"معاملات الجمعية الجغرافية في بومباي. من يناير ١٨٦٣ حتى ديسمبر ١٨٦٤. (تحرير السكرتير.) المجلد XVII." [‎١‎٨‎٩] (٥٢٤/٣٦٠)

ON THE SHORE OF THE PERSIAN GULF.
189
The Sheikh is chosen by the villagers. Abdella Ben Ali being the
present one; he is a very old man and apparently as poor as the rest
of them, and is accountable to Sheikh Hassan ben Jubbareh of
Gabendy, to whom he pays a yearly tribute of 150 Krans. Sheikh
Hassan ben Jubbareh, who formerly resided at Congoon, has removed
his residence to Gabendy, owing to the latter place being reduced to
ruins by the frequent attacks of the Dashtee troops-
The present inhabitants appear to have gradually come in and settled
down from different parts of the coast, as I could not gain any infor
mation as to what regular tribe they belonged to (as stated in the
Selections from the Records of the Bombay Government). The oldest
man amongst them, being the Sheikh, informed me that he remembered
being told of one Abdul Rahaman, who came over from Nejd with a
few followers, and was supposed to have been the first settler, and built
the present fort. He could also show me remains of forts built by
the Portuguese, but dates and records he said were not obtainable from
the present settlers. The language they spoke in our presence was
the Arab, hut on inquiry they informed me they spoke both Persian
and Arab, but they called the Arab language their mother tongue.
But their manners and appearance certainly denote that of the Persian.
The neighbours they have the most dread of appear to be the seafar
ing men from Assaloo and its environs, whom they report as always
cruising up and down the coast in search of unlawful prizes, and ready
to loot any of the weaker vessels they may happen to fall in with.
This is their season to send to Nab end for their yearly supply of
dates, but having only a short time ago beaten back an armed bug-
gareh belonging to Assaloo, who had come with the intention of
seizing a small Ghoncha they were loading with wheat, and owing to
that they fear sending their boats or chartering any small vessel as
they would be seized upon on rounding the Cape. It would appear^
according to their accounts, that certain ports along that coast are at
constant warfare throughout the year.
During the summer months the village of Shewoo is deserted, with
the exception of 4 or 5 men left in charge of the fort, for the inhab
itants repair to the interior and cultivate certain fertile grounds to be
found in the valleys adjoining the chain of barren hills bordering their