ON THE EUPHRATES.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 April 1918, Page 3

ON THE EUPHRATES.

The cabled statement that British tirtoops advancing up the Euphrates have reached a point half-way between Bagdad and Aleppo means that a column has been pushed un the river as far as Salahieh at least. . The previous re'port was to the effect that the pursuit of the Turks had been carried as far as Ana, about eighty miles above Hit, Salaheih is seventy miles further in a direct line, and the route, which follows a big bend in the river, is a good deal longer. Ana and Salahei'’ are both on the west or Syrian bank of the river and the post road is on the other bank.

There is no particular temptation to the British to continue operations in this direction unless the cavalry, pressing after the retreating Turks, plans to carry out a distant reconnaissance towards Aleppo itself. Such ja movement is not impracticable, of course, and provided there is no serious opposition the mounted column might even advance far enough to provoke a counter-move-ment from Aleppo. As a rule Iho journey from Bagdad to Aleppo by the E'uprates route would be made by comparatively short stages, but a light column moves , rapidly. Salahied is, about 250 miles from Aleppo, and rather further from Damascus by tin desert post route. The river itself between Hit and Salahieh is not navigable. It is true that a good deal of traffic used to he carried down the river by raft, but the road is the highway. The river is either narrow and rocky or shallow fl"d full of islands. Cultivation is carried on by a few semi-settled Arabs, but on either side of the river valley is the desert, and although the maps show a good many villages these are for the most part the sites of ancient cities or heaps of ruins. Indeed the middle course of the river has been described as an avenue of ruins.

Up to the twelfth century there must have bees a fairly large population on either bank as far down as the Kharbur some fifty miles above Salahieh, and tinfrequent ruins show that in ancient times numerous cities managed to maintain themselves in what is now an inhospitable country. Now, except for the Bedouins who levy tribute on them, the region between Hit and Thapsacus, there is no continuous settlement along the river. Deir, Ana and Hit are the only (owns of importance. The river valley is said to be for the most part :i tangle of tamer, isk iimsrle. the haunt of thousands of wild pigs.