Page 9 - Gulf Precis(VIII)_Neat

Preface.
As an introduction to this Prdcis it would^ be well to read the following
reports which are printed as appendix to the Selections from State Papers re-
gar ding the East India Company's connection with the Persian Gulf, (1600-
1800)
(1) Report on the commerce of Arahia and Persia by Samuel Manesty
and Harford Jones, 1790;
(2) Report of Mr. Maister, Customs Master Bombay, and Mr. Fawcett,
Accountant-General, Bombay, on the state of trade between India
and Persia, 1799;
(3) Report of Captain Malcolm on the state of trade between India and
Persia, 1800.
For the history of the trade of the Persian Gulf from 1801 to 1872, we have
no periodical, but only occasional, accounts in our records, the most exhaustive
of which is contained in Lieutenant-Colonel Pelly’s Report on the Tribes, Trade
etc., around the shores of the Persian Gulf, 186j, printed by the Foreign
Department Press, Calcutta, in 1874. From 1873 the annual Administration
Reports of the Persian Gulf Residency and Maskat Agency, furnish ample
materials for a continuous and clear history of the Gulf trade. As regards
Basrah and Baghdad we could secure the Consular reports of their trade only
since 1895, These materials have been utilized in making out general statements
and a review of the trade of the Gulf from 1873 to 1905. For want of regular
returns for Baghdad on a scale of those of other ports, we have excluded the
trade of that place from the review of the Gulf trade.
A few notes on the Pearl Fisheries trade will be found in my Trucial Chiefs
Prtcis (1854-1903.)
In regard to communications, the only chapter in this Precis is that dealing
with the Telegraph line. An exhaustive history of the postal communications
will be found in the Memorandum on the British Indian Post Offices in the Per­
sian Gulf and Turkish Arabia, prepared by the Postal Department. Our
recent political difficulties in connection with these post offices are treated in the
Turkish Arabia Prtcis (1801-1905) and Persian Gulf Prtcis (1854-1 ^05).
The following notes printed in the Gulf Residency Administration Reports
may be read with profit in connection with the trade of the Persian Gulf:—
(1) List of boats engaged in trade in Pearl Fisheries, etc., on the coasts
of Oman, Bahrein and Persia—Administration Report for 1878-79
(page 40).
(2) Estimate of the population, boats, etc., of the chief ports on the
Pirate Coast—Administration Report for 1880-81 (page 4).
(3) Estimate of the number of Pearl Fishing boats sailing from the Pirate
Coast—Administration Report for 1889-90 (page 7).
(4) Notes on sea-fishing in the Persian Gulf with a list of the fish found
in the gulfs of Persia and Oman—Administration Report for 1880-
1881 (page 44).
(5) Weights and measures employed in Pearl Trade in the Persian Gulf-
Administration Report for 1885-86 (page no).
(6) Tables of Persian money, weights and measures—Administration Re­
port for 1877-78 (page 22).
(7) Notes upon the breeding, treatment, etc., of the Persian mule, and
upon Persia as a source of supply of mules—Administration
Report for 1879-1880 (page 15).
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