Page 589 - Arabian Gulf Intellegence
P. 589
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GTJLF OF PERSIA.
Cattle, very fine, though small, and other supplies, arc to be had
here; fresh water is procurable about half a mile from the town, Nearer
the entrance of the creek, to the southward of the town, is a mound of a
round form, which will be discerned before the town, and by which it
may be known. The shore may be approached, in case of an attack on
the town, to within two or three cable-lengths, but the anchorage is
very bad, being broken rock, and sand, You have here two and three
fathoms close to the beach, and five about a mile and a quarter out; but
you should not anchor under five fathoms, with the entrance of the
creek about SE.byS. Fish arc plentiful. The inhabitants are ail
strict Mahomedans, partly Soonees and partly Wahabees. It is high-
water here full and change at 12h. 40m., rise and fall between six and
seven feet.
A boo Heyle.
Aboo Heyle is a small village, situated about three miles to the SW.
of Shargali, on the same creek with Khan village, on the other bank.
They jointly contain about two hundred and fifty inhabitants, of various
tribes, mostly fishermen, and are subject to Shargah.
Dara.
Dara, a small village in lat. 25° 16' 50" N., long. 55° 26' E., now de
serted and in ruins, was lately occupied by about four hundred of the
Souidan Tribe, having established themselves there after some quarrel
with the Shaikh of Shargah, when they quitted that place in 1S26.
Debate.
Debaye, in lat. 25° 16' 26" N., long. 55° 24' 42" E., bears from
Shargah S. 36° W., distant seven and a half miles, and stands, like most
other towns on this coast, on the banks of a backwater, although rather
more elevated than most of them, being about twenty feet above the level
of the sea. It is inhabited by about seven or eight hundred of the Beniyas
Tribe, and is defended by some towers. They are in some measure
dependent on the Imaum of Muskat, who pays for the alliance of this
tribe.
They possess several trading boats, and send a number of boats to the
pearl fishery. There were here about one hundred Siddees, in the pay
of the Imaum of Muskat, who formed a sort of garrison. Debaye may
be considered the end of the Pirate Coast, although I believe they never
took a very active part in it. There are several small banks off Debaye,
and the coast is fronted by a reef to the distance of about three-quarters
of a mile, extending nearly to Aboo Heyle. From this bank the
soundings are a fathom and a half close to it, five fathoms about a
mile and a half off, and increasing to seven, eight, and nine, four or five
miles off. The rise and fall are about seven feet; high-water full and
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