Page 597 - Arabian Gulf Intellegence

GULF OF PERSIA. 553

Arzenia Island.
The south point of Arzenia Island is in lat. 24° 46' 20" N., long.
52° 42'25" E. It is moderately elevated, and about six and a half miles
in circumference. The south point, like most of the other islands, is low,
and sheltered from the prevailing winds. Good anchorage is found
here under the island. It has no water.
Arzenia.
Arzenia Three Fathoms Bank. The centre of it bears true N. J E.,
distant three miles from the body of the island, and is long and broad.
It has not less than three fathoms, over a coral bottom, but the depth, from
the native accounts, appears to be decreasing.
Arzenia Two Fathoms Bank bears E., distant a mile and a half from
the island ; is very small; least water two fathoms.
Arzenia One and a half Fathom Bank bears nearly SE., distant two
and a quarter miles, and has only a fathom and a quarter or a fathom
and a half on one part; it is very small.
Seer Beniyas Island.
The entrance to the cove is in lat. 24° 15" 10" N., long. 52° 46' 50"
E. This island is rather high, having apeak in the centre ; is seventeen
miles in circumference, and appears of volcanic origin. On the southern
side is a small cove, with five fathoms water in it, and three fathoms at
the entrance. In rounding this island, to go to the cove, which you
should do on the eastern side, pass the southern side of the small sandy
island of Rusheed at a distance of three quarters of a mile, and run round,
not coming nearer Seer Beniyas than two and a quarter miles, or seven
fathoms, until you near the small dry sandbank, or get the peak to bear
about W. by S., when haul in towards the island, keeping along at about
one mile distant, until you get close to the south point, which haul round
about a quarter of a mile distant, and anchor under the island in five
or six fathoms off shore, from two cable-lengths to a quarter of a mile.
You are well sheltered here from all winds. In rounding the island,
the soundings in some places are irregular. You may run down to the
SSE. of this island in soundings from fourteen to four fathoms, look­
ing sharp out for a small dry sandbank in the fair-way ; but there is no
outlet, and is only mentioned in case of being in chase. Between Seer
Beniyas and the main are two reefs, with a channel nearly a mile wide
between them, having three fathoms at low-water in it ; but the tides
run in it with such rapidity, and the set is so irregular, that it is unsafe
to navigate.
Zaboot.
Zaboot is an island to the south-west of Seer Beniyas. Its south end
is in lat. 24° 5' 20* N., and long. 52° 37' E. It has a rock off the