'Gazetteer of Arabia Vol. II' [‎1457] (530/688)

Is. Tkeij]
QAL—QAL 145?
QAL'AH—
A village in Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Sarrami {q.v.), in the 'Oman Sultanate.
QAL'AH (A l)—
The name given to hamlet in Bahrain Island {q.v.),
QAL'AH (A l)—
In Hejaz ; see Al-Khraibi.
^ QALAI'AH—
A sandbank of the coast of the Kuwait Principality [q.v.).
^ QALAI'AH (R as-al)—
. Or Ras-al-Qallyah ; a prom'ont'ory on the coast of the Kuwait Principality [q. v.).
QALAI AT-AL- ABID -v —promontories off the coast of the Kuwait Principality {q % v V
QALAI 'AT-AL-HARAR j
QALAI'AH (K hor-al-)—
The name is commonly pronounced as if it were '' Khor Lijlai'ah." A lagoon 2 miles
in width by 3 miles in length, lying to the southward of Muhalrraq Island in Bahrain.
Shelter. —It is enclosed on the south by Sitrah Island and its fringing reef; on the
west by the Island of Bahrain ; on the north by Muharraq Island ; and on the east by a
barrier-reef extending 3 miles to the Southward from Muharraq Island and terminating fn
a rock, one foot above sea level at high water, which is called Qassar-ad-Diwan.
Entrance. —The only entrance available for shipping lies between Qassar-al-Diwan and
the Sitrah reef ; it is two cables wide and has a bar, formed by an extension of the eastern
| barrier-reef which stretches right across its mouth and is 120 yards across at its narrowest
part. In the centre of the bar is a gut, 60 yards wide and generally 16 to 17 feet deep ;
istitreatkmr: but the bottom is rocky and uneven, and in places the depth is only 14 feet. The re-
ray to Haral; mainder of the entrance-channel is from 5 to 7 fathoms deep and steep-to on both sides.
A shoal lies outside the entrance, and there are two approaches, one to the north, the
other to the sOuth of the shoal, of which the northern is the better.
ISmifesiiW Interior. —Within the Khor the 5-fathomIine extends for a mile, enclosing a gutter
| yjHugg, Miis from 1 to 2 cables wide with an average depth of 6 fathoms ; this grutter is situated
8 50 camel 'di between the barrier-reef and a large sandbank which lies in the middle of the Khor. The
4-fathom line extends further northward and encloses an anchorage about 1 mile long
and 3 to 4 cables wide, suitable for vessels of moderate draught. The bottom here is
hard and covered with a thin layer of sand ; it does not afford good holding-ground.
There are two other good anchorages, lying respectively south and west of the middle
gtound, with mud bottom and depths of 4 to 5 fathoms ; but they are difficult of access.
There is abundant anchorage for light-draught ships up to within a mile of Muharraq
Town. A channel which leads from the northwest corner of the Khor into Manamah
harbour is 2 feet deep at low water and consequently fit only for small boats.
Tides. —The velocity of the tidal streams in the Khor is generally about | a knot, the
flood setting to the northward. In the entrance they are much stronger, being about 3
knots at springs, with swirls, eddies and overfalls at the bar.
Naval value. —The entrance of Khor-al-Qalai'ah could be very easily defended by forts
erected on the reef, and ships lying within would be secure from torpedo attack. The
Khor is also perfectly sheltered from all winds. On the Other hand it would be expensive,
if indeed it were possible, to dredge out the entrance and anchorages to the depth neces
sary for large ships; the entrance even after improvement would be difficult, and the
holding-ground inside, as already remarked, is indifferent: in these respects Khor-al-
Qalai'ah does not lend itself to the establishment of a large defended port, but it might
berve as a station for a torpedo flotilla.
Survey. —The Khor was surveyed and reported on by Lieutenant and Commander
H. B. Somerville of H.M.S. " Redbreast " in 1905 and the above are the principal resullg
Of his inquiry,
C52(w)GSB L . 8A