River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1918-07-18

this source arms and ammunition
reached the Africans Of the Red sea
coast, the Afghan army and every
Afghan with money enough to buy a
rife, the Hill tribes of India and Per
sian and Arabian revolutionists.
Along the Arabian Coast.
From our steamship we catch a
glimpse now and then on the Arabian
coast of low white-walled, tile-rOofed
houses clustered around a minaret.
On the opposite coast is to be dis
cerned a fOrlorn little town built upon
the ruins of the great trading city of
Jask. Here was the site of the first
English factory on Persian soil, built
in 1917 and here the wires of the Indo-
European telegraph line, after travel
ing overland from Karachi, disappear
under the waters of the gulf, to reap
pear 500 miles away at Bushire to
complete their long journey to west
ern Europe. The shimal, the dreaded
wind and rain squall Of the region,
suddenly settles down upon the vessel
and seems for time about to drive 1t
upon the rocks. But as suddenly as
they came, the thick, black clouds lift
AS they roll away there appear ahead
a rocky promontory jutting northward
out into the sea and behind 1t rising
to the height of 1000 feet from the
waves that pound at its base the
mighty unscalable rock Of Musendan.
It towers a gigantic citadel built by
nature guarding the entrance to the
gulf.
The low, crescent-shaped coast, Of
which the vessel is abreast, is broken
here and there by cliffs rising sheer
out Of the sea. Behind, rise range af-
ter range Of reddish hills, and far in
the distance the shadowy peaks Of
| South Persian mountains. The water
| is studded with islands, some scarcely
more than rocky pinnacles, others rich
in the green Of tropical growth and
showing minarets and mat roofs Of vii
| lagos. Here in this green bend much
of the modern history of the gulf was
made. Here after the capture of Mus
cat came Albuquerque to continue his
conquest in the name of Portugal, and
following him the Dutch, French and
English in their early struggle for
Eastern dominion.
| Built on Ruins Of ormuz.
| The only port of entry is Bander
Abbasi, once the starting point for the
great caravan trade to ShiraZ and
southern Persia, now a sorry little vii
lage with a shore line of stone and
mud structures that may in the past
have been defenses but are today
merely screens to the poor buildings
behind them. But Bander Abbasi, old
and ragged as it looks, is built upon
the ruins of another town, ancient Or
muz. It's crumbling piers and fOunda-
tons Of public buildings and palaces
show that Ormuz must have been q
place of wealth and Importance. 1t
was at least a prize worthy Of fire.
quent raids of Tartar horsemen, raids
so frequent that the inhabitants rath-
er than suffer their wealth and trade
to be thus imperiled moved their town
to an island four miles from the main
land.
The eastern coast is rough and for
bidding; the cliffs drop In sheer preci-
pices of hundreds Of feet and the
shore waters are strewn thick with
dangerous reefs and hidden perils to
the seaman. Nature generously aids
Persia in keeping her secrets and hold
ing the veil Of her exclusiveness.
| There is no port of large vessels until
Bushire is reached, near the head of
the gulf. Bushire is the largest town
and the most important commercially
of the coast.
L