33G MESSRS. MELVILL AND STANDEN ON [June 18, 



mouth are to be found numerous dead bivalves, while on the rocks 

 which jut out from the high land on the east side of the river, are 

 a few of the commonest species of univalves, none of which were 

 worth collecting. 



Astola Island, 40 miles west of Ormara, is in appearance very 

 like the Ormara headland on a small scale, being a little over 

 2 miles long east and west, half a mile wide north and south, and 

 only 213 feet high ; it is about 15 miles from the nearest point on 

 the mainland. The island rises perpendicularly out of the sea, 

 except at the north-west end, where there is a small sandy bay, at 

 one corner of which is a low ledge of rocks, uncovered at low tides. 

 These have been well searched ; but beyond fine specimens of the 

 ordinary Oyjarcece (C. arahica, C. turdus, C. ocellata, C. pallida), and 

 the usual common species met with ou most rocky places, nothing 

 was found. Five miles south of the island is a rocky shoal, called 

 Webb bank, with 3 fathoms on it at low tide. The bottom between 

 the shoal and the island is very uneven and rocky, the very worst 

 kind there is to dredge on. A few short drags were, however, made 

 here some years ago, and some nice things obtained, amongst them 

 one or two new species, but at the expense of the heavy iron 

 dredge, which was smashed to pieces. 



Gwadur, 130 miles west of Ormara, is very much like that place, 

 having two large bays formed by a long narrow isthmus of sand, 

 joining on to a high hammerhead-shaped headland 270 feet high. 



The town of Gwadur is of considerable importance owing to the 

 trade which is carried on by native craft to Indian Ports, there 

 being a good caravan track to the Port through the mountains 

 from the Kej Valley, &c. The British India inail-steamers call 

 here once a fortnight, both going up and returning from the Gulf. 

 The land-line telegraph from Karachi to Jask passes through here. 

 The sea-bottom in the bays is hard blue clay, much the same as in 

 the Ormara bays, the few species obtained being common to both 

 places. 



Charbar, 110 miles west of Gwadur, is the first place we have 

 so far spoken of that can be called really good, from the shell- 

 collector's point of view. The village itself is of small importance, 

 containing some few hundred inhabitants, mostly Balochis and 

 Khojas, the chief industry being the manufacture of matting from 

 the pish palm. 



Charbar Bay proper is a great bay, 7g miles wide east and west 

 and 12 miles deep north and south, the depth of water being 8 fins., 

 to 3 or 4 at the head. The nature of the bottom varies consider- 

 ably : across the mouth of the bay, or between the east and west 

 points, only a few short drags with the dredge have been made, 

 when patches of clear sand alternating with others of soft black 

 mud were met with ; both bottoms yield good results, as will be 

 seen from the Catalogue, the species from the different bottoms 

 being quite distinct. This bay is quite well worth carefully 

 working, and no opportunity is missed of putting the dredge over, 

 when going to or leaving Charbar. 



