'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.' [‎421] (452/582)

HISTORY OF THE JOASSAMEE PIRATES.
421
their moveables with them. The town was, therefore, taken
possession of without resistance, and burned to the ground, and
such boats as were found there were also destroyed.
The force had now become separated, the greater portion of
the troops being sent to Muscat for supplies, or being deemed
unnecessary, and some of the vessels sent on separate services
of blockading passages, &c. The remaining portion of the expe
dition, consisting of La Chiffone frigate, and four of the cruisers,
the Mornington, Ternate, Nautilus, and Fury, and two transports,
with about five hundred troops, chiefly British, proceeded from
Linga to Luft, another port of the Joassamees, on the northern
side of the Island of Kishma. As the channel here was narrow
and difficult of approach, the ships were warped into their stations
of anchorage, and a summons was sent on shore, as the people
had not here abandoned their town, but were found at their posts
of defence, in a large and strong castle, with many batteries,
redoubts, &c. well defended by nature and strengthened by art.
The summons being treated with disdain, the troops were landed
with Colonel Smith at their head; and while forming on the
beach, a slight skirmish took place with such of the inhabitants
as fled for shelter to the castle. The troops then advanced to
wards the fortress, which is described to have had walls fourteen
feet thick, pierced with loop-holes, and only one entrance through
a small gate, well cased with iron bars and bolts, in the strongest
manner. With a howitzer, taken for the occasion, it was intended
to have blown this gate open, and to have taken the place by
storm; but on reaching it, while the ranks opened, and the
men sought to surround the castle to seek for some other en
trance at the same time, they were picked off so rapidly and
unexpectedly from the loop-holes above, that a general flig
took place, the howitzer was abandoned, even befor ® 14
fired, and both the officers and the troops sought shelter by
lying down behind the ridges of sand and little hillocks imme
diately underneath the castle walls.