Page 623 - Arabian Gulf Intellegence

579
GULF OF PERSIA.
eastern point of the river. In case of necessity, a small vessel being
driven into Khore Gufgah in a south-easter, and parting from her cables,
might run for it at high-water, but 1 cannot recommend it except in case
of necessity.
Meyune Sand.
Meyune Sand, commonly called Bussora Bar, is in lat. 29° 49' 20"
N., long. 48° 35' 57' E. Its southern point, measured trigonometrically
from the western point of the river, E. by N., distant rather more than
one mile, is a small hard sandbank, with only three feet on it at low-
water. Between it and the Meyune is a small channel, running into
the river, with soundings nearly the same as the regular channel; but
it is easily found out if you are in this channel, as you will have hard
soundings on the western side, whereas in the proper channel the
ground is soft to the westward on the Abdoolla Bank. Care should be
taken not to approach this bank in a south-easter and flood tide.
Variation 4° 55' W. in 1827.
Abdoolla Bank.
The Abdoolla Bank, or Mahrugaate Abdalla, is a long mudbank,
forming the western side of the channel into the Euphrates. It extends
to lat. 29° 46' N., long. 48° 36' 10" E., and is dry at low-water spring
tides to within about two and a half miles of the bar. It is safe to ap­
proach in working up the river to three fathoms, or two fathoms and
three quarters.
Mahrugaate Abadan.
Mahrugaate Abadan is the eastern bank forming the entrance to the
river, and is composed of hard sand, except towards the southern part,
where it is a mixture of hard sand and stiff clay. Its southern point is
in lat. 29° 45*}' N., long. 48° 42' 40" E. It is not safe to approach in
working up on the flood tides nearer than three and a half fathoms ; or
immediately you shoal from mid-channel, and find the bottom getting
hard, the helm should be put down.
Kiiore Gufgah.
The entrance to Khore Gufgah is in lat. 29° 46' N., long. 48° 44' E.
It is formed by the Abadan on the west, and Ali Meidan on the east; has
soundings from fifteen and eighteen fathoms in the southern part to two
and a half at low-water at the upper, where a narrow channel runs into
the Euphrates. This is an excellent mark, coming from the eastward
for making the river. If you cross the Ali Meidan in three and a half
fathoms low-water, you will cross Khore Gufgah in eight or nine fa­
thoms, and ought to keep down to the southward a little, as this is in
the parallel of the Meyune. If you cross the Ali Meidan in four or
four and a half fathoms, which is the best line, you will cross Khore