Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-10-25
NAVIGATION OF TUE EUPHRArES.
FROM rnr LrvsRrooL TINES.

ago. having on board two IRON steamboats, and o h,
cargo OF similar unusual description. The d.
tnAtiou Of the vessel 1t COW appears, was the PEI
si,n Gulf, the steamers having been constructed h
order of the East India Company, to act as IL
ulla for asccrtsining the navigability ofthe rive
Euphrates. The expedition has been highly sue
ccssful, having raversed the course Of the stroIr
100 miles from It's mouth-nn achievement neyc
before accomplished, and fully establishing the su
periotty vi modern skill and science over the rude
resources of the ancients. We have been iavoret
with the following extracts hom n private lotte
written by MIR. Floyd, the surgeon of the hOtllla 4
professional friend, Mr.. Potter, OF Liverpool, an,
brought 10y the last overland conveyance. They
will, we think, be found well worthy of pcrusal by
those who take an interest in scientific operations
and IN the remarkable countries To which they re
late. The letter is dated Bells, June 6.
81 have travelled over the greater part OF NeSopo
tania, got licked aud puudered | have trace
the expedition of the ten thousa nd Greeks under
Cyrus the younger, and Identified many of the CT.
ties IN their route. | am now near Aleppo' with
the 1pa, having completed tho ascent oi the river
Euphrates, without doubt one OF the nobleSt rivers
al ASA; here at a distance o. 100 miles from it's
emJOuehare in the Persian Gulf, 1t is 400 yards
broad, and very deep. What a boast for England,
upon whose hls the sun never sets, that the Brit
ish ensign now floats IN the breeze IN the very cen
ire OF the land ofthe Crusaders an OF the Courte-
nays one whose OF castles Jiaber' said to bc found
ed by Alexander the Great, towers malestlcally
over our heads The 3lst ot May, lSiI, was the
happy day which crow ned our efforts with success,
and the distant Taurus soon re echoed the Royal
salute which we hred IN honor OF the OCCASION
The Euphrulcs differs little from the Tigr!s up 10
Hnla, Turkish-A rab town. the site OF
ancient BibylUn, except that its banks better
cultivated, and IN places the date tree (Pdlmas ddc.
tiilerus) adds to the picturesque meanderinGs Of
the river; wA,le IN others mosque, with its lac
quero lone RISING fom grove twill ows, is pleas
Ing variety from the monoIOny OF the surrounding
di.tric'. Winding its way through the ruins of
fallen Babylon, the river passes PersAom, then the
q ell O..
sad commenced their ever memorable retreat.
Then comes Umbar, once the seat OF Cufisisn
Bishop; linen Chnrmand, some RUNS opposite The
Pyor of %enophon; ana then Hit, tue Is Of Scrip.
turo, and famed for ITS fountains Of btun.en aud
napha, which is in such Abundance that u spreads
itself over the ca III. The river now rcosCd
within a valley al high rocks, which extends from
its source to below Hit, They are composed of
gypsum, sand stones, and CoIgomeritcs with mi-
a and ieitspar. The ancient Anliho where Julian
lost port Of his feet the place ofimporlunce:
taen comes Enri, tic river ChaOourUt Ezekiel, Al
Dair the Ihdpshc OF Scripture, and the ancient part
at Palmyra; and, lastly, the ruined castles OF Rncca-
la, Tenuba, RlCca, and JIabe; all situa ed upon
isolated rocks commanding the passes of the river.
These fot;rcsSes tom their differing entirely from
all others Oi like nature m this country and from
the Roman arch prevailing, appear 10 me TO have
lesG the frontier posts otthat empire against the Par
taiars TIE nrtvss have tradition that they
were bui Ivy ;hC English during the crusades, ana
IL is not mplu AISLE yg- that they were occupied 10y
the enthusiastic BOO overs OF Courtenay while he
reisncd az g.t.. Besides the towns which have
enumrta;ci .nrr5 ayeral Is ands, many Of which
are well $50 fa 8 amongst item | may mention
Juba, llatthr, arl = rpse, strongly tortiei, nav
ing each 500 iuu,ur .uIs, and beautifully situated
IN the valley OF the E Iphrates, between Hat ana
Anna The climate Is delightful, aud produces al,
the varieties Of European iTull, besides many OF the
tropical ones lower down the river. Ii re is the
only Oostlce TO the navigation OF this river. |. con-
s.s's IN the remains OF the water "hces used for
irrigation In the short space of 100 miles, we found
nearly 500 OF these wheels about third OF which
are in operation ct the present day. They consist
OF large plrapet walls built into the s.IClm, direct
ing the current Of the river TO the wheels, which
the most clumsy pieces of mechanism, made OF
branches Of trees aud having s.ung round them $50
clay vessels to raise the wafer M. The wheels are
40 feet IN diameter, placed at the cad OF an aque-
duct raised upon Gothic arches. They are the
nearest approach to perpetual motion ihiJ | have
SEEM and lis surprising the quantity oil water winch
they raise 10 the surface They cause d current OF
SIX or seven knots, with fall OF two three feet
where they are, that tins part Of the river is diff
cul; and somewhat dangerous; but as II Is, have
sutmOuu'Cd x | should rather say the genius and
skill OF Messrs. J. l. iird and Macgregor, who fur
nshel the bouts and engines, have overcome costa.
ccs which baiiled the well disciplined legIons OF
Traian and Julian, when they went TO besiege CIe-
sphon, and failed 10 drag their fleets against the
stream ON account Of the current. The Tigns TO
MOsul, The site OF the ancient Nnevah, and the EG-
pirates to Baulus-l might say 10 the heart Of the
Taurus (tor we may 90 highsr)-lre now proved
navgabe. May British enterprise DIVE from
this field the Austrian and Russian who now o.
cupy il, and may civilization, flying the wings
of commerce, carry with 1t the blessings Of the
Gospel salvation! Yes here is fine field for the
missionary and the merchant. To the former II opens
up the Christians of a thousand hiIls-the ArmenI-
ans the Chaieans, the HISTORIANS, Mlronites, the
disciples Of ST. John, the worshippers OF the Devil
(who inhobi, the Tinjar HiIs,) and the Arabs; but
the time for the conversion of the latter fear, has
yet come. To the merchant j; offers market
for the cOlions Of Manchester, the cutlery OF Biz
mingham and all sorts OF trnketry; in return, they
might get the splendid wool of Arabia, far superior
TO any thing | ever ut home, the Cashmere
wool which is brought to Bagdad, ga-Duis, the
gum sanjrac, myrfh, the baisams from the south,
pearls, diamonds, and tuTquoises, iiOm Persia; all
which might be conveyed by steam up the Eu
hratcs to Bells, thence TO the Mediterranean four
dlys journey. So much for the commercial al.
yaniages 10 be derived from the opening OF the Eu.
pirates; LEI us now look 10 the political. a COM
munlcauon IS kept Up with our Indian possessions
independent Of that OF Egypt-o great advantage 10
late broii with that Power; India IS reached 30
a much shorter time than by the Red Sea; the mis-.
sion IN Persia Is brought much nearer; and the
means exist OF throwing an Indian army either toto
the heart Of Persia or Syria IN the space OF a few
weeks. Surely these things, taken collective y, re.
Il ct great credit on the wisdom Of those who have
designed and supported the expedition Throughout,
nnd placed j. upon It's present prosperous footing"
A short time ago there appeared in the newspa-
pers brief statement Of the arrival Of two steamers
a Balls on the Euphrates. Our readers who o. d.
along had full and complete accounts Of the Eu-
pirates expedition, will he glad TO hear OF the sue
cessul termination Of this enterprise. 1t will be re-
Inemberod that after the loss Of the Tigris steamer
the Euphrates attempted The ascent, but failed on
account OF her deep duught OF water which
amounted N three feet while the Tisris only drew
eighteen inches. Colonel Chesney ard the officers
OF tho Euphrltcs having returned 70 Eng ard, the
charge Of the steamer left entrusted 10 Captain
Lynch, OF the Indian Navy, who between that %.
ID and the present, effected two very remarkable
exploits first, the oscCnt Of the rVer Igrs far as
close 90 where II receives the Great %, and where
he was not stopped 5Y want Of water, bot 5y the
force Of the currents the second was, 20 lfkc the
steamer from the rIvtr IigrIs 70 the IrAlalss by
pam Of BaOyiona. 30 the accomplishment Il this
latter task, the paddle boxes were tometimes both
suspended over hard and dry ground.
Government, however, never abandoned the ORR
Cinll undertaking; aud between that period and this
no fewer than four iron steamers Of light drauch,
at water, and constructed for river service, have
been sent to the Euphutes but, unfortunately, with
inefficient crews OF tho ascent Of chat great riyCt
would have teen before attempted. Two OF these
steamers I've believe the Nitocus and Semiramis.
have now accomplished what puts beyond all doub
tha long ycKed question ms to the possibility Of ul-
yigatng the nvor Euphrates.
We are not, 40 the twelfth hour going 20 rur
over again the important commercial and pO.iucl
advantages, and, still more, the great advantages Il
progressive civilization, which the opening Of suc
O. navigation offers To Great Britain, add 20 Sympa
inzrug humanity, wherever II is 10 be found. Lc
us hope that while other nations arc talking OF ties