Page 589 - PERSIAN 4 1890_1899

ADMINISTRATION REPORT
ON TUB
PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL RESIDENCY

AND
MASKAT POLITICAL AGENCY
FOB
1898-99.

Past I.-GENERAL SUMMARY.

1.—GENERAL.
Rainfall and harvest.—'It will be remembered that a timely fall of rain in
March 1898 saved the crops last year. Less area than usual had, however,
been sown, and there was not, therefore, grain for exportation, nor did prices
fall appreciably during the summer, or indeed until the rainfall in the
winter assured the coming harvest. The rains this year commenced in the
middle of November, and, though there was immediately afterwards a
prolonged break, they recommenced in December, and continued off and on
till the beginning of March, when they ceased entirely. It clouded up
several times in March, and a good “ Nao Roz ” rain was confidently
expected, but, unfortunately, none fell, and the crop has not, therefore, been
quite so good as was at one time expected. The late-sown fields required
more rain to bring them on, and even the early ones would have benefitted.
On the whole, however, the harvest has been a good one, a great deal of land
Prices in 1697-98. has been cultivated, and prices, as will
Wh#&t Kr*.2i to28prr Ha^himmaaod of 124 lbs. be seen from the marginal statement,
Rke** Kn."40 to 50 " " ", ” fallen greatly. The continued
Pretent rate*. maintenance of the embargo against
2Jf|J k™’ *9 to°io ptr H asb,m maund °f 124 lb8‘ export of grain is therefore unnecessary,
Rice (Indian) Kra. 32 to 40 * T. » and numerous protests have been made
Rice (Sbirtii) Kn. 36 to 46 „ - to me by the merchants, who, together
with the producers, suffer greatly from it. There are, however, I believe, diffi­
culties in the way of its removal while prices are so high at Tehran. I trust that
ere long the Persian Government may see its way to remove this prohibition,
which is doing much injury to the trade of Southern Persia. The effects of
the plentiful rainfall were seen on the Bushire plain, and changed.its ordinary
parched, and dried up surface into a green sea of young corn, interspersed
with masses of wild flowers, for which, according to the old sailing directions,
Bushire has always been famous. Early in the year fields of narcissus
scented the air, and these, later on in February and March, gave place to a
profusion of other flowers, poppies, larkspur, wild stocks, lilies, etc., which,
mingled with the green of the wheat and barley, were very pleasant to the
eye. The want of rain in March shortened the spring, and by April the plain
had resumed its normal aspect.
r -n ^\a.n9es the Governorship of Bushire.—There have been five Governors
of Bushire during the year underreport, viz., (1) the Imadi-Nizam, (2) Saeedns-
ultan, (3) Muzzafer-i-Nizam, (4) Muez-ul-Mumalek, and (6) the Daria
eg1* or lord of the seas,*’ the high-sounding title of the Persian AdmiraL