Page 193 - Records of Bahrain (1) (i)_Neat

The second Gulf Survey, 1857-1860 183

cmr. tiii.] BAHREIN HARBOUR. 117

The centre part of Maharag island, or hollow part of the horseshoe, is
overflowed only at high water; and in the middle, East of Maharag
town, is an island, three-quarters of a mile in extent, called ’Arad. It
has a date grove and a largo double fort on it.
The harbour of Bahrein is formed by the reefs extending off that
island and Maharag, and by a great reef lying to the northward of them,
called Fusht al Yarem. The reefs are all flat, and the bottom stony, chiefly
of white colour ; they generally show well. The fish-weirs on all of
them are some guide, except at high water, when they arc covered.
The Bahrein island reef extends only a quarter of a mile off opposite
Manameh town, there being a bight in the reef here which enables the
native vessels to lie near the town ; with the Sheikh’s house S.E. ^ E. a
point of it projects half a mile from the shore. It increases in extent to
the westward, and towards the Portuguese fort is 1 to miles in
breadth ; and, north of that fort, foul ground extends 2 miles off, with
a boat channel just outside the Lighthouse rock. Part of this detached
patch is dry at low water, and is called Leyah ; there is a narrow channel
leading to the westward, just north of it, with a 2 fathoms flat betweeu it
and the Khor al Bab. This channel has not been explored farther to
the west; Brucks’ chart shows it as ending in a basin, but probably
there is a passage through the reefs towards the main. The minarets in
one with Rufah fort will keep a vessel just clear of Leyah shoal, and of
the 2 fathoms bank north of it. The Khor al Bab is the passage south of
the Yarem shoal, and is described at page 121.
Maharag island reef is very extensive, and has a shallow channel
through it, on its west side, to the town of Maharag, and to Khor Jaliyeh.
The natives give names to different parts of this reef, but there appears to
be no general name for the whole. On the east side of Maharag island,
according to Brucks’ chart, it extends from to 2 miles off, with sound­
ings decreasing gradually from 6 fathoms at about 1 mile off. N.E. of
Galaleh, a point of the reef, called Kashasheh, extends about two miles
off, in the direction of Irtheh islet.
has khaseifeh, is the north-west point of this reef, and the
principal danger in entering the harbour, being generally a lee shore, and
extending so far from the laud. The reef dries off from Maharag island
in a north-west direction nearly 2 miles, and, outside this, is an extensive
spit, with only 2£ fathoms at 3£ miles distance from the island, the depth
on it decreasing towards the dry reef. With Galaleh tower just shutting
in behind Sarauhi date grove, you are on the pitch of tliis spit.
From this point the edge of the shoal runs to southward, with 4 to 6
fathoms very near it for 2£ miles, to the entrance to Maharag Ivh or : a