Page 244 - Records of Bahrain (2)(ii)_Neat

570 Records of Bahrain

190 THE ISLANDS OF BAHREIN.

Though theso shallow seas arc unde­
niably a beautiful feature in tho landscape, they aro also
very dangerous ; for they have never been thoroughly1
surveyed; in fact, except to the north and north-cast of tho
islands, tho soundings aro practically unknown. Bahrein
being surrounded on three sides by tho mainland lying
roughly at a distance of 30 to 40 miles off, tho inter­
mediate ocean, which is tho unsurveyed part, is the very
one from which an attack may be apprehended, and
against which it might, therefore, be difficult to guard.
Prom tho top of the Jcbcl Dukhan, or hill of smoke, in
the very centre of the larger island, a perfect view of
this sea and tho encircling mainland is obtainable ; and
this, if necessary, could bo very easily made uso of as a
signalling station, as the hill-top is distinctly visible both
from Muharrak and Manamch.
The interior of tho islands of Bahrein (and of tho largo
one in particular) presents some very marked features.
Thus, beginning at tho centre and looking outwards,
taking one's stand on tho Jebel Dukhan, tho whole lies
below in full view. Firstly, tho hill itself, which rises
about 400 feet above tho sea-level, looks like the old
crater of a volcano with an encircling ring of cliffs facing
inwards some three or four miles ofF; yet theso really
present no appearance of volcanic action. From the outer
crest of this ring of cliffs the land slopes more or less
gradually down to the sea on all sides.

The original chart2 of Bahrein harbour, though scarcely
intended to be an accurate land survey, shows fairly tho
lie of the ground. To tho south and cast, all the island is
very bare; but, almost duo west of tho Jebel, groups of palm-
trees begin to line the coast and stretch thence all round

1 I have marked the lowest lino of survey, cast and west of north in my
tracing from the chart as supplied to Ilor Majesty’s Navy vossols.
2 By Commander Constable and Lieut. Wish, resurvoyed in 1872-74 by
Messrs. S. Thompson and Cuthbert, of Ilcr Majesty’s 6cliooncr Constance.