The Sun.
London, England, 1839-04-23 00:00:00

KARRACK.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLAND OF KAR-
RACK OCCUPIED BY THE ENGLISH IN
THE PERSIAN GULF.
The Island of Karagh or Barrack is thirty-four
Nautical miles N. W. by W. from Bushire, and about
twenty-one North from the Persian coast, it is about
twelve or thirteen nautical miles in circumference, being
rather of an acute triangular shape, the point of the
triangle being to the north, from this in a line nearly
along the West Side it is hilly and the land irregular,
but the N.W. side as well as the eastern is low land
with good soil, this I consider to embrace more than
three-fifths of the whole Island. It is capable of pro-
ducing all sorts of European and most tropical vegeta-
bles, and barley and wheat grow in perfection. The
whole of the plains have excellent water at fifteen
to twenty feet from the surface, and it is
healthy in the extreme, I believe eight or ten
to be the greatest number of sick in Hospital
during the wet season even up to this time (end of De-
cember) so far as the nativs eare concerned ; there have
been about twenty Europeans, in 340 including officers,
and most of these old men and who landed from a
crowded ship in wet_ and stormy weather. Having given
you an outline of the island and its capabilities, I will
speak of its anchorage for shipping—from the latter end
of March to the beginning of October, or nearly seven
months of the year, the eastern ancorage is at all times
safe and landing easy, during the other months it be-
comes necessary on a S.E. setting into shift round to
the N.W. side of the island while it lasts, and where,
with the shore bearing by S.S.W. or S.W. by S.,
in eight fathoms, you have a good anchorage ; re-
turning to the eastern anchorage with the N.W.,
when cargo, &c., may be again landed. One of
the E.I.C. vessels of war have lain here almost con-
stantly this season acting as above recommended
in the changes of wind. I now will speak of the is-
land in a political and commercial point of view. First,
then, it is always safe from attack, while there is a
couple of vessels of war in the Gulf, as no force could
quit the coast of Persia without being intercepted ;
secondly, its proximity to the Euphrates, only ninety
miles; the same to Bushire, the principal port of Persia ;
the same to the Doreck, leading into the Chaub coun-
try, as well as many of the wealthy districts of Persia ;
it also is near Elkatiff and Bahrain, both of which
places Tourchid Pasha is now trying to annex to the
Government of Mahomed Ali Pasha of Egypt. These
form a few of the political points to which Karegh
become important. I will now proceed to its commer-
cial importance. First, to the whole of the places
above mentioned, it forms a desirable depot for mer-
chandise. The insalubrity of climate has long been a
drawback to European capital being advanced in
a trade which annually takes off several hundred
thousand pounds of European goods. The proved
healthy state of Karagh at all times, removes this ob-
stacle, and if the British merchants established depots
for British manufacturers at this island, merchants from
Bagdad, Messipotamia, and other countries of the Eu-
phrates and Tigris, as well as those from Persil, would
flock to this mart. It is well known that every year
specie to the amount of ten to twenty lacs of rupees is
carried down by merchants or sent to Bombay to pur-
chase goods ; more than treble this sum would reach
Karagh for the same purpose, as the merchants of the in-
terior of Persia, and other countries in this part of the
world, are now obliged to buy at third and fourth hands,
and also goods that come frcm Res.la would purchase
from a certain depot if established, I feel no doubt ; and
I know the people well, there would be an increasing
demand or English goods if this point was established.
The few native Merchents of Bus.ire who monopolise
this trade dread cur getting Karagh as our depot, as their

monopoly would be at an end. These few facts are worth
the notice of the mercanfile world. Wlaen tho Datcl:
had Karagh they nearly drove all other parties out of
the market ; when they lost Karagh, all their trading
residencies and factories were quickly given up ; the
same remark applies to the Portuguese, for when the
lost their island depot their commerce in the Gail
ended. With such political importance, our Govern-
ment ought to get Karagh either by purclia,,:e or ces-
sion from the Persians, then make it a free port, and
in two years it will become as important to Persia and
'Turkish Arabia as Singapore is to Siam, Cochin China
and the Malay Islands and Peninsula.
A force of two hundred men and r. detail of artillery
is all that would be needful fur its occupation, the
citadel built by the Dutch might be made, with a
little expense an:l a faw guns, everything that could be
required, beyond a Martello Tower or two to the S.W.
for fortifying the island, wad it being the rendezvous of
the E.I.C, squadron nothing could be wanted fur prc-
tection of commerce.—Bonzbay Courier.