Page 620 - Arabian Gulf Intellegence

576 NAVIGATION OF THE

dates from Bussora ; cloth, dates, and fish from Bahrein. Their
exports
are ghee and horses, from the inland tribes, and for other article"
specie, which they receive from the inland tribes in ^ take
return for the
articles imported.
The Government is despotic, and vested in the Shaikh, who ackno
ledges the Turkish Government, and pays a small tribute. tT'
inhabitants arc about six thousand in number, of the Ultoobcc T 'h^
and strict Mahomcdans. 9
The present Shaikh, Jaubir bin Abdoolla bin Souba, is about fifty-one
years of age, and is very intelligent. He succeeded his father, Abdoolla
bin Souba, in 1S12, and is much respected among his own people, and
many of the inland tribes. The family of the Shaikh is ancient,'they
having been Shaikhs of a small tribe for four or five centuries, and first
settled at Grane under Shaikh Ruheembaright about eighty years since
and built a small village. He governed them after this about ten years,
and much increased his followers. He was succeeded by his brother,
Souba, who built a wall round the village, and founded the present
town. He governed about six years, and was succeeded by his son,
Abdoolla bin Souba, under whose long and mild government the popu-
lation was very much increased, and the maritime spirit to which it
owes its present respectability took its rise. He died in 1812, after
governing them for fifty years, much regretted, and was succeeded by
his son Jaubir, the present Shaikh.
They acknowledge the authority of the Turks, and pay a tribute of
forty bags of rice and four hundred frazils of dates annually. The
Shaikh also receives an honorary dress from the Turkish Government
yearly. They have enjoyed peace while all other parts of the Gulf
have been embroiled, and to this they owe their maritime greatness.
Cattle are to be procured good, but very dear.
From Grane to Khore el Kuffagee, along the Arabian Coast, the
authority of the Shaikh of Grane is partially acknowledged by the
Bedouin Tribe, who are mostly of the A1 Ali, and a branch of the Beni
Khalid, and some wandering parties of other tribes ; also some few
straggling camps of the Montific Tribe, who come this way at certain
seasons. The amount of imports to Grane is said to be about five lakhs
of dollars, the exports are under one lakh. The variation of the compass
at Grane in 1824 was 5° 22' W. Grane also takes a share in the pearl
fishery.
Ohar Island.
half off the south-eastern point of
Ohar island lies about a mile and a
Pheleechi, and a dry reef extends off it to about two and half miles.
and a half fathoms,
This should not be approached nearer than seven
until the island of Ohar bears NW, when you may haul gradu* *
round, not coming under six fathoms until it bears N., when run o