 1 5° 33'. Shortly after sunset the south wind fell and heavy rain fol- 

 lowed with thunder and lightning, but before morning the sky again 

 became clear. 



At sunrise, on the 5th resumed our route, contending against a heavy 

 stream of 6 knots an hour, and occasional slight rapids in the narrow 

 channels. Reached our fuel at Qadesiyeh at 7h. 48m. 



While taking in wood I visited the remains of the old fortress and 

 city of Qadesiyeh, f situate about one mile from the river. I never had 

 so agreeable a walk. The country is literally covered with wild grass 

 of every description in full blossom. Flowers of every tint and hue 

 were crushed beneath our footsteps, and the very air was impregnated 

 with their odour. It is of an octagonal form, with round towers at each 

 angle, between which 16 buttresses or bastions are placed, 37$ paces 

 distant from each other. A gap exists in the centre of either side, 

 which no doubt, held the gates of the fortress, but all traces of them 

 are now gone. The wall by measurement was originally 50 feet in 

 thickness, and is at present about 25 feet high. Its interior face must 

 have comprised an entire range of vaulted chambers, one of which is 

 still entire and affords a good specimen of the whole structure. It is 

 built of sun-dried clay bricks 18 inches square and 5 thick, No build- 

 ings, at present, exist within its area, but on minute examination, at 

 one-third the distance across the interior from its western side, I 

 discovered the traces of a wall, which extended from the southern 

 ramparts, in a line due north, for 1 240 paces. This line of wall at 



* See note page 305. This I have erroneously termed the south branch instead of the 

 one referred to in page 305. t A rough plan accompanies these notes. 



X Fraser in his Mesopotamia and Assyria, describes the distance as 10 to 12 yards. 

 How he lias fallen into this error I am at a loss to conceive. If his distance were correct 

 the circumference of the walls of this large fort would be, in round numbers, but 1400 

 yarJs, whereas from actual measurement by pacing, I made its diameter alone 1500 

 yards, its circumference therefore as a regular octagon would amount to nearly 4500 

 yards, or above two and half English miles. 



