"تقرير استخباراتي عن بلاد فارس. مايو، ١٩٤٦" [ظ‎‎٧] (٨٠/١٤)

12
(A) COAST [Part V — continued]
Between Ras Bustaneh and Ras-ash-Shias, 11 miles east, is another wide sandy bay ; it is fronted
by a rocky beach. There is anchorage off the village of Bustaneh, 2 miles north-eastward of Ras
Bustaneh, but with no shelter from the shamal. Good landing can be effected on the sandy beach
2| miles westward of Ras-ash-Shias. x
Ras-ash-Shias is a low sandy point with Shias Bay, which is about 3 miles across, immediately
to the eastward. There is good anchorage in Shias Bay, south-east of the village of the same name,
in from 5 to 7 fathoms, and sheltered from the shamal. The village is obscured from seaward by a thick
date grove.
Ras Kharyu, which forms the eastern arm of Shias Bay, is also a low sandy point, but has a rocky
beach ; a spit over which there is a depth of 9 ft., extends from the point, 4| cables to the south-eastward.
The tidal streams off Ras-ash-Shias and Ras Kharyu attain a speed of 1^ knots and cause
discolouration to the water. From Ras Kharyu the coast trends north-eastward to the, point of Lingeh,
which is about 4 miles distant.
Jazirat Farur lies off the coast in this section, about 12^ miles south-south-west ward of Ras
Bustaneh. This island, which is about 4| miles from north to south, and 3 miles from east to west,
rises, with dark coloured volcanic hills, to a table-topped peak, 476 ft. high and is surmounted by a
cairn. The coastline is mainly rocky and steep-to, backed by cliffs, and with occasional sandy bays.
The island is inhabited and contains two small villages ; off one of these, on the eastern coast, there is
anchorage in 27 fathoms, 2f cables off shore, with the village bearing 240°.
(5) Lingeh to Jask (Admiralty Chart 753)
From Lingeh the coast continues its north-east trend for 96 miles to the port of Bandar Abbas,
it crosses the seaward end of several unsurveyed mountain ranges and of the valleys between them.
The large island of Qishm is separated from the mainland, between Lingeh and Bandar Abbas, by
Clarence Strait. The smaller islands of Henjam and Larak lie off Qishm Island, and Hormuz lies off
the mainland coast east of Bandar Abbas.
Inland from Lingeh hills rise to 400 ft., and beyond them is the large salt-marsh which extends
from Charak, about 35 miles to the westward. North of the salt-marsh are Lingeh Mountains, in which
Lingeh Peak rises to 3,900 ft. at a distance of 22 miles north-north-west of the town.
From the outskirts of Lingeh the sandy coast slopes up to an irregular group of hills whose highest
point (1,020 ft.) is 3 miles inland, and about 10 miles north-east of the town.
Four miles north-east of Lingeh is the small town of Kung ; it extends about % mile along the
sandy coast, and contains many well-built houses and several gilded mosques. At the south-western
end of the town are the ruins of an old Portuguese factory, near which, on the beach, is a large fort.
There is a large date grove west of the town. Landing is bad at low water, as the sandy beach dries
off in ridges for a distance of about 2| cables, with depths of only 1 or 2 ft. between the ridges.
Anchorage may be obtained, in a depth of 5 fathoms, mud, abreast the town, about 1J miles
off shore.
About 50 ocean-going dhows are based on Kung, these trade regularly with Khorramshahr
{see (B) PORTS) and also make one trip a year to Aden and East Africa. There is a sand bank, with
depths of under three fathoms, about \\ miles off shore, which fringes the coast from 2\ miles south-west
of Kung to Ras-ash-Shavari, which lies 7 miles north-east of Kung.
Ras-ash-Shavari, 7 miles north-east of Kung, is a low rounded headland, which forms the south
western point of a small bight called Bandar Hamairan. The village of Bandar Mu’Allim stands in a
date grove, on the shores of the bight, about 1 mile northward of Ras-ash-Shavari. There is a shoal
with 10 ft. depth near the head of the bight about If miles off shore ; inside this, native craft anchor
in 4 fathoms.
From Bandar Hamairan, for 17 miles, the coast crosses the end of two ridges of the Lingeh
Mountains, in the angle between which are sulphur springs. North-east of these mountains the coast
forms the north-west shore of Clarence Strait which lies between Qishm Island and the mainland.
Clarence Strait is about 65 miles long, and in the middle is constricted to a width of 1| miles by
Laft Point, which projects from the north-west coast of Qishm Island. South-west of Laft Point the
strait contains many mud islets covered with dense mangrove thickets. A large islet divides the
navigable channel into two ; the north-western is wider but is almost silted up ; the south-eastern
is deeper but narrow and difficult.
The mainland on the northern side of the channel, for about the first 16 miles, is formed by the
delta of the Run-i-Mehran, an unexplored salt valley whose mouth is a wide mangrove swamp.
Khamir Village, near a creek at the north-east end of the swamp, exports sulphur and millstones
to Bandar Abbas. There is anchorage in 3| fathoms, about \ mile off shore, south-eastward of the
village. The east part of the Clarence Strait has a very intricate channel, with banks and shoals, but
it is navigable by moderate sized vessels.
The Rud-i-Kul is a river which runs into the strait from the mainland, to the north-east of
Laft Point.
Between Rud-i-Kul and Bandar Abbas, a distance of 31 miles, the coast is a bare sandy plain,
and contains irregular hills and several villages.