'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.' [‎489] (520/582)

ISLAND OF LARACK.
489
and is said to have been once thickly peopled by them. Their
deserted villages, indeed, still remain ; but the inhabitants have
been driven out by the Joassamees, who plundered them in suc
cessive debarkations on their coast, carried off all their cattle and
moveables, and obliged them to seek refuge in the opposite moun
tains of Persia. The valleys are still said to be verdant, and
both dates and water abundant; but the flocks and herds, once
so numerous here, have followed the fate of their former pos
sessors. The central range of hills, which traverses the island of
Kishma lengthwise, appears to have been originally a table land,
or elevated plain ; but this being worn down, and broken at irregu
lar intervals, presents a line of fantastic elevations, of moderate
height, or generally under one thousand feet. The soil is white
and soft, and, according to report, antimony is found in it. The
hills themselves are perfectly barren; but the valleys of the inte
rior are said to be in general fertile. This island, which is called
Kishom, or Queixome, in the old voyages of the Portuguese, is
described by them to have been in their days sufficiently fertile,
but very unhealthy; and this complaint against the salubrity of
its climate still continues. It is separated from the main land
by a navigable strait of about five miles in general breadth, and
having five fathoms water in mid-channel. To the north-east
of Kishma, about five leagues, is the island of Ormuz, the Har-
mozia of the Greeks, and the celebrated emporium of the Por
tuguese, as well as the port of Shah Abbas at Gomberoon, called
after him Bunder Abassi, of both of which mention has been
already made.
At the eastern extremity of Kishma is the island of Larack,
(the Oracti of the Greeks, with the Arabic article prefixed,) which
is said to be high, and to afford a shelter from the north-west
gales under its lee; and at the southern edge of Kishma, about
midway between its eastern and western extremes, is the island of
Angar, which formed the excellent anchorage of our squadron.
This last island is called by the Arabs Eneeam, and is separated
3 R