'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.' [‎468] (499/582)

PYLORA ISLANDS.—THE GREAT TOMB.
All this cluster of islands, occupying nearly the mid-channel of
the Gulf between the Arabian and Persian shores, but mostly
nearer to the latter, including Surdy, Nobfleur, the Great and Lit
tle Tomb, and Polior, which is the largest of the whole, would
seem to be the Pylora islands of antiquity, as they correspond
nearly in number and position, and retain nearly the same name
in the principal one, from which the whole group might have
been originally called.
The Great Tomb is a low island, little more than a league in
length from east to west, and somewhat less than that in breadth
from north to south. The northern extreme is the highest, and
the southern shelves off to a flat beach, near which the water
is shoaler than elsewhere ; but as the soundings Measurements of the depth of a body of water. are regular, and
there are no rocks known around it, the whole of its shores may be
said to be safe to approach by the lead. Near its western end is a
small bay, convenient for landing; and not far from this are some
trees, close to which, it is said, fresh water may be procured. The
island is at present uninhabited; and I could not learn that it
had ever been otherwise, though its name is thought to be Portu
guese in its present form, and derived from the appearance of
some sepulchres there. Sir Harford Jones gives to this island,
and a smaller one near it, called the Little Tomb, the Persian
names of Gumbad-e-Bousung and Gumbad-e-Kutcheek, or the
4 great and little dome,' from the domes which usually crown the
sepulchres of Mohammedan Imaums; but we could perceive no
vestige of buildings at present on either of them ; nor could I
learn from the Persians and Arabs on board, that these had any
other names than simply 4 islands,' in either of these languages;
or if there were any, they were not acquainted with them. It
is mentioned as the place of anchorage of the fleet of Nearchus,
after the grounding of the galleys on the shoal of Oarakhta, and
is known by the identity of its situation, at the distance of three
hundred stadia from that island, though it is there mentioned
also without a name.