Page 673 - Arabian Gulf Intellegence

GULF OF PERSIA. 629

by fishermen; about three miles further to the NE. is another small
fishing village.
Faiiill Island.
Fahill Island, called by Europeans Muttra Island, is a rocky island,
about a quarter of a mile long, two and a half miles off shore, with a
channel between them, with soundings of from twenty to fourteen
fathoms in it. It is in lat. 23° 42' 12" N., long. 58° 36' 10" E., and is
an excellent mark for making Muskat. From Burka to this place, and
for twenty or thirty miles off shore, the currents set strong to the west­
ward during the months of June, July, August, and September ; at
other times they are irregular, sometimes setting one way, sometimes
another.
SllAYTAYFEE.
Shaytayfec is a lino village, with some good houses in it, in a small
bay formed by Ras Muttra, to the SE. The bay has soundings of from
six to two fathoms close to the shore. It is a quarter of a mile wide at
the entrance, and a third of a mile deep. The Imaum has a cannon
foundry at this place, and there are several large trading boats belong­
ing to it.
Ras Muttra.
Ras Muttra forms the north-western point of Muttra Bay. It has
three rocky islets off it, and is a high, bold headland.
Arbug.
Arbug is a handsome town, principally inhabited by wealthy mer­
chants, and their dependents. It is situated in a small bay between
Ras Muttra and Muttra Town. It has a pretty picturesque appearance.
There are two or three forts and towers for its defence, which add much
to the prospect from sea. The houses are good, and most of the rich
shipowners reside here.
Muttra.
Muttra is a large and wealthy town, at the bottom of the bay of the-
same name. It is distant from Muskat two and a half miles, there
being a road over a pass to connect them, though canoes and other boats
are the usual modes of communication. The town is two-thirds of a mile
long, and contains not less than fifteen to eighteen- thousand inhabitants^
About one thousand of these are Banians from Sind and Kutch,
settled here for the purpose of trade. As I shallspeak of the exports and
imports under the head o.f Muskat, I will only add that Muttua has about
fifty trading boats, of. from three hundred to thirty tons, and the Imaum’s
revenue, principally from customs, in 1827, was sixty-two thousand
German crowns.

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