Map/Chart > The Arabian Collection

The Arabian coastline from Abu Dhabi in the UAE to Oman. Eastern sheet

This historic survey of the Arabian coastline is one part of a larger survey which covers the entire length of the coastline of Arabia stretching from what is now Kuwait to the north east and Oman to the south west.

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This southern sheet maps the coastline north from Abu Dhabi up to the very tip of the Moosendem (Musandam) Peninsular, Oman; also circled is a stretch just north of Rasal Khyma (Ras Al-Khaimah), surveyed in 1821 by Capt. P. Maughan. The chart is dated 1822.  Present day cities and villages are identifiable as settlements along the coast:  'Abothubbee' (Abu Dhabi), 'Debai' (Dubai), 'Amulgawein' (Umm Al Quwain) and ‘Ras Al Khymar’ (Ras Al-Khaimah).  Towers are marked at 'Sharja' (Sharjah), 'Amulgawein' (Umm Al Quwain), 'Shaum' (Shams) and a fort at 'Bookha' (Bukha). Names given by the British on this, and previous surveys conducted along this coastline, are evident in the stretch north of Shaum. These are names that will have long been forgotten but are still interesting to note as they reflect the human story of adventure and discovery: Colville’s Cove (possibly named after Sir Charles Colville, who was an important military figure of this time having distinguished himself in the Waterloo Campaign of 1815 and served as Commander in Chief, Bombay, 1819-1825); Discovery Strait (Captain. P. Maughan’s HMS ‘Discovery’, which sailed in these waters 1820-1821); and Perforated Rock. Although no key is provided with the chart, the surveyors and the engraver, John Bateman, all stick firmly to the traditions of British map and chart making. They utilised standardized symbols dating back to J.F.W. Des Barres's 1777-1784 publication the ‘Atlantic Neptune’: sand and rocks along the coastline; significant hill formations on land which may be recognizable from the sea - including the red sand hills south of Ras Al Khymar (Ras Al-Khaimah) and a mountain with a 'white patch' at 'Shaum' (Shams); cliff formations; reef (just north of Amulgawein); and major settlements, including a village marked on the southern side of the Debai Creek. Also of note is the abundance of vegetation and trees along the coast north east of Debai to Amulgawein, and again a cluster just north of Rasal Kyhma.  A comparison of this coastline to that on modern maps illustrates that, with time, the shape of the coastline has changed with the natural process of shifting sands and modern development. The numbers (soundings) depict the water depths measured in both fathoms and, where circled, feet. This was an important part of the survey as this informed future voyagers as to where it was safe to sail, and where to anchor.