Page 684 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

POLITICAL RESIDENCY FOR 1011. 82

Highness’s request, the Political Agent wrote warning British Indian sub­
jects trading in Sur and Ja’alan to keep away from the disturbed locality.
The returns which usually accompany this report have been prepared
. _ _ this year and are attached as append­
ices. The most striking feature of these
returns is the indication that, in spite of the blockade, the import trade in
arms has recovered from the various blows dealt to it, the import figures for
the year 1911 being back again to the import figures for 1909. Another sali­
ent point is that, during the past two years 1910 and 1911, German shipping
has profited over British shipping to a greater extent than appeared in 1909,
though even in that year, the greater part of the imported arms and ammuni­
tion was carried in German bottoms.
The large Afghan trade via. the Mekran Coast has undoubtedly suffered
severely. Perhaps the most evident proof of this was the settlement arrived
at between the leading Maskat arms trader, Ali Khan, and the principal
Afghan gun-runners, in the month of November, which it is unnecessary to
describe in detail here. It showed clearly that the principal Afghans were
anxious to get out of the business.
It seems clear that the principal activity in the arms trade has shifted
up north and, if arms in any quantity are carried by sea at all after they
leave Llaskat, they must be looked for mainly west of Ras Musandim and
probably so far up as Katr and Kuwait. The answer to the problem “ what
becomes of the arms?” has not, so far as the writer knows, been discovered,
but it becomes at least worth considering whether it should not be looked
for in Central Arabia and Turkey in Asia rather than in Persia and
Afghanistan.
The actual figures for the steamer trade of 1911 are:—in German
bottoms, Rs. 10,50,3C0; in British bottoms, Rs. 5,12,770; total Rs. 15,63,130
as against last year’s total of Rs. 6,20.550. Prices do r.ot seem to have varied
materially. A comparative statement for the years 1910 and 1911 will be
found below.
Statement shoicing approximate prices at the end of 1911.

Asms. Axxcvrnox.
Name*. Local name.
1910. 1911. 1*10. 1911.

Rs. Rs. Rs. Rs.
per
1,000
Lee-Speed rifle ‘303 magazine (10- Abu-Asbar 80 60 60 65
shot).
Lee-En6eld ditto Ditto 66 60 60 65
Mauser Hunting rifle 7 m-m (5-sbot) Filsi or Panj-tiri 80 SO SO 75
Ditto 7*9 m-m (5-shot) Daraudari 70 60 78 75
Roumanian llannlicher carbine 6*5 Reumani 60 55 90 75
m-m (5-shot).
Mauser Pistol 7*63 m-m (10-6hot) Worwar Abu-Asbar . 40 42 45 46
Brooding Pistol . Browning . • 25 25 33 30
Martini-Metford *303 (English) Mauser (Martini) Lon- 40 35 S3 63
doni.
Ditto (Foreign) Mauser (Martini) Bel- 35 17 63 63
giqui.
Martini-Henry rifle *450 (EngliA) . Martini Kibir Londoni 40 25 58 60
Ditto carbine . Do. Sagir . 30 20 58 60
Martini-Henry rifle *450 (Foreign) . Do. Belgiqoi 35 25 68 60
Ditto carbine . Do. Sagir . 24 20 58 60
Snider rifle......................................... Snider • 13 10 35 35
Gras rifle . , Fransawi 7-8 12 60 60
„ carbine . Fran8awi Sagir . 10 10 60 62
IVerndl rifle . Soljeri . ♦ 4 3 28 50