'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.' [‎431] (462/582)

DOWN THE PERSIAN GULF The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . 432
fore daylight a tremendous squall, accompanied with thunder,
lightning, and rain, burst upon us from the north-west, and blew
for some time with irresistible fury. The ships of the squadron
were reduced to the topsails on the cap, and yet felt the fury of
the blast, though flying right before it. When it broke at sun
rise, the wind settled into a steady breeze from the north-east, and
the violence of the change in the weather was considered as an
effect of the eclipse of the preceding day. In the course of the
morning two ships passed us inshore, on their way to Bushire;
but though the Vestal chased them and displayed signals, no com
munication could be effected.
At noon, the ship's place was in latitude 27°. SO', north, and
longitude 50°. 50 / . east, with the Hummocks of Khan, north-east
half north, in thirty-five fathoms, the winds light and variable
through the afternoon, and our water gradually deepening to
thirty-nine fathoms at midnight.
The low woody land beneath the mountains of Khan, in sight
of which we now were, is called by the natives Umm-el-Goorm,
which last word was interpreted by the Indian name of jungle,
meaning, a thick brush-wood, or what would be called in England,
a wilderness, and in America, 'uncleared land.' We were as
sured also, that near this Umm-el-Goorm, at the foot of the moun
tains of Khan, was a small khore or creek for boats, retaining the
name of the place itself, though the people knew of no town
existing there now, or of any ruins of an old one.
This creek corresponds accurately enough with the Sitakus of
Arrian, who might easily have given the name of a river to an arm
of salt water, long and narrow, and affording shelter to vessels; as
in India, among our own countrymen even at the present hour,
the arm of the sea which separates Salsette from the Mahratta ter
ritory, is called the Bassein and Tannah river, though it is connect
ed both at its entrance and exit, or source and mouth, (if it may
be so said,) with the ocean. As no town is mentioned by the his
torian, no one is to be sought for now; but there is great proba
bility that the broad valley which we saw going up from the sea-