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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.’ [‎143v] (291/404)

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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222 PERSIAN GULF— SOUTH-WESTERN SIDE [Chap. VII.
Chart 2837h, plan of Ras Tanurah anchorage.
of M Katif It is about half a cable wide in places, and the sand
hills appear to be about 40 feet (12^2) high; they show up white
when the sun shines upon them. The point itself is about 12 feet
5 (31117) high, and consists of level sand overlying coral. The reefs
within the point show up well, especially the large main reef off
^A^beacon^consisting of the mast of a dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. , 52 feet (15^8) high,
was erected, in 1921, near the extremity of Ras Tanurah; if it still
10 exists it is a useful mark for the anchorage.
\ reef extends from one to 3 cables from the western side of the
sand strip between positions 5 and 18 cables north-westward of its
extremity, but near Ras Tanurah there is no fringing reef.
There is a depth of 3 fathoms (5 m o) about half a mile east-south-
15 eastward of Ras Tanurah, and from this position shoal water extends
southward and westward; between these shoals and Najwa reef,
about 5 miles south-eastward, the depths are from 5 to 7 fathoms
(9 m l to 12 m 8). j ^ ,
The reefs extending from Jezirat Tarut, and the coastal reef
20 northward of A1 Katif, approach the western side of the sand strip
leaving a passage which, inside Ras Tanurah, is about one-quarter
of a mile wide with depths in it of from 22 to 41 feet (6 m 7 to 12^5);
in the entrance, the chart shows a least depth of 19 feet (5 m 8).
Anchorage may be obtained, in depths of from 30 to 39 feet
25 (9 ni l to ll m 9), at a distance of about one cable offshore between
one-quarter and one-half of a mile inside Ras Tanurah. The
anchorage is well sheltered from the shamal, but, the bottom being
hard, a good scope of cable should be veered. The kaus sends in
a heavy sea, and better shelter will then be found north-westward
30 of Najwa reef.
The channel inside the sand strip continues north-westward for
about 4 miles, with depths, in places, of 5 fathoms (9 m l); it is
narrow and tortuous and passes close southward of an islet. There
is no fresh water near the anchorage.
35 The approach to Ras Tanurah anchorage from eastward would seem
to be safe for vessels drawing up to 18 feet (5 m 5), and the best method
appears to be to steer along, or a little northward of, the parallel of
Ras Tanurah, passing between Khaura shoal, see below, and Najwa
reef; on this line, chart 2837b shows depths not less than 3f fathoms
40 (6 m 9), but caution is necessary. Should the vessel be set south
ward, which is unlikely, the edge of Fasht al Jarim will probably
be visible at a considerable distance.
Ras Tanurah {Lat. 26° 37' N., Long. 50° 10' E.) is steep-to and
should be rounded at a distance of about one cable; anchorage
45 may then be selected as previously described. When rounding
the point, the vessel should have good way upon her, for there are
eddies and tide rips. The reefs southward of the entrance can
usually be seen.
Chart 2837h.
£0 Off-lying shoals. —There are several detached shoals eastward
and northward of Ras Tanurah.
Khaura, over which the depths are from 2 to 5 fathoms {3 m 7
to 9 m l), extends north-north-eastward for about 8 miles from a
position about 6 miles east-north-eastward of Ras Tanurah; the
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.’ [‎143v] (291/404), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/20/C251, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023623199.0x00005c> [accessed 14 March 2025]

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