'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From December 1854 to March 1856. (New Issue.) Edited by the Secretary. Volume XII.' [‎116] (225/258)

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116 LIEUTENANT CHARLES G. CONSTABLE’S MEMOIR
quered Kese.* The ruins of the town on Gese are to be seen on the north
side of the island. Tire Arabs call the place Harreerah. The principal
remains are those of a well built minaret, about 30 feet of which is standing,
with a spiral stair within, and the cisterns or reservoirs, some of which are
under ground, and of extraordinary dimensions. A rough plan of this island
was made by Lieutenant Grubb in 1822, where these ruins are marked as
those of a Portuguese town. Ruins seen on these shores were commonly
called Portuguese,—probably from inquiry of the natives,—for the Arabs
attribute every old building, of the history of which they are ignorant, to the
Fringis.
Dean "Vincent says, the bare mention of Ormuz is sufficient to attract our
notice to the celebrated emporium of that name established on the isle of
Gerun, which was such a rich and flourishing city in the fourteenth and
fifteenth centuries. The Portuguese took it in 1507, and the Persians,
assisted by four English East Indiamen, took it from them in 1622. j
There is a ruined city a little inland of Linga, which was visited in 1694 by
Gemelli Careri, who was at that time staying at the Portuguese settlement
Congo. He says, “ we went out three miles from the town westward, and three
from the sea, to see an ancient fort called Calaleston, or rather a strong city
once built by a King of Persia, on the top of a high rock. It is three miles
in compass, and there is but one narrow steep way to come to it; there is
not a house standing at present, time having overthrown them all. There
are still to be seen the tombs of the Mahomedans, and a ruined mosque ; but
nothing more proves its ancient splendor, than 300 good and large cisterns,
most of which are full of earth and few of water.”J
Between Maskat and Ras el Had is Kalhat, described by the Arabian
geographers to be a populous city, situated on the top of a mountain. § The
Portuguese described it, as being, in 1507, “ a beautiful place, built after
the manner usual in 8pain.” However, they plundered and burned it a year
afterwards. ||
Sohar is the principal town on the Battnah coast. Edrisi, who wrote in the
year 1153, says, that “ Sohar is the ancientest citie of Oman, sometime the
port for the China ships, which now is ceased because of the iland of Kis,”
&c. So runs the translation in Purchas. * * * §
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* History of Persia and Ormuz. Translated into Spanish by Tekeira, and into English by
Stevens.
f Purchas his Pilgrimes. vol. 2nd.
J Voyage round the world; by Dr. John Francis Gemelli Careri.—Churchill’s Collection of
Voyages.
§ See the Travels of Ibn Batuta;bythe Rev. S. Lee, B, D. p. 61.
[ 11 The Portuguese Asia of Manuel de Faria by Sousa.
/