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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.’ [‎164r] (334/404)

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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K$.
Chap. VIII.] SHATT AL 'ARAB 261
Chart 3843.
indicated by white figures on a black background, is established,
for the use of outward bound vessels, on the southern side of Fao
reach about 8^ cables south-westward of the Inner bar reach rear
leading-light. 5
Two white iron framework beacons, the front beacon 25 feet
(7 m 6) in height and carrying a black board with the legend ' 'Dredged
Channel limit" in white letters theron, and having a triangular
topmark, and the rear, 30 feet (9 m l) in height and having a St. George's
Cross as topmark, are erected on the southern bank of the river 10
about 2|- miles below Fao. When in line they bear 197° and indicate
the inner end of the dredged channel in Fao reach.
Fao. —Fao {Lat. 30° 58' N., Long. 48° 29' E.) is situated on
the south-western bank of the river and is the repair and stores
depot for the dredgers; it is also the buoyage depot for the port 15
of Basra and the Persian gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. lights.
A wooden jetty, 140 feet (42 m 7) long, with a depth of 3 feet
(0 m 9) at its head, has been erected at Fao.
Black notice-boards with the word "Slow" in white letters,
are set up on the south-western bank of the river about half a mile 20
above and below Fao; between them vessels are to proceed at
slow speed.
Traffic and tidal signals, see page 256, are exhibited from a mast,
100 feet (30 m 5) in height, painted white and fitted with yards,
which has been erected close south-eastward of the Customs buildings 25
at Fao.
There is a hospital at Fao, with 20 beds.
Charts 3842, 3843, 1235.
Tides. —'Tidal predictions for the Shatt al 'Arab are given in
the Admiralty Tide Tables, Part I; tidal differences for Basra 50
will be found in Part II.
The tides are affected by a large diurnal inequality in both times
and heights, varying with the declination of the moon. Near the
equinoxes it is more pronounced at neaps than at springs, and near
the solstices the reverse is the case. 35
Seasonal variations in the level of the river are small at the outer
bar, less than ±0.5 feet (0 m l); but at Basra they are considerable,
+2.5 feet (0 m 7) in June, and —1.5 feet (0 m 4) in October; these
affect high and low water equally. In the river, the highest levels
occur in May, June, and July, when the Shatt al 'Arab is discharging 40
the combined flood-waters of the Euphrates and Tigris. The lowest
levels occur in October and November.
Both times and heights of the tide are very much affected by the
prevailing wind. A heavy kaus will raise the level of the river
by 2 or 3 feet (0 m 6 or 0 m 9), causing both a higher high water and 45
a higher low water; it will also accelerate the time of high water.
On the other hand, a strong shamal will lower the level of the
river, so that at low water the tide may fall below the zero of the
tide gauge, and it will retard the time of high water.
Chart 3843. 50
Kasba reach.—Lights.—Beacons.—Anchorage. —This reach
extends from a bend in the river at Kasba point {Lat. 30° 00' N.,
Long. 48° 28' E.), on the opposite bank and about 2 miles above
Fao, to North House, a square mud house without dome or minarets
Charts 1235, 1265, 2837b, 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.’ [‎164r] (334/404), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/20/C251, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023623199.0x000087> [accessed 23 January 2025]

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