'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOL. III.' [‎444r] (892/982)

Sm-BIR
677
situated on the south-eastern coast of Sir!, opposite the anchorage
marked in the Admiralty chart. It is occupied by forty families of Sudan
and 30 of Huwalah all originally from the coast of Trucial ’Oman; they
are Hambali Sunnis, and, as the name of the village implies, they subsist
chiefly by pearl diving. At this village there are no animals and no
cultivation, but the people own 15 sambuqs for pearling on the Arabian
banks, and 30 small baqdrehs which are used for pearl-diving and fishing
round the island. Their drinking water is from a single well called Bfl
Sfir, about 600 yards north-west of the village, which yields ar abundant
supply, but it is inferior in quality to the water of Tui Na’amieh.
There has been a Persian flagstaff on Siri since 1887, and since 1899 it has
been located at Bilad Ghavavis. In 1904 two Tufangchis of the Imperial
Persian Customs were stationed at Bilad Ghavavis, where they are now in
charge of the Persian flag and collect duty on all import reaching the island
not covered by exemption passes from Lingeh. From 1887 until recently,
tithes used to be collected on Siri after each t harvest by an emissary of the
Deputy Governor of Lingeh, and the island is apparently regarded by the
Persian Government as belonging to their Lingeh district; but the title of
Persia to Siri is not admitted by the British Government, and the Shaikh of
Sharjeh has certain hereditary claims to the island.— (Bruchs—Lorimer
1906).
SlRIMEH— Lat. Long. Elev.
Name of a small cluster of round (i.e., not palm) trees on the low shore
about 9 miles north-west by north from Ras Bahrakun, coast of Khuzistan,
serving as a mask for the entrance of the Tab river, which lies between
these trees and the point; the entrance, which is very shallow, has not
been surveyed on a large scale ; the boats navigating the river are only of
20 or 30 tons.— (Constable — Stiffe—Persian Gulf Pilot.)
SIR-I-YAFAL— Lat. 27° 33' 37" N. Long. 52° 37' 40" E. Elev. 4,870'.
A well-known landmark on the coast of Lar, consisting of a mountain
4,870 feet high, with a great step or fall on the summit except from tho
westward, where it appears like a sharp notch ; it is visible over 70 miles
seawards. It is distant 5 miles from the coast above ’Asalu, and bears
north by east from Ras Naband. It is called ’Asalil Notch by English
sailors.— (Constable — Stifle—Persian Gulf Pilot.)
SIRlZ— vide SARlZ.
SIR JAN— *
A district in the Kirman province, situated about 100 miles south-west
of the city of that name. It is about 80 miles long from north to south
and 70 miles wide from east to west, and consists of a most fertile plain
containing some 60 prosperous permanent villages. (The officials give the
number of villages in the buluk as 350, but this number includes every
small group of tents.) Sa’dabad (formerly called Sir jam) is the principal
village of the district, and was at one time the chief town of the province,
until Ibn Ilias, finding it too close to the frontier of Fars for convenience and
security, moved the capital to Kirman. The famous Kaleh-i-Sang, also
reputed an ancient capital, is situated in the district. Sirjan contains 1,830