'Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia, including a journey from Bagdad by Mount Zagros, to Hamadan, the ancient Ecbatana, researches in Ispahan and the ruins of Persepolis, and journey from thence by Shiraz and Shapoor to the sea-shore. Description of Bussorah, Bushire, Bahrein, Ormuz, and Muscat, narrative of an expedition against the pirates of the Persian Gulf, with illustrations of the voyage of Nearchus, and passage by the Arabian Sea to Bombay.' [‎352] (383/582)

352
BUSHIRE.
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . It possesses considerable importance, when con
sidered as the only port of such an extensive empire as Persia;
for it is through this channel alone that all her supplies from
India by sea are received. The former splendour of Ormuz and
Gombroon, or Bunder Abassi, at the entrance of the Gulf, is
known to have been derived from their commerce only, when they
stood in the same relation to Persia generally, as depots for ma
ritime commerce, that Bushire does at present. The history and
the fate of these settlements are known to every one. They
were once splendid cities: they are now no more. Whether this
be a fate that awaits Bushire, or not, would be difficult to pro
phesy ; but as it has never attained for its merchants the wealth
which the liberality and munificence of Abbas the Great allowed
his subjects to acquire; and as its trade, though sufficiently exten
sive, is crippled by the overwhelming pressure of a long train of
exactions continued from the sea to the inland capital; it is likely
that it will never arrive at the pitch of opulence to which Ormuz
and Gombroon attained, nor, for a long period at least, sink to
the utter desolation of these proud marts, since no change can be
so much for the worse as to effect such a total abandonment.
The trade at present existing between Persia and India admits
of the average arrival of twelve or fifteen merchant-ships yearly
from Bengal and Bombay. Not more than half their cargo is
however landed here; and often not more than a third, as a por
tion of it is usually taken out at Muscat, and a still larger portion
goes on to Bussorah, From Bengal are brought rice, sugar, in-
digo, pepper, and spices, with a small assortment of muslin and
piece-goods. From Bombay are imported the annual supplies of
iron, steel, tin, lead, and woollen cloths, sent by the East India
Company, and continued to be sold yearly at a loss, in conse
quence of their being obliged by their charter to export a certain
quantity of these articles annually from Great Britain, and to
force a market for them where they can. The productions of
China, in sugar, sugar-candy, preserved ginger, camphor, and