BASSO RA, BUSSORA, or BASRAII, a city of Ara bian Irak, in the Pachalik of Bagdad, is situated upon an arm of the Schatt el Arab, or river of the Arabs, about mid-way between the gulf of Persia and the junction of the Euphrates and Tigris. It was built by the Caliph Omar, in the 16th year of the Hegira, to command the trade between India and the eastern empire, and to restore the communication by the Per sian gulf, which had been cut off by the conquests of his predecessor. Planted in the midst of a delightful country, and surrounded by fertile pastures, and lux uriant orchards, a little colony of 800 Moslems rapid ly increased in numbers and in opulence. Under the first caliphs its jurisdiction extended over the south ern provinces of Persia ; and, from the influence of its situation as a port of trade, Bassora soon rose one of the first commercial cities of Asia. Its harbours, which afforded a commodious station for ships of the greatest burden, was filled with vessels from every nation. The riches of Europe and India were accu mulated at Bassora, and its merchants were consider ed as the most opulent and industrious in the East. Its importance, however, as an emporium of trace, has of late rapidly declined. In comparison with its former prosperity, commerce has lost its vigour and activity ; industry and the arts are almost extinguish ed ; and the town itself is fast hastening into insigm ficance. Houses wretchedly built, and streets co vered with filth, surrounded with a sorry mud wall, present to us the humiliating picture of the once flour rishing city of Bassora. The bazars, or market place, however, are extensive and well supplied, par ticularly with every description of fruit, such as ap ples, grapes, peaches, nectarines, pomegranates, &c. and the cabbages and other vegetables are equal to any in Europe. Such is the honesty of the natives, or rather such is the rigour with which theft is pu nished by the Turkish government, that these articles lie exposed all night in the open market, without any other protection than a mat thrown over them to rcreen them from the weather. The pale complec tions, and the weak and sickly constitutions of its in habitants, betray the unhealthiness of the climate, which is rendered almost uninhabitable by the annual overflowing of the river, which forms, in the vicinity of the city, marshes and ponds, where the stagnant water petrifies during summer, and poisons the at mosphere with its noxious exhalations. Mounds of earth are raised by the natives to prevent these inun dations, but they are frequently broken down by the violence of the water, which, spreading far into the plain, deposits there the seeds of disease and of death. This circumstance, joined to the terror which the Wahabees have inspired by their frequent incur sions into the country, and the numerous pirates which infest the Persian gulf, has tended consider ably to depopulate Bassora, and to bring it to its present degradation. What remains of the com
merce of this city is chiefly carried on by. the Eng lish and Arabs ; and, notwithstanding these unto ward circumstances, it is still a general staple for various kinds of merchandise. Coffee from Mocha ; pearls from the islands of Bahrein ; plain and em broidered cloths, silk stuffs, spiceries, and drugs, from India ; dried fruits, tobacco, carpets, and per fumes, from Persia,—are here exchanged for gold, „silver, copper, dates, and various European commo dities, such as small ironware, satins, woollen cloths, &c. which come through Syria by way of Bagdad. Horses, also, form here a considerable article of commerce. They are said to be the most beautiful and strongest in the world, and capable of perform ing most incredible journies. They are exported in great numbers by the English 'consul, who em ploys some ships for this purpose. The merchan dise annually brought to Bassora was valued by the Abbe Raynal at 4'525,000 ; of which the Eng lish furnished £175,000, the Dutch 4'87,000, and the Moors, Baniane, Armenians, and Arabs, tile re mainder. But the revenues of this city, which were formerly very considerable, are now scarcely sufficient for its defence.
Bassora continued under the authority of the Sa racens till about the middle of the 17th century, when it was taken by the Turks. It then yielded to the Persians, after a siege of ten months,'but was evacuated by them upon the death of Kerini Khan. From that time it has constituted apart of the Ot toman empire, and is governed by a lieutenant, who exercises his authority in the name of the pasha of Bagdad. Twelve armed galiots are constantly kept here for the protection of the merchant vessels which enter the Persian gulf ; but they seldom venture out to sea, as they are too old and crazy to encounter the least bad weather ; and the Arab tribes of Zibes and Munteliks receive an annual subsidy of 100,000 pias tres for the defence of the city. The Wahabees have frequently attempted to get possession of Bas sora, but have as often been repulsed. It cannot, however, be expected that it will long withstand the fury of these sectaries, who have already subdued, or converted, most of the neighbouring tribes. The population of Bassora is composed of a mixture of Christians, Jews, Persians, Indians, and Sabeans, but chiefly of Arabs, and amounts to about 40,000 souls. Many of the Persians in Bassora are persons of good family, who have been driven from their country by the various revolutions with which it has been agita ted. E. Long. 46°, N. Lat. 30° 32'. See Descrip tion du Pachalik de Bagdad, p. 31, Paris, 1809. Waring's Tour to Sheeraz. Peuchet Dict. de la. Geog. Conznzerf . tom. ii. Mirza Abu Taleb Khan's Travels in Asia, Africa, and Europe, vol. ii. c. xxxv. p. 361. (p)