428 
THE GREAT PLAIN 
which they are remarkably fond, all are produced by this boun¬ 
teous tree. The fruit these people presented us, was nearly 
equal to the particularly fine fresh dates I was treated with on 
my arrival at Bagdad ; and bunches of the same were hanging in 
enormous clusters on the trees when I left that town. The ma¬ 
terial they set before us to give light, was an oil pressed from a 
plant called Serzan, that grows wild in the desert, and which 
also serves for various other household uses. 
December 3d. — We left Howish this morning at eight o’clock; 
the country before us appearing thickly shaded to the north 
and north-west with date-woods, in the midst of every one of 
which may be found a village. Our course was now N. 50’ E. 
on an average, passing in our way many of these bowery ham¬ 
lets ; amongst the most considerable, are those of Galbea, 
Lukmanea, Hoppop, &c., all plentifully supplied with water, 
brought by irrigating canals from the river Diala, which flows 
on the eastward. Towards the end of this day’s journey, some 
very lofty snow-topped mountains appeared against the sky, in 
the direction we were going, every step drawing us nearer to 
the wintry north ! Our halting-place was Deltawa, which we 
reached at noon, having travelled 16 miles. 
December 4th. — Quitted our quarters at sun-rise, that is, a 
few minutes before seven o’clock. The country, as usual, level, 
in good cultivation, and the road excellent. In a couple of 
hours we reached the abrupt shores of the variously winding 
Diala. Its width here, is double what I had found it at Bacoubi; 
but we soon left its verdant banks, crossing a naked tract, or 
peninsula, formed by its widely sinuous wanderings. Our course 
was N. 60° E., on a ground most terribly rent with water-fur¬ 
rows, as well as broken by the remains of ancient canals, or, 
