of his horse full of earth for this purpose. It exactly resembles the tumuli to be met with in Syria and in the plains of Shahrazü, near Suleimániyeh.

6th. At 9h. 55m. A.M. left Sámarráh, and had hardly proceeded an hour before we grounded on a pebbly shoal. From Sámarráh to this place we had been struggling hard against the violence of the stream, and had nearly surmounted a fall of water over a shoaly spot, when, the engines losing their power, the vessel's keel touched the ground, and in an instant she was thrown on the bank, with her port broadside exposed to a stream running nearly 7 geographical miles per hour. I have been many times aground both in the Upper Euphrates and in this river, but in a worse position than this I was scarcely ever placed.

The shore was 290 yards distant, and the dropping of anchors in the stream, from long experience was known to be useless, as, from the hardness of the bottom, they came home with the slightest strain. After 6 hours' hard labour, we succeeded in getting an anchor buried on shore, and a chain of 150 fathoms attached to it brought off across the rapid stream to the vessel. We now thought the heaving-off certain, and were congratulating ourselves on our success, when the chain snapped in two, and the vessel swung round with a heavy crash as if her bottom was stove in, her head down, and the starboard broadside now receiving the whole weight of the stream. We tried in vain to connect our chain again during a heavy squall of thunder, lightning, and rain, and at length desisted for the night. During the night the stream forced the lee side of the vessel higher up on the bank, while the weather side heeled over to starboard into deep water, occasioned by the heavy current acting against the vessel, and cutting or abrading away the bank below us. At daylight the port side of the vessel was nearly dry, while the water was within 18 inches of the starboard scuttles, and had we remained much longer in this position, she might have turned over, or perhaps filled when the water reached them. At dawn of day, however, we were again at work, and happily succeeded in connecting the chains. From that time till

1h. 20m. P.M. we hove at intervals a heavy strain, by which the vessel righted, and eventually came off the ground by allowing the stream to catch her on the opposite quarter.

Part of the Shammár Arabs under Nejiris are roaming about this part of the country, as are the Al Bú Ḥamed (family or tribe of Father Aḥmed). Large herds of their camels are grazing around, and enjoying the rich grass which abounds everywhere at this season. Some of the tribe approached the vessel when aground, and a Bedouin I have with me was sent to beg them to offer no molestation to our crew while burying the anchors on shore. Two of the party were present at the affray in which

Suleimán Mírzá lost his life, and in which our friend Tímúr was severely wounded by a spear which passed through his lungs. They inform us that the person who slew Suleimán Mírzá, by severing his head from his body at one blow, met his death a few days afterwards from an Ajeïl Arab when they attacked a caravan. They also profess to regret the circumstances attending the attack on the Princes, and say they have not known "good since." Their chiefs have been killed," and their children have died, their favourite mares are barren and suffering from disease, and happiness has left their homes." Some English iron, I believe, belonging to Messrs. Lynch and Co., of Baghdád, was offered to us for sale, for a mere nothing. This had been plundered from a caravan a few months previously, and a common bottle taken from some of Suleimán Mírzá's party was tendered to us for the exorbitant price of 2 gházís (about 8s.). The former offer, I replied, I could not accept, as I too had iron for sale, and pointed to the 9 lb. shot, which Sayyed told me caused some amusement. The latter I did not want, and offered them as many as they wished for, which soon lowered the price of their commodity. These people appear to be the terror of Al-Jez'írah from their lawless habits. The Shammár, though feared, are much less dreaded.

8th. The river rose 3 inches last night. We weighed at 6 A.M. with cloudy weather and a S. wind, which, should it freshen, may assist. At 7h. 17m. "Ashik bore W. three-quarters of a mile distant; Kahf-el-Kelb, some high mounds S. of "Ashik, 201°; Sámarráh 137°; Malawiyah 129°, with the mounds of Mashukah nearly in a line with it; the palace 112°. The river from this point trends more to the N.E. for a short distance along the cliffs forming the eastern boundary of the valley of the Tigris, thence N. to Shmás, some modern ruins which extend a considerable distance to near Abú Delif, a miniature repetition of the Malawiyah, which we passed at 11, a moderate S. wind materially promoting our progress. At 1h. 10m. we arrived opposite the mounds of Mehjir and the Kantarah-el-Resas, signifying "the bridge of lead," and although not actually a bridge, in our acceptation of the word, but a dam to confine the water in the dry season, it might have answered both purposes, or the name may be more probably modern and brought into use only since the decay of the canal.

Many encampments of the Shammár on the right bank near Haweïşilát were passed. They extend nearly up to Mosúl. These people are, however, migrating towards Baghdad, as Sufúk, the chief Sheikh, advances to the S. The parties of Nejiris and Sufúk are not now on friendly terms, owing to the Páshá of Baghdád (Nejib) having invested the former as sheikh of the tribe, while the latter claims it as a right. Ahmed-el-Ķádí (a connec

tion by marriage of Sufúk) informed me this morning that the 'Abeid once possessed the whole of Northern Mesopotamia, and that the present Shammár usurped the country. He says: "Two Shammár families, with their tents, originally wandered from Nejd, and after some time encamped with the 'Abeïd. Among the chattels of the new comers a wooden bowl of extraordinary dimensions was observed, but it excited no further curiosity till the strangers invited some of the then holders of the soil to a feast, when the bowl was set before the guests filled with mutton, butter, and the usual ingredients of Arab fare. The dinner was duly despatched, and the 'Abeïd, on returning to their tents, were talking of the munificence of the strangers and the unusual dimensions of the wonderful bowl. A greybeard of the tribe who had not been at the feast listened in silence for some time, when starting up, to the dismay of his friends, he demanded that the newly arrived strangers should be immediately put to death, adding, with the air of a prophet, that the famous bowl told a story in itself, and that ere long many strange fingers would be dipped into it. It literally happened as the old man had foretold. His voice was over-ruled in the assembly, and the strangers' lives were spared. A few months afterwards Shammár after Shammár arrived and feasted from the much-dreaded bowl. A few years sufficed for the total expulsion of the 'Abeïd, and instead of being lords of the soil, that once powerful tribe became Felláhs and slaves to the formidable Shammárs." Such was Ahmed's account of the origin of the Shammárs in Mesopotamia, but nevertheless the 'Abeïd are still powerful enough to render themselves obnoxious to the government. They at present occupy the country opposite Tekrít, and, I believe, now never cross into Mesopotamia.

At 3h. 15m. the tomb of Imám Mohammed Dúr, at Dúr, bore E. In shape it is a cone, similar to that of the tomb of Zobeïdeh in Baghdad, on a square base. The village is a collection of miserable houses on the undulating mounds which form the E. margin of the valley of the Tigris, and boasts of a small minaret. Mr. Rich appears to identify this spot with the plains of Dura mentioned in Scripture. The river opposite to the village is divided into numerous narrow channels, through which it flows at a very rapid pace. We came to an anchor about one mile above the village.

The inhabitants soon assembled. The Páshá's letter was presented, and received with every mark of respect. After a short consultation, a boisterous fellow was called for, with hands stained with indigo; he was a dyer by trade, as well as a Mulláh and teacher of the youth of Dúr. The letter was handed to him to read aloud, for the satisfaction of his auditors, who formed a circle round him. Thrusting his right hand into his pocket, which was

capacious enough to hold any one of his scholars, he produced a pair of spectacles, and, fixing himself in a commanding position, vociferated forth the contents of the missive at the full pitch of his stentorian voice. When he concluded, a buzz of applause signified the approbation of the assembly and their willingness to act in any way I might require.

To the E. of Dúr, about 1 mile, there is a high tumulus named Tel Benát, or the "daughter's mound." It is similar to the Tel Alíj, and can be seen at some distance off, from its insulated position on the plain. Between it and the village there are many lime-kilns. Lime is here found in great quantities, and Baghdad is chiefly supplied from this place; it is conveyed on rafts down the Tigris. I remarked that the inhabitants here generally appear sickly, and sore eyes seem to afflict the greater part of the community. Some of the women were very pretty and fair, and evinced no alarm at coming near the vessel.

9th.-We continued our ascent. The river above this place is new to us, not having gone beyond Dúr when we attempted the ascent in 1843. Indeed, had we not been favoured with a strong wind, I fear our present attempt would have been attended with the like disappointment. At 10h. 50m. a small enclosure in the háwí, on the left bank, bore E. two miles; it is called Khán Jozám, and affords protection to the cultivators when threatened by plundering parties of the 'Abeïd or Shammár. The tomb in Dúr bore, at the above time, 157°; the river from Dúr to this place is known by the name of the Khán, and is much intersected by islands, which render the main channel extremely sinuous. Our ascent so far has been one continued struggle against a rapid stream with falls every half-mile, which the vessel can scarcely overcome. Progressing steadily against these difficulties, we arrived opposite Sheri'at el Wojá, a landingplace formed by a gap in the cliffs on the W. side of the Tigris; rom this Dúr bore 149°; caravans here halt for water. At

7 P.M. we anchored at Tekrít, and received a visit from its Governor, Mustafá Efendí, who put the resources of the town at our disposal, and rendered us much service by placing at our command several Khavvases, without which we could scarcely hope to complete the supply of fuel for the vessel, the crowd around being so great.

In the evening I walked to the top of the cliff on which the old citadel stood; it bears evidence of former strength, and, being naturally almost inaccessible, must have been completely so when fortified. The front facing the river is quite perpendicular, and exhibits horizontal strata of stiff clay, red earth, fine sand, and conglomerate, in successive layers from the water's edge to its summit; this is the general formation of the cliffs bounding each

side of the valley of the Tigris, from Sámarráh to Tekrít. This insulated cliff is about 130 yards long by 70 broad, and in height 86 feet from the water's edge; but the fragments of the former buildings scattered over its summit increase it to 100 in its highest part. Large massive bastions of lime and pebbles, faced with solid brick-work, are still remaining round the cliff, between which the wall once stood. On the S. face, between the citadel and the modern town, and half-way down the cliff, two buttresses, of the same construction as the bastions, point out the situation of the gateway; the bricks which faced them have been carried away. A deep ditch, about 30 yards in breadth, but now filled up with rubbish, conveyed the water of the Tigris around the base of the citadel, thus. completely insulating and rendering it impregnable, before artillery was known. S. of this, on another detached hill, stands the modern town, formerly girt round by a wall which has fallen to decay; it contains at present about 300 miserable houses and 1000 inhabitants, but the space formerly occupied by the ancient town is of great extent. Some ruins called Kanísah (Church') are still shown. A few years ago, when Sufúk, the Shammár sheikh, invested the town, a trench was dug by the inhabitants for defence; in it many earthenware urns and sepulchral vases were found, one of which, in the possession of Mulláh Rejeb, spoken of by Dr. Ross in his Journal, I with difficulty procured from the owner. It is surmounted by figures of men and birds, of a curious but rude execution, and is probably Babylonian. The modern town has two mosques, but no minarets; the streets are kept free from filth, and altogether have an appearance of cleanliness and order seldom seen in Eastern towns.

I am told, on an emergency, 400 matchlocks and guns can be collected for the defence of the place, and am inclined to believe that this is rather under than above the true amount. It is cer

tain that the Tekrítís have maintained their position against the Arabs, and even compelled the powerful sheikh of the Shammárs to relinquish his intended assault on the place, by the menacing attitude they assumed.

Mr. Rich, in speaking of this place in the flourishing times of Dávud Páshá, states that it was then farmed for 22,000 Constantinople piastres annually, and that it boasted at that time of 600 houses. I presume this must be a mistake; for at present, though its dwellings are but half that number, and its population proportionably small, from the effects of the plague and other causes, the proprietor or farmer pays yearly to the government of Baghdád a sum three times as large as that mentioned by Mr. Rich; 68,000 Constantinople piastres, or a sum equal to about 6007., is the amount paid this year. Great complaints are made by