'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.' [‎364] (395/582)

364
DESCRIPTION OF BUSSORAH.
graphically described in Arrian's report of the Voyage of Ne
archus, when the fishermen whom they saw at Kophos, in boats
similar to these described, were said to have their oars not fastened
to their rowlocks, as in Greek vessels, but to hold them in the
hand, so that they seemed to dig the water, rather than to row,
and to toss it up as a labourer throws up earth with his spade. #
There are also circular boats made of basket-work, and covered
with bitumen, which are from six to eight feet in diameter, of
shallow draught, and capable of carrying six or eight persons.
These are used both on the canal and on the river, and are pad
dled or spun along, for they make chiefly a circular motion, with
sufficient ease. They are called here kufa, and seem to be of the
same kind as those circular boats made of reeds, and in the form
of a shield, which are noticed by Herodotus as in use on the river
of Babylon upwards of 2000 years ago.f
There is still another species of boat used principally for heavy
burthens; this is called a donak, but, from the singularity of its
form, it is not easy to be described. It rises at each end with so
much sheer as to be nearly like a crescent, but falls out above,
where the sheer is deepest, or near the centre of the boat's length,
as if the timbers had been all twisted from their original place.
The bottom is quite flat, and the stem and stern rise to a con
siderable height from the water, falling at the same time inward,
like the horns of the moon ; and the whole is covered with a thick
coat of bitumen.
The rest of the vessels employed on the canal are of the com
mon form used throughout the Persian and Arabian Gulfs; and,
notwithstanding their inelegant forms above water, have often
beautiful bottoms, and are strongly built.
The whole of these canals, with all their dependent channels,
are merely dug out of the soil, without being lined with artificial
embankments or masonry in any part throughout their entire
* Voyage of Nearchus, (§. 28.) Dr. Vincent's translation, vol. i. pp. 41, 42. 4to.
t Herodotus, Clio, cxciv.