Page 41 - PERSIAN 2 1879_1883

RESIDENCY AND HU8KAT POLITICAL AGENCY FOR 1379-80. 29

10 35 tomans (one toman = 10 krans) for a good, strong, three year-
old, but I should say the usual price paid was from 20 to 30
tomans.
The number of mules in the possession of muleteers on the different
trade routes may be estimated at about 7,500. Of these about 3,500 are
employed on the road between Bushire and Teheran, about 1,500 on the
Tchoran-Tabrcez road, and about 2.500 on the pilgrim route from Teheran
to Kerbcla, on the route from Isfahau to Hamadan, on those from
Shuster and Dizful to the Tigris, and other routes.
If we allow another 1,000 for all the districts and villages not
enumerated in the list, I think all the mules in Persia will be accounted
for.
The number of mules would therefore stand as follows:—
In the possession of—
Bakhtyari Eeliyata ... ... 10,000
Abu Ghaddareh Eelijats ... 6,000
Kashkai Eclijata • • ... 3.200
Lur do.’ • •• ... 1,900
Arab do. • •• • •• 200
Districts enumerated on list 3,300
Others ... 1,000
Professional muleteers 7,500
Total ... 33,100

This gives a total of a little over 33,000 mules in Persia, and I am
inclined to believe that this is a tolerably accurate estimate, though of
course it cannot be implicitly relied upoa. To show, however, how
difficult it is to arrive at any accurate figure and how authorities differ,
I may here quote the opinion of a resident of Bushire, an Armenian
merchant, who kindly furnished some information on the subject of
transport animals in Persia. This gentleman writes: “ If, however, I
were to make a good guess upon information I have from time to time
obtained upon the subject of rearing mules in the different parts of
Persia, I would feel inclined to credit the kingdom on the whole with
an army of over 130,000 mules! I*
I believe that previous to the year 1870 there was a much larger
supply of mules, horses, and other animals, but large numbers perished in
the two years of scarcity,'1870 and 1871, and the country has never
recovered. The increasing poverty of the people and undoubted gradual
depopulation of the country through the vicious system of rule obtain­
ing, in Persia,' forbids much hope of improvement.
There is no doubt however that were encouragement given and a
convenient market open for mules and horses, the breeding of t ese
animals would largely increase. The nature and habits of theEeliyat
tribes, wandering w they do with their flocks and herds from pasture to
pasture, , highland and lowland, with the vaiying seasons, render th?n>
peculiarly adapted to breed and rear up any animals in the sale of which
they may find profit.