Page 620 - PERSIAN 4 1890_1899

ADMINISTRATION REPORT ON THE PER8IAN GULP POLITICAL
36
it fell to RranB 70, the lowest figure touched, and, in the following two months,
it stood at Krans 80, advancing Krans 5 in October and Member, and finally
the year closed with a quotation of Krans 90.
Freight._This ruled at 25«. per ton to London for the first five month® of
the year. In June it rose to 30 shillings falling again in July and August to the
former figure, and further declining to 22«. 6d. in November. In December it
stood at 23 shillings per ton.
Shipping.—1The returns show that the total number of steam vessels
entering Bushire during 1898 was 98, with a tonnage of 99.847, an increase
of 3 vessels and a slight fall in tonnage, as oompared with 1897. Of these,
96 vessels carried the British flag, and the other two were Norwegian and
Turkish. Thcfailuroof the grain crops in Southern Persia and the Euphrates
valley for the last three years Lave been the cause of the falling off in the
shipping trade, the other articles of export being insufficient to accommodate
larger amount of tonnage without having to call at Indian ports to fill up on
the return voyage.