'Selections from the Records of the Bombay Government' [‎15] (52/733)

PIRATE PORTS. ] g
Ras-ool-Jabal, retires from the sea, forming low sandy plains, and the
depth of water begins to decrease.
F;om hence to Shargah the coast is generally low, and thinly planted
with date trees, and full of shallow creeks, well calculated to afford
protection to the peculiarly constructed boats of the pirate tribes.
That of Ramse is particularly safe, from a bar at its entrance, on which
the surf breaks heavily. To ships it were hazardous to approach this
coast during the prevalence of a north-west wind, lest they become
embayed ; no danger, however, is apparent to the eye between Mussel-
dom and Boo Haile, a line of shore nearly thirty leagues in extent. The
whole of this southern shore of the Gulf, which is very imperfectly
known, even by tradition, to European hydrographers, is said to
abound in shoals, with a bottom generally of coral and sand, and bear
ing, as far as Grane, in lat. 29° 12' N., beds of the richest pearls in the
universe.
Ras-ool-Khyma.
At a distance of seven miles further, lat. 25° 48' N., and long. 56° 4'
E. we reach Ras-ool-Khyma, the centre of the Pirate Ports, and
their chief town, containing a thousand houses. It bears SW. J W.
from the Great Quoin, about fifty-five miles distant. The town is
situated on a point of land projecting into the sea, in a north-east
direction, and terminating in a bank, extending itself parallel with the
coast to the westward, at the distance of two and two and a half miles
off shore, with two, two and a quarter, and two and a half fathoms,
hard sand, upon it. Within this point is a deep, narrow bay, which first
takes a south-westerly direction, to the back of the town, along which
the Dows and larger boats are sheltered, and hence proceeds further
inwards in a south-easterly line. The entrance to the bay is shallow,
and impeded by a strip of land, extending obliquely from the point
towards the opposite shore, and forming a bar on which, at spring tides,
there is scarcely eleven feet water, although at these periods there is
a rise of six feet above the usual level. Small vessels, however, or gun
boats, drawing not more than three feet water, may advance within pis
tol-shot of the beach, and much within point-blank range of the town;
but it is not safe for vessels of fourteen feet draught to approach under
two and a half or three miles. The best anchorage is six fathoms, soft
sand, the Point bearing SE. about four miles.
Amulgavine, Ejman, &c.
Eleven miles SW. by W.i W. of Ras -ool-Khyma is situated a small,
low, sandy island, containing four hundred houses, defended by bastions,
erected in the most commanding positions. It is Insular only at high-