'Gazetteer of Arabia Vol. II' [‎1314] (363/688)

MCSA
rr^5 mi . 0S . y As this Khor is a S ce n d 0d its water
ana ii " r^hrit
nearly, Khor Doraq is several perhaps 10. miles distant frem that
riaee and tas a breadth of 60 or 70 yards. At about 12 nules below Bnz,yeh. where
Fi t Q Sr of the Khor begins to be drinkable when the tide is out, villages commence on
loth ^ those on the'western side belong to the A1 Bu Abbadi and M Bji Dahaloh
Sons of the Ka'ab. and those on the eastern side to these two sections and to the Al
Bfl HamSdi section. Khor Doraq in the immeiate neighbourhood of Buziyeh »
described in the article under that name. j -i. u j .
Khor Ma'shur branch .-The other branch, and true continuation beyond its head of
Khor Musa is Khor Ma'shur which runs north-eastwards, has a length of about 14 miles,
aJicT may be considered to end at a point about a mile south of Ma shur village ; but
w^th high tides and a south-east wind the sea water is said to reach almost to the town
to two sides—the south and the west. On both sides of this Khor are broad mud flats
which are mostly covered at high water springs. . , , , ,. .
NaMion of Khor .Vum.-the entrance of Khor Musa .3 crossed by a bar which
carries only 3 fathoms at low water springs, but is practicable for large vessels at high
water, the spring rise being about 10 feet. The bottom however, is of mud and
3d easily be dredged if necessary ; and, though no more favourable sounding than 3
fathoms hL as yet been obtained on the bar, it is possible that a complete survey might
reveal a deeper channel than any at present known Inside the bar the depth steadily
increases, and shortly after passing Dairah island there is no bottom at 9 fathoms, a
condition which is maintained the whole way from this place to the head of the mam
Khor The soundinga in Khor Musa do not appear to be liable to much variation, for
recent surveys agree closely with others made a number of years ago.
In Khor Musa. Dairah island and the mainland upon the oppoiste side are very low
and onlv just visible in crear weather ; but as the inlet is ascended the mud banks and
flats which uncover at low water afford guidance to the navigator. The Qassar-bin-
Siswan shoal lies in the middle of the fairway and probably never uncovers ; as a rule
however, it can be seen, but it may be missed, especially if the western edge of the channel
is followed Above the entrance to Khor Qanaqeh the Khor Musa channel is difficult
to find, except at low tide, on account of the distance to which the sea spreads over
the mud flats on either side. ... .
Naviqation of the branches. -In the Khor Qanaqeh branch at 7 miles from its entrance
the width of the channel is about 400 yards, and the depth within 20 yards of the banks
is 4 fathoms, increasing rapidly to 6 or more in the middle. In Khor Qanaqeh a mini
mum depth of 6 fathoms can apparently be obtained for 30 miles above the entrance; and
a ship's boat can proceed about 20 miles further still to a point about 1| miles east-south
east of Qabban where the creek is only 10 yards wide and has a depth of a foot at low
water. In the upper part of the Khor the tide flows for 3 hours and ebbs for 9 ; its nse
and fall is about 10 feet, and the ebb is very strong- At 7 and 12 miles from the entrance
unexplored branches run southwards, and one at least of them must apparently
communicate with Khor Musa or with the sea as a native vessel has been known to emerge
from Khor Qanaqeh which had not entered it by the ordinary channel.
The navigability of Khor Doraq has recently been tested ; in the uppermost fewmiles
it is narrow and at low water nearly dry, but the rise of the tide is about 10 fee
and sea-going native vessels of as much as 150 tons are able to reach the town ot
Buziyeh. .
For 2£ miles above the month of Khor D5raq the soundings Measurements of the depth of a body of water. in Khor ma s u
continue to be more than 9 fathoms, butthereafter they shoal, not altogether regularly,
to the head of this branch. In ordinary tides small boats reach a point 1J miles irom
Ma'shur village, and native sea-going craft ordinarily discharge their cargo at a P c ®
called Sif, 2J miles from the town, where at ordinary low tides the depth of 18
feet and the width of the channel 15 feet. The banks here are of shelving mud and tne
breadth of the water increases at high tide to 50 feet. Larger vessels discharge opposi
ft tract called Zangi further down.