Page 702 - PERSIAN 4 1890_1899

118 ADMINISTRATION REPORT ON TIIE PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL

From and to Bombay tho British India Steam Navigation Company’s mail
steamers called weekly, and those of the Bombay and Persia Steam Naviga,
tion Company at intervals.
Returns of sailing craft under foreign flag are not obtainable.
Karim.—Tho Euphrates and Tigris Steam Navigation Company’s steamer
ran fortnightly to Bunder Nasri on the Karun.
Freights.—Freights to London ranged from 23 in spring to R17-0 in
autumn: to India S2-6 to R12-0 per ton.
River steamer to Bunder Nasri about S10 and to Shushter about R18-0
per ton.
Shoal.—On the 8th of February a shoal caused by silt from the Karun,
formed in tho Shat-el-Arab just below the Karun, which gradually shifted
down the river till it disappeared in September.
Agriculture.
JFheat.—The wheat crop was good, the area sown was much less than
usual, but the return larger. As soon as the new crop was ready to cut, wheat
of the 1896 crop which had teen stored by the Arabs came into the market
at 32 Krans per 156 lb ; tho new wheat coming in brought the price down to
20 Krans; at Bunder Nosri the price ranged from 30 to £0 Krans per 376 2>,
as the embargo was enforced no largo purchases could be made, but small
purchases were made for Basrah, where prices were high, which prevented
prices from falling.
Prospect for r.cxt harvest.—The raius at tho end of the year were good
and an unusually large amount of grain has been sown : grain came up well:
but the result depends entirely on the March rains.
Oilseed.—The oikeed, linseed and sesame crop wc3 good, and the
demand especially for sesame seed for export is encouraging cultivators to
sow more; this crop is grown in the Dizful and Ram Hurmuz districts, where
the fields are irrigated and largely independent of rains.
Dates.—The date crop was very small owing to tho cold spring. Prices
were abnormal, being per hundred weight from R9-3 to R7-8 according to
quality, but falling, after the packing for the European market was finished,
to R6-9 to R5.
Cattle.—The cold weather lasting unusually late checked the growth of
fodder, and mortality among sheep continued during the first three months.
In consequence the price of ghee in Mohammerah was 25 per cent, above
normal from and after March.
Caravans.
No statistics of the caravan trade of Mohammerah are available.
Dizful.—During the year few caravans have arrived from Dizful, the
trade with that town being now nearly entirely by river to Shushter.
Harcizeh.—From Hawizeh caravans bring rice and load cotton goods.
Interior.—The route from Dizful to Khoremabad and beyond continued
closed by th3 lawlessness of the tribes, in consequence some native merchants
of Bamadan and other towns have been making enquiries as to the Shushter-
Ispahan route, and one small experimental consignment gave satisfaction.
A mule road is now being made, from Bundar Nasri ( Ahwaz) to Ispahan.
Health.
The health of Mohammerah and Bundar Nasri was fair, but Shushter
chiefly of children ^ an eP^emi° °f small-pox causing many deaths,

Bundar Nasri.
, ^ non- consists of 74 houses. 60 shops in two bazars, 2 khans,
and about people. There are two wool presses here.