The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1880-10-23

with weapons Of the most modern and approved pat
tern. II left alone il is thought they win establish
a large and powerful empire in Eastern Africa, az
the country is very productive. Zanzibar is the
outlet for all the trade of the lake regions. which con-
sist principally of ivory, cloves, rubber, which are
conveyed to Zanzibar on the shoulders of men.
After leaving Zanzibar the Ticonderoga proceeded
to Alden and thence threaded her way through the
islands and coral reefs Of the Persian Gulf The
English trading steamer was found everywhere. A
telegraph cable is laid in the Gulf and connects the
line from India with that over the Syrian desert.
One Of the officers of the vessel took some interesting
notes Of the visit of the Ticonderogs to this part.
which were kindly placed at our disposal and Of
which we have made free use In the following sketch
of OrmuE and Bushire.
Near the entrance to the gulf 10 the island Of
Ormuz, some twelve miles long. and looking much
like the Stag heap from some gigantic furnace. Ii
has q remarkable history, and its name has been
sung by no less q poet than Milton. At the secure
harbour of Harmozia, as it was anciently called.
Alexander the Great, having marched through the
desert and then through Carmania, made q junction
with his admiral Nearchus, who had been on an ex-
petition 10 India. The wealth Of the place was 10
great that there was a Latin proverb. adopted by the
Persians. to the effect that if all the world was q
ring, Ormuz would be the gem in the ring. No
wonder, then. that il excited the cupidity Of warlike
people, or that its harbour, being an excellent one.
was seized by Albuquerque. who built q fort there.
Of which the ruins are immense. The Persians and
English having captured the place. its trade was
directed to Gsmbroon aud 0rmuz soon became the
desert it now is. A quaint English writer said about
two hundred and fifty years ago, "Ormux pro-
creates nothing noteworthy excepting salt.
The fort was built by the Portugals." Outside the
walls Of the fort is q plain covered with classical.
Christian and Mahometan remains and n small ma
tive village, the inhabitants OF which subsist on fish
that is they are Ichthyophagi. just as the people
along this coast were in ancient times. Ormuz gave
way to Gambroon, and the latter ia its turn has
been superseded by Bunder ell Abbass, where the
ship stayed a few hours and communicated with the
shore. Ia her passage up the gulf she encountered
one of those storms called ~Shemahls. which bring
from the desert I" abodes Of emptiness" quantities OF
very fine sand the presence of which is indicated
principally by the foggy state of the atmosphere and
great irrigation of the eyes. Eftte
The Ticonderoga stopped at Bushire (Abu Shehr,
Father of Cities) the most interesting Persiau town
Seen. A recent writer says of Bushire:-" The
streets are narrow and dirty, and there Is no attempt
at draining. paving or lighting" Another writes:
-" The place has never been swept since IL was
built. except by the plague" Still another says
90 Everything is falling to pieces, or If under repair
at one end, then crumbling at the other" "
After the Adenese and Muscatese boasts that those
places were the hottest in the world, we took il asa
matter of course when told that the northern coast Of
the Persian gulf was also the hottest; and really the
thermometer would seem to indicate that In certain
months it is so, for we heard and read Of l26 degrees
in the shade and 100 degrees in The sun, but our
stay was in the coolest season. .
Ships proceeding towards the head Of the gulf say
that the water IL salter than that Of the ocean, and
that it shadows very gradually. The former fact
10 due to the rapid evaporation in 90 enclosed q bed
of water, and also to several small streams flowing
into the gulf after becoming impregnated with the
salt 80 abundant in the soil. The shallowness is in
consequence Of great quantities of mud brought
down by the Euphrates and the Tigris, for they
form a stream quite as muddy AS the Mississippi,
and as the river bed is rising from similar causes il
frequently gives trouble by overlooking its banks.
The Turks on one side aud Persisns on the other are
obliged to attend to the embankments, which they
strengthen with stems of palm trees. wattles and
fGscines of reeds.
Passing up the COMBINED streams known as the
river of The Arales, the TicOnderOga. which was the
first American man-of-war in these waters. anchored
of BassOrAh or Busra.
After leaving Bassorab. Commodore shuEeldt de-
cided to proceed to Bombay, where the TicOnderoga
arrived on the 18th December. After leaving Bonn
bay the expedition called at Point de Gale, Penang,
Singapore, and Borneo.
At the latter place an official visit was made 10
the Sultan, at his capital at Brunei. on the LIST Of
March. The Interview was very Luirf Brunei is
"A town built on piles in thr middle of n liver, hay
ing from ten To fifteen irei Of water. Thr. inbabit-
ants number about 10, 900, aud the two principal
merchants are Chinese. who have great influence
with the Sultan who is nearly 100 years old. There
is steam communication with Singapore every two
weeks. Trade j. iapidly increasing. the principal
arIcl,s al which are sage, -four. rubber, edible
bird n">i-, aud otter skins. birds. btrs-wax aud
tapioca. The people are kind aud bospitable in The
neighborhOod Of the capital: but in The interior the
tribes are called Mnrais, or - head-hnuirrs, -
that is to say, they take the heads Of their enemies
as the North American Indians take scaips. Au
ancient custom, which il happily dying oui, Is that
no yOnng Murat man should take unto birnseiffa
wife unless he could first show u head The Dutch
have over twO-thirds Of the island. on the west,
south and east coasts. They have penetrated into
the interior and established many trading stations
along the rivers. The Kingdom Of Sarawak Is
under a nephew Of Rajah Brooke, the founder OF
the government. The houses ia Sarawak are built
similarly 10 European houses 10 similar climates.
There is q newspaper conducted by an Englishman
called the Sdrdpoak Times. The government have
their own copper coins and postal service. and the
people have the benefit OF schools and churches.
The remainder OF the island. not including the
Dutch settlements and Sarawak, comprises the
OF Borneo. The people resemble Maiays
in many respects. There is a very high mountain
on the eastern part of the island which Is visibie
from Labuan. A good many botanical discoveries
were made here by the officers of the expedition.
From Borneo the Ticendrroga started for Ma
Mia. Luzon and Hongkong. From HongkonE the
directed his course towards the Loo
chOo Islands, but stress OF weather compelled him
TO deviate and make for the harbor Of Nagasaki.
When Commodore Shuieldf started on bis expe-
petition, he received special instructions TO en-
deav0r to heal the breach Of confidence between
the United States and the Koreans, and finding
himself so near 10 this isolated people. be resolved
to go there from Nagasaki. and u few days after his
anchor was cast in the beautiful harbor
OF Fusan. The Commodore merely made his visit
a sort of test. to ascertain what sort Of a reception
l. ---Il l. ID,oI- a. 49, Iii - a