Page 173 - Records of Bahrain (1) (i)_Neat

Surveyors and travellers, 1832-1837 163

PERSIAN GULF. 127

Bahrain in that part of Arabia which lies oppo­
site to the island which is the Tiara of Ptolemy
and Icharia of Strabo; repeated mention is made
of it by the earliest authorities, and the Portu­
guese, when they possessed themselves of sta­
tions in the Persian Gulf, did not overlook it.
The time is fast approaching when more at­
tention will again be directed towards it. Pos­
sessing a fertile soil, abundantly watered by nu­
merous rills, and susceptible of the highest culti­
vation, we observe a spot, like the oasis of the
desert, placed amidst burning and boundless
solitudes. Its harbours are good, though difficult
of approach! If ever stations must be occupied
by the British in the Persian Gulf, let them be
Bahrain and Kahrak. I have a great respect
for the Portuguese in their selection of stations
of importance.
Bahrain is at present occupied by a popu­
lation of about 5,000 souls; it has already
been noticed that the fishery for pearls forms
the principal source of their employment and
their mode of subsistence, and they other­
wise carry on a considerable commercial inter­
course with other ports in the Persian Gulf.
The principal town, styled Manama, is situated
at the northern extremity of the island, which
is about twenty miles in length, is narrow and