'The Expedition for the survey of the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, carried on by order of the British government, in the years 1835, 1836, and 1837; preceded by geographical and historical notices of the regions situated between the rivers Nile and Indus. In four volumes. With fourteen maps and charts, and embellished with ninety-seven plates, besides numerous wood-cuts. Volume the first.' [‎568] (659/905)

568
THE PERSIAN GULF The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .
[CHAP. XXII.
Arabs to the magic rod of Moses. These stones are laid on
fires made of camels' dung, to increase the heat. 1
stone called Another particular kind of stone, called tafal by the Arabs,
tafa1 ' is found near Mount Sinai; it is brittle, with the appearance
of pipe-clay, and it serves the poor instead of soap; it is also
useful in taking stains out of cloth, and in refreshing the skins
of asses, being rubbed over them for this purpose in summer
time. 2
Resemblance The two seas which bound the territory of Arabia have in
andArabian" many respects a marked resemblance ; each is a deep inlet
Gulfs. branching from the great Indian Ocean, which by one of these
almost joins the Mediterranean, and by the other is prolonged
towards it by the basin of the Euphrates.
The eastern shore and adjacent islands of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
Western shore have already been noticed. 3 The western shore extends nearly
Gulf! Peman 1495 miles, viz., from the estuary of the Euphrates to the
entrance at Ras-el-Hadd, in which space are the bold headlands
of Has Matrah near Maskat, and Has Mussendom, or the Cape
of the Mill, which forms one side of the entrance, and is only
28 miles from the opposite coast of Kirman. Here this rocky
coast changes its direction, running south-westward to Abo-
thubbee, then westward to Ras Macheereeb. It now trends
northward to Has Reccan, which forms one horn of the deep
bay of Bahrein ; along this it makes a western curve, and then
trends N.W. to the Shatt-el-Arab; previously forming the
three remarkable bays of Abothubbee, Katif, and Kouweit or
Grane. The first contains a swarm of hardy boatmen occupied
alternately in pearl-fishing and piracy ; the second is remark
able for its pearl-fishery; and the last as. a commercial port
at the entrance of the Euphrates, with a trade up that river,
and also eastward to Cutch and the adjacent coast; the vessels
making an annual voyage each way. From different places in
the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , upwards of 1000 bagalas varying in size
from 40 to 300 tons, depart towards the close of the favourable
monsoon, in order to be able to return thither after the change :
they bring ivory, aloes, canes for spear-handles, dragon's-blood,
1 Burckhardt's Travels in Syria, p. 394. 8 Ibid., p. 488.
8 See above, pp. 229, 230.