'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From January 1863 to December 1864. (Edited by the Secretary.) Volume XVII.' [‎242] (417/524)

REMARKS OK THE PORT OF LING AH,
042
9 . Returning to Bassidore I embarked again on the schooner, and
passed down the Clarence Straits through the narrow or Kishm Chan
nel. After a few miles, the Strait narrows to a breadth of a hundred
yards or so, and winds for a distance of about 21 miles between low
islands and banks covered with bauble, and fringed below the water
line with mangrove. A creek then turns short to the right, and leads
up to the small town of Luft. This township lies close to the shore,
at the foot of a scarped slope, the scarps being strengthened at their
crests by curtains and flanking works. At the furthermost side of the
town is a square fort, with circular towers at the angles pierced for guns.
The present inhabitants seem entirely ignorant of the history of these
fortifications, but from their construction and masonry I suppose them
to be European. Like the rest of the island of Kishm, Luft is farmed
by the Sultan of Muskat, and is sublet to a sheikh for about 1,500
Rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. per annum. It may contain 4 or 500 inhabitants, who seem
entirely dependent for trade on the wood which they collect on the
neighbouring islands and re-export to all points round the Gulf, for
whose firewood consumption the shores of the Clarence Straits form the
natural store. Here, as at Bassidore, drinking-water is principally
obtained from vaulted rain-water tanks. These tanks all along the
coast line seem of one construction, being oblong or circular vaulted
masonry reservoirs cut in the soil at the foot of slopes. At Luft fort,
however, there are also several wells cut deep through the sandstone,
and from which water is obtainable when the tanks are dry.
10 . Leaving Luft I crossed the Straits for Khumeer to visit the
sulphur mines which are dug in a hill about a fursac inland from that
township. Specimens of the formation will be found among the col
lection made by Doctor Colvill. The works are some height in the
seaward face of the mountain, and pierce into the strata in long irregu
lar galleries. The ore is brought out in small pieces, which are piled
conically in kilns. These are ignited, and the sulphur falls through an
aperture into a receptacle immediately below the centre of the kiln,
where it is crystallised, leaving a conical refuse of white lime or
gypsum. The sulphur diggings are farmed by Muskat, and sublet to
a sheikh for 4,100 krans. The sheikh further pays a sum of 2,400
krans in presents to the Persian authorities. The outlay of sulphur
varies from 60 to 90 thousand muns of 9 lbs. The lime is said to be
©f an excellent quality, and fetches about 2 rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. for a thousand muns