'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.' [‎492] (523/582)

^g2 ISLAND OF KISHMA.
at all times, with good water, and a cultivatable soil, are not to
be found in any other island of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. that could be so
easily defended, or is so well situated for guarding the entrance to
the sea as this is.
The island of Kishma, or Kismis as it is called in the charts, on
the southern edge of which Angar is situated, is the largest and
the most fertile island in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . It is the Oarakhta
of Nearchus, the Ounoctha of Ptolemy, the Oracla of Pliny, and
the Doracta of Strabo,—variations common enough to all the an
cient geographers, when using foreign names, especially of places
so far distant and so little known as this is. It is called Queixomo
by the Portuguese, and Kismis by the English, which is thought
to be the same word, and is conceived to be derived from its pro
duction of a small grape without seeds, called Kismis in Persia,
and Sultana in Turkey, particularly at Smyrna, where it is an
article of export to England. By the Arabs, however, this
island is called Jeziret-Toweel, and by the Persians Jeziret-
Drauz, both implying literally 4 Long Islandand as there is at
its eastern end a town called Kassm, this is more likely to have
given it the names of Kism, Kishm, and Kismis, than the pro
duction of the fruit mentioned. It is said to have had formerly
three hundred villages upon it; and the report may be credited,
for the fertility of the soil would be quite sufficient to support
them. At present, however, there are not a dozen hamlets that
are inhabited ; though the situation, the soil, and the climate, are
still as favourable as ever to population. The channel between
this island and the continent of Persia is navigable for large
ships; and our frigates, cruisers, and transports, went through it
during the expedition of 1809 against the Joassamee pirates, when
several of their towns and strong-holds in this channel, were de
stroyed. The ship Mercury beat up through it from the west
ward within the present year ; and the officers describe the chan
nel to be clear and safe, the shores on botlr-sides well wooded
and watered, and the scenery of the wht)le channel interesting.