Page 75 - Arabian Gulf Intellegence

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KARRACK—BOSTANA—KISHM.
my opinion, its quality docs not deserve the encomiums passed on it by
the English who reside at Abooshahar.
The shoals along the head of the Persian Gulf are laid down to the
southward of their real situation, as will appear by a reference to La
Ch iff ounces log-book for 1809-10, and a comparison with McCluer’s
chart, published by Mr. Dalrymplc.

BOSTANA.
Bostana is a low shelving point, with rugged hills immediately above
it. Its extremity is about lat. 26° 30' N. ; it bears from Polior NNE.
J E., and W. from the southern end of Kishm.

THE ISLAND OF KISHM, AND ITS VICINITY.
The western ends of the island of Kishm lie north and south of each
other, and are distant about seven miles from the north-west ends, in
lat. 26° 38' N. The Coast of Persia rounds to Cape Bostana or Bestian,
which in McCluer’s and Heather’s charts is improperly called Cape
Certes.
Kishm is near the main, and extends eighteen leagues W. by S. and
E. by N. ; its greatest breadth is probably twenty miles ; but from Luft,
a town on its north side, about thirty-miles in a direct line from that of
Kishm, it narrows in other places considerably, down probably to
seven miles, and afterwards widens very little to the westward.
Nothing can exceed the singular appearance of the coast of this
island : the hills, once uniformly table, are in many places mouldered
away, leaving parts of very grotesque shapes. It is said that before
the inhabitants were oppressed by the Joasmee pirates, one hundred
villages flourished on the island. The Natives are chiefly weavers,
who supply the Gulf with loongees, and striped cotton and silk cloths ;
their personal appearance and character arc much in their favour.
On the east side, close to the sea, lies the town of Kishm, in lat.
26° 57' 30" N., oft’ which ships may, with westerly winds, securely
ride, in clear ground. Kishm is walled round, and has a small oblong
fort within the walls.
The whole island, as well as a large portion of the opposite coast, in
which are mines of brimstone, is farmed from Persia by the Imaum of
Muskat.
There is a good channel between Kishm and Larrack, but you must
be careful of a bank, which is said to extend nearly two mil-.
from a point southward of the town of Kishm, on which is a giov^. of
date trees.
The island of Kishm tends from the town N W. to the Western Cape,