Page 579 - Arabian Gulf Intellegence

GULF OF PERSIA. 535

of from twenty to ten lathoms, over a bottom of sand and rocks, in
lat. 26° 20' 40" N., long. 56° 29' E. ; bears fromt he Great Quoin
S. 29° W. It contains about three hundred inhabitants, subject to the
Imaum of Muskat. These people are very poor, and appear a separate
class from either Arab or Persian. Although most of them speak Arabic
or Persian, amongst themselves they have a separate language. Some
few of them reside on the sides of the hills, and live by their scanty
flocks of goats, which feed on the few shrubs found there.
Jazeerat Goon.
About three miles north-east of Koomza is situated Jazeerat Goon, a
high, rugged island, about one mile in length, and half a mile in
breadth, having on its south-east end a point like a steeple. The depth
round it is from eighty to sixty fathoms.
The Quoins.
The Quoins are three rocks, near each other; two of them forming
in some views like a Quoin, which name has been given them by
European navigators. By the Arabs they are called Salama (welcome).
The Great Quoin, called by the Arabs Salama, is in lat. 26° 30' 25"
N., long. 56° 34' 20" E. It bears N. 8° 34' W. from Ras Musseldom,
distance seven miles nearly, and is between two and three hundred
feet high, its highest part being to the north-west. The Little Quoin
bears from it S. 41^° E., nearly two miles ; and Gap Island, the smallest
of the three, bears S. 70° 24' E. from the Great Quoin. Both these
latter are called by the Arabs Bennaat. They have safe channels
between them, which may be passed in case of necessity with
soundings from twenty-two to forty-five fathoms; between them and
the main the soundings are from forty-five to ninety fathoms.
Bab Shereetah.
Bab Shereetah, or Perforated Rock, in lat. 26° 23' 54" N., long.
26° 57' 32" E., bears from the Great Quoin S. 45° 8' E., distant nine
and a quarter miles ; is thirty or forty feet high ; has a hole through its
centre ; is a few yards long, and narrow.
Jazeerat Aboorashid.
Jazeerat Aboorashid is north of Koomza two and a half miles, is
about one mile long, and rather more than a quarter of a mile broad •
has a conical hill on its southern part, and steep cliffs all round,
It is
about one-third of a mile off shore,
Near this, in mid-channel, is a
remarkable rock, called Bab Makaliff.
Remaiks. Several small rocks, some fifteen feet, others less, above
^ater, lie near this, and the eddies caused by them, together with the
"regularity of the
currents, render it unsafe for navigation. Between