Page 61 - 6 Persian Trade rep BUSHIRE 2_Neat

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that about 750 tons of flour wore specially im* number will diminish yearly, that donkey trans­
ported by -Bandar Abbas and Lingeh. The price port will form the mainstay of trade by Jlushire,
0f wheat, in Bnshire even, ro60 to 44 Krans and consequently those merchants who pack
(£1-2-0) per Hashim man of 124 lbs. Cotton piece and other goods for donkey load*
Great anxiety prevails as to the rainfall of the will have far greater opportunities , as seven!
fintor of 1917*1 Persian merchants have already found out.
Public Health. During the first six or eight months of the year
1910-17, when the land routes direct from Bushire
24o cases of plague, small-pox or cholera, were were closed, 509 Tons of merchandise were tran­
reportcd.in tho town and island of Buihiro during shipped to Bandar Abbas, and diverted to the
the jrear March 191G-17 j but much sickness Bandar Abbas-Lar-Shiraz road ; while over 1,5'jO
prevailed especially during the simmer and tons were transhipped during the whole year
autumn, attributed to the heat that prevailed, and to Moharamerah, nearly all for forwarding by
unseasonable weather. (The maximum shade Ahwaz and the Bakhliari road to Ispahan.
temperature was 10b*5 on the 22nd June 1916
and tho minimum 44’S on the 9th January 1917.) The following statistics of laden animals leav­
The influx of poor peasants and labourers for the ing Bushire for Shiraz with merchandise have be*»
unloading of ships at Basra accounted to some recorded by the Municipality for Persian calendar
extent for the greatly increased mortality. months : —
1
Plague. Other causes. Total Deaths. Males. Camels. Donkeys.

1910- 11 46 637 ess To 23-8-10 321 273
1911- 12 149 699 7 IS 21-8 to 23-9 677 955
24-9 to 23-10
1912- 13 e:8 618 1,1?6 ... 1 211 2,109
1913- 14 25 600 625 21- 10 to .2-11 . 8 1,035 4.368
23-11 to 21-12
1914- 16 XX 436 655 ! 348 1,695
1915- 16 xa 671 22- 12-16 to 21-1-17 267 II 64 1,223
22-1-17 to 21-2 .
1916- 17 XX 1,149 63 3.018
22-2 to 20-3 307 j 1,166 13,245
The regular population is about 23,000 : the 1,237 3,885 26,874
influx, and temporary population perhsps amount­ i
ed another 5,000. With the exception of the last 574 mules,
Transport inland by Bushire-Shiraz Roads. which travelled by Borazjun, all the above traffic
After the reopening of the trade routes inland was vii Firuzabad.
in August 1916, transport animals used the The.above figures may be compared with the
Firuzabad route via Tangistan to Shiraz in lists given in previous reports, of which the totals
preference to the Kazerun or “ Imperial99 road up (for the full twelve months) were
till the end of the period under review : and the
outbreak of a fresh revolution in Kazerun against Males. Donkeys.
the Persian Government authorities, lasting from
December 1916 till after March 1917, had the
effect of making caravans and merchants avoid 1913- 14 26,053 22,568
1914- 15
21,196
the Kazernn route still more. Owing to the 39,441
scarcity of food above the coast mountains far
larger numbers of donkeymen came down to ply The Alternative Route to Kazeruo and Shiraz
for hire than ever known before, and forwarding via Shi el
was brisk for the last four months of the period. Traffic was very satisfactory from the reopening
This favourable condition is likely to continue of the roads inland till the end of the period : —
throughout 1917-18 and has done much to revive Loads forwarded.
trade between Bushire, Shiraz and Ispahan. With March 1913-14
more effective organisation of the animals 1914- 16 19,1 IT
9,757
available, especially donkeys, still more merchan­ H W 1915- 16 , . 4,629
dise could be handled by this route, It should be tt 1916- 17 17,416
dearly foreseen by merchants that the number of Thus the Shief route forms a valuable adjunct
males working on the Busbire-Shirax roads is to the principal forwarding ’route now-davs —the
entirely insufficient for their needs, that the Firuzabad road. Such muleteers as now work ia