'Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf. Vol I. Historical. Part IA & IB. J G Lorimer. 1915' [‎1249] (1404/1782)

1249
and the Commander-in-Chief, was expected to arrive in two days. The
Persians at first found themselves confronted by a large Arab force
which was encamped on the right bank of the Shatt-al-'Arab, having been
posted there some days previously to hold the crossing; it consisled
apparently of the fighting men of one tribe, possibly the Muntafik
under the command of one of their own Shaikhs whose name was
Abdullah.
, TIle salne afternoon an envoy from Sadiq Khan arrived at Basrah
with separate letters for the Mntasallim, the British Agent, and the
heads of the Arab, Armenian and Jewish communities, desiring that
each should send a representative to treat with the Persian commander
foi the ransom of the town. He was dismissed, however, without
receiving an answer from any of those to whom the communication
was addressed.
A long-expected danger had thus finally overtaken the Turks, who,
notwithstanding- that they had received about eighteen months' notice
of its approach, had made no dispositions, unless during the few days
immediately preceding, for meeting it.
The defences of Basrah were carefully examined by the traveller Defences of
Mr. Parson?, who happened to be at Basrah at this juncture ; and the Ba8ra ^
interest which the subject possesses, in view of later occurrences, seems March 1775 •
to warrant a reproduction of his account in extenso. It runs as
follows :—
This city is walled and surrounded with a deep and broad ditch. It has four ffa te^
and a sail, port The walls are of mud. from twenty to twenty-five feet'thilk
m 5 eaSt Wllich havesma11 embrszuresfor musquetry or arrows
the Arabs bexng good archers). The walls not only encircle the city on the side of the
land, but likewise on those of the creek, the entrance of which is at a considerable
distance, where the walls terminate on both sides; each extremity being defended
by a fortification and a gate, which are three miles distant from the town. In the
intermediate space are many thousands of dates and other trees, mixed with rice
grounds The walls are about twelve miles in circnit, and although not half the
: c i d s sp t V ; u,lt ' yet ^ a !arge city ' add before the ^ - 3773 ' was vei t
populous. The two principal gates are large, and a re situated on the land side one
bv l l'th h v. 8 ' . aTld , the 0ther the Zobeir g* ie •' n0it ker of them is defended
j d tch, which is wanting for a considerable distance on each side. The founda-
ion 0f t ' he wa ^ i whlch l8 of burnt brick, reaches so high as to be above the
water when the ditch is full. The water is let into the ditch, at the flood tide, from
the creek, and is retained by flood gates.
Ihere are eight bastions, on each of which are mounted eight brass guns, twelve
pounders, which besides upwards of fifty brass cannon, six and nine pounders, on ship
carriages, are mounted round the walls. These were in .uch a state as to be unfi^
for use, until news armed of the siege intended by the Persians, when the musolem
was very vigilant in seeing them repaired: shot they had in plenty, as well as
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