'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From January 1863 to December 1864. (Edited by the Secretary.) Volume XVII.' [‎134] (301/524)

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134 RECENT TOUR ROUND THE NORTHERN
The inbabitants are a sour, fanatical-looking i ace, if not something
worse.
When we arrived at night they would give us neither milk nor
water.
It must be remembered, that the position is a kind of debatable land
between the country of the Chaab and the Government of Busbire ; that
the village has no trade, and that it is a place of pilgrimage in a small
way.
The low range of hills which we were approaching in the night is
there only two miles off, and from there the drinking water is procured.
March \8th. —Mounted at 7 a. m, and rode ESE. along a plain salt
and sandy towards the sea, but becoming grassy towards the hills.
7.35.—Passed through a nullah with salt water in it. Direction now
SSE.
9-15.—Arrived at a square enclosure or fort protecting the wells of t
the town of Dillum. The town itself bears SW. by S. from this. j
9-45 a. m. —Encamped on a bank by the sea shore a few hundred
yards South of Bunder Dillum. This bank, which is composed of loose n
grey stone, a mixture of silica and fragments of shells, forms the line of a
the shore, and the receding tide leaves a sandy flat half a mile broad. h
Bunder Dillum is a very thriving little place of about 2,000 inhab
itants. The centre part of the town is occupied by a large enclosure
or fort, the residence of the Kedkhoda. The Southern part is filled
with a fishing population, while the Northern half is full of traders.
I
The fishermen, using the drag-net, catch great numbers of Seyr fish. j
These they split and dry and send to Bussorah by sea and to the
villages round on donkeys. ^
1 he traders import iron, sugar, tea, and cloth from Bushire and ,
Koweit, and dates from Bussorah, and forward them by caravan to
Behbehan; while they bring down bales of cotton, wool, ghee, and dried ^
fruits, and forward them to the Gulf towns.
t
Ophthalmia is the prevailing disease. There is very little fever and $
no small-pox. In fact the town would be very healthy but for oph- |
thalmia. The water from the wells is good and abundant. ( |
The scarcity of rain, and the avarice of the Government servants
demanding that revenue which would be willingly given in a prosperous f