'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOL. III. PART I: A to K' [‎414r] (832/1278)

HIN—HIN
407
length from east to west and nearly 3 miles in breadth : and separated
from the mainland by a strait, 4 miles broad, the navigation of which is
very dangerous. It is of a brown colour, and rises gradually from the
side to a flat centre about 100 feet above sea-level. There is no natural
vegetation except a certain amount of grass in spring. The island is
fringed by a reef which impedes landing at low water, and is surrounded
by pearl banks except at one place on the east side. About the middle
of the north shore is situated the village of Hindarabi, in which are about
100 houses of ’Ubaidli Arabs, Sunnis ; it possesses wells of which the water
is brackish in summer, a few banyan Merchant of Indian extraction. trees and some cultivation of wheat
and barley ; the flocks and herds amount to about 50 cattle and 100 goats.
There are about 400 date-palms, chiefly on the west side of the village.
The people are mostly fishermen and pearl-divers owning 15 or 20 small
craft, baqdrehs and shu’ais, which they use for fishing in winter and for
pearling, near the island in summer. Hindarabi island is subject to the
’Ubaidli Shaikh of Chlru whose local representative is styled Naib. About
a quarter of the fighting men are armed with modern rifles.— ( Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
Gazetteer, 1908.)
The harbour is safe and commodious, and a vessel is well sheltered in
it from a north-west wind. The water is deep close to the land, with
fathoms and a soft mud bottom. The strait of Hindarabi is formed by
the island and the mainland. It has regular soundings Measurements of the depth of a body of water. all over until you
approach the reef of Ras-ul-Chiru, when it suddenly shoals from 17 to 10,
5 and 4 fathoms, under which depth a vessel should not go. There is no
danger outside 5 fathoms towards the island, of 4 fathoms on the spit, the
channel between these having from 22 to 27 fathoms. The narrowest part
is between the island and Chlru reef, being there only one mile wide. A
course, one-third over from the island in passing Ras-ul-Chiru, will be found
the best.— (Bracks.)
HINDIAN (District)—
The most eastern and one of the most extensive districts in Southern
’Arabistan. The name is locally pronounced Hindian. According to local
tradition the Hindian district was once held by the Portuguese.
Extent. —The Hindian district is enclosed on the south by the Persian
Gulf ; on the west by a khait, or strip of slightly elevated land, which runs
more or less parallel to the Hindian river about midway between it and
Bandar Ma’shur ; on the north by a line traversing part of the Shah
Nabi plain eastwards to some hills, along which it continues to a point
near Gargarl, a distance in all of about 15 miles ; on the east by a line which
cuts obliquely across the maritime range from Gargarl to a point on the
coast between Shah Abul Shah and Bandar Dllam. This district has
thus a length upon the coast of about 50 miles and a depth inland of
about 30 miles.
Physical characteristics. —Neglecting the hills which run from the north-east
corner of the district to the neighbourhood of the sea at Shah Abul Shah
and which encroach but little on the surface of the district, we may say
that the Hindian district consists wholly of plains. The soil is saline in
places, but generally it is good and firm ; and the prairies, grass-covered
after rain, seem to offer every advantage for the breeding of cattle and