'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.' [‎442] (473/582)

^2 P0RT 0F SIRAFF.
grimage.' # The fact is, that Bir, and not Birk, is the common
Arabic name for a well; and Birket, the usual term for a lake, as
in the Birket-el-Hadj, or the Lake of the Pilgrimage ; for that is
precisely the way in which it is pronounced in Egypt, where this
lake is situated, and where it derives its name from the Hadj, or
assemblage of pilgrims, who depart yearly from this spot for
Mecca, halting here to fill their water, and to wait for the Emir-
el-Hadj, or Prince of the Pilgrimage, who generally leaves Cairo
the day before they set out.
Nov 24. —At sun-rise, the weather being clearer, and the wind
moderate, with a land breeze from the north-east, we saw Charrack
Hill again, bearing north by east half-east, and were then in forty-
two fathoms water.
I sought and enquired in vain after the Siraff, which is thought
to have been seated at the foot of Charrack, and opposite to
Kaeese ; and which is noticed by Edrisi as a seat of commerce in
his time, and connected with Kaeese, as Gomberoon was afterwards
with Ormuz. Dr. Vincent proves, from the relation of a voyage
of two Arabians, that in the ninth century Siraff was a port of im
portance ; for it seems in that early age to have been in the pos
session of the Arabians, and the centre of an Oriental commerce,
which perhaps extended to China. He adds, that both Siraff,
which was conquered by Shah Kodbadin, king of Ormuz, about the
year 1320; and Siraff, whose decline is mentioned by Alfragani, in
his time, yielded its consequence to Ormuz, which was a celebrated
mart long before the Portuguese were masters of that island ; and
he inclines to think, though Siraff is said by D'Anville to be now
in ruins, that both the name and the site are to be identified with
the Charrack of the coast. As Siraff was said to have been oppo
site to Kaeese, there was a difficulty in reconciling it to the posi
tion of Charrack, as given by M'Cluer, since this was to the east
ward of his Cape Bestion, and rather opposite to Polior, or Froor.
Sequel to the Voyage of Nearchus, p. 513.