'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From January 1863 to December 1864. (Edited by the Secretary.) Volume XVII.' [‎244] (419/524)

244 REMARKS ON THE PORT OF LINGAH,
13. The other side of the ditch forms the apex of the town, which
stretched in an irregular triangular form along cither coast line, and
till it reached a range of hills, forming at once the base of the triangle
and a natural wall of defence. The length of the perpendicular from
the fort ditch to these hills may be about a mile and a half; while two
towers still standing, at either extremity of the base, immediately above
the beach, and marking the limits of the town, may be about two miles
apart. The western of these towers still bears the name of Urgazee,
and the eastern one that of Meshshateh. Outside the latter, and
stretching south-eastward, seem to. have been suburbs parallel with the
shore line, and leading down to a pier distant three or four miles.
This pier and suburb, which bear the name of Trompuk, are alleged
to be still standing ; but I had not the leisure to visit them.
14. It is impossible to guess what may have been the greatest
extent of the city at any one time. Tradition, of course, asserts that
it covered the entire extent above defined; but I infer rather that the
original Persian settlements may have been those which now bear the
above ancient names ; that afterwards, perhaps, the Arabs on taking pos
session bad their bunder at Trompuk ; and that, finally, the Portuguese
preferred the point where their fort now stands, because it was at once
Note.— One is always going to see ruins in the East. Beyond the limit of our own
territory, and excepting only a few emporiums created by the impetus given by us,
Central Asia seems to have few towns that are not small and tumble-down, with
extensive ruins and burial-places in the neighbourhood. Tile tombs are generally
more numerous and costly than the dwelling-houses : no society seems ever to
have flourished perennially ; you hear the name of some king or hero, and are told
of how happy and prosperous men were in his time; but he died, and all fell to
pieces ; these are the ruins ! You hear of the splendour of Hormuz and the Portu
guese, and here are their ruins t How comes it that neither under their own great
leaders, nor when inoculated by the Portuguese and Dutch with the civilisation of
the M est, did Asia ever make a permanent start in material progress ? Is it not
because neither the kings nor the foreigners ever thought of the people ? All were
noble (Ashraff) or vile; all head and feet, but no body! If we can remedy this; if
we can succeed in cieating a great middle class in India, able to appreciate and ac
customed to exercise their civil rights, and prepared to defend their foreign relations,
let that be our monument. The most magnificent public works are at best but its
fitting pediment. Then may coming travellers see, not ruins, but free and growing
communities in increasing cities; and asking for memorials of the English, receive
for answer— A^rc perennius siquseris monumentum circumspice ! ”