‘Persian Gulf pilot comprising the Persian Gulf and its approaches from Ras al Hadd, in the south-west, to Cape Monze, in the east.’ [51v] (107/404)
The record is made up of 199 folios. It was created in 1932. 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. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
54 APPROACHES TO
PERSIAN GULF
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
[Chap. II.
Chart 2837a.
and in front of it are two tall palm trees. At about half a mile
southward of the fort, is a tower the top of which is in ruins; it is
visible from southward, but not from northward. The huts of the
<5 village extend along the coast for a distance of about one mile.
Sohar.—Anchorage. —Situated about 13 miles north-westward of
Saham, is Sohar, a walled town with a moat (Lat. 24° 21' N.,
Long. 56° 45' E.). In it is a fort in which are several large round
trees and a square tower about 110 feet (33 m 5) high surmounted by a
10 flagstaff, see view facing page 53. This tower is very conspicuous
and is visible from seaward before the trees of the date groves, which
are quite continuous in this locality, come into view; it has been
sighted at a distance of 12 miles. Many mat huts are erected,
outside the walls, in the date groves along the beach. In the town,
15 which in 1927 had a population of about 7,500, is a bazaar; at that
time, chickens, beef, and a small quantity of vegetables were
obtainable. There are some good wells close to the beach. The
Sultan is represented by a Wali, who lives in the fort. Anchorage
may be obtained in a depth of about 5 fathoms (9 m l), sand, at a
20 distance of about one mile off the town. The depths shoal gradually
towards the coast. In 1931, H.M.S. Triad anchored in a depth
of 4 fathoms (7 m 3) with Sohar fort bearing 220°, distant about 9
cables, and the northernmost date palm bearing 309°; and in the
same year, H.M.S. Penzance anchored in a depth of 3 fathoms
25 (5 m 5), sand, with the fort bearing 250°, distant 7 cables. Except
in a calm sea, landing is bad owing to the surf on the sandy beach.
Sohar peak, called by the Arabs Hurah Barghah, rises from the
plain, in front of the main mountain ranges, some 12 miles south-
westward of the town, to an elevation of 1,550 feet (472 m 4); it is
30 conical in shape, light brown in colour, and when visible is a good
mark. See view on chart 2837a.
Coast. —A1 Fasikah, situated about 6 miles north-westward of
Sohar, is a straggling village with a fort on a slight rise at its
northern end. In rear of the village is another fort with two con-
35 spicuous date trees in front of it. There is a solitary bushy tree
on the beach northward of the village.
Majis, the largest village between Sohar and Shinas, is situated
about 2 miles north-westward of A1 Fasikah; it is composed of
mat huts and in the centre of the village is a long low inconspicuous
40 fort with one square tower in its north-eastern corner.
Harmul, situated about 3 miles north-westward of Majis, is a
village of date-stalk huts with a large building on the beach at
its south-eastern end.
Liwa, situated about 2J miles inland from Harmul, is a large
45 square fort with a square tower in the middle that is visible from
seaward above the date trees. The large building at Harmul may
be identified in low visibility for, when in line with the fort at
Liwa, it bears 266°. The peak shown on chart 2837a, about 6|
miles south-westward of Liwa, is conspicuous and stands out well
50 against the background of mountains; it is of a darker colour than
Sohar peak.
Shinas.—Anchorage. —Situated about 16 miles north-westward
of Harmul, is Shinas, a small town with a large fort. The fort
has three towers, that at its northern end being higher than the
Chart 748b.
About this item
- Content
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. pilot comprising the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and its approaches, from Ras al Hadd, in the south-west, to Cape Monze, in the east. Published for the Hydrographic Department of the Admiralty by His Majesty’s Stationery Office, London, 1932. Eighth edition.
The pilot begins with a number of introductory sections:
- Notice of caution when approaching British ports, including the closure of ports and examination of vessels entering ports (folio 1v, inside front cover);
- Notations of supplements and annual summaries of notices to mariners relating to this book (folio 2);
- Cautionary notes on the measurements, including those for (bearings, longitude, latitude, depth) given in the pilot, and the different methods of shading used to indicate colours of flags, tidal light signals and beacons in the pilot (folio 5);
- Advertisement to the eighth edition (folio 6) providing an outline history of the pilot, and updates to the latest edition;
- Contents page (folios 7v-8), referring to the pilot’s pagination;
- A list of views (illustrations), with reference to the pilot’s pagination (folio 8v);
- A glossary of terms (folio 9), organised alphabetically, and with an indication of their origin (Arabic, Baluchi, Hindustani, Persian);
- Notes on the system of orthography (folios 10-11);
- Information relating to Admiralty charts and other hydrographic publications and general navigation (folios 12-19), with sections on the correction of Admiralty charts, and their degree of reliance, navigational publications, including the Admiralty lists of lights and wireless signals, tide tables, and general remarks relating to practical navigation;
- A map of the head of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , dated July 1932, indicating those areas covered by Admiralty charts (folio 20v);
- A map of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and Gulf of Oman, dated July 1932, with an indication of those areas covered by Admiralty charts mentioned in the pilot (folio 21v);
- An insert (folio 22) detailing those elements not included in the present volume.
The main body of the pilot is arranged in chapters and appendices as follows:
- Chapter 1 - General Remarks: physical features, depths, political and administrative divisions, British representation, ports and anchorages, towns and population, languages, supplies, products, trade, currencies, weights and measures, the pearl fisheries, health, meteorological information (pressure, winds, cyclones and depressions, climate and weather, humidity, rainfall, dew, fog, visibility), currents, tides, tidal streams, signals, communications, pilots, deratisation, native craft, piracy, obtaining information, presents, coal, fuel oil, docks, repairs, standard time, passages;
- Chapter 2 - Approaches to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. from the south; the coasts of Oman, Batinah, and Ash Shamailiyah; Ras Al Hadd to Dibah;
- Chapter 3 - Approaches to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. from the east; the coasts of Las Bela, Makran, Persian Makran, including Jask; Cape Monze to Jask;
- Chapter 4 - Entrance to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; Ruus al Jabal and the Persian coast, including Bandar ’Abbas [Bandar-e ʻAbbās] and Qishm [Kīsh] island; Dibah to Ras Ash Sha’am and Jask to Charack [Bandar-e Chārak];
- Chapter 5 - Northeast side of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; the coast of Persia; Charack to Ras Ash Shatt, including Bushire;
- Chapter 6 - The southwest side of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; the coast of Trucial Oman A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. , and the eastern side of Qatar; Ras Ash Sha'am to Ras Rakan;
- Chapter 7 - The southwest side of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; western side of Qatar, Bahrain [referred to as Bahrein throughout], and the coasts of Nejd [Najd] and Kuwait; Ras Rakan to Khor ’Abdullah;
- Chapter 8 - The head of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; coasts of Persia and Iraq; Ras Ash Shatt to and including the Shatt al ’Arab; the Tigris and Euphrates;
- Appendix 1 - List of ports available for underwater repairs, with details of the largest dry or floating dock or patent slip at each port;
- Appendix 2 - List of principal ports, showing the particulars of depth at approach and anchorage, rise of tide;
- Appendix 3 - Meteorological data (air pressure, air temperature, rainfall, wind) - for Muscat, Pasni, Jask, Bushire, Bahrain; Kuwait, Mohammerah [Khorramshahr], Basra;
- Appendix 4 - Places suitable for magnetic observations;
- Appendix 5 - Tidal streams, with tables for four locations, including Henjam, and semi-diurnal and diurnal factors.
Throughout the main chapters there are illustrations of the parts of the coastline being discussed by the accompanying text. These illustrations, which are a mix of line drawing and reproductions of watercolours, indicate the profile of the land, and highlight distinctive topographical features such as trees and forts.
- Extent and format
- 199 folios
- Arrangement
The pilot is arranged into eight chapters (I-VIII) and five appendices (I-V). The arrangement of chapters is geographical, moving from the easternmost point of the Gulf in chapter II to the westermost point in chapter VIII. The contents page (ff 7-8) and alphabetically ascending index (ff 182-93) refer to the pilot’s pagination system.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: There is a foliation sequence, which is circled in pencil, in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. of each folio. It begins on the front cover, on number 1, and ends on the inside of the back cover, on number 199.
Pagination: There are two printed pagination systems, which generally situate numbers in the top-left corner of versos and the top-right corner of rectos. The first, which uses Roman numerals, runs through the pilot’s introductory pages (ff 6-19). The second pagination system uses Arabic numerals, and runs through the remainder of the pilot (ff 23-197).
The number of each chapter is indicated throughout the chapter (expressed as ‘Chap.’ and the chapter number as a Roman numeral) in the top-left corner of rectos and the top-right corner of versos. The lines of text on each page in each chapter are numbered in intervals of five (i.e. 5, 10, etc.)
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- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/20/C251
- Title
- ‘Persian Gulf pilot comprising the Persian Gulf and its approaches from Ras al Hadd, in the south-west, to Cape Monze, in the east.’
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:145v, 145ar:145av, 146r:198v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence