'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From January 1863 to December 1864. (Edited by the Secretary.) Volume XVII.' [‎129] (296/524)

PORTION OF THE PERSIAN GULF The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .
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of the Chaab called Elbockbesh. Now the Elbockbesh inhabit all the
country between us and the sea, Westward to the Shat-ul-Arab, and
Eastward to Bunder Masboor, it is said to be nearly all marsh land.
1-15.—Crossed the Nar-el-Jubar at its division into six small canals.
The water was up to the horses’ girths.
1- 35.—Three miles to our right is a village called Moreied.
2- 54.—Encamped at a village of about ten huts, half a mile to the
Westward of a small Iman called Abdul Hassan.
This is in a district called Khater, and watered by a canal of that
name. Attached to each hut is a little garden full of garlic and
beans.
The plain over which we rode to-day was intersected by a network of
canals, the large ones coming- from the river, and the smaller from
sheets of water of which there are many. Bound those sheets of water
patches of wheat and barley had been sown.
The rest of the country had very much the appearance of the
Mesopotamian desert, three hundred yards from the banks of the
Tigris.
There was abundance of tamarisk, dwarf tamarind, and camel-thorn,
especially on the banks of the old nullahs.
Here also is a shrub in abundance called by the natives Aousedge, a
species of Physalis, used for surrounding their villages ; also Gagillah
as they call it, a species of Origanum, This they eat in great quanti
ties with bread, and Shnam, a kind of Salsola, which they burn for the
alkali it contains. Unfortunately we arrived here too early in the year,
as, with the exception of the Pkysalis, there was nothing in flower-
March \5th. 5-35 A. m. —Mounted and rode E. by S. At 6-10 the
canals ceased, the ground became higher, brushwood less, but abund
ance of young grass. The plants seemed to be no farther advanced
than they were at Bushire in the middle of February.
It is said we shall find no water between this and Bunder Mashoor.
At 6-30 we passed over a dry sandy plain rising gradually towards
the South-west.
7-30.—A splendid plain, as far as the eye can reach, of nothing but
young grass, with flocks of sheep, herds of donkeys, and the black
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