'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOL. III. PART I: A to K' [‎568v] (1141/1278)

562
KHt—KHU,
from Bushire town, Kaki and the sea-coast meet at Khurmuj. Six miles
north-east of the town is the lofty peak Kuh-i-Khurmuj which forms a
good landmark. Khurmuj is the third stage on the main Bushire-Bandar
’Abbas road, and has good camping-grounds.
(Hdjl Mirza Saiyid Hasan — St. John — Butcher, 1888—Persian Gulf Gazet
teer, 1908.)
KHUR MUSA (1)—Lat. Long. Elev.
One of the five towns forming the town of Mahriz (q.v.). — [Vaughan,
1890.)
KHAR MUSA (2)—
A remarkable inlet of the sea, which leaves the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. at its
northern extremity to the east of the Shatt-al-’Arab, and affords easy access
to Buzieh and Ma’shur, the port respectively of the Fallahieh and Jarrah
districts of Southern ’Arabistan.
Course and main features .—The channel of the Khur Musa begins in the
sea at a distance from the land, and the position of the entrance may be
taken as approximately 29° 55' north and 49° 3' east, or about 30 miles east
of the bar of the Shatt-al-’Arab. For the first 31 miles within the entrance
the Khur Musa is nearly straight and runs north-north-west ; in the course of
the next 5 miles the channel gradually bends round to the east ; and for the
remaining 7 miles, to a point where it divides into branches running to Buzieh
and Ma’shur, its direction is slightly to the north of east. Near the
entrance the banks of the channel are not visible on either side, being
covered even at low water, but on the east side from 5 miles within the
entrance up to 23 miles, there are patches of sand and mud which are dry
at low water. On the opposite side from 14 miles and upwards banks of
mud with rocky patches are exposed at half tide.
Navigation.—The entrance of Khur Musa is crossed by a bar which
carries only 3 fathoms at low spring tides, but is practicable for large
vessels at high water, the spring rise being 10 feet. The bottom is of mud
and could be easily dredged if necessary. Inside the bar the depth steadily
increases, and at a little over 11 miles there is no bottom at 9 fathoms, a
conditon which is maintained the whole way to the head of the main Khur.
The whole of the Khur Musa proper is navigable for large vessels, and a
branch of it called Kfiur Qanaqeh, which branches off west at 29 miles,
is navigable for a distance of 7 miles. The only difficulty arises from the
invisibility of the edges of the channel except at low water.
Naval advantages .—The principal anchorages are completely protected
from all winds, and could be easily defended against attack from the open
sea. Fresh water could be easily brought from the Jarrahi river which is
not far distant, and the climate is probably less trying than in some other
parts of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . On the other side it is not certain that the navi
gable portions of the channel could be made approachable, without great
expense, from the landward side ; the chief natural anchorage mig t
require adaptation in order to form good harbours ; and the bar at t e
entrance would require dredging to admit ships in all states of the tide.
[ Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Gazetteer, 1908.)