ORIENTAL COMMERCE. [Gulph of I'ersia. 



The city is walled, and surrounded with a deep and broad ditch ; it 

 lias four gates and a sally-port. The walls are of mud, from 20 to 25 feet 

 thick, with parapet walls, breast-high, which hare small embrasures lor 

 musketry or arrows. The walls not only encircle the city on the side of Un- 

 load, but likewise oa those of the creek, the entraace of which is at a con- 

 siderable distance, where the walls terminate oa both sides, each extremity 

 being defended by a fortification and a gate, which are three miles distant 

 from the town. In the interaicdiate space are many thousands of date-trees, 

 mixed with rice grounds. The walls are about 12 miles in circuit ; and 

 although* not half the enclosed space is built upon, yet it is a large city, ond 

 was formerly very populous. The two princ ipal gates are large, and arc 

 situated on the land side ; one is called the Bagdad, and the other the 

 Zobeir Gate ; neither of them is defended by a ditch, which is wanting for 

 a considerable distance on each side. The foundatioa of the walls, which 

 is built of burnt brick, reaches so high, as to be above the water when the 

 ditch is full. The water is let into the ditch at the flood tide from the 

 creek, and is retained by flood gates. 



The mosques and houses are all built of burnt brick ; many houses 

 belonging to the merchants are large and convemeat, being only one story 

 high above the ground-floor, winch consists of a hall facing the gate ; on 

 each side of which are magazines and warehouses for the reception of 

 merchandise. 



The meydan, or great square, is very large, and is not only used for 

 exercising horses, but as the great corn market, where wheat, and all kinds 

 of grain and pulse are sold, wholesale. On oae side of the meydan is the 

 Seraglio, or Governor^ palace, which is very large, but not a handsome 

 building. 



The British factory is a good and convenient building, situated on the 

 banks of Uie creek, full three miles from its mouth, where vessels of 80 tons 

 may unload their cargoes at the gate of the factory. At the iide of the 

 creek is a good garden ; and about 5 miles' 1 distance from the Bagdad gate, 

 the Company^ agent has a country house, called Margil, distant about a 

 quarter of a mile from the banks of the river. 



TttADE.— From its convenient situation, Bussorah is a place of great 

 trade, as merchants can here purchase the produce of most parts of India, 

 Persia, and Arabia, at the first hand, they being imported direcUy from the 

 place of their growth and manufacture. There are a number of Armenian 

 and other merchants resident here, who carry oa a considerable commerce 

 with all the ports of India, by caravans to Aleppo and Bagdad, and from 

 thence to Constantinople. The trade betweea India aad Persia is very 



