'MILITARY REPORT ON PERSIA. VOL. IV, PART II.' [‎74r] (152/212)

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re are he-
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tside the
ling g«n»
1 vmg about in various places. The former which have carriages
and caisssons are used for saluting purposes.
The inhabitants of the town and peninsula possess a good
many Martinis and modern magazine rifles with 50—80 rounds
per rifle. They number at the outside 1,000 and are not
a lighting class. Their military value is negligible. The
mashTleh, especially when dry, for 15 miles is most excellent
ground for cavalry, which can also work well up to the
bases of the hills. The maskUeh, however, becomes very deep
and sticky after rain.
About 15 miles from Biishire a long ridge passing through
Gurak offers a position facing south-west to a force advancing
on Bushire from the east or south-east, ft commands all the
lowlymg ground towards Bushire, and has a mean elevation of
about 300 feet above the level of the plain. It would also afford
a position facing north-east to ti force covering Bushire against
an enemy advancing from the east, though its extent would
require a considerable body of troops to hold it.
Lingeh has no sea defences and no garrison, nor is there u«8eh.
any position which could be held with any prospect of success
to oppose a landing on eit her side of the town covered by the hre
of a gunboat. The houses however come right down to the
waters edge along the saa front and it would be a matter of con-
side-able difficulty to shell riflemen posted in the upper stories
of houses overlooking the landing places in the town. 1 his
s'tuation would of course only arise in the event of a stubborn
resistance being offered by the townspeople, an occurrence
most unlikely to take place. The town is situated m the
open and the country round rises gradually, but with a bare
stonv incline for some 3 miles. At the summit of the rise
a precipitous escarpment is reached, which drops to a salt
plain 50 feet below and about a mile broad. This again drops
30—40 feet to another plain, which stretches for some miles to
the north-west of the town. On the north-east the mountains
gradually close in and reach the coast line some o miles east of
Liug h. A few guns placed on the ridge would command the
whole country to the north and west. Owing to the formation
of the country there are only three approaches to Lmgeh from
the north and west. A fourth road leads along the back of the
mountains and eventually comes in from tie ea«t, joining
main road from that quarier. Any force marching cither by