'Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia, including a journey from Bagdad by Mount Zagros, to Hamadan, the ancient Ecbatana, researches in Ispahan and the ruins of Persepolis, and journey from thence by Shiraz and Shapoor to the sea-shore. Description of Bussorah, Bushire, Bahrein, Ormuz, and Muscat, narrative of an expedition against the pirates of the Persian Gulf, with illustrations of the voyage of Nearchus, and passage by the Arabian Sea to Bombay.' [‎363] (394/582)

DESCRIPTION OF BUSSORAH.
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twenty-four hours; the only exceptions being when strong north
west winds prevail about the neaps, so as to check the flow of the
water, and make a continued ebb in the river for two tides follow
ing. As, however, even on ordinary occasions, there is seldom
more than one flood that can fall at a convenient hour of the day,
from the ebb lasting mostly eight hours, and the flood only four,
there is often a considerable bustle and noise on the canal among
the boats passing up and down, so much so as to give an impres
sion to a stranger of a much more active commerce than really ex
ists. The canal itself is much too narrow for the convenient pas
sage of the vessels employed on it; and as none but the very
smallest of these can move, except at the top of high water, they
are often all in motion at once. Boats grounding in their passage
lie until the next flood floats them, and laden vessels losing the
springs, sometimes lie in the very centre of the channel until the
ensuing spring, blocking up the passage entirely for smaller ves
sels, which might otherwise have water enough, but for which
room is not left to pass.
For the conveyance of passengers on this canal, small canoes,
called here bellem, are employed; and these having a clean mat
in the bottom for the seat, and a light awning over head to shade
it, are pushed along by the two boatmen who stand in the head
and stern, and with long poles fitted for the purpose, give the
canoe sufficient velocity to keep up with a well-manned four-oared
boat These are the smallest vessels seen, and these, from having
only a draught of a few inches, can be used at any time of the tide,
except at dead low water. From these, there are boats of all sizes,
up to vessels of fifty tons, which are the largest that I remember
to have seen on the canal. The canoes are often very long and
narrow, and from the peculiar finish of their prows have a lig
and elegant form. The most usual way of impelling them along
the stream is by the use of the bamboo poles; but they are some-
times rowed by short paddles, which are used y e
temately from side to side, and then present the appearance so
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