their Sard-abs,1 as it once did the luxurious monarchs into
the mountains of Media. This region is well adapted for
the growth of cotton, sugar, indigo, and many of the fruits
of a warm climate, especially dates, which, in the opinion of
most judges, excel those of Tafilah, and are decidedly finer
than any produced along the Nile. This superiority, however,
applies to the dates of the lower Euphrates only; for in
the neighbourhood of A'nah the tree begins to have a sickly
appearance, and the inferiority of the fruit is very perceptible
to the north of that parallel of latitude.
The next, or intermediate region, lies between ’Anah and
Balis, or as far as 36° north latitude. This, like the preceding,
is almost entirely a dead level; and, from its soil, or more
probably from the character of its inhabitants, it was considered
as a part of Arabia. There is, however, here and
there, chiefly along the river, some cultivation, intermixed
with good pasture-grounds, the latter affording a sufficiency
of herbage, except in summer, when the soil is burnt up by
the sun. At this season the heat is very great, especially
from mid-day till evening, but the nights are not oppressive.
Lying near the borders of a mountainous country, the winters
here are severe, and towards the northern extremity of the
district they are attended by an abundance of rain, snow, and
frost.
About the Khabur, the date tree almost ceases to bear;
but oranges, grapes, pears, apples, with other fruits and grain,
arrive at perfection.
The third and last district comprehends, in part, the
northern slopes of the Mesopotamian branch of the Taurus.
The eastern side, or the ancient Mygdonia, contains the volcanic
ranges of Sinjar, Mardin, and Diyar Bekr. It enjoys
a moderate degree of heat in summer, but the temperature is
very low during the winter months. ' The western tract, the
Osroene of the ancients, extends from the eastern side of the
Khabur, and includes Rakkah, Haran, O'rfah, and Sumeisat,
1 Vaulted subterraneous apartments, with a high square tower (Badgir),
acting like a wind-sail. The temperature is about 10° lower than that of the
coolest rooms above ground.
being hilly rather than mountainous, and at the same time
but little cultivated: it differs considerably from the preceding
district, especially as to temperature; for the inhabitants
experience what has been so expressively called by Humboldt
an extreme climate, the thermometer being as high as 110°,
under a tent, in July, and 8° below zero in winter, with a
continuance of snow for some weeks during the coldest part
Of the latter period. In the summer, and during the greater
part of autumn, there is scarcely any rain in Upper Mesopotamia
; but during the remainder of the latter season, and till
the snow is melted in the lower part of the neighbouring
range of the Taurus, it falls abundantly. This region, like
the district southward of the Khabur, abounds with the
ordinary kinds of grain; and the fruits of a warmer temperature,
such as oranges, grapes, and pomegranates, (which are
particularly fine,) walnuts, pistachios, and other products of
a colder region, are equally good. The country about Port
William has, at one season, the aigrette, the parrot, stork,
flamingo, bustard, and the turdus Seleucus, of which the last
feeds on that scourge of the country, the locust. These are
succeeded, at a later period, by wild geese, ducks, teal, swans,
snipes, tern, and the cinereous vulture.
’Anah, Rahabah, Mardin, Mosul, Arbel, Koi Sanjac, Ker-
kuk, Tekrit, Suleimaniyah, Zohab, and Khani-kin, are subject
to the pashalic of Baghdad; of which, however, Mesopotamia
constitutes the most important portion: but, a few years
back, O'rfah was included, and sometimes also Diyar Bekr.
The northern part, or that above the capital, is known to
the Arabs as A1 Jezireh, or the Island, and the remainder
as ’Irak Arabi; both of which, and the former especially,
being much esteemed for the excellency of the pasture, as
well as the fertility of the soil. The products of this region
are tobacco, Indian corn, wheat, barley, cotton, large quantities
of fine Wool, goats’-hair, with the addition of gall-nuts
and yellow berries in the mountainous parts to the north.
The fruits are grapes, melons, apricots, figs, cherries, pomegranates,
quinces, pears, and dates, all of which are abundant
wherever the least care is taken to cultivate them. The prer