‘Persian Gulf pilot comprising the Persian Gulf and its approaches from Ras al Hadd, in the south-west, to Cape Monze, in the east.’ [119v] (243/404)
The record is made up of 199 folios. It was created in 1932. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
176
PERSIAN GULF—SOUTH-WESTERN SIDE
[Chap. VI.
Chart 2837a. . • , „
miles south-westward of Dabai, it is quite barren, uninhabited,
and very low and uniform in appearance, here and there tufts of
coarse grass grow on hillocks separated by creeks or, in places, by
5 extensive swamps j there is no tree larger than a mangiove bush.
Although there are no settled inhabitants, landing unarmed on
the mainland between Dabai and Abu Dhabi, is not recommended,
for it is often visited by Bedawin from the interior.
jabal 'Ali situated about 17 miles south-westward of Dabai
10 and about 3 miles inland, is a flat-topped hill, 220 feet (67^1) high,
that rises gradually from either end; it is the only landmark on
or near this part of the coast, see view on chart 2837a.
Ras Hasa, situated about 30 miles south-westward of Dabai,
is a little rocky point that projects slightly from the line of the coast;
15 it shows as a small dark patch in the white sand, but can only be
identified when close inshore. Between Dabai and Ras Hasa,
the
soundings
Measurements of the depth of a body of water.
are regular, depths of 3 fathoms (5 m 5), fine sand,
being found at a distance of about 8 cables offshore.
Ras Kantut is similar to Ras Hasa and is situated about 5 miles
20 south-westward of it.
A1 Ghanadhah, entered about 3 miles south-westward of Ras
Kantut, is an inlet the mouth of which is marked by mangrove
bushes. The inlet is said to be easily entered by large boats and
is frequented for firewood.
25 Ghurabi, entered about 2 miles south-westward of A1 Ghanadhah,
is a smaller inlet but it is also frequented for firewood.
Between Ghurdbi and Abu Dhabi there is a succession of inlets
the majority of which are inter-connected with merely narrow
strips of sand between them and the sea. Some of these inlets have
30 deep water within, though their entrances are very shallow, and
the whole form extensive swamps and backwaters that extend inland
for many miles; they are visited by Arabs for firewood and for
fishing.
Ras Hanyura {Lat. 24° 44' N., Long. 54° 39' E.), situated about
35 8 miles south-westward of the mouth of Ghurabi inlet, is the low
sandy northern entrance point of a shallow bay of the same name,
the shores of which are intersected by many creeks.
Maraifjain, situated about 3 miles south-westward of Ras Hanyura
is the low sandy southern entrance point of Hanyura bay. Both
40 points can be identified at a distance of about 5 miles.
A small cliff, with a slightly overhanging top, stands at the head
of Hanyura bay and is the southern end of a little tableland from
20 to 30 feet (6 m l to 9 m l) high; it can be identified at a distance of
about 7 miles and serves as a guide to the bay. See view on chart
45 2837a.
Hadd at Thalei is an extensive reef that, commencing near Ras
Hasa, fringes the coast to a position about 2|- miles south-westward
of Abu Dhabi fort and in the vicinity of Maraifjain extends offshore
for a distance of probably 6 miles. There are depths of 5 and 6
50 fathoms (9 in l to ll m 0) close outside this reef and
soundings
Measurements of the depth of a body of water.
are
not a good guide when approaching it as the bottom is uneven.
The natives state that there is a boat channel inside the reef which
is used by them during a shamal.
Ras al Ghurab, situated about 9| miles south-westward of
Chart 748b.
About this item
- Content
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. pilot comprising the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and its approaches, from Ras al Hadd, in the south-west, to Cape Monze, in the east. Published for the Hydrographic Department of the Admiralty by His Majesty’s Stationery Office, London, 1932. Eighth edition.
The pilot begins with a number of introductory sections:
- Notice of caution when approaching British ports, including the closure of ports and examination of vessels entering ports (folio 1v, inside front cover);
- Notations of supplements and annual summaries of notices to mariners relating to this book (folio 2);
- Cautionary notes on the measurements, including those for (bearings, longitude, latitude, depth) given in the pilot, and the different methods of shading used to indicate colours of flags, tidal light signals and beacons in the pilot (folio 5);
- Advertisement to the eighth edition (folio 6) providing an outline history of the pilot, and updates to the latest edition;
- Contents page (folios 7v-8), referring to the pilot’s pagination;
- A list of views (illustrations), with reference to the pilot’s pagination (folio 8v);
- A glossary of terms (folio 9), organised alphabetically, and with an indication of their origin (Arabic, Baluchi, Hindustani, Persian);
- Notes on the system of orthography (folios 10-11);
- Information relating to Admiralty charts and other hydrographic publications and general navigation (folios 12-19), with sections on the correction of Admiralty charts, and their degree of reliance, navigational publications, including the Admiralty lists of lights and wireless signals, tide tables, and general remarks relating to practical navigation;
- A map of the head of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , dated July 1932, indicating those areas covered by Admiralty charts (folio 20v);
- A map of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and Gulf of Oman, dated July 1932, with an indication of those areas covered by Admiralty charts mentioned in the pilot (folio 21v);
- An insert (folio 22) detailing those elements not included in the present volume.
The main body of the pilot is arranged in chapters and appendices as follows:
- Chapter 1 - General Remarks: physical features, depths, political and administrative divisions, British representation, ports and anchorages, towns and population, languages, supplies, products, trade, currencies, weights and measures, the pearl fisheries, health, meteorological information (pressure, winds, cyclones and depressions, climate and weather, humidity, rainfall, dew, fog, visibility), currents, tides, tidal streams, signals, communications, pilots, deratisation, native craft, piracy, obtaining information, presents, coal, fuel oil, docks, repairs, standard time, passages;
- Chapter 2 - Approaches to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. from the south; the coasts of Oman, Batinah, and Ash Shamailiyah; Ras Al Hadd to Dibah;
- Chapter 3 - Approaches to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. from the east; the coasts of Las Bela, Makran, Persian Makran, including Jask; Cape Monze to Jask;
- Chapter 4 - Entrance to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; Ruus al Jabal and the Persian coast, including Bandar ’Abbas [Bandar-e ʻAbbās] and Qishm [Kīsh] island; Dibah to Ras Ash Sha’am and Jask to Charack [Bandar-e Chārak];
- Chapter 5 - Northeast side of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; the coast of Persia; Charack to Ras Ash Shatt, including Bushire;
- Chapter 6 - The southwest side of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; the coast of Trucial Oman A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. , and the eastern side of Qatar; Ras Ash Sha'am to Ras Rakan;
- Chapter 7 - The southwest side of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; western side of Qatar, Bahrain [referred to as Bahrein throughout], and the coasts of Nejd [Najd] and Kuwait; Ras Rakan to Khor ’Abdullah;
- Chapter 8 - The head of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; coasts of Persia and Iraq; Ras Ash Shatt to and including the Shatt al ’Arab; the Tigris and Euphrates;
- Appendix 1 - List of ports available for underwater repairs, with details of the largest dry or floating dock or patent slip at each port;
- Appendix 2 - List of principal ports, showing the particulars of depth at approach and anchorage, rise of tide;
- Appendix 3 - Meteorological data (air pressure, air temperature, rainfall, wind) - for Muscat, Pasni, Jask, Bushire, Bahrain; Kuwait, Mohammerah [Khorramshahr], Basra;
- Appendix 4 - Places suitable for magnetic observations;
- Appendix 5 - Tidal streams, with tables for four locations, including Henjam, and semi-diurnal and diurnal factors.
Throughout the main chapters there are illustrations of the parts of the coastline being discussed by the accompanying text. These illustrations, which are a mix of line drawing and reproductions of watercolours, indicate the profile of the land, and highlight distinctive topographical features such as trees and forts.
- Extent and format
- 199 folios
- Arrangement
The pilot is arranged into eight chapters (I-VIII) and five appendices (I-V). The arrangement of chapters is geographical, moving from the easternmost point of the Gulf in chapter II to the westermost point in chapter VIII. The contents page (ff 7-8) and alphabetically ascending index (ff 182-93) refer to the pilot’s pagination system.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: There is a foliation sequence, which is circled in pencil, in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. of each folio. It begins on the front cover, on number 1, and ends on the inside of the back cover, on number 199.
Pagination: There are two printed pagination systems, which generally situate numbers in the top-left corner of versos and the top-right corner of rectos. The first, which uses Roman numerals, runs through the pilot’s introductory pages (ff 6-19). The second pagination system uses Arabic numerals, and runs through the remainder of the pilot (ff 23-197).
The number of each chapter is indicated throughout the chapter (expressed as ‘Chap.’ and the chapter number as a Roman numeral) in the top-left corner of rectos and the top-right corner of versos. The lines of text on each page in each chapter are numbered in intervals of five (i.e. 5, 10, etc.)
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- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/20/C251
- Title
- ‘Persian Gulf pilot comprising the Persian Gulf and its approaches from Ras al Hadd, in the south-west, to Cape Monze, in the east.’
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:145v, 145ar:145av, 146r:198v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence