May 25, 1857.] PERSIA. 435 



and depth to admit of tlie passage of coasting-vessels and small 

 steam-boats, would open up valuable internal communication for 

 tbe ready supply to Constantinople of wood, cbarcoal, and the most 

 necessary articles of daily consumption. 



Persia. — During the present session, whilst our country has been 

 temporarily engaged in hostilities with Persia, it has been our 

 good fortune to have present amongst us our distinguished medallist 

 Sir Henry Eawlinson, who has enlivened our meetings by his 

 agreeable and instructive lessons on the geography of countries 

 with which he has made himself so intimately acquainted. By 

 his extensive personal knowledge of the East, united with those 

 varied attainments in classical and Oriental literature, which have 

 made his name distinguished throughout the world, Sir Henry 

 has been enabled not only to communicate to us information of the 

 most important nature with respect to the modem geography of 

 Southern Persia, but also to illustrate that information from the 

 rarer resources of his own especial studies in ancient history; With 

 respect, moreover, to the recent movements of our army in Persia, 

 the strategical knowledge of Sir Henry has added a peculiar interest 

 to his observations on the country where they have taken place. 

 I cannot refrain from congratulating you, at the same time, on 

 having had the advantage of two such able and experienced com- 

 mentators on these interesting and important subjects as General 

 Monteith and Mr. Layard. 



In summing up the results of the information we have thus 

 gained, I will here confine my remarks to that which is essentially 

 geographical. The most striking points to which our attention has 

 been drawn, in this respect, are the changes produced in the 

 channels of the rivers and on the coasts immediately proximate to 

 their embouchures. These important facts are worthy of especial 

 notice, both in a prospective and a retrospective sense, since they will 

 materially modify our calculations in the more doubtful reading of 

 early history, and our judgment as to calculations with respect to 

 the future condition of these coasts. The" agents of these changes 

 are clearly intelligible. There are but two winds which prevail in 

 the Persian Gulf — the north-west and the south-east, and, when the 

 latter sets in, the whole force of the Sea is brought to bear directly 

 against the current of the Euphrates, and hence an enormous 

 deposit of the alluvium brought down by the stream is effected, 

 thus barring up its mouth. This deposit, constantly on the in- 

 crease, progresses, by Sir Henry's calculation, at the rate of a mile 



