'PERSIAN GULF AND GULF OF OMAN. RESOURCES AND COAST DEFENCES. 1903.' [‎20r] (46/120)

DEFENCES OF FAO.
3.5
made?^ “t Xd'T ^ ™
fort sinking. There were rnmonl „V foun( > at “>“ of the 1890-96.
landed, but no definite information was obtained ar “ 8 be ‘ nS
from tV 8 e 9 Vasrhea b d le of a a C ve nt l'™ 8 ™ oe ‘ ve(l - The viewed Report of
ve 0 ” u„fi„x b rit^ a nd e8 ::L: n r : b ;i; c % a frr re(1 to be in a I8; ' 7 -
apparently of plastered mud and the walls of mud brick ^ Wele
the mud proteeZ aboveT ” 6 "" diSC0 ' 0Ured draina S e
mounted mbra8UreS Wer6 VisiblC ’ ^ n0 S 1 " 18 a PP<= a «d ‘o >> a
As the fort only showed 4 to 6 feet above the glacis bank
n g , 1 ^ cls 1 b ^ nl J covered with a coarse kind of grass
grasTaW the fort ther « was pampas
grass about 12 feet high which in some places quite hid the
walls. This grass extended to the two creeks which run at
right angles to the river, one on either side of the fort. The
plst thefort ° W " Water ’ COuld be tended by boats at half-tide
To seaward of the S.E. creek was marsh land with high rushes
everywhere, and beyond this was mud. From a point in the date
plantations 5 () yards N.W. 0 f the fort, it was ^ossible to see
arn thing of the walls. No one was allowed in the fort except
the garrison, and information was difficult to obtain. Accordirm
to the natives no work had been done lately. From various
souices it appeared that money voted for the fort had been mis
appropriate! . A native pilot stated that about 1895 the Turkish
steamer Abd-el-Kader discharged 12 very heavy cases and 40
ighter ones at the fort. Other natives asserted that there were
guns and ammunition stored in the fort underground.
According to a Turkish sergeant who had been quartered in
1 u 6 ?-A re lo ? unsin 8tore underground, and also am-
umtion; he did not know the nature of the guns, but said that
there were brass plugs in the noses of the shells.
Ihe garrison consisted of 1 sergeant and about 30 Turkish
soldiers armed with Martini’s, and was about to be increased by
a lieutenant and about 20 men, hitherto quartered at Fao.
were monn U t»7 1901 tbe fort ' vas sti11 ‘“complete, m.d no guns Report, of
were mounted: Feb. 1901.
mere is no information as to its state at present.
Mud Fort at Fao.
This is shown on the chart as a quadrilateral work about
station 6 ir ° m tbS riVer b “" k ’ and d “ e W ‘ of the 'elegraph
Ao details are available.