'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.' [‎208] (245/562)

[ 208 ]
1758. alfo of a large handfome building which we met with in the way, fuppofed
v—' by the common people to be the tomb of Meer Mahomet the fon of Ah
a man much renowned for his piety, and who is faid to have performed mira
cles among them. The Baron however aiilired us, that this notion of theirs
is merely imaginary, for that Meer Mahomet, was fo far from being buried
under this tomb, that he never was once in the ifland, either living or dead.
His opinion, and which was confirmed by the mod fenfible of the Arab
and Perfians, is, that this monument was only ere(5led in remembrance and
honour of that fage, and that neither his, nor the bones of any other per-
fon were depofited under it. He obferved, it was poffible this tomb
might once have been a Portuguefe chapel •, and that after thofe people had
deferted the ifland, the Perftans had changed it's form into that it now
bears. This opinion is probably well founded, for from the appearance of
the ftone-mafonry, and the painted tiles above the door, it was very evident
that fome parts at leaft of this building were of modern conftrudion. Juft
before we reached this tomb, we entered, and furveyed with great atten
tion, a long fubterraneous pafTage, made for the conveyance of water
from the oppofite fide of an hill which (according to the Perfian cuftom)
has at proper diftances, holes cut through the furface of it, for the
admiflion of light and air. We obferved alfo at this fouth end (which
is the higheft part of the ifland) fome caverns hewn out of the folid rock,
which feem to have been the dwelling-places of the firft inhabitants. There
were alfo two or three ftrudures here, which appeared to have been once
appropriated to religious ufes, perhaps they were Portuguefe churches;
and what ferves to confirm this opinion, is, that a crucifix had been dif-
covered cut on one of the walls.
The next day we began pitching the four tents which we had furnilh-
ed ourfelves with at Calcutta ; but before we had finifhed with the largeft,
our dining-tent, the Baron paid us a vifit, and put an entire flop to our
proceedings, affuring us, that thofe high and fpacious tents, were by no
means calculated tor our purpofe, fince the^ would certainly difcover us a
great way oil, and give even thofe Arabs that were about us, too high an
opinion ot our conlequence ; they were alfo, he obferved, too heavy and un
wieldy, and promifed to provide us with proper ones in their ftead. He
had witn him leveral Arabian merchants, who all joined in what the Baron
had laid. After he had thus pafled his judgment on our tents, he went
on examining the other part ot our baggage, and could not help fmiling
at a two-wheel chaiie we had brought with us, in hopes of it's being
ufeful in our journey over the Befert. We knew indeed that no fuch
thing was uled in common either in 'Turkey or Perfia, yet as we imagined we
might be able to get horles either at Bajfora or Baghdad, we had pleafed
ourlelves with the thoughts of being fometimes relieved from the Camd's
untoward motion by this meansj and in fuch roads as fhould turn out
rugged or landy, we had formed a fcheme of taking the chaife to pieces,
1 - . -and