Identifier: byniletigrisnarr01budguoft (find matches)
Title: By Nile and Tigris : a narrative of Journeys in Egypt and Mesopotamia on behalf of the British Museum between the years 1886 and 1913
Year: 1920 (1920s)
Authors: Budge, E. A. Wallis (Ernest Alfred Wallis), Sir, 1857-1934
Subjects: Egypt -- Antiquities Egypt -- Description and travel Iraq -- Description and travel Iraq -- Antiquities
Publisher: London : Murray
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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voidcollision with native craft and huge rafts, made ofreeds piled up to a height of 12 or 15 feet, which weredriving down the river out of all control. The reedswhich form these rafts are cut in the upper country, andtied in large bundl^^s. The bundles are thrown into thewater nTcar the bank, and roped firmly together untilthey form a rectangular raft about 60 feet long and 20 feetbroad. This raft is kept close to the bank by means of with a slanting roof, made of wood, and covered with green velvet.The dimensions were about 8 feet by 4, and 6 high to the ridge ofthe roof, with a passage of about 3 feet between it and the wallsof the room. Its corners and tops were ornamented with large bcdlsof copper gilt. The person, an Arab, who showed us the tomb, toldus that it was of Ezra, whom the Mahometans call Ozeir, and makehim out the nephew of Moses. He further informed us that a Jew,by name Khoph Yakoob, erected the present building over it aboutthirty years ago. To face p. 172, vol. i.
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Amdrah and Imam AH ash-Shar^f. 173 ropes fastened to stakes driven into the ground. Thenmore bundles of reeds are laid on, each being tied to theother, and this process is repeated until the massof bundles of reeds is 12 or 15 feet high. Two men,provided with axes, then mount the raft, taking with thema supply of provisions, and when the final ropes are fixedthe anchoring ropes are let go, and several men pushthe mass out into the stream as far towards the middleas possible. The raft is thus carried down the river, andwhen it reaches the country below Basrah the men on itcut the ropes which hold the bundles together, and theyfall into the stream. Natives of the various villages thenswim out and drag the bundles ashore, and when driedthey make the reeds into baskets. For safety the menon such rafts often rope three or four of them together,and then the rafts go down stream in a sort of processionand are a real danger to small craft which cannot getout of their way. I saw one such proce

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