Feb. 9, 1857.] RAWLINSON ON SOUTHERN PERSIA. 285 



has its modem name.* The Portuguese after a short siege were 

 obliged to capitulate, and Ormuz was taken possession of by the 

 united British and Persian force. In consequence of this exploit, 

 Shah Abbas gave privileges to the British government which we 

 retain to the present day; in fact, it is owing to the assistance 

 rendered by us in the taking of Ormuz, that we have the right of 

 possessing a residency at Bushir. Shah Abbas, in the first instance, 

 permitted us to have a factory at Gombrun, or Bunder Abbas, oppo- 

 site Ormuz ; and this remained until about 100 years ago, when the 

 establishment was transferred from Gombrun to Bushir, and early 

 in the present century, the Factory was exchanged for a Eesidency. 

 It is quite impossible to give now a detailed description of every 

 place along the coast from Ormuz up to Bushir. All I can do 

 is to explain generally that the sea-board of the Persian Gulf 

 consists of a belt of low land, with mountains at a short distance 

 from the coast, varying from ten to thirty miles, seldom more than 

 thirty, and seldom less than ten. At Bushir, the distance is about 

 twenty-five miles. This low land between the mountains and the 

 sea is arid, badly-watered, containing no trees, except date-trees, 

 and inhabited by Arabs. It is altogether a very unpromising country. 

 The hills ascend abruptly at about thirty miles inland, and are in- 

 tersected by numerous valleys watered by mountain streams. These 

 valleys are beautiful spots, filled with lovely gardens, and inhabited 

 by fine mountain tribes, who are probably the best class of men 

 among the whole Persian nation, whether considered in regard to 

 bravery, honour, or fidelity. At the northern extremity of the 

 Persian Gulf, the mountains recede more to the northward, leaving 

 a large tract of country which is entirely plain, and which was 

 formed originally by the alluvial deposit of the large rivers that here 

 descend from the mountains. This tract of country is extraordi- 

 narily rich, and quite different in character from the belt of low 

 land in the neighbourhood of Bushir. It is an alluvial soil, admi- 

 rably adapted to cultivation, while the other tract is a mere barren, 

 sandy desert. If it should be necessary — w^hich of course we all 



* Arrian names this island, which was said to contain the tomb of the Epony- 

 mous hero, King Erythras, Oa^axra ; and the title remains to the present day, 

 under the scarcely altered form of Vroct. The name is, I suspect, Hamite Chal- 

 dee, signifying " the separated/' or " broken off," in allusion to the natural con- 

 vulsion which divided the island from the main in remote antiquity, and the tra- 

 dition of which has been preserved by Justin (from Trogus Pompeius) in his 

 description of the migration of the Erythrgeans from the Persian Gulf to colonize 

 Phoenicia. The Arabs named the island Laft, from a town of that name which 



still exists at the back of the island, and Ibn Gdwan, -.4»l£ .j^ from the tribe 

 which settled there. 



