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'NOTES ON THE ISLANDS OF BAHRAIN AND ANTIQUITIES BY CAPTAIN E. L. DURAND, 1 ASSISTANT RESIDENT, PERSIAN GULF.' [‎22v] (7/32)

The record is made up of 1 file (14 folios). It was created in Aug 1879. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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TTiiiorfn nf Sirfihe which are only some out of very many
grtprare?lCrfor less worthy of Notice. I shall have to recur agaia to
these monum ^ (luantity is sa id to be obtainable at the southern end
of the island (as also, I am told, on the ad-
AndPiiny-housesbuiitof "fossil salt." Query . aceilt m ainland). (Compare Strabo's ac-
(fmimftn Bahrain,whfch Ts strongly impregnated cOUnt of the llOUSesbuilt of Salt in til CSC
with salt). parts and mended with salt-water douches.)
On this subject an Arab from the mainland assured me that in one place, where
they now quarry salt, the remains of old buildings and pillars are often seen.
26. Trees and Plants. —Foremost amongst the trees is of course the date,
and some of the date-gardens are extremely fine. Many however are going and
gone to ruinjthe result of bad Government, and indeed in some places that were
once flourishing gardens not a bearing tree remains.
27. The almond with its broad and coloured leaves grows well, and is
seen to great effect amongst the palm.
28. The citron grows well in a garden now under Sheikh Ahmed. I saw
many acres of these trees all bending with such masses of golden fruit that they
Some 20 inches and more in cireum. seemed scarcely able to bear the weight. These
ference. were interspersed amongst palms, peach, and almond
trees, and themselvoe werpi covered with snRntpd blossom as well as fruit.
29. The tamarind flourishes, having probably been imported from India.
DatePato. Pomegranate. Tamarind. 30. I give a general list in
vine. Almond. citron. £ air uei the margin, but perhaps not quite
Fig. Peach. Apricot. * a full OUC.
31. The castor oil plant, that hardy invader of every Eastern soil, floiirishes
here as elsewhere.
32. Lucerne grass is very largely cultivated and (with dates) is about the only
food supply grown or used for the animals of this island. Were the least atten
tion given to this branch of agriculture, almost every known vegetable could
be produced here, as the climate is good for at least six months out of the twelve,
and water is abundant.
33. Animals. —The list of animals is not a large one. Camels, horses, cows,
and donkeys (with the inevitable Eastern dog) are to be found in different parts
of the island. All these feed principally upon lucerue, supplemented with dates.
34. The camels are mostly from Arabia, though they are now bred here in
the marshes. A few good ones for riding purposes are owned by the Sheikhs.
These feed even when going at a sharp trot giviog the unaccustomed rider aii
odd feeling of helplessness, as the long neck disappears in front and the head
becomes mixed up with the animal's legs; this feeling is soon replaced by one of
implicit confidence when you get accustomed to the acrobatic performance, and
find that no harm comes of it.
35. The horses, all rejoicing in some high-sounding tribal or family name
appear to me, with the exception of some old brood mares, to have been crossed
with an inferior breed. They stand, unused and unclothed and uncared for in
= n Wi r mthe S T e I llace ' aild eat their dates and lucerne con-
tenteclly. Breeding is earned on from the most unsound and helpless crirmlps
some of whom can barely stand from disease, and as the colts get little or no
ip 6 ' re t , of tlle breeding arrangements cannot be very satisfactory.
. lie Sheikhs are of course the only owners, and consider tbpir .w
hapen cripples to be of enormous value. It is not worth while to unLS™
them, as no one in his senses would think of buying one. undeceive
poor man to^cln kelp^r ^ ^ bUt the ^ is ^ - -
those 3 LnJd w'tte Shetths 8 and , f 7 cd ', but are fe, L and far bet ^ now, except
I have seen in Persia anVl and a few big men. They are not so fine as those
^ ' a m ucb higher price is asked for them. The ordinary

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Content

Letter No. 164 from Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Charles Ross, Her British Majesty's Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , to Alfred Comyn Lyall, Secretary to the Government of India, Foreign Department, 1 May 1879, enclosing notes on the islands of Bahrain and Antiquities, written by Edward Law Durand, and commenting that some of the antiquities described had not been documented before and were of interest to the British Museum who were funding further research and excavation.

The notes are broken down into the following headings:

Bahrain

  • Descriptive: describing the physical geography of the islands and their surrounding waters, the longitude and latitude and navigable access by sea;
  • Trade: describing the pearl and date trades, and ways in which trade and harbour access might be improved;
  • Interior of the Islands: describing geographical features inland;
  • Water: describing the locations of fresh springs across the island and also the availability of salt;
  • Trees and Plants; describing the flora and fauna of the islands;
  • Animals: tame animals including horses, donkeys, camels and cows
  • Wild animals: including gazelle, mongoose and hares.

Antiquities

  • Antiquarian: giving an account of the earliest known history of the islands, including their rulership by the Phoenicians, Babylonians, Persians, Arabs and Portuguese, before describing the antiquities to be found on the islands.

The notes describe the antiquities visited by Captain Durand during trips to Bahrain, including all the mosques on the islands; an old stone water well found in a date grove near Bilad-i-Kadim [Bilad al Qadeem]; a number of mounds at Ali [Aali] which were determined to be temples or tombs, which Durand speculates may have been the great Phoenician cemetery of Gerrha and which he spent several days exploring and excavating.

The notes include illustrations (folios 29, 30, 33 and 35) to accompany the report, which were lithographed A lithograph is an image reproduced from a printing plate whose image areas attract ink and non-image areas repel it. from originals supplied by the Foreign Department of the Government of India.

The notes also included two maps which have since been removed and are kept in the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Maps Collection (IOR/W/L/PS/18/B95).

Extent and format
1 file (14 folios)
Physical characteristics

Foliation: The foliation for this description commences at folio 25, and terminates at folio 38, since it is part of a larger physical volume; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in the top right hand corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. of each folio. These numbers are written in pencil, but are not circled.

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'NOTES ON THE ISLANDS OF BAHRAIN AND ANTIQUITIES BY CAPTAIN E. L. DURAND, 1 ASSISTANT RESIDENT, PERSIAN GULF.' [‎22v] (7/32), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/18/B95, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023576719.0x000009> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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