"تقرير عسكري عن جنوب غرب بلاد فارس، يتضمن أقاليم خوزستان (عربستان)، لورستان، وجزءًا من فارس" [‎٦‎٣] (٤٦٦/٩٦)

63
carried from what is called the Mashila, a marsh upwards of three miles in-
length, which connects the peninsula with the country proper.
The rain-fall of an average year is about nine inches ( ? see page 58),
and falls almost exclusively during* two separate periods.
The first, October, November, December, and January ;
and the second or latter rain in the end of February, March, and the begin
ning of April. Probably January is the rainiest month of the year, whilst
in June, July, and August it is rare to have even a few drops. Tlie cloudy
days more than double those on which rain falls.
Although during the colder months the hills in the distance are almost
always covered with snow, only a few showers have been seen to fall in Bushire
in the recollection of the oldest inhabitants, and even a hail-shower does not
occar more than once in the course of a year.
The maximum temperature seldom exceeds 95° Fahr., in the shade
and the minimum rarely falls below 47°. In town the
teiT r atu r r ather and bulb thermometer often registers within four de-
grees of the dry, so great is the relative humidity of
the atmosphere. Six miles inland the atmosphere is less moist, and to
most people more agreeable than in town. July and August are the
hottest months of the year, and December, January, and February the
coldest; the hottest period being from the 1st to the 24th of August
and the coldest the month beginning on or about the middle of January!
The diurnal range of temperature seems greatest in October and least in July
and August. April, on the whole, represents the mean temperature for the
year more closely than any other month.
During the night in summer and autumn electrical phenomena are com
mon, shooting stars being sometimes witnessed singularly vivid and strik
ing, and during the same period mild and very transient shocks of earthquake
are also occasionally experienced.
The month of March is about the beginning of the transition from cold
to hot weather, but the heat is still so moderate as hardly to necessitate the
use of a s\xn-topee even when riding out in the open plain at mid-day. Dur
ing the month of April the weather is very agreeable, especially aboard ship
in the gulf. But in the first half of May a few hot calm days occur, while
on or about the 25th of this month what is called in local phrase the hurra
shumdl begins to blow, and from this date onward till about the 12th of July
a fresh north-west breeze is kept up with very little intermission. Then
there is a lull for a few days, and the ckota shumdl commences, and lasts for
ten days or more. The remainder of July, August, and the first week of
September is the period of greatest heat and discomfort.
^ Now and again throughout the year the shumdl blows with increased
intensity, bringing with it a large quantity of finely divided dust, causing
much convenience to the inhabitants, and generally increasing the list of
ophthalmic cases. A strong south-east wind, for the same reason we find
equally productive of ocular lesions.
About the 9th of September a very remarkable change takes place in the
weather. The sky becomes suddenly overcast, and the horizon blurred and
brought apparently very near. Shortly afterwards come a few gusts of wind
each time increasing in force. Then there is a slight but noticeable lull'
Dust storms. Meanwhile a small roundish dark cloud is seen in the
. . distance gradually approaching and seemingly increasino-
in size. In a few minutes this cloud shrouds and obscures everything in