340 MESSBS. MELViLL AND STANDEE ON [June 18, 



very precipitous except where the few little sandy bays occur. Near 

 some of these are small villages consisting of a few loose stone 

 huts, the inhabitants of which obtain their living by fishing. 



The soundings are from 20 to 35 fathoms— a few casts of the 

 dredge have been made here, the bottom being hard sandy mud ; 

 the shells obtained were chiefly dead specimens, some of which 

 were in good condition and have proved to be new species. 



The Government of India's Submarine cables, from Jask to 

 Bushire, are, in the Gulf of Oman, laid in from 40 to 60 fathoms 

 on a soft muddy bottom, and when picked up in any part for 

 repairs the marine growth on them is usually found to be slight, 

 and to consist chiefly of worm-cases. 



(D.) Persian Gulf. 



Henjam Island. — A large rocky island 5 miles long, north 

 and south, and about 2 miles broad, separated from the great 

 Island of Kishm, on the north, by a deep narrow channel 

 1^ mile wide. The usual anchorage for vessels is close in, in 

 5 to 8 fathoms, off the spit of sand on the extreme north of the 

 island. Since the Government cables were removed from here in 

 1881, steamers very rarely visit the island, the object of the few 

 that do call being to lie in a sheltered anchorage while loading 

 salt, which is brought in small native craft from the salt caves of 

 Kishm, distant about 25 miles. Large native craft also use this 

 anchorage while loading salt. The reefs and sandy beach on the 

 north and west sides of the island have been well searched for 

 shells, but none except the most common species obtained. At 

 and to the north of the anchorage, a little dredging has been done, 

 with moderate success. In the very thin black mud met with in 

 12 fathoms a mile north of the anchorage, several young living 

 specimens of Conus elegans Sow. were obtained : this species has 

 not been found in a living state anywhere else, though dead ones 

 are very common amongst shingle on the Jask beach. To the 

 north-east of the island, in 25 fathoms (mud), and due east 

 in 15 fathoms (sandy mud), a few short drags have been made, but 

 the things obtained were chiefly dead and uninteresting. A few 

 drags have also been made to the west of the island in 6 to 15 

 fathoms, with no better results. 



Jezirat Nabiya Tamb {or Tumh).- — A small rocky island, steep all 

 round, the soundings being .30 to 50 fathoms to within a quarter of 

 a mile. The coast-line consists of low rocky cliffs alternating with 

 small sandy bays. Dredging has been attempted within half a mile of 

 the shore, with no success, the bottom being rocky and uneven. A 

 heavy iron dredge was lost here owing to the foul bottom. On 

 the sandy beach large quantities of dead shells are washed up, most 

 of which have not been found in a sufficiently good state to put in 

 the cabinet or include in the List. 



Linja. — Dredging has been done on several occasions at and near 

 the anchorage here, close in to the boat harbour, in 4 fathoms. The 

 bottom is hard coarse sand, amongst which are many minute 



