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‘Persian Gulf pilot comprising the Persian Gulf and its approaches from Ras al Hadd, in the south-west, to Cape Monze, in the east.’ [‎129r] (262/404)

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. .

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/^s
Chap. VI.] QATAR PENINSULA—EASTERN SIDE 195
Chart 2837b.
Ras al Allach to A1 Wakrah .-Off-lying dangers From
Ras al Allach, the coast trends northward for about 11| miles to
Al Wakrah, and as far as Jabal Wakrah, situated about one mile
southward of that town, consists of a low sandy or stony desert 5
fringed by a coastal reef that extends from 1| to 2 miles offshore.
Umm al Hul [Lat. 25° 05' N., Long. 51° 37' E.) is a small low
point, about 6 miles northward of Ras al Allach, that projects but
slightly from the line of the coast. The width of the channel
between the coast in the vicinity of Umm al Hul and the off-lying 10
reefs has not been determined, but it may be as much as 6 or 7 miles.
The depths in the channel are from 6 to 14 fathoms (ll m 0 to 25 m 6)
and are fairly regular; but several ridges of coral and rock lie
from 4 to 6 miles eastward of Al Wakrah; they run north and south and
are some 40 yards (36 m 6) wide; the depths over them are 5 fathoms 15
(9 m l) or less, with 14 to 17 fathoms (25 m 6 to 31 m l) between them;
other shoals, the presence of which is as yet unknown, may exist
in the channel.
Rak Kareinein, an off-lying mass of shoals, extends for a distance
of 20 miles in a northerly direction from a position close northward 20
of Fasht al 'Odaid; it has a breadth of from 10 to 15 miles and on it
are a number of patches that dry and have deep water between
them; but there is no known channel through them.
A narrow channel, in which the depths are from 7 to 9 fathoms
{12 m 8 to 16 m 5), was found by H.M.S. Philomel, in 1911, to lead 25
between Fasht al 'Odaid and Rak Kareinein. There is a blind
channel, about 2 miles northward of the eastern entrance of the
real channel, that leads about 2 miles westward into the reefs and
then ends abruptly.
Halat Bui Khaifan is a small shoal, that is said to dry, on the 30
north-eastern side of Rak Kareinein.
Caution is necessary in the vicinity of Rak Kareinein, as the
shoals have not been surveyed, and may extend farther northward
than charted; it is possible, also, that out-lying patches may exist.
It is recommended that, when navigating in these waters, a boat
should be sent to sound ahead of the ship, as the sighting of the
shoals, or the discolouration of the water over them, cannot be
entirely relied upon.
The tidal streams, through and over the reefs southward of the
parallel of 25° 15' N., set westward and eastward, but the times of 40
their turning are not known.
Al Wakrah.—Shoal.—Anchorage. —This large town, divided
into two parts by an inlet forming a boat harbour, is situated on
the shore of a bay which recedes about three-quarters of a mile
from the general line of the coast. A castle, with two towers, the 45
larger of which is high and square, stands about three-quarters of
a mile inland of the southern part of the town; in the northern
part of the town is a large fort having three towers. A large and
conspicuous white building stands close to the foreshore in the
centre of the town. Supplies are scarce; fish and water can be 50
obtained in small quantities.
Jabal Wakrah, situated close to the coast, about one mile south
ward of the town, is a brown level-topped rocky hill, 85 feet (25 m 9)
high.
Chart 748b.

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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:

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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English in Latin script
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‘Persian Gulf pilot comprising the Persian Gulf and its approaches from Ras al Hadd, in the south-west, to Cape Monze, in the east.’ [‎129r] (262/404), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/20/C251, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023623199.0x00003f> [accessed 19 February 2025]

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