'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From December 1854 to March 1856. (New Issue.) Edited by the Secretary. Volume XII.' [‎111] (220/258)

ON THE HYDROGRAPHY OF THE PERSIAN GUI.F.
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luul 30 fathoms before and after this. The E. I. C. S. “ Elphinstone,” follow
ing astern of the “Coote,” had similar soundings Measurements of the depth of a body of water. .
There is a bank about seven miles to the S. Eastward of Shusa. The
E. I. C. S. “ Mercury,” in 1817, was standing out S. and S. h E. irom the shore
of Kishm Island, and shoaled rapidly from 39 fathoms to 19 when about six-
miles off shore, then the soundings Measurements of the depth of a body of water. increased again to 40 fathoms.
The ship “ Cawdee Bux” was working up the Gulf in 1763 ; standing off
on the starboard tack, when in Latitude 26° 25' N., and somewhere south of
the Island Busheab, the bottom was seen under the vessel. They tacked to
the N. N. E., but did not sound until they had got a mile or two from the
shoal, and then they had 24 fathoms, 30, 35, and 40.
The E. I. C. S. “ Mercury” was working up the Gulf in April 1817, and
standing off on the starboard tack, at 10 p. m., shoaled suddenly from 43 fathoms
mud, to 16 and 15 hard sand ; wore ship, and stood north, had 16 fathoms, 17,
17£ 18, 23, 30, 40, &c. By her log I should place the shoal in Latitude 26“
29' N., and Longitude £3° 10' E.
I consider that we have here evidence of two ships having come upon a
shoal lying somewhere about twenty miles to the southward of Busheab.
The first nearly a century ago, and the other near forty years ago. It can
not be said that the survey has disproved its existence, because the chart does
not shew that any soundings Measurements of the depth of a body of water. were taken at that part.
Concerning the Longitude.
H M. Frigate “ Fox,” running ashore on the Island of Seir Abooneid in
January 1846, was the means of bringing to general notice, errors which exist
in the longitude of portions of the Gulf. This ship had left Bushire, and
found the position of Seir Abooneid on the chart to be erroneous ; the late
Captain Carless, 1. N., proceeded in a steamer, in 1846, provided with eight
chronometers, by which it was proved that Basadore and Seir Abooneid were
nearly correct with reference to Bombay, but that Bushire was 8 miles of
longitude too far west. This error in the longitude between the. southern
and northern portions of the Gulf is to be accounted for by a circumstance
known to very few, which is, that the longitude of Bushire, as determined by
several hundred transit observations taken by Mr. Rich, Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , and
Captain Edgar of the ship “ Kusrovee,” was used as the primary meridian by
the surveyors for one half of the Gulf, whereas Basadore, fixed by chronome-
tric measurement from Bombay (which it has since been discovered was in
those days placed 7 miles too far east), was used as the primary meridian for
the other. Captain Carless subsequently, when Commodore in the Gull m
1848, continued to measure meridian distances in the E. I. C. S. c; Elphin-
stone.”