'A voyage from England to India, in the year 1754, and an historical narrative of the operations of the squadron and army in India, under the command of Vice-Admiral Watson and Colonel Clive, in the years 1755, 1756, 1757 ... Also a journey from Persia to England by an unusual route. With an appendix, containing an account of the diseases prevalent in Admiral Watson's squadron, etc.' [‎198] (235/562)

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175^ Comhroon is fituated at the foot of a very high mountain, which by inter-
cepting the paflage of the land-wind, makes it intolerably hot. At prefent
it is a place of no kind of conlequence, except what it receives from the
Englijh and Dutch fadories, befides whom, no other European nation has
any lettlement here. The two faftory houfes are the only buildings remain
ing of any importance -, the whole city befides, is almoft one entire fcene
of ruins, which ferved indeed to convince us of its once flourifhing ftare; buc
the conftant wars carried on in this country, and their attendants, confufion
and anarchy, have deprived the EngUJh of almoft all their commercial ad
vantages, and the place of almoft all its inhabitants j the few that remain
are only fuch as have a dependance on the two fadories, and a very
fmall number of Banian Merchant of Indian extraction. , Gentoo and Perjian merchants who refide there.
So different an appearance hath this city now, from what it had when Sir
John Char din vifited itl The air is ftill as unhealthy, as it was in the time
of that writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. ; the Per/tans themfelves fly from it in the bad feafon, and
few of our faftory efcape putrid, intermitting fevers (which principally ra&e
in the months ot May and September) \ and though they fometimes recover,
yet it generally happens that their conftitutions are much impair'd •, they
lofe the European complexion, become pale, and enervated, and their
difeafes terminate in obftrudions of the liver, and adhefions of it to the
peritonaeum.
Be fides the many conjedures mentioned by Char din and others, on the
caufes ot the unwholefomenefs of the Gombroon air in the fummer months;
Dr. Boerhaave accounts for it, from the nature of the foil, which as it abounds
with lalt, renders it the hotteft part upon the globe in his eftimation, though
its latitude doth not exceed 27 0 30'. The white cruft which the fait forms
all over the earth, firft attracts, and then reflects the intenfe heat of the fun
to the neighbouring bodies, &c. Our countrymen refiding there, judged
alio, that the very great quantity of blubber-fifti, left by the fea on the
fhore, which at that feafon of the year quickly become putrid, and emit moft
offenfive and noxious effluvia, contributed much to render the place un-
-healthy.
Mr. Douglass garden, adjoining to his houfe, produces however beans,
colevvorts, Ipinage, lettuce, onions, and cucumbers; and fo do the com
pany s public gaidens at Ajjein, diftant from hence about 12 miles. Thefe
gar eni alfo turniih Citrons, Oranges, Limes, Pomegranates, and Bedams.
ie ng too, and fome other trees, are to be found here ; the moft common
ones are the Date and Gum Arabic. The gentlemen of our fadory feemed
qmte unacquainted with the latter. The jeftamin, and damafk rofe, grow at
or ban, in the neighbourhood ot Gombroon \ the latter we faw in bloom
w en we were there, e were told of apples, grapes, peaches, apricots,
p um s and walnuts, being to be had in plenty in their proper feafons;
the two laft we eat of, but they were dry, and of the laft year. Butchers
meat, poultry, oyfters. (the belt I met with in Afta) prawns, and many
? other