'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.' [‎484] (515/582)

POPULATION AND MILITARY FORCE.
seen in several parts, probably once connected in line, but not yet
repaired since their destruction. The strongest points of defence
appear to be in a fortress at the north-east angle, and a double
round tower, near the centre of the town ; in each of which, guns
are mounted; but all the other towers appear to afford only shelter
for musketeers. The rest of the town is composed of ordinary
buildings of unhewn stone, and huts of rushes and long grass, with
narrow avenues winding between them. The present number of
inhabitants may be computed at ten thousand at least, of whom pro
bably three thousand may be males, capable of bearing arms, and cer
tainly more than half of these are negroes, of African birth. The
government is in undisputed possession of Hassan ben Rahma, the
Chief; and his kinsman, Ameer Ibrahim, is considered as the com
modore of their maritime force. They are thought to have at pre
sent about sixty large boats out from their own port, manned with
crews of from eighty to three hundred men each. Forty other
boats, of a smaller size, may be counted among their auxiliaries,
from the ports of Sharjee and Ramms on the Arabian coast.
Charrack and Linga, on the Persian coast, and Luft, on the inside
of the island of Kishma, are subject to their authority. Their force,
if concentrated, would thus amount to at least a hundred vessels,
with perhaps four hundred pieces of cannon, and about eight thou
sand fighting men, well armed with muskets, swords, and spears.
No circumstances are ever likely to bring these, however, all to
gether ; but on an invasion of their chief town, at Ras-eLKhyma,
they could certainly command a large reinforcement of Wahabees,
from the Desert, within ten or fifteen days' notice. The cannon
and musketry of these pirates are chiefly procured from the vessels
which they capture ; but their swords, shields, spears, and ammuni
tion, are mostly brought from Persia
The country immediately in the vicinity of Ras-el-Khyma is
flat and sandy; but on the south-east side of the creek spoken of,
and all along from thence to the eastward, there appear to be ex
tensive and thick forests of date-trees, the fruit of which forms the