'A General Sketch of the History of Persia' [‎432] (479/636)

432
THE PERSIAN GULF The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .
intluences; and 5th, to suppress the slave trade and
slavery. Basidu, on the island of el-Kishm, was fixed
upon as our naval head-quarters, A guard ship was
established there, and a hospital, racket-court, billiard-
room, and bazar were erected on shore. A sandy-
region, without half a blade of grass, surrounds the
place on every side : there is an intense glare from the
sand, and the heat in summer is excessive. The naval
force was placed under the orders of the British Eesident
at Bushire.
The occupation of el-Kishm had been sanctioned by
the ruler of Maskat; but, early in 1821, the Bersian
Government made complaints, and asserted their
claims to it. It appeared that the Arabs of Kunk, a
Bersian port, had occupied the island in 1740, and
rented it from Nadir-Shah, but that the Seyyid Sultan
had driven them out in 1792, and had since continued
to hold el-Kishm, Bandar 'Abbas, Hormuz, and Khamlr.
The British Government at Bombay sent Dr. Andrew
Jukes, in 1822, to make explanations to the Shah of
Bersia, and to represent our motives of action in the
Gulf, but he died on his way, of the plague, at Isfahan.
The rulers of 'Oman have always been the firm and
faithful allies of England, but their naval power has de
clined of late years. In 1820, the Seyyid Sa'id had five
fine ships, two of which were frigates, the ' Shah 'Alam
of fifty and the ' Caroline ' of forty guns, besides several
buggalows. The carrying trade of the Seyyid and his
subjects was very extensive, and his income greatly
exceeded his expenditure. His revenue consisted of a
tithe of the produce of 'Oman, chiefly dates, | per cent.