'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From January 1863 to December 1864. (Edited by the Secretary.) Volume XVII.' [‎55] (220/524)

AROUND THE SHORE LINE OF THE PERSIAN GULF The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . 55
the preceding year, not in boxes like the Bombay tea, but in small packets,
and that this latter was so execrable, as to have injured the general
repute of Kurrachee borne teas. I was puzzled at the moment to dis
tinguish the tea in question, but it was practically explained to me
on subsequent arrival at Kurrachee, that tea was brought to Sind in
packets for the use of troops and others ; that this tea, after being
drunk by the soldiers, was re-collected, dried, and repacked in the old
packets by the barrack boys, and then sold in the Kurrachee bazar
for a mere song, to be exported via the Candahar line. Again, I found
some stick opium of excellent quality from Ghayn, and on showing it
at Bombay, attention was drawn to the circumstance via the Gulf, and
a considerable trade from the Ghayn direction has since sprung up. I
was stiuck all along the route of North Persia with the unvarying pre
sence of the Kussian lumbersome tea -urn (Samawar) brought from the
gieat fails beyond the Caspian 5 would it not be possible to bring into
competition with it a lighter handier article ?
/3. That Bunder Abhass is situate in a position favourable for trade,
is in some degree to be inferred from the history of the neighbour
ing Ulano. of Gimuz, No island could possibly look more unpromis
ing. It is, in brief, a confused looking mass of spongy earth mounds
and saline emoiescence. Aet under European management, in times
gone by, it was described as follows
Instamond, in his History of the East Indies says :— f< At the mouth
of the Strait of Mocandon, which leads into the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , lies the
island of Gombroon. In the eleventh century an Arabian conqueror
built upon this banen rock tne city of Ormuz, which afterwards became
the capital of an empire, comprehending a considerable portion of
Arabia on one side and of Persia on the other. Ormuz had
two good harbours, and was large and well fortified; its riches
and strength were entirely owing to its situation. It was the centre of
trade between Persia and the Indies, which was very considerable, if we
remember that the Persians at that time caused the greatest part of
tie merchandise of Asia to be conveyed to Europe from the ports of
}ria ana Caffa. At the time of the arrival of the foreign merchants,
Ormuz afforded a more splendid and agreeable scene than any city in
t ie East. Persons from all parts of the globe exchanged their commodi-
! GS m J d transac ted their business with an air of politeness and atten
tion which are seldom seen in other places of trade.