'Gazetteer of Arabia Vol. II' [‎1185] (234/688)

MASIRAH
1185
From Has Shaghaf the coast trends more southward to the village of Umm Rasas, about
3 miles distant, and from thence 3 miles farther southward and then westward about
the same distance forming the deep bight of Umm Rasas. In this bight lies the low
sandy island Jazirat Shagha, which cannot be approached within 1J miles on atocount
of a bank, dry at low water, extending from the southern shore of the bight and surround
ing the island at that distance, between Jazirat Shagha and the eastern shore of the
bight is a narrow inlet, presently described.
At the southern end of Baiyat-bin-Juwaisim the channels round that reef join, being
bordered on the eastern side by the rocky ground extending off Maslrah and, on the west,
by the bank of foul ground extending from 6 to 8 miles from the mainland and terminate
ing at Jaair? t-al-Hara, one of the Oyster islets. The depth in the channel are from
4 to 8 fathoms, with the exception of one small 3 fathoms patch in mid-channel about
miles north-eastwards of Jazirat Sanfar; the width varies from 4 miles off Ras
Shaghaf to 7 cables only between the Oyster islets and the rocky bank extending from
the Masirah shore northward of Ras Kalban.
Umm Rasas —is a small village, containing with Safaij, adjacent to it, about 100 people.
The village is fronted by Jazirat Shagha, surrounded by a flat before mentioned. Be
tween this flat and the village is an inlet passing close along shore and entered from the
northward. It has depths of from l\ to 3 fathoms, runs in 3J miles, and is from 2 to 4
cables wide; by it small craft can get close up to the village.
Jahal Safaij —is a conical hill close southward of the village of that name—with the
remains of a fort on the summit.
From the western point of Umm Rasas bight the coast trends south-westward 8
miles to Ras Kalban; it is rocky and irregular with small projecting points, and, for 7
or 8 cables from the shore, is fronted by a rocky bank with many rocks above water,
Ras Kalbdn. —(Latitude 20° 21' N., Longitude 58° 38' E.) Is a low rocky pomt with
a sandy beach on either side, from whence the coast trends south 11 miles nearly
to Ras Abu Rasas, the southern extreme of Masirah islands. , , , ,
From Ras Kalban to Ras Abu Rasas, the southern point of the island, described at
pa^e 540, the shore is low and sandy, with several low points. At If miles northward of
Ras Abu Rasas, and close inshore, are two islets, and 1 J miles further northward are
three more islets lying in an east and west direction, with some sunken rocks beyond
them, extending altogether nearly 1^ miles from the shore. The whole collectively are
called Banat Murshid. , ,, * i-i.- x. «
Jebal Kairdn—Or Saddle hill, is a remarkable double-peeked hill, 385 feet high, one mile
from the beach, and nearly 4 miles north-eastward from the Ras Kalban. The little
village of Kairan is at the south-western foot of the hill.
Oyster islets. —North- westward of Ras Kalban are these three rocky islets. Between
Jazirat Sanfar, the northern islet, and Jazirat Al-Hara, the next which lies 2 miles south-
westward from it, are two patches of sunken rocks and from 2 to 3 fathoms water on the
bank between the islands and the rocks. Jaslrat Amkads, the southern islet, lies one mile
west -north-west from Ras Kalban, and makes from the south-westward as a patch of
sand with a small black rock at its western end. The islet can be seen about 7 miles
Shoals. —A shoal about half-a-mile long, oji a south-south-easterly line, and with
about If fathoms water, lies with its northern extreme one mile westwards of Jazirat
Amkads. Shallow water also extends a short distance northward of the islet.
Zanatiyat. —A dangerous group of rocks about 1J miles m extent, with one rock dry
at half tide and others with less than 6 feet water over them and from 4 to 6 fathoms
around, lies 3 miles south -westward of Ras Kalban. .u „ i n a
Other shoal patches of from 2^ to 3 fathoms lie nearly 3 miles south-westward and
south-south-westward of Zanatiyat reef.
ShA Sanfar. —{Latitude 20° 12' N., Longitude 35° 35' E.) Is a reef ueariy awash 8
cables long north and south by ball a mile wide, and its eentre a.nd s . h ° alest ^ dis ' a ^
from the shore 2| miles, with the south cone of Jabal Sawir bearing S. 82 E. ihi
shoal usually breaks, and may be seen from the masthead at a considerable distanc .
" Hassar Walad HamZ.-(Latitude 20° 28' N., Longitude 58° 41' E.) Westward of
Umm Rasas and on the edge of the western bank of the channel, is Hassar Walad Hanal,
C52(w)GSB