282
NOTES AND QUERIES. [9> s. x. OCT. n, 1902
removed to the London. The fleet wintered
at Siir on the 'Oman coast and " found water
and palm trees." On 15 August it set sail
again, and
"the English now agreed with Shah Abbas the Great, of Persia, to drive the Portuguese out of
Ormuz by a joint attack The Shah agreed to give
the English for their help a share of the plunder, and half the customs duties at Gombroon (Bandar 'Abbasi). The English fleet assembed at Surat, and consisted of the London (with Capt. Blithe and William Baffin on board), the Jonas, Whale, Dol- phin, and Lion. On the 23rd of December, 1621, it arrived at an open roadstead on the Persian coast, near Minab, Ormuz being in sight about ten
leagues W.N.W On the 19th of January, 1622,
the English fleet anchored off the town of Ormuz, expecting that the enemy's ships, under Ruy Frere de Andrada, would come put to fight. But it was found that Ruy Frere was in the fort at Kishm, an important post, because it defended the wells for supplying Ormuz. This fort had been built out of the stones of a fine town, containing tombs and mosques, which had been pulled down for the purpose. The wall was of great height, with half- moons and flankers, and a deep dry moat. The Portuguese were already beleaguered by a Persian army, and the English fleet arrived on the 20th of January, 1622." 'The Voyages of William Baffin,' by Sir Clements Markham.
Guns were landed from each ship and batteries erected. On the third day William Baffin, while on shore "trying his mathe- maticall proiects and conclusions " to " take the height and distance of the castle wall," was killed by a shot from the castle. On 1 February the fort of Kishm surrendered, and in it
" seventeen guns were captured, and Ruy Frere de Andrada was sent as a prisoner to Surat on board the Lion. On the 9th of February, the rest of the English fleet, with about 200 Persian boats laden with soldiers, sailed from Gombroon to Ormuz. About 3,000 Persians landed, occupied the town, and drove the Portuguese into the castle. The English planted batteries, and directed the siege operations, a practicable breach was formed, but the Persian assaults were repulsed. On the 23rd, the Portuguese offered to surrender to the English ; and, on the 27th, the garrison embarked for Goa in two of the prizes. It was not until September that the English ships left Ormuz in possession of the Persians and returned to Surat. Ormuz was utterly ruined, and has ever since remained desolate." 'The Voyages of William Baffin.'
1 know nothing about the later career of Capt. Blithe, but surely the conqueror of Kishm and Ormuz should be entitled to a place in any English national biography. He was one of the celebrated band of seamen and leaders who laid the foundation-stones of our Empire in the East ; one of the great and valiant sailors who first caused the English name to be respected in the Asiatic seas ; one of the heralds of a new and benefi
- ent era for the oppressed races of the
Orient. RONALD DIXON.
46, Marlborough Avenue, Hull.
ADDITIONS TO THE 'N.E.D.'
(Continutdfromp.
Foam (not in ; an orchid). 1889, ' Chambers's Ency.,' s.v.
Fagin (not in). 1888, 'Chambers's Ency.,' ii. 30, ' A volatile, narcotic, poisonous principle called Fagin is found in it" [i.e., beechmast].
Fardel-bag, Fardel-bound (not in). 1889, ' Cham- bers's Ency.,' iii. 436, " The third stomach, fardel- bag, or moniplies"; ibid., " The complaint is hence ailed fardel-bound."
Fay, v. (earlier). 1711, Sutherland, ' Shipbuilder's Assistant,' p. 158, " The Chip is taken at the Edge, as if it was to be laid, or faid, in a Hollow."
Fetid-spar (=> Fluor-spar). 1889, ' Chambers's Ency.,' iv. 697.
Ftbrose, sb. (not in). 1884, Henfrey, ' Elem. Bot.,' fourth ed., p. 473, " Fibrose is the constituent of the wood-cells.
Fluorotype (not in). 1889, 'Chambers's Ency.,' s.v.
Flush, sb. (not in). 1893, Spon, 'Mechanic's Own Book,' fourth ed., p. 379, These are punched below the flush."
Follies (not in). Spon, ut supra, p. 119, "Fig. 188 is a pair of follies for punching holes."
Frenchman (not in). Spon, ut supra, p. 591, " This Frenchman is simply an old dinner-knife ground to a point, the tip of which is turned down square to form a hook. [Used in pointing brick- work.]
Fudge box (not in).1902, Daily Mail, 27 June, p. 7, col. 5, "After the paper has passed through the big cylinders that print the entire sheets, it goes past the small cylinder which prints the con- tents of the ' fudge box' in the vacant space."
Fumaroid (not in). 1895, Bloxam, 'Chem.,' eighth ed., p. 595, " Many cases of stereoisomerism are believed to be explicable by formulae resembling those given above, so that the expressions maleinoid and fumaroid structure are used."
C?anfirZy(=Gangling). 1872, Clemens[Mark Twain], ' Roughing It,' ed. 1898, p. 35, "that long gangly lubber they call Hank."
Gastroscope (not in). 1890, Wormell and Walrus- ley, ' Electr. in Serv. Man,' p. 593.
Gaunt, sb. (not in). 1889, Saunders, 'Brit. Birds,' p. 701, " In Lincolnshire it [the great crested grebe, Podicipes cristatus, L.] was formerly known as a 'Gaunt.'"
Germanic, germanous (not in). Bloxam, ut supra, p. 418, "germanic sulphide," "germanous oxide."
Germarium (not in). 1892, Griffiths, ' Physiol. of Invertebrata,' p. 418, "agermarium which develops ova."
Germiparity (not in). 1889, Geddes and Thomson, 'JEvol. of Sex,' p. 66, "The first period of 'germi- parity' from the fourth to the sixth day."
Glassophone (not in). 1898, English Mechanic, p. 47.
Glitter, sb. (=Glidder ; but see def.). 1902, Lord Avebury, ' Scenery of England,' p. 220, "Such slopes [of talus] are known as glitters in Northumberland, glyders in North Wales, clatters or clitters in Devonshire."
