TIGRIS has two principal sources in Central Armenia, both of which spring from the southern slope of the Anti-Taurus, near those of the Araxes and Euphrates and not very distant from that of the Halys. was called Dijla by the Chaldmans ; and the designation applied to it in the Scriptures is Hiddekel, a name which it bears at the present day among a large portion of the people living near its banks. The western branch rises at a spot which is about 20 miles westward of Arghani Maden ; its course is north-eastward along the deep valley at the foot of the elevated ground of Kizan (4568 feet above the Black Sea), and, after having continued in the same direction towards the heart of Kurdistan, when a little more than 25 miles from the spring, it makes a sweep so as to take the direction of Arghani Maden, or nearly south.
Below Diyar Bekr the Tigris contains several islands. Its banks are thinly peopled, and the country about them is only partially cultivated ; but tbe pasture grounds are rich, and well suited for the visits of the nomadic tribes-vehich come occasionally t,o the river from the neighbouring countries. The windings of the Diyar Bekr river thus far have a length of rather more than 150 miles, whilst those of the tributary by Myafare kin are less than 100 miles. The Lesser Zab, or Altun Su, is augmented by a considerable stream coming from Koh-i-Sanjak, a town of 1000 houses, and distant about 40 miles north, 35 miles east ; from thence it becomes navigable by rafts. At their junction, the Tigris is about 500 yards broad, and a little below there is a kind of eetaract, called Kelah, where the descent is so rapid that the river appears as it were to run down-hill. This place is much dreaded by the people when descending in boats ; but it does not seem in reality to offer any serious impediment to the rafts eso frequently passing between Mosul and Baghdad. After the Tigris has succeeded in forcing its way through the Hamrin Hills, at a spot called El-Fattha, on the left bank, there is an abundant supply of sulphur; and, directly opposite, naphtha rises in great quantities from the bed of the river. The Tigris may bo considered as haviug an average width of 200 yards from Mosul to Baghdad, with a current in the high season of about 41 miles per hour. The country is highly cultivated from Mosul to Nimrud on both sides of the river ; but frotn the latter place to Tekrit all cultivation nearly ceases ; and it is but partially found in the tract along the river between Tekrit and Baghdad. The Tigris is navigable for rafts at certain seasons from the bridge of Diyar Bekr 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 per forated with ease and speed. Large rafts, sup
ported by 200 or even 300 inflated skins, are much in use for the transport of goods, and when the merchants are on board, a small room is raised on the raft in order to give shelter from the sun and rain. During the flood season the voyage is performed in three or four (lays, whereas at another time it requires about fifteen days. Th,e Euphrates steamer, under Lieutenant Lynch, went as high as the bund of Nimrud in 1838, and this officer made a map of the river, from Baghdad. to Mosul, by trigonometrical operations between points which were determined by astronomical observations. The raft con structed to carry the Right Honourable John Sullivan from Mosul to Baghdad in 1781, was supported by 200 skins, and had on it a small cabin.. Below the Tak-i-Kesra, or arch of Chos roes, and which marks the site of the ancient Ctesiphon, and a little lower down the remains of the ancient Seleueia, the continuations of the Tigris bear the well-known appelLstion of Shatt ul-Dijla as far as Kut-ul-Amara, a small town on the left bank, nearly midway between Baghdad and Kurna, being about 178 miles by water from the former city, and 97f miles directly S.S.E. from the latter. Lower down, after passing for abont 40 miles through marshes and coming near the tomb of Ezra, the river resumes its former size and character, as it winds in the general southern direction to Kurna., which place is 232 miles from Kut-ul-Amara by the windings, and 144f in direct distance. The svhole course, thus briefly described, may bo estimated at 1146 miles, svhich is little more than half tho length of tho sister stream, the Euphrates, from the sources of the latter to their junction at Kurna, but it dis charges more water, rowing to the numerous tributttries which it receives on its eastern side, among which may be particularly noticed the two Zab rivers, and the river Diyala. There are, however, only two feeders of any moment on the western side throughout the long distance from Diyar Bekr to Kurna. A colusiderable increase of the river Tigris takee place duriug the rains of November ; subsequently it decreases, and swells irregularly at intervals, till the different feeders aro bound up by the frost and snow of January in tho Kurdistan mountains. This serious check retards for a time the swelling of the river, therefore its permanent rise, like that of the Euphrates, does not usually begin till the middle of March. There is an active commerce along the Tigrie, between Basra and Baghdad, by means of large country boats, which go in fleets, and above the latter city it takes place chiefly by Lneans of rafts from Mosul.