the most considerable river of western Asia, is formed by the junction of two great streams rising in the mountains of Armenia, paschalie of Erzeroum, and uniting in about N. Lat. 39°, E. Long. 39°. The Frat or northern branch has its principal sources about 20 miles N.E. of the town of Erzeroum; and the Murad, on the north declivity of the Arghi-dagh mountains, 45 miles N.E. from the nearest point of lake Van. The Euphrates flows first to the south, but, being driven westward by the Anti-Taurus and Taurus mountains, it works its circuitous way through narrow passes and over cataracts, until, breaking through a defile formed by the eastern extremity of Mons Amanus (Alma-dagh) and the north-western extremity of Mons Taurus, it reaches the plain country not far from Samosata (Sumesat). It then winds south and south-east, passing the north of Syria, and the north-east of Arabia Deserta, and at length, after many windings, unites with the Tigris, and thus united, finds its termination in the Persian Gulf. In conjunction with the Tigris, it forms the rich alluvial lands of Mesopotamia, over which it flows or is carried by canals, and thus diffuses abroad fertility and beauty. At Baghdad and Hillah (Babylon), the Euphrates and Tigris approach comparatively near to each other, but separate again, forming a kind of ample basin, till they finally become one at Kurnah. Although occasionally much more, the breadth of the Euphrates varies between 200 and 400 yards, but for a distance of 60 miles through the Lemlun marshes the main stream narrows to about 80 yards. The general depth of the Upper Euphrates exceeds 8 feet. In point of current it is for the most part a sluggish stream; for, except in the height of the flooded season, when its flow approaches 5 miles an hour, it varies from 2½ to 3½, with a much larger portion of its course under 3 than above. Its general description for some distance below Erzingan is that of a river of the first order, struggling through high hills, or rather low mountains, making an exceedingly tortuous course, as it forces its way over a pebbly or rocky bed, from one natural barrier to another. As it winds round its numerous barriers, it carries occasionally towards each of the cardinal points a considerable body of water; and is shallow enough in some places for loaded camels to pass in autumn, the water rising to about 4½ feet. The upper portion of the river is inclosed between two parallel ranges of hills, covered for the most part with high brushwood and timber of moderate size, having a succession of long narrow islands. The principal towns on its banks are Sansat, Haoroum, Remkala, Bir, Giaher, Deir, Rava, Anah, Hadisa, El Oos, Jibba, Hit, Hillah, Lemlun, Kurnah, and Basrah. The scenery above Hit, in itself very picturesque, is greatly heightened by the frequent recurrence of ancient irrigating aqueducts, beautiful specimens of art, which are attributed by the Arabs to the Persians when fire-worshippers: they literally cover both banks, and prove that the borders of the Euphrates were once thickly inhabited by a highly civilized people. From Hit to Babylon the black tent of the Bedouin is almost the only kind of habitation to be seen. This distance is cultivated only in part; the rest is desert, occasionally interspersed with clusters of date-trees. In descending, the irrigating cuts and canals become more frequent. Babylon is encircled by two streams, one above, the other below the principal ruins; beyond which they unite and produce abundance. For about thirty miles below Hillah both banks have numerous mud villages, shaded by date trees; to these succeed huts formed of bundles of reeds. The country lower down towards Lemlun is level and little elevated above the river; irrigation is therefore easy: in consequence, both banks are covered with productive cultivation, and fringed with a double and nearly continuous belt of luxuriant date-trees, extending down to the Persian Gulf. At one mile and a half above the town of Dewania is the first considerable offshoot from this hitherto majestic river; another takes place 22 miles lower; and nine miles farther—at Lemlun—it again separates into two branches, forming a delta not unlike that of Damietta, and when the river is swollen, inundating the country for a space of about 60 miles in width with a shallow sheet of water, forming the Lemlun marshes, nearly the whole of which is covered with rice and other grain when the river recedes (in June). Below Lemlun the Tigris sends a branch to the Euphrates, which is thus increased in its volume; and turning to the east, receives the chief branch of the Tigris, thence running in a single stream, under the name of the Shat-el-Arab, as far as the Persian Gulf. In this last part the river has a depth of from 3 to 5 fathoms, varies in breadth from 500 to 900 yards, and presents banks covered with villages and cultivation, having an appearance at once imposing and majestic. The length of the entire stream is 1400 miles. It is very abundant in fish. The water is somewhat turbid; but, when purified, is pleasant and salubrious. The Arabians set a high value on it, and name it Morad Sou; that is, Water of Desire or Longing. The river begins to rise in March, and continues rising till the latter end of May. The consequent increase of its volume and rapidity is attributable to the early rains, which, falling in the Armenian mountains, swell its mountain tributaries; and also to the melting of the winter snows in these lofty regions. About the middle of October the Euphrates has reached its lowest ebb, and ceasing to decrease, becomes tranquil and sluggish.

The expedition sent out by the British government, under the direction of Colonel Chesney, navigated the Euphrates in 1836 from Bireh-jik to its estuary, a distance of 1117 miles; and besides throwing much light on a country then very imperfectly known to Europeans, proved that there exist no serious obstacles to the navigation of that river by moderate-sized steamers thus far; and even for 88 miles above Bireh-jik to Beles, an important station in a commercial point of view.

The East India Company sent a small flotilla in 1841, under the command of Captain C. D. Campbell of their navy, to ascertain the navigability of the Euphrates. The expedition proved highly successful, having traversed the course of the stream for 1030 miles above its mouth. Mr Floyd, the surgeon of the flotilla, writing from Belis, June 6, 1841, says—"I am now near Aleppo, having completed the ascent of the Euphrates, without doubt one of the noblest rivers in Asia. Here, at a distance of a thousand miles from its embouchure in the Persian Gulf, it is 400 yards broad and very deep. The Euphrates differs very little from the Tigris up to Hilla, a Turkish Arab town, built near the site of ancient Babylon, except that its banks are much better cultivated, and in some the date-tree (the Palma daeetifera) adds to the picturesque meanderings of the river; while in others, a mosque, with its lacquered dome rising from a group of willows, is a pleasing variety from the monotony of the surrounding district. The river is inclosed within a valley of high rocks, which extend from its source to below Hit. They are composed of gypsum, sandstone, and conglomerates, with mica and felspar. This climate is delightful, and produces all the varieties of European fruit, besides many of the tropical ones lower down the river. The only obstacle to the navigation consists in the remains of the water wheels used for irrigation. In the short space of 130 miles we found nearly 300 of these wheels, about one-third of which are in operation at the present day. They consist of large parapet walls built into the stream, directing the current of the river to the wheels, which are the most clumsy piece of mechanism, made of branches of trees, and have slung round them 150 clay vessels to raise the water in. The wheels are forty feet in diameter, placed at the end of an aqueduct raised upon well-built Gothic arches. It is surprising the quantity of water they raise to the surface. They cause a current of six or seven knots, with a fall of two or three Eupolis feet where they are placed, so that the navigation of this part of the river is difficult and somewhat dangerous. The Tigris is now proved navigable to Mosul, the site of the ancient Nineveh; and the Euphrates to Baulus—I might say even to the heart of Taurus."