Page 74 - Gulf Precis(VIII)_Neat

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PART III CHAPTER XiV.
56
Appendices G (9M12) show the principal exports and imports of Bahrein
and the Arab Coast. Unlike the Pirate coast, Bahrein has always maintained a
large direct commercial intercourse with India; in fact about two-thirds of its
trade has always been Indian, while in the trade of the Arab Coast, India has at
any rate from 1873 to 1902 taken a place second to that of the Persian ports in
direct traffic and it is only since 1903, that India holds the first place in this
respect. The causes of these facts have been discussed above under the heading
of Lingah.
Pearls and then specie absorb by far the largest portion of the trade of the
Arab Coast and Bahrein, as the statement below shows :—

Arab Coast.

Average fo^
5 years X903. 1904. 1905.
1898—1903.

Rs. Rs. Rs. Rs.
1
Export of pearls 75,00,000 90,00,000 50,00,000
Import of specie • • • 8,00,000 9,20,000 7.20.000
Export of specie • •• 5,10,000 5.12|000 5.65.000

Bahrein,

Average for
5 years 1903. 1904. 1905.
1899—1903.

Rs. Rs. Rs.
Export of pearls 73.37)430 102,75,300 1,04,88,000
Import of specie 2,96,130 42,94,755 35.75,055
Export of specie • •• 9,84,900 4,59.540 7.55,850

It is to be noted that the total of the exports from Bahrein and the Arab
Coast far out weighs that of their imports, and this even after taking into
account the exports and imports of specie and bullion.

Trade of Basrah.
• Report on the trade between Persia and India Captain Malcolm* reports in 1800 about
by Captain Malcolm Appendix H. to the Sclte• Basrah as follows S——
tions 1600—1800.
24. I have already observed Bussorah was a Port where several European Nations
established factories, when Gombroon was abandoned : it became then the chief, and indeed
for a period the only, establishment, of the English in this quarter. Amongst other causes
which accelerated its decline, the principal was the dreadful plague which in the year 1773
desolated both it and Baghdad.
25. Within these few years however, these Cities have recovered in a considerable
degree, but more particularly the latter, which circumstances is chiefly ascribed to the