RIVERS.
Nahr, . . ARAB., HEIL Rud, PERS.
Riviere, Fleuve, . FR. "Wah, . . . . SANBK.
GE& Waeter, . . . SAxoN.
Udor, GR. Wod, SLAV.
Naddi, . . . . /Imo. Itio, SP.
ifdr, . . . IsLasino. Ar,. . . . TAIL, TEL.
Flume, Riviera, . . l'rmak, Su, Clay, TURK.
Ka-Wa, Ga.wa, . JAP. Sind, . . . . . „ Flumen, . . . . LAT.
The principal rivers of the S. tuid E. of Asia flow into the Caspian Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal, and the Chinese Sea. The valleys of the Oxus, the Jaxartes, the Indus, and nearly the whole of that of the Euphrates, being at the extremities of Iran, that territory, in addition to the Tigris and Araxes, with their tributaries, has only tho advan tage of the Salyan, the Aji, Jeghetu, and Safed Rud towards the north ; the Zend-Rud, Indian, and 13endandr in the centre ; the Ilehnand, with its tributary, and the Farrah-Rud, more eastward. Besides these, there are some inferior streams, which after a short course are either lost by absorption or become saline. The Bay of Bengal receives the Ganges, Bralimaputra, Mahanadi, Godavery, Eistna, l'ennar, Cauvery, Irawadi, Salwin, etc.
Rivera of India, the areas of their basins and tho lengths of tho main streams, aro as under; area in English square miles, and length in English statute miles:— Tito Persian Gulf and the Ambian Sett receive tho rivers Shat-til-Anlb, Indus, Lunee, Nerbatida, Myhie, Tapti, and numerous streams and torrents from the 1Vestem Ghats. The Himalaya gives forth five great rivers,—the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Indus, Sutlej, and Kurnali or Gogra. These are called by the Tibetans, Tam-jan-khamba or Horse's Mouth, Shingh-gi-khamba or Lion's Mouth, Lang chan-kbamba or Bull's Mouth, and Mabja-khamba or Peacock's Mouth. The last four rivers drain the Kailas group of mountains. They rise close to the great Kailas Purbut.
The Euphrates, the Forat or Forath of the Hebrews, and the Perath or Phrath of the Arabs, rises near the shores of the Black Sea, and joins the Tigris after a course•of 950 miles. It has two great sources in the Armenian mountains, the more northern of which is the Anti-Taurus, 25 miles N.E. of Erzerum.
The Tigris river is known to the people as the Dijlab. It is formed of three main branthes,—the Diarbeker stream or true Tigris, the Myafarekin river, and the Bitlis-chai or Centrites of Xeno phon. It enters on the low country near Jazirah ;
at Argunna is but a little brook ; whilst the Euphrates, even at Malatea, is a very noble river, about a hundred yards wide. The Tigris varies as much in the rapidity as in the depth of its stream, both being governed by the periodical waters that rush from the mountains of Armenia, where its sources are about 50 miles north-west of the valley of Diarbeker. It flows theace with a swiftness that gave it the ancient Persian name of Tir, the arrow, which is descriptive of its course. The avemge rate of its current is about seven knots an hour. It begins to rise in March, is highest in May, and in June returns to its natural level. Its first swell is produced by the melting of the winter snows in the mountains ; its second appears towards the close of October or the beginning of November, and rises immedi ately after the annual rains in those high regions. But it is only during the spring torrents that a complete inundation covers the la,nd, and the city of Baghdad stands like a castellated island in the midst of a boundless sea. It has an average 'width of 200 yards from Mosul to Baghdad, with a current .in the high season of about 4+ miles per hour. The country is laighly cultivated from Mosul to Nimrud on both sides of the river, but from the latter place to Tekrit all cultivation nearly ceases ; and it is but paxtially found in the tract along the river between Tekrit and Baghdad. The Tigris is navigable for rafts at certain seasons from the bridge of Diarbeker to Mosul, a distance of about 296 miles. Below the latter place it is more or less so throughout the year, and the descent to Baghdad is performed with ease and speed. Lacrge rafts, supported by 200 or even 300 inflated &ins, are much in use for the transport of goods, nd when the mer chants are on board, a smal oom is raised on the raft in order to give shel from the sun and rain. Since the middle of t 19th century \01\ a steamship company has been traleking on the Tigris. The lands on either side Of\these two rivers are occupied by nomade tribes of Ara,bs. The two rivers unite near Kurnah, and form thnShat nl-Arab, which disembogues iuto the PersianGulf.