'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.' [‎411] (442/582)

HISTORY OF THE JOASSAMEE PIRATES.
411
the men, too, were all so busily occupied in their golden harvest,
the moment appeared favourable for escape ; and the still captive
Englishmen were already at their stations to overpower the few
on board, cut the cable, and make sail. Their motions were
either seen or suspected, as the divers repaired on board in haste,
and the scheme was thus frustrated.
They were now given their liberty, as promised, by being
landed on the island of Kenn, where, however, no means offered
for their immediate escape. The pirates, having at the same time
landed themselves on the island, commenced a general massacre
of the inhabitants, in which their released prisoners, fearing they
might be included, fled for shelter to clefts and hiding-places in
the rocks. During their refuge here, they lived on such food as
chance threw in their way, going out under cover of the night to
steal a goat and drag it to their haunts.
When the pirates had at length completed their work of
blood, and either murdered or driven off every former inhabitant
of the island, they quitted it themselves, with the treasure which
they had thus collected from the sea and the shore. The English
men now ventured to come out from their hiding-places, and to
think of devising some means for their escape. Their good fortune,
in a moment of despair, threw them on the wreck of a boat, near
the beach, which was still capable of repair. In searching about
the now deserted town, other materials were found, which were
of use to them, and sufficient plank and logs of wood for the
construction of a raft. These were both completed in a few days,
and the party embarked on them in two divisions, to effect a
passage to the Persian shore. One of these, the boat, was lost in
the attempt, and all on board her perished; while the raft, with
the remainder of the party, reached safe.
As the packet of Government dispatches had been found on y
to contain papers, which the Arabs neither understood nor valued,
it had constantly remained in the possession of these unfortunate
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