'Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia, including a journey from Bagdad by Mount Zagros, to Hamadan, the ancient Ecbatana, researches in Ispahan and the ruins of Persepolis, and journey from thence by Shiraz and Shapoor to the sea-shore. Description of Bussorah, Bushire, Bahrein, Ormuz, and Muscat, narrative of an expedition against the pirates of the Persian Gulf, with illustrations of the voyage of Nearchus, and passage by the Arabian Sea to Bombay.' [‎480] (511/582)

4 g0 letter to the pirate chief.
soundings Measurements of the depth of a body of water. , that we perceived the town of Ras-el-Khyma, rising
from the water-line at the foot of the lofty mountains in the east^
north-east. We hauled immediately towards it, going little more
than two miles an hour, and shoaling our water gradually from
eight to six fathoms.
At sun-set, having gone about eight miles on a north-east by
east course, we anchored in the last named depth, on a sandy
bottom, with the following bearings : northern extreme of the
town, south-east quarter south, three and a-half miles; town of
Ramms, north-east by east, three-quarters east, eight miles ; Jezi-
ret-el-Hamra, south-west quarter west, ten miles; Rash Shahm,
north-east half north, twenty-five miles ; Ras Khassab, north-east
three-quarters north, thirty-five miles ; high land of Gombroon,
north by east, three-quarters east, eighty miles ; islands of the Great
and Little Tombs, north by west half-west, thirty-five miles.
As the arrival of the squadron had excited a considerable de
gree of alarm in the minds of the natives, since they had been pre
pared to expect hostile measures, the whole of the night appeared
to have been passed by them in preparation for defence, and we
witnessed a continual discharge of musketry in different quarters
of the town, and even of cannon, from the towers and forts.
Nov. 27th. At day-light in the morning, a boat was sent
from the Challenger, under the charge of Mr. Wimble, second lieu
tenant, to take on shore Mr. Taylor and the Arab Mollah, as
bearers of a letter from Mr. Bruce. The purport of this letter was
briefly this: It stated the firm conviction of the British Govern
ment, that the capture of the vessels in the Red Sea, under their
flag, was committed with a knowledge of their being English pro
perty; and waived all further discussion on that point. It insisted
on the immediate restoration of the plundered property, amounting
to about twelve lacks of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. . It demanded also, that the com
mander of the piratical squadron. Ameer Ibrahim, should be deli
vered up for punishment, and that two of the sons of their chiefs
should be placed in the hands of the Bombay Government as hos
tages for their future conduct. A refusal to comply with all, or